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Getting into Photography / Bridge Camera help?
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Getting into Photography / Bridge Camera help?Posted:
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Joined: Feb 07, 201014Year Member
Posts: 2,117
Reputation Power: 86
Status: Offline
Joined: Feb 07, 201014Year Member
Posts: 2,117
Reputation Power: 86
Hey there everyone.
during my search for a decent but not over the top priced bridge camera i have found many new and interesting things out and have decided to try and reword this thread more from a "Help needed" thread into a guide or an insight into how to as openly as possible look for a camera and give reasoning behind features or decisions ive made and why i am looking at certain cameras in particular , i have left text in that was originally here but striked out what seemed appropriate.
I hope anyone else looking into getting into Photography but not wanting to jump in the deep end at SLRs will find this useful and an interesting read
Soon i will be hoping to purchase a Bridge camera (decided on bridge as a Digi SLR/SLR is way to expensive for the use it will get and i would be scared S***less of damaging it and a compact camera doesnt seem quite up to the task at hand i will be after)
There are a few Cameras ive looked into and have a small selection i feel happy around but am rather unsure of what to look out for specifically for the use i will be giving it.
I am mainly going to be using it for more higher detailed and better quality Holiday/Vacation pictures most of the time its being used , BUT now and then i will be going to places such as old buildings and industrial areas to take some scenic photos and hopefully take some nice photos for picture framing or displaying online.
the camera may get some use now and then for Product photos of stuff such as a shop may take for an online store but this wont be very often so i dont think it really matters.
for Video capability im not too fussed on it taking videos as me and my partner already own a few GoPros and have some semi decent compact and mid range CamCorders along with all the tech everyone carries nowadays that will more than easily fit the bill for the use they will get.
The cameras i am currently looking at are:
Sony DSC H200
20 megapixels.
26x optical zoom.
210x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 1.25 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 30 to 1/1500 sec.
CCD sensor.
Nikon L820
16 megapixels.
30x optical zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
Focal length of 4.0-120mm.
22.5mm wide angle lens.
Up to 8 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 1/1500 to 1/4000 sec.
CMOS sensor.
Fujifilm Finepix S4800
16 megapixels.
30x optical zoom.
7.2x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
Focal length of 24-720mm.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 1.2 frames per second.
Shutter speed of to 1/2000 sec.
CCD sensor.
Kodak AZ521
16 megapixels.
52x optical zoom.
4x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 2.3 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 1/2000 to 30 sec.
CMOS sensor.
After looking around more i have striked a few cameras off my list due to a few reasons,
-kodaks selling point that appealed to me was mainly the optical zoom which i have now found out would be overkill for the photography i will be doing.
-fujifilm after looking around more for what it offered and from reviews online it seemed overpriced for what was offered at a lower budget.
-Nikon although rated highly reviews and looking at comparrison pictures the picture quality seemed to take "life" out of it photos and slightly bleach/take out colours.
Canon Powershot SX500
Mini 30x ultra-zoom camera with 24mm wide lens
16 Megapixels
Intelligent IS
Large 7.5 cm (3.0") LCD
Smart Auto mode detects 32 scenes
HD movies (720p) with HDMI
Zoom Framing Assist
Fun Creative Filters
Full Manual control
Face Detection
Pentax X-5
16 MP resolution
26X optical zoom
Back illuminated stabilized CMOS sensor
Large 3'' tiltable LCD screen
Full HD Video(1080p stereo sound)
Electronic viewfinder
The reason i have kept the Sonyand added the Canon and Pentax are because of the following reasons:
Sony - From most store i look into it has a bundle option which would bring it to within 5~10 of the Pentax camera , which would mean i am a bit quicker sorted with a Brand name 8gig memory card, a branded name bridge camera bag , a 4 pack of duracell AA batteries, and some small misc accessories. so have kept this mainly because it seems very good for the out of bundle price but for the price of it in a bundle is almost a complete starter kit that seems excellent quality for money.
Pentax- After looking around this camera was consistently reviewed highly on value for money and often ranking 5th within top 5s where it would be pinned against bridge cameras worth double the X5s average price, alongside this the features it has such as the articulated screen and (although i will rarely use it) 1080p stereo sound video seemed to push it in terms of a very good all round device.
