Are you after a new Camera?

Evening,
Just thought I would give the old heads up (what a peculiar saying!) and give those that fancy a new all singing, all dancing camera but dont want to go down the DSLR route because of the bulk and weight involved a little info on a camera that I have just bought!
I have been in the market for a pro-spec compact for a while now and after sometime trawling the web (I like to be well informed when purchasing expensive Items) and discarding several makes and models I found that the good old Canon G15 had been reduced from £550 to £299 to make way for the new G16! This little compact really is the mutts nutts, the spec is amazing for such a small camera and believe me if you bought one you will not be left wanting its imaging capabilities are nearly (but not quite) as good as a medium priced DSLR but in a little package that you can fit in your trouser pocket, take a look at the review on dpreiview and read the Amazon customer reviews, if you have never seen or heard of this little gem then you will be pleasantly surprised, it really is an amazing bit of kit

I have its predecessor, the G12. I bought it three years back at a reduced price as they were being replaced by a newer model. Bit of a shame that Cannon did away with the articulating LCD display, it's a real bonus for self takes. Most of the features are way beyond a point and shoot numpty like me, but it takes a pretty good photo all the same. The biggest shame of all is that it's too good to risk in grim weather or short/travel light winter sessions. The phone is good enough then.

I was going to buy a new camera this year, my current Kodak has been great but I was going to treat myself to a new Cannon, however I have had a re think.

I have a Samsung S4 phone (work pay for it thanks chaps!) and Samsung do a little camera for about £100 that you can Bluetooth to the phone and is controlled via an app, by the phone.

I am sold on the idea, so when I have it I will come back on here and tell you if I bought a pup or if it has changed my life??

sam vimes said:

I have its predecessor, the G12. I bought it three years back at a reduced price as they were being replaced by a newer model. Bit of a shame that Cannon did away with the articulating LCD display, it's a real bonus for self takes. Most of the features are way beyond a point and shoot numpty like me, but it takes a pretty good photo all the same. The biggest shame of all is that it's too good to risk in grim weather or short/travel light winter sessions. The phone is good enough then.

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I am firmly in the camp of Megazoom bridge cameras. At present I have the Canon SX35X which has an optical zoom of 35x which is great for the bit of casual bird watching that I do.

However Panasonic have just bought out a Lumix bridge that has an astonishing 60X optical zoom which is the equivalent of 20-1200mm. It gets great reviews and the image quality is reported as very good. At around £289, I wouldn't look at anything else and may even be tempted to trade the Canon in.

jacksharp said:

I am firmly in the camp of Megazoom bridge cameras. At present I have the Canon SX35X which has an optical zoom of 35x which is great for the bit of casual bird watching that I do.

However Panasonic have just bought out a Lumix bridge that has an astonishing 60X optical zoom which is the equivalent of 20-1200mm. It gets great reviews and the image quality is reported as very good. At around £289, I wouldn't look at anything else and may even be tempted to trade the Canon in.

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I've got an earlier version of the Panasonic and can highly recommend the brand. I used to do quite a bit of semi-pro photography and the image quality of the Panasonic and Fuji bridge cameras are equal to many top end DSLR cameras.

nicepix said:

I've got an earlier version of the Panasonic and can highly recommend the brand. I used to do quite a bit of semi-pro photography and the image quality of the Panasonic and Fuji bridge cameras are equal to many top end DSLR cameras.

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Panasonic FZ18 was the best bridge camera I have had with 18x optical zoom and a Leica lens, but being a bit of a closet bird watcher I am constantly seduced by ever increasing levels of zoom.

Lenses don't come much better than Leica and if the new 60x has a Leica then I may be tempted!

The Bridge cameras have a small sensor though so are never going to be as good as a DSLR especially in low light.

Like all camera's they are a compromise, but 60x zoom is very impressive.

You are also bound to get some distortion and abberations from a lense of that focal range no matter how good it is.

I am currently running a Nikon D5000 SLR and a Lumix TZ8 for when the DSLR is too big.

DSLRs are great if you want to lug a ton of gear. When bird-watching I already have a scope on a tripod (on my back) and binoculars, so I only want a camera with one lens for photos. 1080p HD video is handy as well, of course.

