What camera to buy

Rod Boughton

Rod Boughton

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Rod
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Hello everyone,

I am a new member looking for some advice.

I used to be very much into photography many years ago, using a 35mm SLR Canon camera. But i havent done much for at least 20 years, and i am interested in starting again, but i would like some help picking a camera.

I have decided that i dont want all the hassle of carrying separate lens, and have been looking at the superzoom bridge cameras, ( i do like a long zoom for wildlife photography).

I have kind of narrowed it down to the following :-

Canon Powershot SX30IS
Fujifilm Finepix HS10
Fujifilm Finepix HS20EXR
Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ100
Panasonic Lumix FZ45

Can anyone that has experience with any of these cameras, please help me to decide. My photographic requirements would mainly be general photo taking at the moment, but i do want a good zoom.

I await your advice eagerly.

Rod
 
I've had a panasonic bridge camera for several years. Very impressed with it. They've got a new one due with a 24x zoom. Can't remember whether it is the FZ45 you mention or another model number.

I'd check out photography blog as they have reviews of lots of bridge cameras.
 
Thanks, i now have another to throw in the mix, i have just been in Comet and they had a Nikon Coolpix P500, i had a quick play with it and it seemed quite impressive. So i would also like opinions on that one too please. I'm really struggling to decide which one, i know their all pretty much similar so i guess my real question would be : which one produces the best picture.

Rod
 
I must say I am a bit disappointed that I haven't had any response to my query other than one. I was hoping to get some good advice here. I will give it one more try before joining a different forum.

I have reduced my options now to just two cameras, I have looked at the canon sx30is and although most people say it's the better camera, it just doesn't feel comfortable in my hand, and I am a bit worried the flip screen could be easily broken, so that had left me with either the nikon p500 or the fujifilm hs20, I like them both but just can't decide, I guess it will boil down to which one produces the better image and which one works better at full zoom.

I anxiously await your responses.
 
Your thread is getting read, but perhaps by people like me who have never used or fully investigated using a bridge camera? in which case we have no direct experience to add. Personally, I'm not keen on bridge cameras as a concept - sitting like an awkward duck between some very good compacts (smaller) and the CSC cameras (more flexible), I think their niche is getting squeezed from both ends.

You've already created a shortlist, there are sites like DPReview which run comparitive reviews and group tests across a very wide range of models. Their reviews are very good.

At the moment the new ranges are being (or about to be) announced by several of the major manufacturers, so there could be bargains to be had holding out to see which models will be sold off as they drop off the ranges.

Try repeating your question in "Talk Basics", most of this type of query seem to crop up there.. and this type of query is raised so often that a quick search will usually find an existing thread that will get you 80% of the way to an answer..
 
you may also want to look at the high-end Sonys like the DSC-HX100V & DSC-HX9V/HX7V as they have very good reputations too.

Bear in mind that none of these will ever compete in ultimate IQ (& especially in low light) with a good DSLR/lens package - but neither will they of course cost the same.
 
The problem with asking these type of questions is that you'll never get the answer you want as it's very unlikely anyone has experienced them all. Although reviews aren't the be all & end all the best bet is have a look through a few to decide on the "spec" that meets your requirements and then call in a retailer to try out the ergonomics etc...here's a couple of good review sites to get you started


http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q110superzoomgroup/

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/1/reviews.html

http://www.cameras.co.uk/

Simon
 
As above, I did look at this but my knowledge of bridge cameras ends at the Fuji S3500 I owned about 7 years ago before I got back into photography properly!

Most people here will have detailed knowledge and opinions on DSLRs but probably not so much on bridge cameras.

That said, I loved my old Fuji and wouldn't hesitate on owning another if I were to purchase a bridge camera for myself or someone else.
 
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