Bridge cameras
Discussion
Afternoon all, a bit of background first.
I used to have a DSLR (Nikon D5000) until it got stolen (by a flatmate, who has since been kicked out).
I mainly photograph outdoors landscapes, and I like to do long-exposures on things like waterfalls and traffic passing at night.
I'm thinking it's time I replaced the hole in my life with a new camera, and I'm considering a bridge, mainly because at this stage in life (just moved house/city etc!) I'm not quite ready to invest in another full DSLR. Also because I like to take my camera on hillwalks etc, and a bridge seems a lot lighter, and less bulky. But looking at the costs led me wondering: some of the bridges are almost as expensive as full-blown DSLRs! I've also heard that bridges are not much good for low-light photography, which would scupper my long exposures. So what's the general consensus on here? Would a bridge suffice for the reasonably serious amateur photography or am I as well just getting a DSLR for what I want to do?
I used to have a DSLR (Nikon D5000) until it got stolen (by a flatmate, who has since been kicked out).
I mainly photograph outdoors landscapes, and I like to do long-exposures on things like waterfalls and traffic passing at night.I'm thinking it's time I replaced the hole in my life with a new camera, and I'm considering a bridge, mainly because at this stage in life (just moved house/city etc!) I'm not quite ready to invest in another full DSLR. Also because I like to take my camera on hillwalks etc, and a bridge seems a lot lighter, and less bulky. But looking at the costs led me wondering: some of the bridges are almost as expensive as full-blown DSLRs! I've also heard that bridges are not much good for low-light photography, which would scupper my long exposures. So what's the general consensus on here? Would a bridge suffice for the reasonably serious amateur photography or am I as well just getting a DSLR for what I want to do?
I think it really depends on budget and what you look for in a camera.
Bridge cameras are a compromise. Have all the features of a DSLR (or most) but the image quality of a compact. Shooting at night with a bridge (long exposures etc) may produce poor results compared to what to what you are used to with the d5000.
Budget plays a big part in it though, a decent bridge will set you back the price of a secondhand DSLR anyway so why not just go for the DSLR? Can get a d5000 for £300 easy enough. A decent, new, bridge will cost the same, if not more depending what you go for.
Of course, if your budget is smaller, a second hand DSLR may be out of the question, but then the bridge cameras you are looking at won't be great either.
Unless you are in need of a superzoom, why not go for a high end Lumix, like the LX-3? Great picture quality and perfectly capable of doing everything a DSLR can (feature wise).
PS. If budget is no limit, Lumix FZ200.
Bridge cameras are a compromise. Have all the features of a DSLR (or most) but the image quality of a compact. Shooting at night with a bridge (long exposures etc) may produce poor results compared to what to what you are used to with the d5000.
Budget plays a big part in it though, a decent bridge will set you back the price of a secondhand DSLR anyway so why not just go for the DSLR? Can get a d5000 for £300 easy enough. A decent, new, bridge will cost the same, if not more depending what you go for.
Of course, if your budget is smaller, a second hand DSLR may be out of the question, but then the bridge cameras you are looking at won't be great either.
Unless you are in need of a superzoom, why not go for a high end Lumix, like the LX-3? Great picture quality and perfectly capable of doing everything a DSLR can (feature wise).
PS. If budget is no limit, Lumix FZ200.
Edited by MysteryLemon on Monday 5th November 15:44
Been a bridge user for a good few years - Panasonic FZ10, then an FZ50 (after the 10 was "lost" by a supposed friend's father, so he claimed!).
Whilst I'm sure I never managed to extract all it could offer, in recent times I've felt it was limited in the direction I was wanting to head - landscape and long exposure/dreamy watery shots.
Just acquired a pre-owned Sony SLT-A65 with its 18-250 lens (SAL-18250), but would echo the above shout for the Lumix FZ200 - back to an f2.8 through the whole range.
Not to tout for a sale, but I have my FZ50 up on Gumtree at the moment - cheap foray into bridgedom, and if you tripod it for the LEs, you can peg the ISO at 100/200/400/etc thereby choosing the best compromise for noise.
That said, maybe a pre-owned Sony Alpha/Canikon for the same sort of money as the FZ200, with the right lenses for the type of photography you've mentioned?
Whilst I'm sure I never managed to extract all it could offer, in recent times I've felt it was limited in the direction I was wanting to head - landscape and long exposure/dreamy watery shots.
Just acquired a pre-owned Sony SLT-A65 with its 18-250 lens (SAL-18250), but would echo the above shout for the Lumix FZ200 - back to an f2.8 through the whole range.
Not to tout for a sale, but I have my FZ50 up on Gumtree at the moment - cheap foray into bridgedom, and if you tripod it for the LEs, you can peg the ISO at 100/200/400/etc thereby choosing the best compromise for noise.
That said, maybe a pre-owned Sony Alpha/Canikon for the same sort of money as the FZ200, with the right lenses for the type of photography you've mentioned?
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