I'm no where near a camera expert, in fact i know very little about them. I do however have a Panasonic Lumix TZ4 and i must say it does everything i want it to do, and it does it very well too. Which considering my serious lack of Camera skills and knowledge is very impressive.

I would buy another Panasonic Lumix in a Flash (did you see what i did then lol)

Panasonic are one of the brands that produce quality stuff but they, and Sony, have had their profits seriously eroded by Samsung who very definitely have found their niche in the market, especially with televisions and phones.

Hi Mark

I got rid of my DSLR last year and am now using a Fujifilm bridge.

When fishing I tend to use my phone to take pics, cos I find even the bridge camera takes up too much space and my phone is easier to carry and use.

But it is all a matter of personal preference, so do what you feel is best for you.

Yes the sensors are bigger and better in a high end camera, but do you need all that resolution?

mark brailsford 2 said:

I have been in the market for a pro-spec compact for a while now and after sometime trawling the web (I like to be well informed when purchasing expensive Items) and discarding several makes and models I found that the good old Canon G15 had been reduced from £550 to £299 to make way for the new G16!

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You wuz robbed
Canon Cameras - Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera

smufter said:

You wuz robbed
Canon Cameras - Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera

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I wasn't robbed mate, most respectable dealers are charging what I paid for it and I would sooner buy from a trustworthy company and pay a bit more knowing that I was getting good backup if anything went wrong!

Sam: if you are scared of taking electronic gear out in bad weather then take a look at the Aquapac range of waterproof bags/cases, they are brilliant!

If any of you are after a really small Camera then take a look at the Sony RX100 MKII!
This tiny marvel is absolutely top drawer stuff and having a Zeiss lens and a large (for a compact) 1 inch sensor produces wonderfull sharp images. its a joy of a camera, the only reason I was put off buying one was the fact that it is too small to handle with gloves on. It is expensive though at around £600! The Canon G15 has a much faster lens though and a hell of a lot cheaper

Lumix do some nice compacts and some of the better ones have Leica optics (I love my Leica Ultravid Binoculars ) I am actually thinking of buying a Lumix mirrorless system camera, the RX7 its a sublime looking thing and looks similar to a Leica M series rangefinder!

Fuji make some of the best compacts and mirrorless system compacts on the market (sorry Slap, but i'm not a fan of bridge cameras as their bulkiness defeats the reason of what they were designed for...PORTABILITY!) Their imaging quality has to be seen to be believed, they can even simulate their old varieties of film such as Velvia (Best slide film ever made, well apart from Kodachrome 25!) giving really punchy colours!

---------- Post added at 06:43 ---------- Previous post was at 06:14 ----------

slaphead said:

Yes the sensors are bigger and better in a high end camera, but do you need all that resolution?

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I get a lot of the guys at work asking me what camera (point and shoot compacts usually) to buy next as they want to upgrade from say, 7 MPs to 10 and I always advise them to stick with what they already have and then explain to them that if they are only taking snaps with no intention of enlarging to billboard size then the camera they have will be fine! Why oh why do the media keep trying to impress on people that they must buy bigger?

Bridge cameras are all smaller than DSLRs but the issue of having one is obviously not size it's the zoom capability. 60x optical zoom for £299 is the equivalent of spending thousands on DSLR lenses and then needing to hire a Sherpa to carry it all.

For catch photos a customisable self timer is essential - I am amazed that all cameras still dont have this function

A lot of the guys at work seem to be obsessed with Telephoto lenses (amuses me how none enthusiasts call them zooms!) same with compact and bridge camera users, they seem to think that the larger the magnification will go the better the camera, when in theory these lenses are nowhere near the quality of the top end optics, in fact many sub £300 are inferior, You get what you pay for, i'm afraid

If you want to see what you get for your money you should take a look at the top end prime lenses (fixed focus) from the likes of Canon and nikon, my 105mm Nikon Macro lens is sharper than a mahseer hook but then it did cost £700!!

Correction; a telephoto lens is any lens that magnifies with a fixed focal length. A zoom lens is a telephoto lens with a variable focus.

A bridge camera is for anyone who wants to dabble in more serious photography than seaside snaps without paying upwards of £500 for a camera with a 50mm prime lens or short zoom and then another few hundred for a longer zoom and the extra clutter and weight that that brings.

