A decent Bridge

Hi,

Looking for a quick bit of help.

I need to get my hands on a decent (but cheap) Bridge camera.

Looking to spend around the £200-£250 mark. Zoom isnt a major issue.

Looking to use it mostly for indoors picture (of 'moving' people).

Any suggestions?

Many thanks

Panasonic FZ200. A superb bit of kit.

What do you mean by a "bridge" camera? Generally, this is used to refer to a camera with SLR-type styling and a ridiculously large zoom range - and one thing that sort of camera is very bad at is moving subjects indoors.

Footski said:

Panasonic FZ200. A superb bit of kit.

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But not one that's available for £250; best UK price right now = £334.

The Canon SX40 HS is well reviewed and is currently $290 at Amazon UK.

whoareyou0 said:

I need to get my hands on a decent (but cheap) Bridge camera.

Looking to spend around the £200-£250 mark. Zoom isnt a major issue.

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Not needing zoom means you might be a good candidate for a large sensor system.

whoareyou0 said:

Looking to use it mostly for indoors picture (of 'moving' people).

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More detail, but be aware that this really requires flash as you're in poor light and need to freeze subject motion, something that's generally difficult or impossible without flash indoors.

whoareyou0 said:

Any suggestions?

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Not a bridge camera.

You don;t need zoom so go for a large sensor ( better in many ways ) and look for a flash.

I'd suggest a Panasonic G3 used with a 14-42. You'd easily pick one up for less than £200 ( maybe a lot less ). Excellent camera and give you options for the future.

Have a look on http://www.lcegroup.co.uk for their extensive secondhand lists.

To shoot moving people indoors you need a camera with a large sensor and a fast lens which is expensive, or you can use flash. With flash you can use direct flash or bounce flash. With direct flash the flash is pointed directly at the subject. With bounce flash the light from the flash is bounced off of a white ceiling or wall. This produces a much nicer and more natural light than direct flash. Bounce flash requires an accessory flash that tilts and swivels so that it can be aimed at the ceiling. You need a camera with a hot shoe and you also need a white ceiling that is not too high. Direct flash can be done with the built-in flash or an accessory flash.

Bridge cameras have small sensors so they usually need flash to shoot moving people indoors. They have very long telephoto lenses which you may not need unless you are shooting indoor sports. Also most lower priced bridge cameras and P&S cameras don't have hot shoes so you will have to use the built-in flash which usually is not very powerful.

I suggest a used high end compact like a Nikon P7100 or Canon G15. They have small sensors but they have fast lenses and a hot shoe. Sunpak makes a small flash called an RD2000 that is good for a compact camera, and it can be used for bounce flash. Nikon and Canon also make small flashes that you may be able to get used for a good price. I've used a P7100 with a Nikon SB-300 flash and the RD2000 flash and both work well.

SX40 is a great camera in many regards. But the OP asked for good indoor performance and I find my SX40 has poor autofocus at indoor light levels. Lots of fuzzy pictures for my kids birthday parties and the like. My sisters Panasonic FZ200 is much better in that regard. Besides, for indoor use... no reason to get a bridge camera with super long range. Something like an enthusiast zoom (Fuji X10 or X20, Olympus XZ2, are a few that come to mind.

I like the dpreview review article below

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.
I guess I was looking at a bridge as I didn't want to jump into getting a DSLR just yet, so assumed a bridge would be a step towards it.
My main focus for the camera is to take pictures of my new baby (hence the indoor moving part!).
I'm likening the suggestions towards the higher compact cameras (in particular the Nikon P7100).
Along those lines are there any other suggestions, based on the £200-£250 price bracket? I'm looking at second hand cameras too.

Many thanks.

One possibility I'd seriously consider you look at: you can get an entry-level mirrorless camera (Olympus PEN PM-2, Sony NEX-3N, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5) with kit lens for £260. The low light performance of any of those will blow an "advanced compact" out of the water.

whoareyou0 said:

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.
I guess I was looking at a bridge as I didn't want to jump into getting a DSLR just yet, so assumed a bridge would be a step towards it.
My main focus for the camera is to take pictures of my new baby (hence the indoor moving part!).
I'm likening the suggestions towards the higher compact cameras (in particular the Nikon P7100).
Along those lines are there any other suggestions, based on the £200-£250 price bracket? I'm looking at second hand cameras too.

Many thanks.

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Two others that will fit within your budget are the Panasonic LX7 and LX5. You might even be able to get a new LX7 for close to your budget, but both are available used. I don't know what's available in the UK. Here in the US we have keh.com which is great for used photo gear. I've been buying and selling to them since the late 1990's without a problem.

I would talk to your pediatrician about using flash on your baby as it's controversial. The LX5 and especially the LX7 have fast enough lenses that you should be able to photograph your baby without flash. If your house/apartment is not brightly lit just use higher wattage bulbs.

I just checked keh.com and they have several gently used LX5 and LX7's well within your budget. Any camera rated ex or better will be in near perfect condition. They also come with a return period and a warranty. I don't recommend ebay or Craig's List.

I like my Nikon Coolpix P510 very, very much.