I’m looking at upgrading my camera, but with so much choice out there, i’m confusing myself as to what to go for.

At present i’m using a Fujifilm SD2000HD, but it’s getting tired now after a busy abused 3 years of heavy use.
The lens has a few marks, the battery cover doesn’t stay closed without a zip tie and the lens ring has now gained a couple dents.

I’ve always hankered after a DSLR, but as my photography varies from scenic to wildlife with a seemingly frequent flurry of marco images too, meaning a vast array of lens would be needed to achieve even the fair results i apparently get with my present basic bridge.

Ideally i’d want something with manual focus to achieve better macro as the auto focus hones in on the obvious detail and not for instance the hairs on a flys back. Also a reasonable lens capable of pulling in the details of wildlife. Now of course a specific lens of over 300mm would still struggle in doing that as well as a Lens of over £1000.

But this has been one of the most frustrating things about the SD2000 and it’s mear 15x zoom.

I’m tempted by a lumix compact to just replace the fuji for something with the same capabilities as the fuji, but being more compact, however, ultimately i’ll still get the same results.

Another thing that bothers me about the fuji is it’s size, it’s so unbiker friendly, having a compact to hand is so much easier, plus i could get a weather proof one that can take the abuse the fuji has had to endure whilst out with me on the bike.

So, with a limited budget of £400-450 at a big push what realistic options do i have?

I’ve done lots of research which points me towards another fuji, the superzoom HS20EXR. It ticks all the boxes all bar the size. It has a lens zooming to that of something like a 800mm. I accept the quality will be same.

It has many of the functions of a mid range DSLR so a step up from what i have already.

I can’t find a 2nd hand DSLR with the same features as the fuji with a variety of lens that i need it to come with at a price i can afford.

There are other bridges available, but most don’t seem to have the range of high features that the fuji has and at the lowest price of them all at £299 or less online.

That would leave me with some cash for a quality compact, but what one? Weather proof without the range of features i like about the bridge, or a better quality compact and stuff it in a waterproof bag.

Moon on a stick?

Not really, just what to keep taking photos in all scenarios and at a standard i’m used to.

Like i’ve said, some people think i’m pretty good with a camera, well i’m not so sure so want to up things so i think the same.

Micro 4 thirds, nice idea, but wrong budget.

Cheers ears.

Micro 4 thirds, nice idea, but wrong budget.

Eh? m43 opens a huge number of doors for shooting with legacy glass. The Olympus bodies have in-built stabilisation too, which helps with that.

Theres loads of deals going on the kits and bodies and you will easily be able to get a decent 2nd hand macro lens working with it.

Hi I have a Pentax K7 with 18-55mm and 50-200mm WR lens which I could be persuaded to part with for £450 Plus postage however I also have a Panasonic Lumix TZ10 which go,s just about every were for biking the Panasonic is more useful

Current Which Magazine compact camera guide has
1) Nikon CoolPix P300 score 81 (£213)
2) Nikon CoolPix L120 score 80 (£190)
3) Canon Powershot S95 score 78 (£288)

Is that any help?

At the top of DSLRs it has
the Lumix DMC-G2, which is a 4/3 system at £353 but scores very highly, next best buy is the Canon EOS 60D

k-sugden… how many shutter actuations has your K7 done? I might be interested (if OP wants it though I won’t get in his/her way).

Where are you based?

£450 is easily enough for excellent compact system cameras. Also an entry level DSLR which will still be excellent compared to a compact BUT you would probably want extra lenses…

£450 – Sony a33 with 18-55 plus a Minolta 70-300 or 100-300 should be doable pretty easily. Decent lenses of various types can be had from £30 – £80 so building up a system over time is pretty pain free.

The advantage of Sonys is that they have a huge back-catalogue of minolta lenses available for not-much on the used market and thanks to in-body stabilisation they work just as well as the modern stuff.

m4/3 is worth looking at too. Olympus have in-body stabilisation too, the older bodies are cheap and old manual focus lenses are almost free. If you can live with manual focus (which on m4/3 is actually much better than on an slr).

From your requirements, it sounds like you either need a one-size fits all megazoom camera that will cover all bases, but perhaps be a master of none, or an interchangeable lens format camera (whether SLR or not) and you’ll have to swap about lenses.

Problem is with that – you are going to struggle to get a ‘general’ lens, telephoto lens & macro lens that it sounds like you would be after, with your budget.
And even if you could, I get the impression from your post you want to be able to go from taking a pic of a Welsh valley one moment, to taking a pic of an insect sitting on a flower the next. And something with interchangeable lenses, won’t really let you do that, unless you carry all lens options with you and don’t get fed up with changing them.

A friend of mine used to work for Fujifilm & bought the predecessor to the camera you have mentioned to a weekend of riding in Scotland. I was very impressed with it. It took good pics & my initial scepticism about the length of the lens and it’s real world usability was soon quashed; the stabilisation really did mean it could be used in general situations, not just when shutter speeds were high in good light.
We didn’t really play with it’s macro mode, but they normally have very good close focusing ability. My old Konica Minolta Z3 (one of the first superzooms), could focus down to 2cm from the front lens element and took great macro shots.

Something like the Panazonic TZ20 will give you a large zoom range, but perhaps as you say, you will be gaining compactness, but perhaps not a lot else.

It never is easy working out just what you need!

Conqueror Hi the K7 has less than 4000 clicks is close to mint comes boxed I am in Dewsbury West Yorkshire PM if interested email in profile

pm/email sent