shawdreamer Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Missus has gotten a little Snap-happy of late and is really getting into the whole photo taking thingie, till now she's been content with using the "snapshot" type digital camera we've had for a year or so (its one of those Canon over the Argos counter deals, nothing to flashy..... forgive the pun) Always willing to encourage her Ive decided to get her a new camera, something a bit more capable and higher-end. there within lies a minefield for me. A friend suggested I look at getting her a "Bridge D-SLR" as a good step-up to what she has so off I went to trawl the net to see what all this "D-SLR" who-har thingiemajig was about............ Im not ashamed to admit I cried after about 10 minutes and retired to the bedroom with what promised to be a humongous migraine. I simply didnt know where to start? The same friend suggested a "FujiFilm S9500" as it has a "fixed lense" and apparently that saves "sensor cleaning" (my eyes glazed over as he explained further so Im blurry on what he said next) As I know a few on ere are Cam Savie I figured someone might be able to have a look at the forementioned thingiemabob S9500 and tell me whether its a good option as a step-up from a standard digicam for a relative novice?. Camera in question clicky thanx in advance people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 bridge cameras are a complete and utter waste of money. you will get no better picture or control than you do with a point and click. much better to buy a cheaper end proper slr. you can get a nikon d3100 with a kit lens for around 280quid or a similar spec canon for same money. obviously if you have a bigger budget then go for a higher spec model. choosing the make is always down to personal preference if you need more advice happy to assist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 bridge cameras are a complete and utter waste of money. you will get no better picture or control than you do with a point and click. much better to buy a cheaper end proper slr. you can get a nikon d3100 with a kit lens for around 280quid or a similar spec canon for same money. obviously if you have a bigger budget then go for a higher spec model. choosing the make is always down to personal preference if you need more advice happy to assist hmmm as you might have gathered Im entirely a novice when it comes to Camera's (go on I know you suspected) but then again so is my missus so what worries me about jumping from our current point and push 8mp snap shot job to something that requires alot more involvement to handle, maintain and use is the sudden learning curve she'll be hit with. I dont wanna turn her new found interest into a all out stress fest if you get me. that I think is why my mate suggested a bridge camara as from what small bits I could discern from the fountain of technocrap that freeflowed from his mush, its a "inbetween" sorta option and you needn't worry about lots of maintaining and cleaning (coincidently is that why its called a "bridge" camera in the first place?, didnt wanna ask him or he might have started "explaining things" again ) right now all I wanna give her is something a bit more sturdy with a bit more control (without increasing the complication factor as much as possible ), see how she go's with that and maybe give her a upgrade just after xmas if she feels ready for it. are none of these bridge ones worth a crap then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Does she want to get into photography or just own a camera which takes decent photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 their is little to no cleaning needed on modern SLRs, most self clean when you switch them on. you have auto modes etc on slr's and the lower end ones have lots more auto settings than the pro end with helpful tips onscreen. i owned a fuji bridge camera (cant remember the model) a long time ago when they first come out and really it didnt take in terms of quality any better pictures than the snappy canon ixus i had. i borrowed a friends fujifilm s9600 whilst i was at college few years ago before i purchased my slr and my god i could not believe how restrictive it was, i went back to using my point and click in the end as it was just as good. that fuji sensor size is the size of a peanut (the bit that captures the image), even the cheap canon eos 1100d is about 3 times bigger which helps with things like depth of field, better light so you dont need a flash till its much darker etc. bottom left is the fuji one and top right is the canon one http://images.gizmag.com/inline/camera-sensor-size-12.jpg my advice steer clear of bridge they are just a marketing gimmick, with the price of low end slrs so cheap now there is no reason to not buy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 with the price of low end slrs so cheap now there is no reason to not buy one. ... other than they're not as versatile as a compact, without spending a fortune on glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Does she want to get into photography or just own a camera which takes decent photos? right now its a "interest" to her, with some encouragement itd easily become a "hobby", from then on who knows http://images.gizmag.com/inline/camera-sensor-size-12.jpg to much........ in..in....information.....brain........ hurting........ ok ok, so basically your saying there's no real "inbetween" option worth considering and a bridge camera is just the same as a snapshot camera with more buttons? If thats the case then I should just opt for a SLR for her? have you got any suggestions for a good entry level slr that wont be to much of a handful for her and wont need to be handled with kit gloves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffa Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 try having a butchers through this gadget show reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 You have to treat dSLR bodies with respect, and the lenses. If she's a bull in a china shop then photography probably isn't for her. Selection of body often comes down to ergonomics, how it feels in your hand. For my the low-end Canons are too small in my hands, so I went with Nikon (D50 at the time). You can pick up second-hand bodies for £100, early rebels, D40 etc. Kit lenses (18-55 whatever) are around 50 quid. That's more than enough to 'get into' the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 You have to treat dSLR bodies with respect, and the lenses. If she's a bull in a china shop then photography probably isn't for her. Selection of body often comes down to ergonomics, how it feels in your hand. For my the low-end Canons are too small in my hands, so I went with Nikon (D50 at the time). You can pick up second-hand bodies for £100, early rebels, D40 etc. Kit lenses (18-55 whatever) are around 50 quid. That's more than enough to 'get into' the hobby. I suppose the secondhand market is an option I should consider if Im gonna pay out for something a bit more involved than one of those bridge camera's. she's no bovine by any means but at the sametime I wouldnt want to get her something thats silly delicate and she's gonna flap about using whenever it comes out its box/bag. she'd like something with a bit more substance in terms of size as much like myself she finds our snapshot camera a little too small and fiddly. how are those d50's in terms of ease of use? as a novice is she gonna struggle to get a handle on using it if she steps up from our snapshot to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 You can switch any dSLR into 'auto' mode and take great photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 You can switch any dSLR into 'auto' mode and take great photos. hmmmm sounds like a good starter for her then, is it particularly heavy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 She will need to hold a few to decide what's for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 She will need to hold a few to decide what's for her. that might be a bit of a issue, hoped to surprise her with it. but if "the feel" is an important factor I suppose I could forego the whole surprise part and just take her out to pick one up out the blue (still sorta be a surprise I guess) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawdreamer Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 ere Stu do you know if the D90 is similar to the D50 in weight and ergonomics? only ask as the lad who suggested the bridge camera says he can borrow his dads d90 and bring it round mine when he takes his girls out trick or treating which would give the missus a chance to handle it. going by a google search they look cosmetically identical but you can only tell so much over the web. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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