Bridge Camera Advise

Looking for one for around £200 for a trip to NYC soon, the only camera I own is on my phone.

Must have wifi/bluetooth or something to connect to a phone while out and about.

Came across this:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-camcorders/digital-cameras/compact-and-bridge-cameras/canon-powershot-sx530-hs-bridge-camera-10118434-pdt.html#srcid=11026

Any alternatives or should I just hit the buy button?

Smartphone camera sensor with a big lens on it. So you won’t get better photos, but you will get a whacking great big zoom. Can’t say I’d find a use for a super zoom in a city though.

I’d look at a Sony rx100.

That bad?

Just noticed my error in the title – bloody iPhone.

Not bad, no. Smartphones have good cameras these days. It’s just got a zoom lens on it.

It will be fine if you just want to add zoom not IQ. To be honest phone IQ is fine most of the time.

But for me its an Rx100.

Better in low light
Better dynamic range (coping with differences in light and dark)
Better for making B&W conversions

Mate got one of these for a bit less than this :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lumix-FZ200-Bridge-Camera/dp/B008N8NXT6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474191488&sr=8-2&keywords=Lumix+FZ200

Holds it’s 2.8 through the whole zoom range, which is pretty good.

Fits in this case very snuggly :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lowepro-Shoulder-Digital-Cameras-Camcorders/dp/B000KZD73W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474191645&sr=8-1&keywords=Lowepro+Apex+100

4 years old with a smartphone sensor in it. All it offers is a zoom lens (an impressive one).

I’ve just been recommend a Canon M10 too. This is a minefield 😆

I’ve owned two Fuji bridge cameras and rate them highly.

Have a look at the Olympus Stylus 1s. Bigger sensor than most bridge cameras, but not as many zooms. I love mine.

Thanks, a bit too rich I think.

I’ve been comparing cameras all day, narrowed it down to these I think:
https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_sx540hs&products=canon_sx530hs&products=canon_sx60hs&products=sony_dschx400v&products=canon_sx420is

I am no expert but if you are going for a camera that expensive surely you must be able to get one that outputs .raw files like my acient Fuji HS10? It makes a hell of a difference.

My internet connection is a 3g phone only so I can’t google things for you, will be here all day 😀

Okay I’ll add .raw files to the filter

Thanks!

There is only one answer to this thread.

Panasonic LUMIX FZ200. You’re welcome.

I’m not sure why you’d want a super zoom camera for a city trip. You might use the long end a few times, but all that extra lens will be to the detriment of the rest of the camera & makes the overall thing pretty bulky.

I’d look for something more compact with a typical optical zoom (3-5x)& a decent wide end to fit in as much of the city views as possible.
For your budget I’d probably give RAW a miss; the file sizes are so large it will significantly slow down the camera between images, while it saves.

I am not sure what the worth is of all the comments above about the sensor in these cameras being the same size as that found in smart phones?
The sensor in my Nikon P300 is only a tiny bit larger than that in my smart phone, but it takes much better images than the phone, is easier to operate, has a useful zoom on it and the battery will last for several hundred shots.

I’d be looking at this sort of thing….

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/canon/ixus-285-hs-digital-camera-in-black-97622/show.html

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/nikon/coolpix-s7000-digital-camera-in-black-95351/show.html

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/sony/cyber-shot-dsc-wx350-digital-camera-90365/show.html

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/panasonic/lumix-dmc-tz60-camera-in-black-90185/show.html

Cheers for that @stumpy

At the moment I’m swaying towards a Mirrorless – something like the Canon EOS M10

Then getting 18-55mm and 75-300mm for the zoomy shots?

nathb – Member

Cheers for that @stumpy

At the moment I’m swaying towards a Mirrorless – something like the Canon EOS M10

Then getting 18-55mm and 75-300mm for the zoomy shots?

For £200? The body with 15-45mm lens is about £300 I think…..and a half decent zoom is probably going to be the same again.

Ah I upped the budget a little to circa £300

The M10 comes with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.

Then I was thinking of one of these too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000HDZAUA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2OAJ7377F756P

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000AM7CJ0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

with an adapter https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G34IQBW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1U95MPGIVSCJV

Total comes in at circa £350

Why do you want a long lens for NYC? Or is this for after?
I’d get the 22mm f2 and leave the kit lens at home.

I was thinking we could get some nice skyline pics when over the water?

