anyone know much about camera's?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Adrian5405

Active Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
220
Location
Brizzle
Car
2010 C180 Komp Sport (1.6) W204.
Hi all

We are in the market for a new camera to take on holiday this year.
I don't pretend to know very much about them so looking for a bit of advice.

About the only thing we have decided on is that we fancy a bridge camera over a compact mainly due to having more zoom.
Don't want a DSLR as it would be wasted on me and also too expensive.

At a push the budget could be stretched to about £300

So can anyone recommend a particular Make or model in that price bracket? We've looked at so many not sure if we're coming or going.

I guess I just want something that I can leave in auto mode 99% of the time but give me some good quality photos at the end of the holiday.

All thoughts and opinions most welcome
 
Canon G16

Z-canon-g16-beauty.JPG



I know you said you wanted a bridge camera, but I would strongly recommend that you check out the Canon Powershot range.

I used them for 10 years before folding and accepting the convenience of an iPhone 7.

But as a powerful, configurable camera with a powerful optical and electronic zoom, it's hard to beat. It is something that you can leave in auto mode 99% of the time, but which you can configure to your own needs.
 
The long zoom range bridges in this price range will normally come with a small sensor. The lens will likely struggle a bit at longer zoom ranges - both in terms of oprtical quality and the maximum aperture (less light so the sensor likely struggles bit more).

You will get a few cameras with an EVF - electronic view finder in this price range. Is this important to you? Also there are some that are weatherproofed / submersible. Is that important to you?

Basically it's about trade offs.

So for under £300 you will get a camera like the Sony RX100 which has a larger (better) sensor, a restricted zoom range, larger maximum aperture (better in low light), and no EVF.

Or a different tradeoff you will find Panasonic do the TZ70 which is also quite small - but has a small sensor but a much longer zoom range and an electronic viewfinder.

Megapixels aren't that significant. Small sensors produce pretty squishy output except under the very best conditions. So I wouldn't be too concerned as to whether it was 12Mp, 16Mp, or 20Mp in this sort of sector of the market.

Product lifecycles are slower and manufacturers overlap models these days (eg. Panasonic again - TZ60, TZ70, and TZ80 are all out there, and with Sony the RX100 is quite an old model).

My soft spot is for Fuji and Panasonic in this sector - probably tilted more towards Panasonic. But Sony are strong too - with Canon and Nikon IMO a bit further back.

I'd *personally* look for a camera with a EVF as it's usually easier to use in bright light. So that limits the options. Compactness is another priority for me. So I'd *personally* be looking at something like the Panasonic TZ70 (you can see a pattern here) rather than a bridge.
 
Whatever you get , don't overlook a spare battery and sufficient memory cards .
 
Z-canon-g16-beauty.JPG



I know you said you wanted a bridge camera, but I would strongly recommend that you check out the Canon Powershot range.

I used them for 10 years before folding and accepting the convenience of an iPhone 7.

But as a powerful, configurable camera with a powerful optical and electronic zoom, it's hard to beat. It is something that you can leave in auto mode 99% of the time, but which you can configure to your own needs.

While the Powershot G series are very good , they do have their limitations . I bought a G11 after using a G10 at work and being impressed with it ( the G10 actually had a better sensor ) . However , after six months or so I started to find the limitations of the G11 , due to its tiny sensor - when images were blown up to large size , both noise and colour fringing were noticeable ( this is in part down to the lens , but exacerbated by the small sensor size ) . In the end I sold it and bought a ( much larger) Pentax K-01 mirrorless body to use alongside my DSLRs ( and with my DA Limited prime lenses it works very well indeed ) .

It's a pity as I was looking for a high quality compact to replace my tiny Rollei 35S film camera , which I'd used for years as an 'always with me' camera , and although the G11 came close it wasn't what I was looking for .

The G16 may be an improvement ; the last one in that series I used was the G12 which wasn't . Canon did bring out the larger G1X , with larger sensor ( and price tag ) in answer to these criticisms , and a used one of these might fall within budget .

There are other large sensor compacts out there , and a bigger sensor really makes a huge difference .

Incidentally , your £300 would get you into the ballpark of a DSLR . SRS Microsystems are currently selling manufacturer refurbished Pentax K50 with kit lens for £329 , this represents a saving of about £100 off normal price and is still a new camera with full warranty . Also , it is about the same size as a bridge camera .

https://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/u...tax-k-50-camera-with-dal-18-55mm-wr-lens.html
 
Another vote for the Panasonic TZ70. A fantastic easy camera to use especially for someone -like me, who hasn't a clue what a pixel does and doesn't really care.

NB. Sand getting into the zoom ruined mine although that would probably apply to any camera. The Canon 610 bought hurriedly as a replacement isn't a patch on the Panny.
 
Another ++ for a Panasonic - I've had a compact LX3 for several years now and it's been brilliant. One thing I'd also echo is to try and find a model with some sort of viewfinder, as LCD displays get washed out in bright sunlight.
 
