Bridge Camera / DSLR comparison picture

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Below is a photograph that I shot 2 years ago using a fuji s9600 bridge camera. Although I enjoyed owning the Fuji and think I managed to get some very good pictures from it, I often found bridge camera owners tended to be looked down on by dslr owners.
Since owning my Nikon D80 I have always wondered if the picture would really be much improved using a ‘proper’ dslr. With all the recent snow falling at times when I was unable to get out and re-shoot the scene I was amazed when I woke on Sunday to see a heavy snow fall. Patently waiting for a break in the weather I got everything (nearly everything) ready to drive the 4 miles over to Ewerby as soon as the snow stopped falling and to try and get a shot in before the snow started to thaw or too many tracks appeared.

Only thing I never thought to take was a copy of the original to get the same angle/spot as before.

Personally I think there is very little to choose from between the pictures although I do feel the Nikon has a little more depth and detail –

Below are the two photos for comparison – all comments welcome.

Fuji s9600 photo 2008
MainStrretEwerby800.jpg


Nikon D80 2010

pic1800.jpg



Site Moderators - I wasn’t sure which section would be best so feel free to move if necessary
 
That's a nice idea :thumbs:

Personally I also think the shot from the d80 looks a little clearer and sharper too. Bridge cameras shouldn't be looked down on, they're a different tool for the job, that's all! DSLRs are more customisable, but look at what Alby (Ajophotog) gets with his Panasonic bridge ;). (I'm sure others get very good results too, just using the first example that came into my mind :))
 
does show that those you think they really need to buy a DSLR for an occasional party snap are gullable. this is a perfect example of showing that you dont have to have expensive kit to get good pictures.
 
For many purposes, a bridge camera is more than adequate, especially with the zoom range that many offer. However they fall down on things like noise at higher ISO's, AF speed and shutter lag, which is why people who develop a more serious interest in photography often move onto an SLR after a few years.
 
great comparison, but is it just me or has the lamp post vanished??
 
Its spot the difference. Print it out and ring everything that has changed. :D

If you look at the exif of the pictures that tells a lot. The second one is a lot better and shaper if you ask me.
 
The steeple is there as far as I can see!

Call me a madman, but the photo from the bridge looks nicer to me. It is softer, but there isn't such a harsh contrast. A few inches from the top and the sky is blown out as is a lot of the snow. Either that, or my monitor is knackered - forgive me! :thinking:

I had an old Panasonic DMC-FZ20 bridge camera for a very short time and managed to take some belters with it. The sensor was buggered (reason I only had it for a very short time) so I always had to use ISO 200 - the colours were quite washed out but it certainly allowed me to be more creative than my PnS. The thing I don't like about bridge cameras is at the wide end the barrel distortion is awful. I'm actually quite thankful I ended up with a duff else I wouldn't have sent it back and saved for a DSLR.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
For many purposes, a bridge camera is more than adequate, especially with the zoom range that many offer. However they fall down on things like noise at higher ISO's, AF speed and shutter lag, which is why people who develop a more serious interest in photography often move onto an SLR after a few years.
Click to expand...

The reason for that is because bridge cameras use the same components as compacts - just with a big lens on the front.
 
My mistake, need to get a bigger screen, didnt see the full image.:coat::exit:
 
Peter-T said:
great comparison, but is it just me or has the lamp post vanished??
Click to expand...

First prize in the spot the difference goes too…:)

I didn’t like the angle of the lamp post in the re-shoot as it dominated the sky line more than in the original so I cloned it out. I meant to post the ‘uncloned’ version but wondered if anyone would spot that.
I’m still kicking myself for not taking a copy of the original with me, fingers crossed we get some more snow and I might try it again.:thinking:
 
Cyb said:
Below is a photograph that I shot 2 years ago using a fuji s9600 bridge camera. Although I enjoyed owning the Fuji and think I managed to get some very good pictures from it, I often found bridge camera owners tended to be looked down on by dslr owners.
Click to expand...

this can happen if you cant cut it with a bridge camera...which you can
its a bad way to approach photography...imho...you use what you need to suit your purpose...

very good comparison shots and not taking too much time over them and nit picking i would be happy with either
 
It is about abng for your buck, and what matters to you.

To me, I like having all the features if a top end dslr for he cost of a used budget dslr.

I appreciate that in certain conditions I will not get as good quality of photograph, and that the smaller sensor presents some issus.

However, I think that this is outweighed by the extra features tha I get - Live view and an LCD that pivots and tilts - video etc.

I recently had a shot blown up to approx 30in square and the quality was much better than I had expected considering the resolution it was taken and I had done a small amount of cropping.

I do think that having a bridge makes me work within it limits, but it also stops me thinking " if I had X lens, I could take this shot better". Although I still think "If I had X lens on X body, I could take this shot better!!"
 
I got a Nikon D60 before Christmas and yet I have started to use my old Panasonic FZ-18 bridge camera as my first choice again. I was expecting a big increase in quality with the Nikon being 10 meg and a larger sensor but to be honest I often cannot tell any difference except the Panasonic has IS, a 500mm zoom,macro setting, is far more portable and most importantly has live view(important for taking pics of things low down like flowers without lying in the dirt!).

It feels to me now that there is a very big difference between an entry level DSLR and a very good one which is often ignored. I have certainly felt a certain level of snobbery on some photography forums in the past before for not having a DSLR, In fact people often assume you must be a beginner and start to explain basic facts to you like you are a child.

I now have no idea whether to even get a zoom for my Nikon(I really want one 70-300) as I cant afford one costing more than the D60 itself with VR or a very low aperture and certainly dont wont to lug a tripod with me everywhere I go and will it be any better than the Panasonic anyway? I'm confused now!:cuckoo:
 
Pog said:
I now have no idea whether to even get a zoom for my Nikon(I really want one 70-300) as I cant afford one costing more than the D60 itself with VR or a very low aperture and certainly dont wont to lug a tripod with me everywhere I go and will it be any better than the Panasonic anyway? I'm confused now!:cuckoo:
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The thing that you have to remember is that bridge cameras are always going to be a compromise. Whilst this is really useful in some situations, there is the potential for better results with a DSLR because you can use the right lens for the job.

For example, the lens on your Panasonic probably has the equivalent focal range of 28-500 or something. This is a BIG range (x18 in optical zoom terms), and is going to mean a loss of quality, probably at the long end. A 70-300 (with equivalent focal range of 105-450 on your Nikon) which is x4 across the range. The smaller this multiplier, generally the better the quality you'll get, as the lens has been designed for just that range. That's why primes give a better quality, they're optimised for use at just one focal range.

Get the 70-300, you'll love it! But take the bridge when you don't want to take a DSLR and a bag full of lenses!
 
Fuji HS10 - -24mm-720mm fixed lens, 10MP, for less than £450!!

Who needs a DSLR......
 
lawrie29 said:
Fuji HS10 - -24mm-720mm fixed lens, 10MP, for less than £450!!

Who needs a DSLR......
Click to expand...

wow, tbh I am tempted to buy that over the canon 500d which I was going to buy. However the lack of reviews is the only thing stopping me atm.
 
chris321 said:
For example, the lens on your Panasonic probably has the equivalent focal range of 28-500 or something. This is a BIG range (x18 in optical zoom terms), and is going to mean a loss of quality, probably at the long end. A 70-300 (with equivalent focal range of 105-450 on your Nikon) which is x4 across the range. The smaller this multiplier, generally the better the quality you'll get, as the lens has been designed for just that range. That's why primes give a better quality, they're optimised for use at just one focal range.
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Yes, I have seen people advising to get the basic Nikon 50mm lens for this reason although I did not understand why at the time.Perhaps it would be worth using for a while instead of the kit 18-55 if I could get a cheap 2nd hand one.

Get the 70-300, you'll love it! But take the bridge when you don't want to take a DSLR and a bag full of lenses!
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I often walk for 15 miles across the peak district so weight has been an issue in the past.(and falling over in streams!). I think any zoom is better than none though so will probably go for the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO and practice standing very still if the light is poor!
 
lawrie29 said:
Fuji HS10 - -24mm-720mm fixed lens, 10MP, for less than £450!!

Who needs a DSLR......
Click to expand...

It looks pretty impressive! But that many pixels on a sensor that small is going to get messy at high ISOs, which is still where the DSLR is going to have an advantage.

But it looks like it might be very useful for someone wanting something to do a bit of everything! And I'd like to see what its like at 720mm!

Chris
 
Pog said:
I often walk for 15 miles across the peak district so weight has been an issue in the past.(and falling over in streams!). I think any zoom is better than none though so will probably go for the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO and practice standing very still if the light is poor!
Click to expand...

It might be worth spending a little extra and getting the 'APO' version of the Sigma 70-300, it's got some fancy glass elements and has better quality apparently, but I've never used one so can't really give better advice!
 
westie17 said:
wow, tbh I am tempted to buy that over the canon 500d which I was going to buy. However the lack of reviews is the only thing stopping me atm.
Click to expand...

Only just been announced, so give it a few weeks and there should be a few. It looks pretty much like the s9600, but with a longer zoom and some funkier sensor.
 
lawrie29 said:
Fuji HS10 - -24mm-720mm fixed lens, 10MP, for less than £450!!

Who needs a DSLR......
Click to expand...

A 30x zoom lens is not going to be brilliant quality, focus will be slower etc.

@ OP: I agree that on a downsized image, shot at ISO80 (vs. ISO 400 on the D80) that it probably compares well.

However if you give it a difficult lighting situation, want large prints, need quick AF, shallow DoF etc. it's never going to compare to a DSLR.
 
Raikiri said:
@ OP: I agree that on a downsized image, shot at ISO80 (vs. ISO 400 on the D80) that it probably compares well.

However if you give it a difficult lighting situation, want large prints, need quick AF, shallow DoF etc. it's never going to compare to a DSLR.
Click to expand...


I’ll disagree with the ‘difficult lighting and large prints’ (unless you mean bigger than A2) but someone once said bridge cameras are “jack of all trades but masters of none” and I think that is a fair(ish) comment. I do prefer the faster AF and shutter release on my Nikon and the quality is better, although not by as much as I thought, I can’t see me going back to a bridge.:)

I’m still learning about my D80 and enjoying the process just as much as I did with my s9600 but one thing I have learnt is to give the guy standing next to me with the bridge camera as much respect as the guy with the superior dslr.
 
westie17 said:
wow, tbh I am tempted to buy that over the canon 500d which I was going to buy. However the lack of reviews is the only thing stopping me atm.
Click to expand...

The HS10 isnt out til april and amazon are doing it for £379 bargain! thats why there are no reviews yet
 
great comparison, i loved my S5600 and learnt so much from it, in alot of situations it was on par with the 400d and kit lens.
 
I loved my S9600 & still wish I had it now :'(

Heres one I took of my little Hollie..not bad for a camera that cost £160 from Fuji direct.

holly20eye.jpg
 
chris321 said:
It looks pretty impressive! But that many pixels on a sensor that small is going to get messy at high ISOs, which is still where the DSLR is going to have an advantage.

But it looks like it might be very useful for someone wanting something to do a bit of everything! And I'd like to see what its like at 720mm!

Chris
Click to expand...

At that magnification you can probably see the flag on the moon :gag:
 
This isn't a great test because the conditions werent the same, neither is the angle and the processing you've done could have easily affected the outcome. To do a proper est you would need to take them both at the same time then compare the results before doing PP work
 
snoop69 said:
I loved my S9600 & still wish I had it now :'(

Heres one I took of my little Hollie..not bad for a camera that cost £160 from Fuji direct.

holly20eye.jpg
Click to expand...

what more does one need...
very cute and fond shot of a memory
good eye focus
 
I have both a Nikon Coolpix 5700 (Bridge) and a Nikon D300. The 5700 comes out with me nearly all the time. The D300 only if I choose to be encumbered by the whole kit.
The Coolpix never ceases to amaze me for and "old technology" bridge camera with only 5mp the quality of the pictures is stunning.

Quick plug for Nikon..The 5700 failed last year! the sensor failed...Even though it is a 2002 camera, this was replaced by Nikon FOC, and returned from the UK fully cleaned and serviced......It doesn't get better than that!
 
joescrivens said:
This isn't a great test because the conditions werent the same, neither is the angle and the processing you've done could have easily affected the outcome. To do a proper est you would need to take them both at the same time then compare the results before doing PP work
Click to expand...


Who said it was a test?

I said it was a comparison which it is, I think perhaps an image I took 2 years ago is going to be a little difficult to replicate exactly, the weather /the light and numerous other equations would all be different.
It shows that a bridge camera can in some instances be just or almost as good as a camera costing a lot more.
 
Thankyou for posting the two pics...
I have a bridge, and when i joined this forum, I was worried about "being looked down on", however, this hasn't happened.
I have now realised I want to make the jump to a DSLR, but for now, until I win the lottery, I am gonna have to make do with my bridge.

I have learnt that while, yes, a DSLR will take better pics...it is also down to the person taking the shot, and what their preference is in compostions etc.

By posting these two pics...you have cheered me up and given me hope!!!
 
Cyb said:
Who said it was a test?

I said it was a comparison which it is, I think perhaps an image I took 2 years ago is going to be a little difficult to replicate exactly, the weather /the light and numerous other equations would all be different.
It shows that a bridge camera can in some instances be just or almost as good as a camera costing a lot more.
Click to expand...

ok it's not a great comparison then for the reasons I stated
 
chris321 said:
It might be worth spending a little extra and getting the 'APO' version of the Sigma 70-300, it's got some fancy glass elements and has better quality apparently, but I've never used one so can't really give better advice!
Click to expand...

Well that's the problem, I got an entry level DSLR but if I have to spend loads on a zoom to get decent shots then I might as well stay with my Panasonic bridge camera.I was looking on flickr again and some of the better landscape shots I was looking at were taken with a 25 meg canon camera so you have to ask yourself again are entry level DSLR's really that much of a step up?
 
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