Camera for beginner - Bridge or DSLR?

D

Deb20

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2
Edit My Images
No
I’m looking for some advice on buying my first proper camera.

I’ve been interested in photography for some time now so I’ve decided to take it up as a hobby and enrolled in an online photography course. I just started reading through the material yesterday, and it seems pretty detailed. So the next step is to get a hold of a camera. I know these posts must come up all the time so I have done some research first.

The digital camera I have at the moment is a Fujifilm and I’ve been really happy with the results. I’ve got to know how to use all the different settings etc so thought a Fujifilm would be a good place to start. However I found that Fuji don’t manufacture DSLR cameras, but have a variety of Bridge and Pro cameras.

But, since I’m new to all this I have no idea about what specs to look for yet. I know ultimately a DSLR will produce the best results, but as a beginner would a bridge camera meet my photography needs? The idea of a bridge camera sounds quite appealing – mainly for carrying around/travelling. However, I don’t want to buy a bridge and find myself restricted and needing to upgrade soon after, but on the other hand I don’t want to buy a DSLR in case I don’t have the time to commit to this hobby, or even that I’m no good at it!

I’ve looked on Flickr and seen some photos taken with the bridge cameras I’ve been looking at and I personally cannot fault them. After all it is more about knowing how to use the camera etc than the actual camera that produces good photos. I’ve spoke to a few people with bridge cameras and they are happy with theirs.

I’ve seen some entry level DSLRs from Canon and Nikon, which seem to be two of the more popular manufacturers, but again know nothing about the specs, lenses etc. I’m going to go into my local Jessops this weekend to have a look at cameras and see how they look and feel etc. I will ask them for some advice too, but thought advice from other photographers would help me make my decision.

The main Fujifilms I have been looking at are:
X-S1
X10
FinePix HS30EXR/FinePix HS25EXR

My budget is under £500, but preferably under £400.

Does anybody have any experience with bridge cameras (or specifically the ones I’ve listed above) that can advise for/against them as a beginners camera? Or can anybody suggest a good entry level DSLR?
 
Last edited:
I've changed my views on bridge cameras over the years. I went from a film SLR to a digital bridge and I hated it. The zoom range was great but it was so slow to meter and focus that it was useless for anything likely to move. Using it in manual focus wasn't really any better.

Years later I changed my mind a bit when one of my sisters went from DSLR to bridge and it was much better than the one I had years ago. It still has it's limitations though as the chip is relatively small, there's relatively more noise at higher ISO's and control over depth of field is rather limited.

So, I no longer think that bridge cameras are completely useless. I think there are two groups of people who may like them...

1. People not really interested in photography as such and just want something to take snaps with.

2. More experienced people who buy a bridge camera knowing all the limitations and willing to put up with them or work around them.

I don't think they're probably the best option for people like you... having an interest in photography and wanting to get more from it than... snaps. So, I'd recommend either a DSLR or a Compact System Camera.

Within budget you can probably get an entry level camera and "kit" lens but will probably want to buy more lenses as you find your feet. An alternative to an entry level model would be to buy a used camera so that you either get a better model than an entry level one or save some cash to put towards a better lens.

Maybe you can make a short list by browsing some deals on the net? You may then be better informed and armed for your trip to Jessops.
 
Last edited:
My views on Bridge cameras were the same as yours but the newer ones do seem to have improved greatly,I suppose it's what you intend to photograph I would guess that if we are talking more static subjects then the bridge will be a good bet.If however more sports/action photography is your bent then it's unlikely that the slower lenses of a Bridge camera and the EVF rather than a prism viewfinder might mean you need to look more at a DSLR,the other thing to bare in mind is that the Bridge camera sensor will be smaller so quality may not be quite as good and almost certainly at higher iso noise will be more of a problem
 
I think the pros and cons of the bridge have been laid out and as with all these types of threads it would be great if the buyer could really test out the cameras (surely there is a market for this, say borrow a camera for 4 hours for £20 to get a really good sense of how it feels to you, take a few hunderd shots to your memory card etc,.).

It is very easy to make up your mind on which you need only to then realise you made the wrong decision a month or so later and not sure any amount of advice can help unfortunately as only the user knows what will make them happy.
 
Do you intend to have any printed?

There is a big difference between looking at quite a small image on Flickr and looking at a actual printed photo.

DSLR has a sensor that will allow larger images to be printed than a bridge at a higher quality.
 
I started off with a Sony bridge camera and within a month needed more of the features and capabilities a DSLR. So the bridge got me interested but once I knew I wanted to progress, I moved on.
 
Personally, if I was in doubt, I'd go for dslr
You can shoot full auto like a point n shoot, but have the option to try new things, which for me, is half the fun of it all
You also have the option to upgrade lenses for specific needs making it much more flexible
Just my opinion, all depends on your budget and how much you want to devote learning new skills
 
BruceMo said:
Personally, if I was in doubt, I'd go for dslr
You can shoot full auto like a point n shoot, but have the option to try new things, which for me, is half the fun of it all
You also have the option to upgrade lenses for specific needs making it much more flexible
Just my opinion, all depends on your budget and how much you want to devote learning new skills
Click to expand...

The cost is a major consideration though,the OP's budget buys a lot of Bridge camera but not to much DSLR
 
CaptainPenguin said:
The cost is a major consideration though,the OP's budget buys a lot of Bridge camera but not to much DSLR
Click to expand...

Probably getting a reputation here of hijacking all these "what to buy" threads but these sort of things are helping me to decide what to go for. :thumbs:

I agree with your comment up to a point - yes OP's budget gets an "entry" level DSLR but after a few months of playing around they can upgrade to better glass and improve even more but can they do that with a top level Bridge? If they outgrow the Bridge where do they go next?
 
Zoomboxer said:
Probably getting a reputation here of hijacking all these "what to buy" threads but these sort of things are helping me to decide what to go for. :thumbs:

I agree with your comment up to a point - yes OP's budget gets an "entry" level DSLR but after a few months of playing around they can upgrade to better glass and improve even more but can they do that with a top level Bridge? If they outgrow the Bridge where do they go next?
Click to expand...

Only the OP will know if the Budget is a buy it now and will have another few hundred in 6 months time to get decent glass but your point is valid and hopefully all our dronings will have helped the OP to come to a decision and not confused them to much
 
Personally I'd look for something like a Panasonic G1 with kit lens and a 45-200 all secondhand. This would come under £400, have a large zoom range, offer dslr IQ without the bulk and be upgradeable via body or gass in the future without c0sting the earth (G3 and fast primes)...
 
I'd suggest looking at used not new you'll get a better camera for your money or a reasonable camera for a lot less money
eg a used canon 400d with lenses is £200 ish used and is a good starter camera to get into dslr's
 
Having read your post, I would bin the idea of going for a Bridge, and go straight for a DSLR. The bottom line is, with a DSLR you can program it to be a point and shoot, and it is also a spring board into bigger and better things.

Granted - it won't be excellent at all those things, but at least the capability will be there, as will the ability to extend your camera with a greater range of accessories that would otherwise be the case with a Bridge camera.

Ultimately, if you take to the hobby, then when you move onwards and upwards, you can keep your DSLR as a backup camera - which you should have if you are taking the hobby seriously - and if you don't take to the hobby then you can sell it - and a DSLR has a greater selling ability than a Bridge camera, especially if it is one of a leading brand.
 
I went from compact to bridge to DSLR. Quite honestly once I purchased a DSLR, the image quality from the bridge camera looked awful. I remember when I did my first photography course and the images coming from those with bridge cameras were terrible in comparison to those even with basic DSLR's.

So given the budget I'd say go for a basic DSLR. Even the Nikon D3100 or Canon 1100D with the kit lens give fantastic results.

The fear is if you buy a bridge camera that you will wish you'd bought that DSLR each time you see someone with one.
 
Bridge cameras are just glorified compacts with a big lens. They're not a bridge to anywhere.

A DSLR allows you to adjust depth of field which is a key creative control, because of the much larger sensor, and all bridge cameras have tiny sensors.

Apart from the poor image quality, rubbish high ISO performance, inability to focus on anything that moves, shutter-lag... it goes on.

Bridge cameras have their place and make great general walkabout and snapshot cameras, but are not much use if you want to get serious.
 
Canon XXXD are a great place to start, even an older one is a great place to start. Interchange able lenses, even ultra high end pro glass will work on it so you could use it for years, as I did, before getting a mid to advanced DSLR. They have full auto setting to full manual and everything in between.
 
Or even lower down and get a refurb/as new 1100D for under £200. I switched from a 20D to an 1100D and found both to be great. I wanted the lighter weight and higher MP of the 1100D plus it is also much newer so ISO handling is improved.
While the materials used are of lower quality everything else is just as easy to use but then I seem to be able to use any camera quite happily so am maybe not as fussy/more adaptable.
 