Bloody list keeps getting bigger, with the bold ones being our favourites so far:

Sony A5000 – £203
Sony A6000 – £363
Canon M3 – £378
Canon M10 – £203
Canon SX60 – £340
Canon SX540 – £260
Canon SX530 – £165
Sony H400 – £145
Lumix FZ330 – £327
Lumx FZ300 – £191

Think that’s all 🙂

https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=panasonic_dmcfz300&products=cybershot_dsch400&products=sony_a5000&products=sony_a5100&products=sony_a6000&products=canon_eosm10&products=canon_eosm3&products=canon_sx60hs&products=canon_sx540hs&products=canon_sx530hs&products=sony_dschx400v&sortDir=ascending

a5000 is great, recently sold mine and regretting it already!

@cp
Did you ever have issues with dirt on the sensor?

I’d get the a6000 out of that list, unless I was trying to do it on the cheap then the a5000 or Canon M10 would appeal.

@cp
Did you ever have issues with dirt on the sensor?

no, never. I didn’t swap lenses though, just used it with the standard kit lens.

That said I mainly use full on DSLRs with prime lenses which get swapped regularly, and never really had a problem with dust with those either.

Just turn camera off then hold camera with lens pointing down when changing lens.

The range finder on the A6000 is really appealing, but the missus wants a 180 flip screen?! I need to talk her out of that.

But the budget has to stop somewhere, with the M10/A5000 we’d be able to get a wide range of lenses for under £400 in total.

Do you really need more lenses? I’d get the base camera and standard lens and see how you get on. If you’re going big lens, unless it’s a bright day, you’re going to need a tripod.

If you’re going big lens, unless it’s a bright day, you’re going to need a tripod.

No you’re not. Stabilisation and astronomical ISO levels make tripods optional.
Not that long lenses are that useful for normal use.

Okay good points, do guys think the A6000 is worth the extra £173? That’s the big question for me now.

The m3 has gone at that price, so that’s an extra £50 to buy over the A6000.

Okay good points, do guys think the A6000 is worth the extra £173?

If you use the viewfinder, yes, if you just use the rear screen then probably not.

I’d recommend an RX100 too, gets taken places because it actually fits in a pocket, later models have a flippy screen, the flash articulates so can be bounced.

I’ve got a full frame SLR too, but when I take that on holiday it starts to take control of the whole holiday. A decent pocketable camera is a good compromise for holiday IMHO. Bigger stuff is for when you want to fiddle around with manual controls for creative shots and stuff.

If you’re going big lens, unless it’s a bright day, you’re going to need a tripod.

With todays ISOs tripod is only required for night landscape photography or multi exposure shots. No problem walking around with an old non VR/IS 80-400 F2.8 taking shots hand held even as the daylight fades.

Okay thanks all.

Ordered the A6000 as I’d quite like the viewfinder.

I think at the price I’ve got it at if we decide it isn’t for us I don’t think we’d lose anything selling it on.

good choice 🙂

Hope so, the missus isn’t happy it doesn’t have a flip screen though 😆

and because of the above a Canon M3 is also on it’s way. 😳

Eh!? So the initial budget of £200 has crept up to around £750 and you’ve ended up with 2 cameras?!

What’s the flip screen for? Selfies….? 😆

I bet she prefers the Sony 😉

Yep, it’s the story of my life when buying joint things. Over research something get bored/confused end up buying one that I like the most, tell her I’ve bought it and it’s the wrong thing so I end up buying what she wanted. 🙄

I’m quietly confident I can sell one on with minimal loss though.

Should have both by the weekend, so will do some weekend snaps with both and make a decision from there.

Anyone in the market for a camera? 😆

The Canon mirrorless cameras seem like a half-arsed effort. Deliberately crippled to encourage you to buy a DSLR. And hardly any lenses available.

CraigW – Member
The Canon mirrorless cameras seem like a half-arsed effort. Deliberately crippled to encourage you to buy a DSLR. And hardly any lenses available.

But with an adapter (which I’ve managed to get one included since I was spending a bit) it opens the whole canon range of lenses up to me.

But with an adapter (which I’ve managed to get one included since I was spending a bit) it opens the whole canon range of lenses up to me.

You should have said unlimited budget at the start. You’d have got different suggestions!

I wouldn’t bother with adapted lenses. It only makes sense if you have a cupboard full as an interim measure before you buy native ones.