So...I've decided that my 'after' Christmas present to myself with all my gift cards will be a new camera....I've spent DAYS looking up all types of cameras. Right now I have a very basic point and shoot but really want to upgrade to a nicer camera that will be able to take pictures from farther away, take HD video and have a tiltable LCD screen... I've gone back and forth with the idea of getting a DSLR, another type of point and shoot, and now I just discovered the 'bridge' cameras or Superzooms as they are sometimes called. I'm thinking this may be the right type of camera for me....so as high techie as a full DSLR with extra lenses and such, but better than a basic point and shoot. So I was curious if anyone HAD one of these cameras....I've done lots of research and was just about ready to buy a Panasonic Lumix70 until I realized it didn't have the tiltable LCD screen. I know Nikons get high reviews but area also notoriously slow, which isn't really for me as my current point and shoot feels 'slow' which frustrates me. So after research I'm leaning towards a Canon SX-50 (older model but apparently has better reviews than the newer model). I also looked at a Fujifilm S1. Any thoughts? Anyone have one of these types of cameras? Anyone have a different camera you'd recommend more....point and shoot, dslr...? I was hoping to stay under the 500 range (preferably in the 300-400 range, but I think we could swing 500 if it was REALLY worth it). So I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!
I have a Canon SX10 that I bought brand new a few years ago and it still works great. Been a really good camera for me. For my point and shoot I have a Nikon Coolpix S8000, which takes great video but is an older oneand I have a Nikon AW100. (Weatherproof/waterproof). I love each one for different reasons.
I had a Panasonic Lumix camera before I switched to a DSLR and I have to say that I totally loved that camera. It was insane that it had such long zoom, but still a relatively compact body and took rather fast pictures. My DSLR does take faster and that was one of the main reasons I upgraded, but I still look back at the picture I took with that Lumix and I'm not disappointed. I'm sure they are only better now than they were then... this was probably 5 or 6 years ago now.
If your main complaint is the "slow" factor, then no camera will be able to perform as well as a dSLR. You can get a basic Canon Rebel with a zoom lens for $500; but the kit lens only goes to 50mm, which is not what you are after. That said, a dSLR is a much higher quality camera than any hybrid or P&S and you could always crop more in post with a dSLR than you could with the alternative cameras. I shoot with higher end Nikon dSLRs and honestly don't know what the entry level Nikon cameras are, but the newer dSLRs from both manufacturers are getting really small nowadays. They also give you the flexibility to upgrade lenses down the line if you decide to grow your photography. I know you are looking for a zoom lens option, but honestly I think my iPhone takes better photos than a lot of P&S cameras and it has video built in as well. A tiltable LCD would not factor into my decision making process personally as I always use the optical viewfinder when I shoot with a camera. Just some things to think about.
I'd have to echo what Molly is saying. I stepped up to my first DSLR to get a handle on the delay time and have never been sorry. I started out with the Canon Rebel, which I still think is an awesome little camera for the money. The quality of your photos will be so much better resolution that you can easily zoom in during post processing. Experts will also tell you to let your legs do the zooming, which isn't very practical say in sports photos. You might want to read some reviews by someone like Ken Rockwell who reviews all brands and models, so he doesn't really have an agenda to get you to buy a certain brand.
My only camera is my phone, a Nokia Lumia 1020. I needed a new phone and a new camera at the same time, so it was an easy choice for me. I love it in both capacities. Just thought I'd share my thoughts on it.... It doesn't have a tiltable LCD, and I thought I would miss that, but I honestly don't. The screen is huge and I can see it from any angle, so I get the idea even if I'm not staring at it straight on. It is great for taking pictures from far away, because it has 40something megapixels. I don't zoom. I just point in the direction of what I want, snap, and then crop later. If I had to zoom in to where my kids were, they wouldn't be in the shot anymore by the time I was done, because they keep moving. So this works out really well for me. Once I'm in the camera app, it's quite fast. Even though it's a phone, you can hold it in your hands the way you would a camera, and press a physical button to snap a shot just like you would a camera, and I like that. It snaps the picture a LOT faster than my old P&Ss. OTOH, I have to launch a camera app first, and sometimes that takes longer than I'd like. Molly is right that you can't beat a dSLR for speed.
I will also add that years ago before I got my first dSLR I decided to go with a hybrid camera and got a very expensive Canon one. At the time I was swayed by the smaller size and the fact that I had a film SLR that I didn't know how to use. I though I could teach myself how to use the manual functions on the hybrid and then just use the film camera when I needed to. It actually cost a few hundred dollars more than the Canon Rebel that was available at the time. I got that camera when I was pregnant with my first child and looking back over photos of her babyhood and toddlerhood make me want to cry. They are all blurry from camera shake and a wiggly baby. I will always regret not buying the dSLR initially. I bought my first dSLR when my second child was 6 weeks old because I didn't want his babyhood to be recorded in a blur as well. His baby photos aren't perfect, but at least then the motion blur was due to too slow of a shutter speed and not just a delay from pressing the shutter button to the moment the photo actually recorded. Now if you are primarily shooting outdoors in very bright area, then a hybrid camera may perform okay for you. But any indoor shots will most likely have to have the flash used and you will still have the shutter delay issue to contend with.
I had a Nikon D40 as our first DSLR, but now we have a Cannon EOS (not sure what model as we bought it for my daughter) which is way lighter to carry and is a great piece of equipment...most my photographer friends have Cannon... I have to say, I really would like to get to learn how to use it properly...
Thanks for all the advice everyone....still not certain. I starting looking up the Panasonic Lumix, but perhaps I'll go and give the Canon Rebel another look as that's one of the only DSLRs that I think would fit in my budget range. I do like what I read about the Panasonic Fz200...but I am getting the impression that these cameras DO work better outside in bright light....not sure how well they do indoors and at 'school' type events.
Here's a question for those with DSLR....would the lens that comes with the camera 'kit' be enough for basic photos with just alittle zoom and then I could invest in a bigger zoom when we start doing more sports/school related things? Or would I need the zoom lens to get good photos of basic everyday stuff?
Depends on what "basic everyday stuff" is for you. I would say probably yes. My first DSLR, I bought a body only and a 18-200 zoom, because I knew that to get photos of the dogs, I had to have a longer zoom than just the kit lens. So as I've upgraded cameras, I've always bought body only. but I think the majority of people go with the kit lens and then get additional lenses once they know what they need.
Also, I have to agree with the majority here - if you can, get a DSLR instead of a super zoom. You will still have the shutter delay unless you go with a DSLR.
It also depends what you want to do with a camera. I got a Canon T3i which I love but I noticed for a lot of pictures I still go for the point and shoot just because I don't feel like putting the camera together, hauling the heavy bag with lenses etc. with me and it also takes great pics. The only thing I prefer my Canon over the point and shoot for is the depth of field I can't get as nicely with the point and shoot so for that I definitely prefer the Canon.
