Recommend a non dSLR

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Weggy

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Hi all

Sadly, due to huge career change and new studying, I've had to offload my Canon dSLR and lenses. I dont want to completely lose my photography bug so I'm looking for a replacement... thinking possibly a bridge so looking for recommendations please. A G12 is an obvious choice but not overly impressed with the level of zoom available. The SX30 looks the part but is it any good? Other than that, the Fujifilm HS10 looks reasonable... Any other suggestions most welcome!
Thanks, and merry christmas to everyone :D
 
Well I too am looking into this range of cameras but I am coming up from the other direction so your knowledge of photography is likely to be far greater than mine.

I started off with this site as I was interested in the same camera as yourself - and still am.

There are a lot of good comparaitves listed here and you can compare each competitor with the HS10.

Looks to me that the Coolpix tops it overall.
 
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How much investment are you looking at?

A good compromise could be the micro 4/3 system cameras such as the panasonic G1 or GF1 - they make a perfect compromise between dslr and compact.
 
:plus1: on the Panasonic GF-1 great wee camera, Panasonic thread on G xxx cameras ---> Here on TP
 
Have a look at the Panasonic fz range. I have an fz28 which, although having limitations, is an excellent camera. From what I read the others in the range are also good.
 
Thanks all, will have a look at the Panasonics
Budget is about £300...
 
i can also recomend the panasonic fz28 as i still have mine as a standby
brill wee camera :)
 
Why not go for a film set up? You can get a SLR and lenses for peanuts or better still just get a fast 50mm and just use the one lens and get the lab to put your shots on a CD for the best of both worlds.
 
Thanks chaps but no to film... digital only please!
 
Wimp :)

The thing is that some of these suggestions are going to cost you as much as a used DSLR set up so what are you gaining?
 
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Weggy said:
Hi all

Sadly, due to huge career change and new studying, I've had to offload my Canon dSLR and lenses. I dont want to completely lose my photography bug so I'm looking for a replacement... thinking possibly a bridge so looking for recommendations please. A G12 is an obvious choice but not overly impressed with the level of zoom available. The SX30 looks the part but is it any good? Other than that, the Fujifilm HS10 looks reasonable... Any other suggestions most welcome!
Thanks, and merry christmas to everyone :D
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Don't just sell your equipment, keep it and forget you ever bought it. I don't know your situation but if i lost my job i'd store it away at a relatives address so i wouldn't lose it.
 
I have the FZ3 so pretty au fait with the FZ range but apparantly the FZ38 was BETTER than the FZ45 acording to some reviews.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digita...ix-DMC-FZ45/p4


Quote:
Colour reproduction is very good, exposure and focusing are accurate and reliable, but the FZ45 is nor without a couple of problems, predictably the result of the increased sensor pixel density. Even using the Intelligent Exposure mode the dynamic range is quite limited, with poor shadow detail, but it is the image noise problems that are the biggest cause for concern. The FZ38 had virtually flawless image quality at 200 ISO, and produced acceptable results even at 800 ISO. Sadly the FZ45 cannot match this performance. Quality at 80 ISO is unquestionably very good, but there are small but visible blotches of colour distortion even at 100 ISO. The image quality at 400 ISO is no better than its main rivals, and at 800 ISO the noise reduction has blurred out almost all fine detail. It is very disappointing that Panasonic has chosen to sacrifice the outstanding image quality of one of its most popular cameras for the sake of a pointless increase in image resolution.
 
I'd love to keep all my kit but simply isnt an option - im now a student paramedic so neither have the time or the money for full on dSLR stuff... at least til Im qualified in three years time anyway.

Off to Bluewater this afternoon so will visit Jessops and check out your recommendations... much appreciated all!
 
Hi Weggy.

Could you let us know what you decided and why plus how have you found the new camera - Esp having downgraded?
 
Based on research, I've just ordered an FZ35/38 for my trip overseas from Digigood on Ebay for a bargain £169.99. I only ordered it yesterday and it arrived at the in laws this morning!

This Bridge Camera Group test was quite useful...

DPreview
 
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Have a look on cash converters. They often have some interesting cameras on there.

Photography blog have good reviews of all the bridge cameras with sample photos.
 
Weggy said:
I'd love to keep all my kit but simply isnt an option - im now a student paramedic so neither have the time or the money for full on dSLR stuff... at least til Im qualified in three years time anyway.

Off to Bluewater this afternoon so will visit Jessops and check out your recommendations... much appreciated all!
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I don't get it? U don't have the time or money for a dslr? But you have to spend more money on a point and shoot, when u already have a decent camera, and using a dslr doesn't take any more time than shooting with a compact?

As someone said, get a good walkabout lens for your current set up.
 
odd jim said:
I don't get it? U don't have the time or money for a dslr? But you have to spend more money on a point and shoot, when u already have a decent camera, and using a dslr doesn't take any more time than shooting with a compact?

As someone said, get a good walkabout lens for your current set up.
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Bu as HE said in the OP, 'I've had to get rid of my current set-up.....'

Too late by the sound of things.
 
rizla01 said:
Bu as HE said in the OP, 'I've had to get rid of my current set-up.....'

Too late by the sound of things.
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Correct.

Needed the money for study materials. Sold dSLR and equipment totalling a few thousand pounds worth. Looking to buy a camera for a few hundreds pounds... the difference being used for study etc. I'm hoping people can understand that!
 
Depending what your needs are, I think that the Nikon P100 has a lot going for it.

No RAW tho and other limitations but has some good features for around £250.

End results are not all that bad either.
 
As you said in your original post, the G12 is the obvious choice. Lets face it, any compact camera is going to struggle to do the kind of shooting you would have done with a 70-200mm f2.8 L IS or a 100-400mm L. To be honest, if you're getting a compact camera, then you probably need to be re-assessing the kind of photography you'll be able to do. At least the G12 has full control over all the shooting modes, and nice simple knobs/buttons/dials to select things without having to go through menu's for everything. And when you get to the end of your studies, and get back into employment, it'll still be a useful camera to have around, if/when you go back to DLSR's.

 
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