Best compact/bridge for £140~180?

Smeghead

Smeghead

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Hello all,

I've always wanted to get into photography, but the astronomical prices for getting even an old second hand entry level body and lenses, running up to £400-500, has always kept me away. I've made do with my Casio Exilim 5MP compact for years now, but after taking some photos with it recently it really is starting to show its age, and the level of control I have when taking photos is pretty frustrating.

So for Christmas I was toying with the idea of getting myself a new camera, but unfortunately I really don't have much of a budget. Maximum is probably ~£170, 180 tops. I've been doing research all day, and seen bridge cameras like the Panasonic FZ28, however these are running upwards of £210-220 when including shipping, which is simply beyond my budget.

Now in all honesty, I say I want to get in to photography, however when looking back at my use of my current Casio, it's kind of on the low side. This is why I can't really justify spending too much on a camera just yet.
In terms of my use, I would say the old standard family/party/holiday, but i'm also interested in landscape and nature photography too. Must have features, i'd like a good amount of optical zoom. Probably 10x minimum; a viewfinder, and somewhat decent night shots/high ISO shots would be nice, though I do realise this is asking a bit much for a £180 camera. Now I may be able to stretch my budget to £220 in about a month or two, but obviously would like to spend the least for the maximum gain, so to speak.

Short version: Looking for a solid compact/bridge camera for around £180 max. Uses will be family/holiday/landscape/nature (night time a bonus). Must have good amount of optical zoom and a viewfinder.

Thanks guys!
 
I have the fuji S9600. Alas, they don't make it any more, but used ones are £150-£180. 10x optical zoom (it's twisty, like a DSLR) 9MP, Macro, will shoot RAW and loads of other funky bits and peices. It can be used with full manual control, as well as point and shoot mode.
You can also use 55mm filters, it will take a flashgun, fit on a tripod, and do a reasonably high frames per second.
It is not the best in low light, but you can still get some useable shots when you are used to the camera.
Vidseo mode isn;t bad either.

this one will probably go cheap -£120 with 6 nighttime hours to go.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/fuji-finepix-...Cameras_DigitalCameras_JN?hash=item230479c1b1
 
Smeghead - surely this name is a wind up! The post seems genuine enough though so apologies if not.
 
I'll second the Fuji S1500 - I recently bought one for my son - I'm really impressed with it.

I've seen a few places doing it for £130 - that should leave with enough for a decent case and card
 
stevemorg said:
I'll second the Fuji S1500 - I recently bought one for my son - I'm really impressed with it.

I've seen a few places doing it for £130 - that should leave with enough for a decent case and card
Click to expand...

Ditto

I got an S1500 as an early christmas present off my girlfriend and I'm more than happy with it.
 
I would like to put the Sony H20 out there as an option.
My wife bought one for the honeymoon because she doesnt like carrying her DSLR everywhere with her like i do and wanted something small but amazing quality.

Its slightly on the top end of your budget, but i cant speak highly of it enough. The picture quality is amazing, its slightly bigger then your every day compacts but still small enough to pop into a bag. It feels sturdy and robust and...well, its just a great camera.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Cyber-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261476658&sr=8-1

Do it, you wont regret it!
 
Maybe not what you want to hear but even an entry level used DSLR + a kit lens and a cheap zoom will be much better than a bridge.

i.e. I bought the following on Ebay not so long ago for £171.50 including postage:
Canon 300D
Canon 18-55 lens
Canon 90-300 lens
 
micloi said:
Maybe not what you want to hear but even an entry level used DSLR + a kit lens and a cheap zoom will be much better than a bridge.

i.e. I bought the following on Ebay not so long ago for £171.50 including postage:
Canon 300D
Canon 18-55 lens
Canon 90-300 lens
Click to expand...


heck, that was a real bargain! :thumbs:
 
Yeah, i've been looking at a few DSLRs on ebay and the trading area, and am toying with the idea of getting one. There was a D70 WITH lens on here for just £200 for the lot on here not too long ago, which sounds absolutely amazing. I imagine those kinds of deals only come once in a blue moon though, so will have to check everyday for a deal.
 
Apologies for the double post, have another question about DSLRs.

The more I do a bit of digging, the more I think an entry level DSLR would be actually achievable. D40s often go for around £200, and as mentioned earlier there are other entry level DSLRs available for £200 or under if you find a good deal. So out of the D40, D60, D70, 350D, or any other DSLR available for ~£200, which would you guys recommend?
 
Its personal choice really, but if you buy in to a system, you buy in to it for the long run (most of the time). Once you start investing in lenses, then it starts to become harder to swap brands for most people.

Personally, i would pop to your local camera store or Jessops and handle a D40(x) and a 500d just to give you an idea of the feel of the entry level cameras. It might not be the same as the one you get, but it will give you a good idea on the feel the of cameras.

There is always the Canon 1000D, 350D & 400D that with a bit of extra saving you might be able to get without a problem.
 
there is an a300 up on the for sale forum for £220
 
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