New Bridge Camera

[Guest Yachtsman1]

After seeing Colin's Virginia airshow show & being very impressed with the picture quality, I decided to investigate that type of camera & possibly acquire one my self.

There appear to be around 10 manufacturers producing bridge cameras & after a great deal of research I've come up with a possible short list of 4. They are:

1 The Panasonic Lumix FZ45/48, the 48 being introduced in September.

2, The Fuji HS20 EXR.

3. The Canon SX30.

4. The Pentax X90.

I steered away from camera's with an internal charger as I had a bad experience with a Fuji camera in the late nineties. The internal charger packed in, Fuji had ceased support for them, so in the end I had to sell it for spares. It cost in the region of £600 when new, so I wasn't best pleased.

I have read plenty of reviews & comments, but wondered if anyone on the Forum was using one & the results obtained. My main criteria being image quality, above pixel count or zoom length.

Yachtsman1.

PS I've put my Nikon gear up for sale as it isn't being used to its full potential. It consists of a D5000 body, a Nikon 18-200VR Mk2, & a Nikon 35mm 1.8 a Nikon SB400 speedlight, plus all the paraphenalia associated with what the 35mm DSLR photographer must have. PM me if you are interested. The body has had under 1800 shutter actuations & everything is in mint condition with original boxes, paperwork & UK purchased..

[Lin Evans]

Hi Eric,

I can lend a little information on the Canon SX30IS.

Image quality is good but with some chromatic aberrations which must be dealt with in post processing for optimal quality. Super excellent movie mode and excellent zoom range. In all, a decent bridge camera, but there will be some issues which you didn't have to deal with on your Nikon because the CA issue is done by firmware so that your jpg's are always clean.

You will find that on almost all bridge cameras, you won't get the instant autofocus that you are used to. Non dSLR's of this type use contrast detection rather than phase detection for autofocusing. This means a much slower response because the camera performs an iterative process. It's much more difficult to use the bridge cameras in harsh light. There is much less dynamic range so exposure is much more critical. You won't be able to correct for blown highlights and it will be more difficult to pull detail from the shadows.

Of the bridge cameras I've owned (many - around 40) the SX30IS ranks right up there in terms of image quality and overall performance. There is no RAW mode with this camera so what you get are jpgs. The movie mode is the easiest to access among all bridge cameras. You simply move your thumb over a half inch and press the movie button. If you want to take a still during the movie capture, you just press the shutter and the camera will capture the still image and return to the movie mode automatically. It's VERY versatile this way.

If you are super critical of image quality, I'm afraid none of the bridge cameras will meet your expectations. On the other hand, if you don't mind spending a little time in Photoshop or your favorite image manipulation software, the results can be easily made to be very good.

Best regards,

Lin

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Lin

The Canon is at the top of the list at the moment, however due to it's age I suspect a new model is just around the corner, probably delayed by the Tsunami. From what I've read, the models with less pixel count have better picture quality, trying to cram 14K+ onto the small sensor is blamed for this, however I believe Canon make their own & wouldn't be wise to jump on that band wagon.

It will probably be a couple of weeks before I jump in.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Eric,

Here's my take on it.

Essentially, when people look at a high pixel count image at 1:1 the 14 megapixel files don't look nearly as clean as 8 megapixel files., etc. But this is just as true for 24 megapixel Nikon D3x images versus 6 megapixel Nikon D40 images. The "truth," however, is that of course the D3X images in print far surpass the D40 images. The same is true for the higher megapixel count bridge cameras versus the older models.

We have to keep in mind that what we are actually looking at when we look at 1:1 crops from these high megapixel cameras is what we would see in a huge print of perhaps 60 inches on the long axis. Naturally, they show more of the faults simply because they are so big. When we downsample the 14 megapixel images to the same pixel dimensions as the 8 megapixel images, they look almost identical. But when we print, we take advantage of the full optical resolution and pixel count, so the prints from my SX30IS look fantastic. At 8x12 or even larger, I can' t tell the difference between prints from the SX30IS and my D7000 Nikon dSLR.