I'd stick with a brand name like Canon - I've had a couple of bridging cameras and I found that the power usage was on the excessive side having to automate the lens even although I was using Li batteries ..in the end I got a stonking deal off a guy on ebay that services and repairs Canon cameras, with 12 months warranty, a spare lens and kit bag al for exactly £300..I've never looked back, I use it sometimes for action shots and its far superior to a bridging camera, faster to react, push the tittie and I've fired off about 10 shots in a heartbeat..:D
 
I have a sony hx400v that is just around your price range. Really happy with pictures I get and very rarely take it out of auto. Also has Wi-Fi so can transfer photos to phone or iPad when on holiday.
 
When I replaced my bridge camera with a Nikon 1 I thought that I would be limited by the small zoom range. I supplemented the 10-30 lens with a 30-110 but have found that i rarely use it.

Just my 2p......
 
As has already been said, in this sector it's all about compromises.

Having tried a variety of compacts and bridge cameras over the years I've finally (and perhaps belatedly) given in and gone to a DSLR as I've found the image quality compromises of the small sensor cameras to ultimately spoil my enjoyment of them. However, the OP wants to take pleasing pictures rather than engaging in photography as a hobby, so...

Based on my experiences I'd say forget the perceived advantages of a bridge camera as you'll be trading bulk for not much else, and instead go for a good compact that will fit in your pocket like the Panasonic TZ70. An EVF is much easier to use in bright conditions, and the camera's compact dimensions mean you are much more likely to carry it with you (as the old adage goes "the best camera is the one you have with you") than something larger.

One thing that the TZ70 lacks that you may find useful is an inbuilt GPS to tag the photos. I find this really useful when taking travel shots, but my DSLR lacks it. Sony have some competitive compact cameras that offer this, so you may want to look at those too.
 
I bought a Pana Lumix DMC-TZ40 a couple of years ago and I cannot really recommend it. It is OK for point and shoot but the features can be awkward to use and the iphone app to control it remotely is poor. The battery life seems to lose charge when it is off so I find that when I just want to pick it up having not used it for a few weeks, there is no charge. Oh and the charging lead is proprietary so you are stuffed if you lose it. Why not just have a common micro USB?
 
Many thanks for all the replies, some very good tips to think about.
We did look at a Pan TZ camera that seemed very nice, think it was the 80.
We do want a EVF but I find the ones on the compacts quite small to look through where as the bridge seems much clearer, we currently have a TZ65 which is about 8 years old but find it hard to use in bright light due to no EVF.
I get the point about the bridge being bigger to carry for no extra gain, another bag to carry as apposed to a compact in you pocket.
I noticed you can get bridge cameras with 60+ zoom for me budget but in the real world do I all that zoom? Holiday consists of mainly city sight seeing and a little beach time.

We've looked in our local Curries, Jessops, and John Lewis but neither of them seem to have much of a selection to look at
 
I noticed you can get bridge cameras with 60+ zoom for me budget but in the real world do I all that zoom? Holiday consists of mainly city sight seeing and a little beach time.

Only you can answer the question about the zoom range.

How often would you use it - what value do you put on it compared with other features.

My observation would be that a 60x zoom that gives you say the equivalent to a traditional 1200mm focal length is limited. Personally I don't use more than 200mm equivalent very often these days. At 1200 mm equivalent then you lose quality due to the lens optics, reduced aperture, and also atmospheric effects at distant. So likely reduced contrast and sharpness.

*Personally* I would be more concerned the maximum aperture at shorter focal lengths - this is where you will have more flexibility with a small sensor when using the camera in the evening or in more difficult lighting situations. It will make the flash more useful as well.

On the other hand if you think you will usefully use that longer focal length to capture images of things that you can't get physically close to or need to enlarge then the tradeoff shifts back in its favour.


We've looked in our local Curries, Jessops, and John Lewis but neither of them seem to have much of a selection to look at

The market for compact and cheap bridge cameras has contracted a bit. So the retailers don't carry the same sort of range taht they did a few years ago.

Mobile phones are good enough for a lot of purposes.
 
7 years ago I went through this same process as we were going on safari for the first time. I bought a Canon Powershot 20IS and it was superb. One major factor for me is that it takes normal AA batteries rather than specialist rechargeable batteries, and AA's are available just about everywhere. On that holiday I also took a Sony camcorder that records in near broadcast quality, but need not have bothered as the video from the Canon is at least as good. It also retains focus if you zoom while taking video, something our previous Canon Powershot A640 did not. Zoom - it has 20x optical and 60x digital, I used the digital a few times using a foldy 3 leg stand as a support, that worked well. A large SD card also helps! For me another good aspect of the canon is the ability to twist and angle the viewscreen, useful if, for instance, you need to hold the camera over your head to clear other people!

3 years ago I needed a pocket camera for a wedding, so bought a Nikon Coolpix S6500 which is top pocket size and gives excellent results still and video (and also retains focus when zooming in video), but requires special batteries so I ended up buying 2 extra (higher capacity) batteries and charger from ebay. I carry it with me a lot, so seldom use the SX20 these days.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom