Bridge Camera vs Bottom of the Range SLR

[+Fahim S. MVC]

I need some help here.

I currently own an ultra compact, a Casio Exilim S500 which I have had for a while but because it is compact is a great camera to take to parties, weddings etc. It's not the greatest thing in the world, but I have been told that I take nice photos (people I know say this, I am not sure I agree).

I want to learn how to take good photos and I think the first thing for me to do is to invest in a decent camera. I know someone who bought a Canon S1 quite a few years and was absolutely captivated by it - the photos it took, particularly action shots, were very good. My uncle bought himself an S3 just over a year ago and also loves it. So I was thinking I could get the latest model in that series which is the S5IS, it seems to have very good reviews. My brother in law has a Nikon D50 which is amazing but expensive (out of my price range).

Now, given that I know very little about photography, but am keen to learn am I best putting my money towards a Bridge Camera (like the S5) or go for a bottom of the range SLR like the D40 which I have also heard good things about?

Now what concerns me is:

- Am I going to reach the limit of a Bridge Camera's capability very quickly?

- I have heard that DSLRs can be used as a point and shoot by setting everything to Auto. Is this true?

- Are lenses and the like going to cost me a fortune? Or is the 18-55mm standard lens good enough for a beginner for most kinds of pictures?

I would appreciate any advice on this subject

Tahnks :)

F

Edited March 12, 2008 by .fahim

[giga Veteran]

Now, given that I know very little about photography, but am keen to learn am I best putting my money towards a Bridge Camera (like the S5) or go for a bottom of the range SLR like the D40 which I have also heard good things about?

The D40 is perfect for beginners. I consider it to be the perfect "bridge" for newcomers coming from the P&S world into SLR territory.

- Am I going to reach the limit of a Bridge Camera's capability very quickly?

Depends on your shooting. Compact ultra zooms have their places as do slrs. It really is dependent on how far you want to get into photography or what sort of limit you want.

- I have heard that DSLRs can be used as a point and shoot by setting everything to Auto. Is this true?

Yes.

- Are lenses and the like going to cost me a fortune? Or is the 50-80mm standard lens good enough for a beginner for most kinds of pictures?

Lens can get expensive, but the way I see it as that you don't have to buy the most expensive ones. The fact is, you're given a choice of what you want to use and that's the advantage--a standard zoom is perfectly fine for most starting out into photography.

In most case scenarios, the camera is not the limiting/weakest factor--it's the user.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Thank you Giga :D

[Shaddsi]

Am I going to reach the limit of a Bridge Camera's capability very quickly?

YES and no, people work to the capacity of the camera.. You will be more impressed and happy with a dslr. Its more versitile... think swiss army knives, the bridge is an 18 in 1, the DSLR is a 50 in 1.. you can also change lenses, filters, better macro, fisheye etc...

I have heard that DSLRs can be used as a point and shoot by setting everything to Auto. Is this true?

Yes i do it all the time, you can use it as an auto camera until you get proficient in using the manual settings

Are lenses and the like going to cost me a fortune? Or is the 18-55mm standard lens good enough for a beginner for most kinds of pictures?

the 18-55 is an all around lens but gives you the capability of expanding. Take myself for instance, got my 400d in Jan this year, i have already got another 2 lenses, flash and batt pack.. it can grow to what you require. Lenses are expensive with good consumer use glass from 500-1000..

Just do your research, how much do you have to spend?

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Thanks for sharing your view Shaddsi.

I don't want to spend much more than ?250 in the first instance. So that much should buy me enough to get going.

D40 with 18-55mm Lens ?281

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D40-Digital-...2155&sr=1-1

S5IS ?221

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-PowerShot-S5...2224&sr=1-1

Note the S5IS doesn't include rechargeable batteries so I'll need some of those (and a charger).

[Shaddsi]

I would go the Nikon. I am a massive Canon fan so if i was brand loyal i would say the s5is but as its not able to have interchangable lenses i would go Nikon. I also suggest you go down to somewhere that has them to play.. Cameras are all about what feels right as much as they are about taking a good photo

[Bubbabyte]

i owned an S3 before moving to a 350D Rebel XT and i would honestly say that's it's the way to go because no only is it less expensive but it's a great learning tool for when crossing over into an SLR. The main reason i would suggest the S3 or S5 would be because it's not your average P&S, they are very powerful and allow you do buy an adapter and have adapter lenses attached, or filters.. in which when you do move to an SLR the filters are still usable.

I had alot of fun with my S3, i had a 58mm lensmate adapter (cheap) and a nice wide angle and telephoto lens, which gave me incredible zoom abilities, something you can't get with an SLR without putting out ALOT of money.

I owned it for about a year and a half before upgrading. If i had just jumped into getting an SLR without my S3 i would have been very much confused and may have given up.

Another nice tidbit about the S3 or S5 is that there is a firmware hack which can give you some amazing options.. such as shooting in RAW format.

I would go the Nikon. I am a massive Canon fan so if i was brand loyal i would say the s5is but as its not able to have interchangable lenses i would go Nikon. I also suggest you go down to somewhere that has them to play.. Cameras are all about what feels right as much as they are about taking a good photo

you can't change the lens on the camera.. but you can add attachments that will do the same thing as a new SLR lens for a fraction of the cost.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Thank you both for your opinions.

The only thing that really annoys me about the S5 is the rechargeable battery issue. But I can imagine you are right that it is a great learning tool.

[wired57]

if your not going for the DSLR, check out this http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ it would e very useful for you, I use it on the cannon my parents got me, and it takes the features of the hardware and maximizes what the camera can do.

[goodcase]

People ask me this at work all the time. We have both models in our display so i have them use both and most of the time they'll say they like the feel of the S5 because it is smaller. From there i proceed to talk about the features and benifets of the S5. It is a bridge camera so it offers you the ease of use a point and shoot, and it also has 12x optical zoom which is a big feature for people. I also point out that it has the manual features as well such as shutter speed, aperture, iso ect ect. If they show interest in photography and are keen to learn I do end up suggesting the the D40, its a wicked beginner SLR. Its a smaller camera and its not too heavy, so you're not breaking a sweat holding the thing. It has the auto mode and it is very visual with its on screen display so you can understand what you're doing without really knowing what you're doing haha.

I bring this point up, if you're just starting off with photography, you could get the S5 and learn how and when to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO, but further down the road you'll end up switching to a DSLR. So you're spending twice the amount of money to get you to the same place where you could have been if you just bought the D40. If you wanted you could buy the D40 with 18-55 kit, and then with the money that you would have spend on the S5, purchase a 55-22mm with VR (vibration reduction) and then you're mostly covered through your focal range. You have something fairly wide and you have a descent telephoto. Once I bring that point up, people tend to switch to the D40.

Like I said, the D40 will be a wicked beginner camera. Its easy to use, feels good in the hands and has spectacular picture quality.

Too add on. I was in the same boat when I got my D50, i was looking around and i figured, why not go for the D50 kit (camera and 18-55mm lens). I learned a lot on that camera. But I also added onto it. when i bought the d50 i didnt think i would really need anything else with it. But i ended up buying an SB-600 flash, 50mm f1.8 lens within half a month of each other. I also bought wireless flash triggers and a second flash, then a 70-300mm telemacro lens from tamron. It just keeps growing, i have 6 lens' and two flashes, and i just recently bought a new D300 body.

Edited March 14, 2008 by goodcase

[Bubbabyte]

although i understand what your saying goodcase.. it's a valid point, however i dont believe it's a waste of money to purchase the S5 and then purchase an SLR down the road.. even though i have the 350D now, i still use my S3 as a back up for stuff like macro and telephoto shooting, which my SLR is not capable of without purchasing some MAJOR glass, so it's definitely not a waste. The S3 has 12X optical, combine with my 1.7X Teleconverter gives me some kickass zoom, at a fraction of the cost for something similar on an SLR. I'm sure you know all the in's and out's of both cameras very well and you're info is very helpful, but it's not as if his S5 will be thrown in the garbage once an SLR is purchased.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Decisions, decisions.

Some very good arguements being made so I think I need to play with them both.

[Shaddsi]

Very good point bubba.. The bridge would have some serious versitility.. I have a few p&s cameras myself and always find i use them when a "last minute" shot is required. When having to get the 400d out its a case of opening the bag, choosing the lens, battery pack in etc.. then its choose what mode, f num etc for the lighting conditions. I just love the fact that p&s is "on, shoot, review" when its needed.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Thank you all for the advice.

I went and had a look at both the cameras on Saturday and played with them both. I found that I felt so much more comfortable with the D40, so I have just ordered it.

I don't think I really need the amazing zoom capability of the S5. So am sticking with the standard 18-55mm lens with the Nikon until I can justify a more telescopic lens.

I want to thank you again, your advice has been most helpful in making this decision :-)

[Sir Topham Hatt]

I went from a Point and Shoot Kodak to a bridge camera, the Canon G7.

I tell you, the camera increased my shooting loads. It seemed most shots I did with the G7 were great, with little effort from myself. However, the camera has lasted under a year as I want more from photography, so I sold it and put the money in my "fund" for my first SLR.

Although I am still fairly new to photography, I am also thinking for the future, which is what SLRs (of any type) do. Like said above, you can buy lenses, flashes and all sorts of goodies and grow with your camera.

I have been deciding over two cameras for nearly two months now, but I am still reading the reviews and taking my time - I want a camera I can work with. So get down to the shop and have a LOOK at them both, see which one fits in your hand better :) Although saying that, I still have to get round to that myself!

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Thanks Mr Spook - My Nikon D40 arrived on Wednesday and I haven't been able to put it down since. Even the snaps taken in full automatic are amazing! I'm so impressed.

I am glad I didn't go with the bridge as I now have a lot to learn to master my new toy! Good luck with whichever one you choose!