Gone full circle !

[Borats Baby]

I joined here back in 2007 after buying a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 bridge camera and finding the site via a Google search !!

I posted some pics I'd taken with the Panny and got some great feedback off members here and quickly learned an awfull lot. "Big "UP" to TP there" then.
After a while though, it got to the point where the Panny's limitations were holding me back. The auto focus was slow, and low light limitations were really quite annoying. I was never, and dont claim to be a fantastic photographer, I'm far from it, but never the less, the Panny had to go in favour of a DSLR.

I bought a 400D with 18-55mm kit lens. Soon afterwards I added a 70-300mm Sigma and a canon 50mm f1.8, and then a 430EX flash gun !

I was excited about learning so much more, and for about 6 months I really loved using the DLSR. But is wasn't long before I was getting fed up with carrying lenses around and changing lenses, missing shots because I had the wrong lens attached and by the time I'd got the right one out, the subject had buggered off, etc etc ..

My "keeper" rate was much less than with the Panny. I started to think about selling up and moving back to a bridge...

I sold it all recently, to a bloke offered me a Fuji S9600 with cash adjustment, so I took this.

The Fuji didn't feel right from the first time I used it, and after realising that it only had a 4 sec MAX shutter speed, it had to go. I flogged it on ebay and bought a minty FZ50.

The FZ50 arrived this morning and it was like meeting an old friend !! I immediately knew I'd made the right move ! ... away from a DSLR ! and back to the Panny.

I'm not saying for one minute that DSLR's are a waste of money and why doesn't everyone just use bridge cameras, because clearly if you have the ££ to throw at it and the time and effort to use one properly, then they are obviously a better choice !!

But for me, I feel a bridge camera, specifically the FZ50, is all I'll ever need........



..... for now at least !!

I loved the 50mm for indoor stuff and thats the only bit I DO miss, but I feel great shots lie ahead ! I've not posted on here for ages because of losing interest in the DSLR kit, but I will be making more of an effort now as I have my "old friend" back.......

I just thought I'd share my story on the off chance someone else is in the same boat but can't make their mind up... and also just because I wanted to !

Cheers

BB

 

[blue max]

That's what it's all about Rikky - figuring out what YOU need.

Glad it worked out and hope it scratches the itch for a while at least.

There is room for us hobbyists among the pros, although I have spent far too much money but got shots of my kids growing up which will give me joy in my later life (in fact the speed they are growing, it is quite nice already to see the progress!).

Graham

 

[trencheel303]

Whatever suits you best. You can still take amazing shots with a bridge in low light - I had the FZ20 which would go down to F/2.8 AND was image stabilized, meaning I could take flashless pics in probably the same (or similar) conditions that I can with my SLR and 50mm f/1.4. Of course, they'd not be as crisp as the SLR and would probably have more noise, but people don't buy bridge cameras to take flawless photos. You know, I'd still have that camera if it weren't for the fact that the sensor was cattle trucked. Below ISO 200, any white highlight showed up as pink - so it had to go - back to the owner! . I bought a DSLR as a pure gamble and didn't look back, a very interesting turn of events to get me here.

I took this with the panny - a 'long exposure' all of around 8 seconds I think - the camera's max.

A bit of light painting to the fill the foreground... ignore the barrel distortion and noise though!

I also did this with an exposure of, iirc, 3.2 seconds:

All in all my opinion of bridge cameras is that they are really only jumped up compacts with a hefty price premium, and if I was to go to 'non DSLR' camera I would likely end up buying a 'proper compact' with the advanced controls like the Canon S90, rather than a bridge which may well cost more still.

 

[TheBigYin]

The best camera in the world is the one that you have with you. If you like a camera, you're more likely to carry it around. If it can be carried in your pocket, rather than a rucsack (with all it's extra's and add-on's) then your even more likely to have it with you. Some of the best shot's i've ever taken were done on a Ixus v3 - a 3.5Mp point and shoot, by virtue of the fact that it was small enough to sit in a shirt pocket and light enough to have it with you wherever you went. So - when the location and the light came together, I was there, with a camera.

 

[On the Huh]

Whatever rocks your boat I suppose.

The best camera in the world is the one that you have with you. If you like a camera, you're more likely to carry it around. If it can be carried in your pocket, rather than a rucsack (with all it's extra's and add-on's) then your even more likely to have it with you. Some of the best shot's i've ever taken were done on a Ixus v3 - a 3.5Mp point and shoot, by virtue of the fact that it was small enough to sit in a shirt pocket and light enough to have it with you wherever you went. So - when the location and the light came together, I was there, with a camera.
__________________

I bought a Canon G10 once. Great for snapping and carrying with you everywhere. However, everytime I used it, I wished I had a DSLR with me instead. Being skint I sold it, but thought I will make the effort with carrying my DSLR around with me a bit more.

Now when I'm out with the kids, I find it is too much to put my rucksack on with a couple of lenses and my 5d11, so 9 times out of 10 I go without a camera. Now I wish I still had the G10!

I was never happy with the G10 and found it fiddly and only used it on full auto in the end. I felt it had limitations compared to what I am used too, but now I lose photo opportunities. :bang:

 

[TheBigYin]

that's exactly it Nigel - If I'm out for a walk specifically to take photo's it's quite likely that I'll have the Digital SLR and a 35mm SLR with me, along with a bunch of lenses, tripod et al. I'll bear the weight, and not complain, because I'm out to take photo's. When I'm out hill-walking, the walking is the main feature, not the photography, and I may possibly take the 450D and kit lens along, but i'm equally liable to take a point-and-shoot instead, purely because If I'm walking 20 miles and 5-6 hills, its all I can do to manage to carry enough food/drink/foul weather kit, without an extra bunch of cameras (cue Arkady ...90kilo pack, 2 D3x's, personal weaponry, bodyarmour etc )

I've done the heavy backpack bit - far prefer travelling light these days, in deference to my knackered knees!