Canon - I have seen this camera highly suggested by multiple trusted review sites online but it is towards the top of my budget but i am very keen on this as the image quality seemed to far surpass the others when doing comparisons and it kept alot of "life" in the pictures with very little colour bleaching.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The range im looking at spending on a camera is about 100 ~ 170 MAX for a bridge as around the 150 mark it seems like itd just be worth getting a low end digital SLR or going for a lower end bridge and getting a bundle deal but am open to some suggestions if you can give some really good details with the suggestion (Such as i quite like the kodak which is around 150 as it has a very high optical zoom which may be alot better versus Digital zoom)
As for Kit extras i have a lot of extras covered already as a Family member has donated some old memory cards that they do not use due to upgrading , i have a small desktop tripod and a regular tripod sorted along with my Holiday/Vacation bagpack has a specailly designed camera pocket in it anyway
Any help regarding this would be greatly appreciated as its sometime im looking at getting ASAP as the next trip away is within a months time
Edits for personal notes:
-Have looked into CCD/CMOS sensor pros/cons and looks to be that a CCD sensor is the better?
-After more research seems ABOVE 4mp there isnt really much advantage between the 14mp and the 20mp range which seems to be my budget on the bridge cameras, infact the MORE megapixel resolution can actually cause some problems with inbuilt features such as anti shake or certain pick ups(was a rather interesting read)
-More research has also shown that for starting off due to how close a CCD/CMOS sensor have become over the years that it would be more recommended that if there were two near identical cameras one with a CCD and one with a BACKLIT CMOS IF you are beginner/just starting off then to go for the Backlit CMOS as it aids in the lower light level pick up. (Which should greatly ease the learning curve for exposures , and other features within cameras)
-Looking into price ranges on the two new cameras on the list (pentax and canon) im begining to sway more towards the Pentax as due to the canon price after then having to get a Memory card , a decent weather proof case , a "will do the job" tripod and a few other misc bits and bobs i would be close enough to a DSLR Canon camera (Canon eods 1100d i think it was or a EOS 1100d, im sure you can find it or others know what im on about) which makes me wonder at that price range would it be worth just jumping into DSLRs , BUT at the same point do i want to invest near 300 straight away instead of my prefered budget around 200.
during my search for a decent but not over the top priced bridge camera i have found many new and interesting things out and have decided to try and reword this thread more from a "Help needed" thread into a guide or an insight into how to as openly as possible look for a camera and give reasoning behind features or decisions ive made and why i am looking at certain cameras in particular , i have left text in that was originally here but striked out what seemed appropriate.
I hope anyone else looking into getting into Photography but not wanting to jump in the deep end at SLRs will find this useful and an interesting read
Soon i will be hoping to purchase a Bridge camera (decided on bridge as a Digi SLR/SLR is way to expensive for the use it will get and i would be scared S***less of damaging it and a compact camera doesnt seem quite up to the task at hand i will be after)
There are a few Cameras ive looked into and have a small selection i feel happy around but am rather unsure of what to look out for specifically for the use i will be giving it.
I am mainly going to be using it for more higher detailed and better quality Holiday/Vacation pictures most of the time its being used , BUT now and then i will be going to places such as old buildings and industrial areas to take some scenic photos and hopefully take some nice photos for picture framing or displaying online.
the camera may get some use now and then for Product photos of stuff such as a shop may take for an online store but this wont be very often so i dont think it really matters.
for Video capability im not too fussed on it taking videos as me and my partner already own a few GoPros and have some semi decent compact and mid range CamCorders along with all the tech everyone carries nowadays that will more than easily fit the bill for the use they will get.
The cameras i am currently looking at are:
Sony DSC H200
20 megapixels.
26x optical zoom.
210x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 1.25 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 30 to 1/1500 sec.
CCD sensor.
Nikon L820
16 megapixels.
30x optical zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
Focal length of 4.0-120mm.
22.5mm wide angle lens.
Up to 8 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 1/1500 to 1/4000 sec.
CMOS sensor.
Fujifilm Finepix S4800
16 megapixels.
30x optical zoom.
7.2x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
Focal length of 24-720mm.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 1.2 frames per second.
Shutter speed of to 1/2000 sec.
CCD sensor.
Kodak AZ521
16 megapixels.