I went from compact to a Panny FZ28 bridge. And from there to a Canon 7D.

For me it was all a thoroughly enjoyable progression.

Personally if I'd gone straight to the 7D it may have been a bit much.

At least the FZ28 allowed me to learn the basics, enjoy taking photos, learning it's limitations - and as I outgrew it, I moved on knowing that spending the additional money would not be a waste.
 
Last edited:
I have the Fuji HS30EXR and dont get me wrong its performed quite well so far but its limitations are frustrating, and i have also got to admit ive only had it for about 2-3 months and im already looking at getting a DSLR so my advice is go for the DSLR mayby the Nikon D5100 or the D3200 with kit lenses but thats my personal preference to Nikon.... i was in Jessops a few weeks back and i was told (not sure how true this is) by the salesman the lenses to Cannon DSLR's are kept in stock but Nikons normally have to be ordered in.

Regards
Dan
 
I think the Bridge cameras can be all some people need, but it depends on the type of pictures you take and your expectations. If you only take pictures of landscapes and people in good light, then the Bridge is good enough for the vast majority of the time. And also some people want a camera that goes from macro, to wide angle to a large zoom in one device with the minimum of fuss and in a small(ish) device. :shrug: The Bridge camera also lets you start using more options for control, and more ergonomic tactile control too, to start being involved in what the camera does rather than just being there to press the shutter button.

If you use any camera in Auto mode though all the ergonomics and control is wasted regardless of the type of camera.

However, if the type of photography you wish to do is anything specialized, or in difficult light, or have fast moving subjects, then I think a DSLR is the route to go.

I started with a Bridge camera and was quite happy with it, but I had an SLR many years before and the EVF wasn't what I was used to. This was with very primitive EVFs compared to what is available now, so for some that may not be as big an issue than it has been in the past.

The cost of s DSLR was prohibitive until the Canon 300/350D and the Nikon D70 appeared. I paid around £500+ for the Bridge camera I had plus very expensive memory card. :eek: :lol: For that money you can get a very good DSLR, as I don't think any manufacturer does a bad DSLR, just DSLRs at different feature levels.

But I take pics of s bit of everything and the Bridge camera limitations became frustrating, and after playing with the Canon and Nikon DSLRs it was like night and day with the speed and control of the cameras. Bridge cameras have improved over the years, but so have DSLRs. :shrug:

Try them in a shop and see which feels 'right'. ;)
 
I have been a bridge (fuji s100fs) user for the last 4 years, & have taken over 200,000.00 shots. Some not bad, but a very enjoyable hobby for an OAP. I would (and can now afford) a dSLR, but how long do they last. Most reports, when you can find thrm, "indicate" that budget dSLR's (bodie's) are, on average, good for arround 100,000.00 acctuations. To my mind this makes them very exspensive, and not very good value for money.
 
I've had 2 bridge cameras a Nikon p500 and a canon sx40 and the size was great but the quality to a dslr which I was comparing it to was disappointing.

Nikon d3100 with a tamron 17-50 or sigma 17-70 would be a good start. Have you thought about CSC cameras as you could pick up a Panasonic g3 and the kit lens and if you like the system upgrade tithe lenses and body in time.

If your not bothered about a viewfinder then this is a good deal at the moment and again you could always upgrade the body and lenses if you like the system.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/82297/show.html

Andy
 
TonyBerry said:
I have been a bridge (fuji s100fs) user for the last 4 years, & have taken over 200,000.00 shots. Some not bad, but a very enjoyable hobby for an OAP. I would (and can now afford) a dSLR, but how long do they last. Most reports, when you can find thrm, "indicate" that budget dSLR's (bodie's) are, on average, good for arround 100,000.00 acctuations. To my mind this makes them very exspensive, and not very good value for money.
Click to expand...

To me they are good value even if they blow up after 100,000 shots. My budget DSLR was £190 (refurb). If it lasts me 3 years and 100,000 shots then that is money well spent for enjoyment of using and image quality produced.
Putting it in perspective that is a few tanks of fuel and I know which is better value for me...
 
I would also recommend going second hand. A quick look on Ebay shows Canon 450Ds ~£280 and 500D ~£330. With either of them you might be able to squeeze in another lens and still be below your preferred budget.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top