Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthYoda
no I don't.
Thats why I was going for the S9600 as it is a fixed lenses but sounds like it has a really impressive range on it.
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Here's my take:
The entry-level SLRs are certainly getting attractive. Their price is dropping all the time and it's ever more difficult to see the advantages of a bridge camera like the S9600. However, to my mind, the S9600 still has some tricks up its sleeve and the argument is certainly not lost yet.
Advantages of an SLR:
1) Bigger sensor. As a traditional film user, I found that one of the first things to get my head around with digital was that you can change the 'film' speed at the touch of a button. This is handy, of course, for moving between outdoors and a low-light situation. With film we expect to see grain in a faster film and with digital this appears as coloured dots or noise. It's not immediately apparent but, this noise depends on the area of each pixel on the sensor - the larger the area, the more light the sensor collects and the less noise there will be in the final picture. Think of a small area pixel as like turning up the volume to hear a weak signal on an AM radio. SLRs generally have a larger sensor than bridge cameras allowing them to shoot at, for example, ISO 3200 with barely visible noise. There's always an exception, of course, and the Sony DSC-R1 has a fixed lens but a large, APS-sized, sensor.
2) Picture quality. It's certainly possible to get a better quality picture out of an SLR - but only if you pay for a good quality lens. If you're going to fit one of these super-zoom lenses to get the same sort of range as a bridge camera then you're going to get the same sort of quality too.
3) Variety of lenses available. Manufacturers like Canon and Nikon offer just about any lens you could ever want - at a price. If you run out of zoom range on a bridge camera you're stuck. Well almost! You can extend the range of many using a converter. For example, Fujifilm offer a x0.8 converter (WL-FXS6) but expect to see more purple fringing. And to extend the zoom at the other end remember you can always crop the photograph but remember you're losing pixels.
4) Quality of lenses available. There are some stunning lenses available but again - at a price. Are you really going to take this option or will you be content with that single 18-200 super-zoom?
5) Optical viewfinder. Whilst the 230k pixels of my electronic viewfinder offer a good view of the whole frame, it's not really up to the detail required for manual focussing.
Advantages of a bridge camera:
1) Features. Bridge cameras generally abound with features - some more useful than others. Whereas, entry-level SLRs are cut to the bone. Few offer those little extras like a cable shutter release or a PC flash socket that can be really useful when you need them. The entry-level SLR is designed to pull consumers into the manufacturer's camp without, at the same time, undercutting their more expensive models.
2) Live LCD. Few SLRs allow you to preview the frame on the LCD on the back of the camera - handy for overhead, waist-level or ground shots. The exception are the four-thirds cameras offered by Olympus and Panasonic that have a semi-silvered mirror to allow the viewfinder and sensor to work simultaneously.
3) Movie mode. I'm not aware of any SLRs that offer movie mode. This can be a handy little feature if you want one occasionally. But if you're really into movies, get a video cam.
4) Size & weight. A bridge camera with its single, fixed lens is always going to be smaller, lighter and easier to use than an SLR with a range of lenses.
5) No dust. If you can take the lens off the front of your camera then dust can get in and sit on the sensor. This was never an issue with film because it moved after each exposure. IMHO this advantage is often overplayed. It won't happen often and it's not that much of a hardship to clean the sensor anyway.
6) Price. You certainly get a lot of camera - and lens - for the money.
Remember, with an SLR you're not just buying a camera but you're buying into a system. Each manufacturer has their own, propriatary, lens mount. And deliberately so! Once they have you as a customer, they will do everything and anything to stop you moving to another camp.
Also check out the cost of those little extras like flash card and spare battery(s) that never come with the camera. I travel a lot away from mains power and the fact that the S9500 takes ordinary AAs instead of some proprietary lithium-ion battery was a primary consideration.
As for me, I'm more than happy shooting at 5 megapixels on my S9500 and waiting until there's a Pentax that lights my fire at a reasonable price to go with the collection of K-mount glassware that we already have.
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