52x optical zoom.
4x digital zoom.
3in screen with LCD technology.
24mm wide angle lens.
Optical image stabilisation.
Up to 2.3 frames per second.
Shutter speed of 1/2000 to 30 sec.
CMOS sensor.
After looking around more i have striked a few cameras off my list due to a few reasons,
-kodaks selling point that appealed to me was mainly the optical zoom which i have now found out would be overkill for the photography i will be doing.
-fujifilm after looking around more for what it offered and from reviews online it seemed overpriced for what was offered at a lower budget.
-Nikon although rated highly reviews and looking at comparrison pictures the picture quality seemed to take "life" out of it photos and slightly bleach/take out colours.
Canon Powershot SX500
Mini 30x ultra-zoom camera with 24mm wide lens
16 Megapixels
Intelligent IS
Large 7.5 cm (3.0") LCD
Smart Auto mode detects 32 scenes
HD movies (720p) with HDMI
Zoom Framing Assist
Fun Creative Filters
Full Manual control
Face Detection
Pentax X-5
16 MP resolution
26X optical zoom
Back illuminated stabilized CMOS sensor
Large 3'' tiltable LCD screen
Full HD Video(1080p stereo sound)
Electronic viewfinder
The reason i have kept the Sonyand added the Canon and Pentax are because of the following reasons:
Sony - From most store i look into it has a bundle option which would bring it to within 5~10 of the Pentax camera , which would mean i am a bit quicker sorted with a Brand name 8gig memory card, a branded name bridge camera bag , a 4 pack of duracell AA batteries, and some small misc accessories. so have kept this mainly because it seems very good for the out of bundle price but for the price of it in a bundle is almost a complete starter kit that seems excellent quality for money.
Pentax- After looking around this camera was consistently reviewed highly on value for money and often ranking 5th within top 5s where it would be pinned against bridge cameras worth double the X5s average price, alongside this the features it has such as the articulated screen and (although i will rarely use it) 1080p stereo sound video seemed to push it in terms of a very good all round device.
Canon - I have seen this camera highly suggested by multiple trusted review sites online but it is towards the top of my budget but i am very keen on this as the image quality seemed to far surpass the others when doing comparisons and it kept alot of "life" in the pictures with very little colour bleaching.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The range im looking at spending on a camera is about 100 ~ 170 MAX for a bridge as around the 150 mark it seems like itd just be worth getting a low end digital SLR or going for a lower end bridge and getting a bundle deal but am open to some suggestions if you can give some really good details with the suggestion (Such as i quite like the kodak which is around 150 as it has a very high optical zoom which may be alot better versus Digital zoom)
As for Kit extras i have a lot of extras covered already as a Family member has donated some old memory cards that they do not use due to upgrading , i have a small desktop tripod and a regular tripod sorted along with my Holiday/Vacation bagpack has a specailly designed camera pocket in it anyway
Any help regarding this would be greatly appreciated as its sometime im looking at getting ASAP as the next trip away is within a months time
Edits for personal notes:
-Have looked into CCD/CMOS sensor pros/cons and looks to be that a CCD sensor is the better?
-After more research seems ABOVE 4mp there isnt really much advantage between the 14mp and the 20mp range which seems to be my budget on the bridge cameras, infact the MORE megapixel resolution can actually cause some problems with inbuilt features such as anti shake or certain pick ups(was a rather interesting read)
-More research has also shown that for starting off due to how close a CCD/CMOS sensor have become over the years that it would be more recommended that if there were two near identical cameras one with a CCD and one with a BACKLIT CMOS IF you are beginner/just starting off then to go for the Backlit CMOS as it aids in the lower light level pick up. (Which should greatly ease the learning curve for exposures , and other features within cameras)
-Looking into price ranges on the two new cameras on the list (pentax and canon) im begining to sway more towards the Pentax as due to the canon price after then having to get a Memory card , a decent weather proof case , a "will do the job" tripod and a few other misc bits and bobs i would be close enough to a DSLR Canon camera (Canon eods 1100d i think it was or a EOS 1100d, im sure you can find it or others know what im on about) which makes me wonder at that price range would it be worth just jumping into DSLRs , BUT at the same point do i want to invest near 300 straight away instead of my prefered budget around 200.
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