WHAT'S COOL ABOUT BRIDGE CAMERAS? | AFFORDABLE ENTRY INTO PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

WHAT'S COOL ABOUT BRIDGE CAMERAS? | AFFORDABLE ENTRY INTO PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

Compact cameras have been largely replaced by smartphones, camera manufacturers are killing off their DSLR ranges and moving their mirrorless ranges upmarket, targeting the serious enthusiast and professional photographer. But where does this leave the weekend hobbyist and beginner looking for an affordable entry into the hobby? Is it now the time for the humble bridge camera to be the affordable camera for beginners.

I shoot with DSLRS, Mirrorless Cameras and bridge cameras and I think bridge cameras offer a great starting point to learn your craft and in many cases a damn sight easier on your pocket than a new mirrorless camera.

They do have their Pros and Cons so join me to discus 'Really, what is so cool about bridge cameras?'

00:00 Welcome & Intro
00:44 Why The Hate?
02:11 Benefits Of A Bridge Camera
04:16 Disadvantages Of A Bridge Camera
07:00 What To Look For In A Bridge Camera
09:25 4 Cameras To Consider
12:30 Conclusions & Wrap Up

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[grahamowers]

To the three things to look out for I would add a forth. Make sure it has a viewfinder. This is particularly important if you’re zooming in. It’s difficult to hold a camera steady if you’re holding it out in front of you to look at the screen at the back of the camera.

[NormanF]

A bridge camera is an all round camera. They are positioned between compacts and DSLRS/mirrorless. They offer convenience and versatility. There are times when you want to take closeups or do detail shots and a compact doesn’t allow you to do it and its a pain to switch lenses on a DSLR/mirrorless camera. They are under appreciated by serious photographers who want to look cool hauling around a ton of gear. Simplifying your camera equipment can make you a better photographer.

[MudMaxMetalDetecting]

I think that there are quite a few snobs with deep pockets who like to scoff at bridge cameras, which is easy to do if you have a few thousand quids worth of gear, and they don't consider them proper cameras. Well every camera is a proper camera, and I have had some stunning shots with the FZ82, it's not as bad as some people like to think it is. ATB MMMD

[theoldunsshot]

Someone (Ken Rockwell) once said, "The best camera is the one that doesn't get between you and a good photo". I think he means that the image is the objective and it doesn't matter what you take it on - the more you have to fiddle with, the more chance you have to miss the shot. Two of my favourite landscape shots were taken on a Pentax Optio 50 5Mp compact. I have had a couple of bridge cameras from Kodak and Fuji and yes they do get noisy once the ISO creeps up, but I have been delighted with a lot of shots from them. At the short end of the zoom it is quite difficult to have selective focus too - shooting at a (true) focal length of 6 to 15mm will give you quite a DoF at any aperture on all but close ups, but I do Landscapes mainly so no hardship. Cracking video Andrew!

[robertwaters]

Great video here. I first started with a Canon SX 539HS and still use it. You are right about low light performance. These small sensor do struggle in low light situations. I accept this as a photographer. Some of the things I do like are the small form factor, portability. light weight, and low cost to entry. While I have other cameras (DSLR and mirrorless), I still find situations where I use the SX 530 HS (especially street photography). Thanks for this great video.

[dennismurray]

Very good summary of the pros and cons of Bridge cameras. For me it is the versatility and affordability that sold me on my Lumix FZ80. I have taken lots of great landscapes with it subject to good lighting conditions and I love the Shutter speed control as I use it a lot for getting sharp wildlife shots. As you rightly point out the small sensor does suffer a lot in low light conditions. I have found that in such conditions I just switch to P mode and let the Lumix do it's magic, and generally this results in clearer images than I would have obtained by trying to fiddle with the aperture etc. In low light and without a tripod I will use ISO 400 and occasionally drop the exposure by about 2/3 stop and accept a slightly darker image than none at all.

Another great video, keep them coming Andrew!

[WanderingwithWatto]

Very informative video Andrew. Like you say there can be some snobbery when it comes to photography equipment. But bride cameras offer affordable convenience which can produce good results if take the time to learn. Love your info. Top job. 👍🏻🚶🏻‍♂️🚶‍♀️

[elizabethsmart]

Hi, big like 29...thanks for sharing all your knowledge...& ...a great shirt...

