Bridge camera question

[dicklynch]

Morning,

I am currently looking at a bridge camera to take on holiday to Scotland. As this trip will include a lot of walking, I don't think I want to carry my DSLR plus two lens.

Have narrowed my choices to the Fuji HS30, Canon SX40, Nikon P510 and the Panasonic FZ47.

Have looked at many photos folks have used using the listed cameras, they all appear to do a good job.

I do have a specific question about the manual focus functions ... on the Fuji is the manual focus ring to the rear of the zoom ring and as you rotate the ring, is the image sharp enough to "fine tune" the picture?

May sound like a small item, but I use the manual focus on my Pentax as often as I let the camera auto focus.

Any pluses and minuses you all have noticed about any of the ones on my list, would help as well.

Thank You

Ciao

****

 

[PAUL TILL]

Why the Panasonic FZ47 and not the FZ150? You could also add the Sony HX100/200 to that list.

As much as I hate it the X10 might be a better choice, when I think of Scotland I think of landscapes.

Paul.
--

 

[rattymouse]

Morning,

I am currently looking at a bridge camera to take on holiday to Scotland. As this trip will include a lot of walking, I don't think I want to carry my DSLR plus two lens.

Have narrowed my choices to the Fuji HS30, Canon SX40, Nikon P510 and the Panasonic FZ47.

Have looked at many photos folks have used using the listed cameras, they all appear to do a good job.

I do have a specific question about the manual focus functions ... on the Fuji is the manual focus ring to the rear of the zoom ring and as you rotate the ring, is the image sharp enough to "fine tune" the picture?

May sound like a small item, but I use the manual focus on my Pentax as often as I let the camera auto focus.

Any pluses and minuses you all have noticed about any of the ones on my list, would help as well.

Thank You

Ciao

****

Manual focus on Fuji cameras is abysmal. Try it in the store if at all possible before you buy.

--

http://fujifilmimages.aminus3.com/

 

[PAUL TILL]

Manual focus is fine on the X-S1, press the AE/AF button and it jumps into focus then the silky smooth manual focus ring will let you focus one way or the other.

Of course you do need to know how to use a camera properly. The OP seems to know what he's doing.

Paul.

--

 

[jcmarfilph]

Morning,

I am currently looking at a bridge camera to take on holiday to Scotland. As this trip will include a lot of walking, I don't think I want to carry my DSLR plus two lens.

Have narrowed my choice to the Fuji HS30, Canon SX40, Nikon P510 and the Panasonic FZ47 .

Ciao

****

There I made life easier for you. If Manual is a thing to you, forget about all those toyzoom cams.

-=[ Joms ]=-

 

[dicklynch]

Thanks guys ... maybe my wife was right, exercise more, carry a back pack.

 

[rattymouse]

Manual focus is fine on the X-S1, press the AE/AF button and it jumps into focus then the silky smooth manual focus ring will let you focus one way or the other.

Of course you do need to know how to use a camera properly. The OP seems to know what he's doing.

Paul.

Hilarious! The manual focus is so awesome, one needs to use the autofocus to make it work! You can't buy entertainment this good.

 

[Moxi]

Hi all

What I find HILARIOUS is that rattimouse immediately jumps at any slight reason onto Paul Tills back for a bite.

This Autofocus/Manualfocus function makes the focusing process much faster. Press Autofocus and then fine adjust manually—that is the whole idea of it—nothing hilarious about it at all!

I personally highly recommend the X-S1 for anyone wanting a bridge camera which is not all auto. The X-S1 has in my opinion the best features of any bridge camera on the market.

• Manual zoom lens with a great range from a wide 24 to 624mm
• High resolution EV with 1 440 000 pixels
• Good flip-out LCD making it easy to take macro shots etc.
• Beautiful feel and look

Cheers
Moxi, Australia

 

[PAUL TILL]

If The Rat learnt how to use a camera properly he wouldn't make these stupid remarks. I'm afraid we're going to have to live with him and his stupidity for a little while longer.

Paul.
--

 

[rattymouse]

Hi all

What I find HILARIOUS is that rattimouse immediately jumps at any slight reason onto Paul Tills back for a bite.

This Autofocus/Manualfocus function makes the focusing process much faster. Press Autofocus and then fine adjust manually—that is the whole idea of it—nothing hilarious about it at all!

Oh the irony. Manual- done, operated, worked, etc., by the hand or hands rather than by an electrical or electronic device.

You can call pushing the autofocus button manual focusing, but that still doesnt make it so.

I personally highly recommend the X-S1 for anyone wanting a bridge camera which is not all auto. The X-S1 has in my opinion the best features of any bridge camera on the market.

• Manual zoom lens with a great range from a wide 24 to 624mm
• High resolution EV with 1 440 000 pixels
• Good flip-out LCD making it easy to take macro shots etc.
• Beautiful feel and look
• Unparalleled droopage
• Soft images at maximum zoom

Cheers
Moxi, Australia

--

http://fujifilmimages.aminus3.com/

 

[Michael Melb AU]

May sound like a small item, but I use the manual focus on my Pentax as often as I let the camera auto focus.

The best one on your list for manual focus will be Lumix (better FZ150).
--
Everyone can do it - some do it well.

 

[Midwest]

This Autofocus/Manualfocus function makes the focusing process much faster. Press Autofocus and then fine adjust manually—that is the whole idea of it—nothing hilarious about it at all!

I ask this question in all seriousness... I have never used autofocus to 'pre focus' and then manually focused after that. When would someone do it that way? Would you do this when trying to get an exact focus point for a macro, for example?

 

[PAUL TILL]

This Autofocus/Manualfocus function makes the focusing process much faster. Press Autofocus and then fine adjust manually—that is the whole idea of it—nothing hilarious about it at all!

I ask this question in all seriousness... I have never used autofocus to 'pre focus' and then manually focused after that. When would someone do it that way? Would you do this when trying to get an exact focus point for a macro, for example?

Because it saves time twisting the focus ring round and round and round and round. These cameras aren't like using old manual focus lenses where there's only 1/2 a turn between close up and infinity.

You could do it without pressing the AE/AF button but why would you want too? It's only those that have not tried that seem to find it strange.

Paul.
--

 

[Billx08]

This Autofocus/Manualfocus function makes the focusing process much faster. Press Autofocus and then fine adjust manually—that is the whole idea of it—nothing hilarious about it at all!

I ask this question in all seriousness... I have never used autofocus to 'pre focus' and then manually focused after that. When would someone do it that way? Would you do this when trying to get an exact focus point for a macro, for example?

Not for that purpose except for recent Fujis, maybe. For many years and many camera models even after using the 'pre-focus' button to get close, using the focus ring to try to improve the focus wouldn't work because it was just too clumsy a process and inaccurate. You could end up spinning your wheels and going nowhere, or overshooting the desired distance. Precise macro focusing usually relies on fine tuning the focus by moving the camera, even if it's not on a tripod/rail and even if you have a DSLR lens that has a manual focusing ring that's very precise. The main reason for using this prefocus technique for manual focusing might be to eliminate the time required to focus when you're taking many photos, all at precisely the same distance. Focus it once, and then for each subsequent shot you wouldn't have to see the camera waste time as you watch the image initially go out of focus and then perhaps struggle to find the right focus for each additional shot. This could be done for macros as well as for photos shot at greater distances. Another reason for using this technique is when autofocus is guaranteed to fail but it can get close to a decent focus, such as when you want to focus on something that's surrounded by or partially blocked by a few fine tree branches that the camera would always lock onto, rather than the intended subject that's located behind the branches.

 

[wymjym]

also,

the mf ring is a 'fly by wire' affair. In practice each degree of rotation does NOT equate to the same amount of adjustment. Using the pre af function sets the general fine tuning field.

I found the mf function of the XS1 far improved over the S100fs, but still in need of improvement.

wj
--
nikonfujiandricoh

 

[Billx08]

also,

the mf ring is a 'fly by wire' affair. In practice each degree of rotation does NOT equate to the same amount of adjustment. Using the pre af function sets the general fine tuning field.

I found the mf function of the XS1 far improved over the S100fs, but still in need of improvement.

Right. That's what I was alluding to when I wrote "spinning you wheels". There were too many times when it seemed like I was taking too much time tying to move the focus point, when it would seem to jump from one side of the subject to the other side, without ever passing through the point where it would have been properly focused.

 

[Skipper494]

Nikon P7100, handier and very capable.

 

[Tim39]

Morning,

I am currently looking at a bridge camera to take on holiday to Scotland. As this trip will include a lot of walking, I don't think I want to carry my DSLR plus two lens.

Have narrowed my choices to the Fuji HS30, Canon SX40, Nikon P510 and the Panasonic FZ47.

Have looked at many photos folks have used using the listed cameras, they all appear to do a good job.

I do have a specific question about the manual focus functions ... on the Fuji is the manual focus ring to the rear of the zoom ring and as you rotate the ring, is the image sharp enough to "fine tune" the picture?

May sound like a small item, but I use the manual focus on my Pentax as often as I let the camera auto focus.

Any pluses and minuses you all have noticed about any of the ones on my list, would help as well.

Thank You

Ciao

****

--
Tim

 

[Midwest]

Thanks to all for the informative replies. I myself very seldom do any manual focus - it seems to me that the autofocus does a better job for my type of shots than I could ever match, and faster too. If one does need to manually-focus and the manual focus is rather 'slow' then I can see the use for the autofocus > manual focus flow.

 

[Kim Letkeman]

Why the Panasonic FZ47 and not the FZ150? You could also add the Sony HX100/200 to that list.

As much as I hate it the X10 might be a better choice, when I think of Scotland I think of landscapes.

If the X10 is on the table, then his dSLR with kit zoom should be too. One lens on a small dSLR (assuming that it is small) is just as much a PITA as the X10, but costs him nothing and delivers better IQ ...

--
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com