I really don't think it's a big issue at all. What the major difference will be, of course, is that your dSLR will far outperform the little sensor for dynamic range and high ISO. So if you are shooting in marginal light or need fast focus, etc., the differences will be in your face. On the other hand, if you are shooting every day vacation type shots, I don't think you will see any appreciable difference in prints.

Best regards,

Lin

Hi Lin

The Canon is at the top of the list at the moment, however due to it's age I suspect a new model is just around the corner, probably delayed by the Tsunami. From what I've read, the models with less pixel count have better picture quality, trying to cram 14K+ onto the small sensor is blamed for this, however I believe Canon make their own & wouldn't be wise to jump on that band wagon.

It will probably be a couple of weeks before I jump in.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

Eric

you might get a good deal on old model by waiting

see

http://camera.downloadatoz.com/news,2175,replacing-canon-sx30-is-canon-sx40-is-to-release-in-august.html

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Ken

Surprising what you learn by studying the various opinions. I guessed the SX30 replacment was immanent, but I'm not going to switch to a new model because it's new, could be full of problems. Did some further checking on the SX30 & found it's going to cost an additional £60ish if I add Canon lens hood, 63mm step up ring & filter, and a new 63mm lens cap , however I won't finally decide until my D5000 kit is sold.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

eric

on my

Model - Canon PowerShot S3 IS

i purchased a lens hood of sorts that protects the lens when zooming as well as allowing me to screw in a filter

- the next model does not have those features -at the camera shop we quizzed them as to their thoughts re eliminating the features -- no answer

cant say what the SX30 allows but if it is the same as what i have it is well worth it being able to screw in a skylight or polarizer

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Ken

From what I've read the camera comes minus the hood, but will accept a 58mm filter which causes vignetting on either macro or full zoom. So to prevent vignetting, the 63mm step up ring is suggested, which then needs a different cap. The prices I quoted are for genuine Canon items, there are cheepo Hong Kong copies, which I have had bad results from, particularly a hood I bought for a previous Canon 50D, can't remember the lens.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Now our move to Southport is completed, I thought it safe to order the new bridge camera, I have chosen the Canon SX 30 IS, despite reading some adverse comments on various sites. I also ordered the canon hood & 67mm step up ring, just looking for a suitable protection filter. I ordered a non Canon clip on cap to fit the filter in the step up ring from Ebay. It is stamped Canon but is not a Canon product. Will post some pictures when I receive it (the camera).

Yachtsman1.

PS the Nikon outfit is now live on Ebay with a best offer option.

[Ken Cox]

Eric

yu'll luvit

get a spare battery

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Ken, Done, Amazon £10.99 inc' delivery.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I've now had the SX30 for 48 hours, however the add ons hood & step up ring only arrived yesterday, thereby comes the first snag. You can't fit the hood with the stepup ring in place & visa versa. Also the Canon hood doesn't zoom out with the lens as Ken mentioned, so doesn't protect from flare when zoomed.

I've sent a query to Canon UK to see what they say . Otherwise the camera seems OK. I posted some pics on another thread so I won't bore you by repeating them here.

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

Eric

mine is completely different than yours re the mounting assembly - see page 2

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/canon/powershot-s3-is/canon-powershot-s3-is-review-2.html

the lens assembly is totally encased by the "hood" - my lens only extends 1/2 the distance on yours when zooming

sorry if i mislead you - too bad you could not have checked with a local dealer beforehand

ken

[Ken Cox]

Eric

see

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productAccessories_10051_10051_-1_163735?WT.mc_id=C000000

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10051_157776_-1

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Ken

Yours is a different camera, mine's an SX30 IS.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

Eric told you that way back

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13455-new-bridge-camera/page__view__findpost__p__87786

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Just got this email from Canon support?

"Dear Customer,

Your call has been escalated to the next level, our service technicians shall endeavour to reply to you within 2 to 3 working days.

Yours sincerely,

Canon Support Centre

Must be something special.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1

Or maybe it's because it's w/end.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Just to follow up on my last post, Canon confirmed you cannot fit the step up ring & the hood at the same time, which in my eyes is barmy. I have found a workaround I think which allows the step up ring, 67mm protection filter & a non Canon rubber hood which I think will allow the 67mm cap to be fitted without removing the hood.

Bit breezy on the promenade this afternoon, was hoping to take the pier train to the end, but the service had been cancelled due to the weather. However I did get a shot of the tail end of Katia as the sun set.

Yachtsman1.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

To conclude this thread, I bought a 67mm Hama rubber hood. I can now fit the step up ring, protection filter & rubber hood. Only problem, vignetting between 24 & 28mm on the zoom. However it is easy to roll back the rubber ring to remove the vignetting or crop it out PP.

Picture taken a couple of days ago with the D40, caption "I thought I'd stretch my legs today"

Original Canon hood sent back to Amazon for a full refund inc' post.

Yachtsman1.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

After a couple of months trying to come to terms with down grading from a Nikon D5000 to a Canon SX30 IS, I have thrown in the towel & gone back to a DSLR. The 3 year old D90 is available from Amazon as a kit with the 18-105 lens at 30% off the original new price so I have ordered one, My Chrissy pressy The main reason for changing back was the viewfinder on the Canon, I wear vari-focal specs & found it practically impossible to use the viewfinder & having to resort to a tripod & the LCD screen. Also it was difficult to get it to focus correctly at full zoom. The picture quality was great, but I couldn't use RAW either, only JPEG fine.

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

ERIC

some comments

before my cataract operation i wore quad varifocals - had wore them for 20+ years

i also had my little Canon before my cataract removal -- i never use the lcd viewfinder - i use the regular viewfinder - my daughter bought the same as you and uses the lcd viewfinder to shoot volleyball - i would say it [lcd] is roughly 1/2 again larger than mine

- the viewfinder on mine has a diopter adjustment

when doing full zoom = 400 mm equivalent to 35 mm lens is tough but 3mm camera shooting 420 mm was tough as well and i can only guess what shooting 800 mm without a pod would be like

but how often do i do 400 mm - not very often - definitely not in the gym

ken

[Lin Evans]

Hi Eric,

The lack of RAW in Canon's newer bridge cameras is an issue, but as you say the picture quality is excellent.

There is a "fix" for your problems of not being able to see very well with the EVF viewfinder. I have a friend who makes an excellent little device called the Xtend-a-View which attaches via velcro (easiest way) to the back of your camera and allows you to use the LCD just as you would a regular viewfinder. That is you put your eye right up to the "viewfinder" and you see the LCD, in focus and magnified 2X. It works perfectly in any light whether bright sunlight behind you or in total darkness. Here's a link to his website. His name is Phil Williams and his company is "Photosolve". Look at the "Xtend-a-View" - it may be all you need to get lots better and easier use from the SX-30 IS. I've been using the Xtend-a-View (I have multiple models) for many years (over 10) now and even use it underwater with my little Olympus UW housing.

http://www.photosolve.com

Best regards,

Lin

After a couple of months trying to come to terms with down grading from a Nikon D5000 to a Canon SX30 IS, I have thrown in the towel & gone back to a DSLR. The 3 year old D90 is available from Amazon as a kit with the 18-105 lens at 30% off the original new price so I have ordered one, My Chrissy pressy The main reason for changing back was the viewfinder on the Canon, I wear vari-focal specs & found it practically impossible to use the viewfinder & having to resort to a tripod & the LCD screen. Also it was difficult to get it to focus correctly at full zoom. The picture quality was great, but I couldn't use RAW either, only JPEG fine.

Yachtsman1.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Thanks Lin. The Canon has gone & I have a new Nikon D90 with an 18-105 lens.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.