[stephenmathewcowen]

Thanks Andy for this excellent advice regarding bridge cameras and photography in general. I loved the information you delivered at the very start where you said it wasn't the fault of the camera that you didn't move away from the auto mode but in fact was the fault of the photographer. This is so true. The options you summarise at the end of your video will help many budding photographers to make the correct choice when deciding the type of bridge camera that may be best for them. Cheers for this very helpful information mate. 👍

[CJGaP]

Great info Andy and a good selection too

[RetrieverTrainingAlone]

Excellent! I bought a used Nikon Finepix P900 for $400 USA. I take it with me hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and have had fun taking waterfowl and big game photos here in Montana and Alaska. 83X optical zoom, but the sweet spot is about 50x optical zoom. With a tripod and 2 second shutter timer in good morning light, I've had fun and learned so much. So far my best photos are grizzly bears at over 300 meters away.

[tonymckeage]

Great Video Andrew, A well crafted and well described Video about "bridge cameras" I think the issue is they have been replaced by phone cameras! I love my phone camera and i did use a bridge camera once ! thanks for sharing

[peterviragphoto]

Great summary of all the pros and cons Andrew! I used to shoot a little with an SX60HS and I loved it!:)

[wendingourway]

Always great to have options, and there certainly is plenty of them in the market today for sure! Lots of great advice and information! Bruce and Otis

[esteban]

I love my Canon superzoom(SX60 HS). I have taken many beautiful photos over the last 7 years with it. How else can you get a macro of a bee on a flower, then zoom to a hawk in the sky, then zoom some more to the craters of the moon without wasting minutes and spending thousands? That flexibility is awesome.

[LeePelling]

I started out on the whole compact system then a bridge camera before moving on to a DSLR, so it served a purpose for me at the time, it helped me understand the basics of photography, composition etc etc but when i could not get the results i was after i moved to a dslr. I think its only really serious photographers that have a bad opinion of bridge cameras but for someone just wanting a camera to take on days out, holidays etc then i think there a good option if your not wanting to take photography seriously. Interesting look at the system and im sure helps someone out looking into it, take care mate.

[lioncurlew]

I have a Panasonic Lumix Fz38 which does RAW shooting amd and I use it for travel.

[friendlygarfield]

great Video Andrew :-) you explain all nicely
I tend to agree and have different opinion on a few things though
to my way of thinking - photography is the capture of light = if one agrees with this fact
biggest aperture (for said shot ) is fundamental in any bridge camera photography
maybe not 2023 model - but believe one can still find this camera ?
Panasonic Lumix FZ 300 (believe FZ 330 in UK ?)
this has a constant aperture all zoom ( F2.8 from switch on all the way till its max at 600 mm )
yes other bridge camera have longer zoom but these have slower lens at these extension
in exact same conditions - take any of these cameras vs the FZ 300 and low light cannot be compared to a DSLR or SLR but amongst small sensor Bridge cameras - King is the FZ 300
why I see this far better than the Sony VI ? = price
if one has the $ for this Sony - then one is better off getting a modern SLR with lens and may still have change

ok so now we go to ISO = all cameras (life) is choice of compromise /working within ones limits
to my experience these small sensor camera all have risk of much more noise compared to larger sensor cameras - so maybe trail an error or guess (cannot recall ) I have put a max limit to my ISO of 400
camera works well once one exploits it's strong points while minimizing it's weakness
I am a novice birder - in the FB websites I post my photos (where most laugh at Bridge cameras )
my photos have been used as website banner many times
modestly I will advice all to try use this model camera - in my humble opinion even in jpeg straight out camera there are no other bridge camera that can better these photos

[radleyg]

Panasonic LUMIX FZ330 weather sealed, worth a look too.

[paulcookphotography]

I'm not sure if the Sony Cybershots are considered a bridge camera or not, but that is what I started out on. I have some fantastic shots with that camera and was a good camera to learn a little bit on. I think you've proved in your videos that you can take amazing photos with bridge cameras. Great video as always Andrew, sorry about the late comment. Have a great week over there!