I have had DSLRs, compacts, ultra-compacts and bridges and the bridge camera suits my requirements best. There again, I do not have pretensions of being David Bailey! :wh

mark brailsford 2 said:

A lot of the guys at work seem to be obsessed with Telephoto lenses (amuses me how none enthusiasts call them zooms!) same with compact and bridge camera users, they seem to think that the larger the magnification will go the better the camera, when in theory these lenses are nowhere near the quality of the top end optics, in fact many sub £300 are inferior, You get what you pay for, i'm afraid

If you want to see what you get for your money you should take a look at the top end prime lenses (fixed focus) from the likes of Canon and nikon, my 105mm Nikon Macro lens is sharper than a mahseer hook but then it did cost £700!!

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Strange because most photographic enthusiasts call them zooms as well. Perhaps that is because a telephoto lens has a fixed focal length whereas a zoom lens has a variable focal length. Basic knowledge :wh

Bridges cameras aren't simply designed to be smaller than an SLR. There are several advantage of a bridge camera; built in zoom lens with macro facility that can equate to two or three separate lenses required on an SLR. Also, they don't have the mirror slap that an cause camera shake in SLRs at high magnification and of course they have a real time viewfinder on the rear screen because they don't have that mirror between the lens and sensor.

As for the superior image quality claimed by high end SLR owners; well maybe. But when you come to have a photo printed all that advantage is lost because the printer can't replicate the finer resolution so it is worthless. It is not lie when I had top end Contax cameras with Zeiss lenses and fine grain slide film. Once processors went digital my photos were no better than ones taken with a £200 compact.

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mark brailsford 2 said:

A lot of the guys at work seem to be obsessed with Telephoto lenses (amuses me how none enthusiasts call them zooms!) same with compact and bridge camera users, they seem to think that the larger the magnification will go the better the camera, when in theory these lenses are nowhere near the quality of the top end optics, in fact many sub £300 are inferior, You get what you pay for, i'm afraid

If you want to see what you get for your money you should take a look at the top end prime lenses (fixed focus) from the likes of Canon and nikon, my 105mm Nikon Macro lens is sharper than a mahseer hook but then it did cost £700!!

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mark brailsford 2 said:

I get a lot of the guys at work asking me what camera (point and shoot compacts usually) to buy next as they want to upgrade from say, 7 MPs to 10 and I always advise them to stick with what they already have and then explain to them that if they are only taking snaps with no intention of enlarging to billboard size then the camera they have will be fine! Why oh why do the media keep trying to impress on people that they must buy bigger?

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Because gullible people are willing to spend £700 on a micro lens? :wh

I see bridge cameras a bad compromise.

They are usually pretty much the same size as a DSLR, but the size of the sensor is usually small like in a compact.

So IMO you are getting the worst aspect of both in one camera.

The sensor has to be small, as that is how they get such large zoom ranges without the lense costing a fortune.

60x zoom in a camera is a lot and you won't hold it steady without a tripod, especially as you will need to keep the ISO setting pretty low to get a good picture due to the small sensor. In any sort of low light you may as well forget taking the picture as it will either be very grainy or blurry.

I suppose it depends on how you look at it, but I would much rather have a pocket sized zoom camera such as one of the newer Panasonic TZ range even if it does have a smaller zoom, and if I am going to lug a larger camera you may as well take a DSLR. You can get a pretty good Zoom lens (70-450mm equivalent) for my D5000 for instance for about £200.

I agree that the unit size of a bridge camera isn't much smaller than some DSLRs. But, the bridge camera usually is equipped with a lens that equates to two or three lenses that would be required on a DSLR. Those lenses are a pain to carry and every time you change lenses you risk dust getting into the camera body and potentially onto the sensor. No such problem with the bridge camera.

A lot of compacts are too small for easy use and don't have the TTL viewfinder that I find very useful in bright light. That to me is the biggest advantage over a compact. And the battery in some compacts is, well, too compact.

Regards the high magnification that is offered these days; I agree that there is payback in potential camera shake and having to compensate for the loss of light that longer lenses entail. A trick that I advocate, especially with extreme macro shots, but it works with long range subject too, is to take the photo at the highest resolution you can and ease back on the magnification. Then crop the image to suit using Adobe or similar. For photos of 7" x 5" or web images you will find that it is a Hell of a lot easier than trying to fill the viewfinder with the subject.