Bridge Camera Choice

[stevedevil]

Hello to all, 

 

I have been asked by a good friend whom is looking to upgrade from a compact point and shoot, to a Bridge Camera ??  As DSLR is too bulky for what he wants to have in his everyday Bag...

 

So I have not really read up on "Whats a good one" etc, but yonks ago everyone raved about the Fuji Bridge Digitals,...

 

So here is my question..  He is looking at cheap options on our Friendly Auction Sites....  Whats worth looking for for the £75-£100 Bracket ...

 

Many Thanks in Advance

 

Steve :-)

[colinb]

try Fuji refurbished -  http://shop.fujifilm.co.uk/refurbished-digital-cameras

and see what comes into his price bracket. Less risk than 'some' auction sites.

Edited January 13, 2015 by colinb

[JHFoto]

He may get a Panasonic Lumix FZ200 for that sort of money, like mine they have Leica lenses,,,

[Black Pearl]

Fuji HS20EXR - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fujifilm-FinePix-HS20EXR-16-0-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/181636344599?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item2a4a5eab17

Fuji HS30EXR - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fujifilm-HS30-EXR-Digital-Camera-16MP-30xOptical-Zoom-3-tilt-LCD-Fuji-Finepix-/321638627273?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item4ae327f7c9

 

 

Manual zoom like a DSLR, internal focus and a standard filter thread like a DSLR, they have stunningly fast AF, a flappy paddle rear screen and a decent viewfinder that switches automatically between it and the rear screen as you put your eye to it. The EXR sensor is superb and they're well made, sold loads when I was at Jessops and received great feedback from customers.....they even shoot RAW.

 

Ps. Fuji have a solid enough heritage of making superb lenses that they are confident to have their own name on them - unlike some brands who pay to have a name on the front.

[ChrisLumix]

Ps. Fuji have a solid enough heritage of making superb lenses that they are confident to have their own name on them - unlike some brands who pay to have a name on the front.

 

My my BP - coming from you that's a bit of a cheap shot! I quite agree that Sony and Panasonic have no heritage when it comes to cameras ... but Sony are the inheritors of Minolta's long and proud heritage, and who would ever criticise Zeiss lenses? Good luck to them, I say.

As for Panasonic, they have even less heritage than Sony, but they are pre-eminent when it comes to electronics, so why not team up with Leica who thereby get their own toehold in the mass market without compromise to the quality of their own lenses?

[Black Pearl]

I have no issue with them 'teaming up with' other brands but writing that brands name on the end barrel and the way they are marketed could be seen as slightly misleading.

 

The lens on the front of a Panasonic Lumix is not a Leica and it does not make the lenses on the front of (most) Sony CyberShot cameras a Zeiss. Some of the optical design may have come from the listed brands but the lenses come off the end of a Panasonic/Sony (actually Cosina I believe) production line in Japan not from a factory in Germany. 

 

I'm not saying they are poor - but it doesn't not make them inherently better than a brand that uses their own name. 

[ChrisLumix]

I have no issue with them 'teaming up with' other brands but writing that brands name on the end barrel and the way they are marketed could be seen as slightly misleading.

 

The lens on the front of a Panasonic Lumix is not a Leica and it does not make the lenses on the front of (most) Sony CyberShot cameras a Zeiss. Some of the optical design may have come from the listed brands but the lenses come off the end of a Panasonic/Sony (actually Cosina I believe) production line in Japan not from a factory in Germany. 

 

I'm not saying they are poor - but it doesn't not make them inherently better than a brand that uses their own name. 

 

Ok, let's get a few facts straight here, starting with the Leica f1.7- f2.8 24-75mm (equivalent) VARIO-SUMMILUX lens for m4/3:

1. Yes, the lens is manufactured by Panasonic's factory, but...
2. It was co-designed by Panasonic with Leica
3. Both companies were involved with testing at every stage
4. A Leica rep pulls one lens from each production batch to ensure quality control
5. The exact same lens is also found on Leica's own D-Lux 109 camera 

I think we can safely say that's a Leica lens, not a Panasonic one. Wholly Panasonic lenses carry the LUMIX badge (not that they are complete rubbish, exactly).

[NannyFerret]

My Panasonic FZ100 is the best bridge camera I have ever had and still use, even though I have Nikon DSLRs. I always have my FZ ready for when I don't want to carry lenses as well as a camera.

It is also great for use with the Raynox close up clip on lens.

[stevedevil]

Thanks for all the input gang.. Im sure that whatever he goes for will be an amazing step up from his little point and shoot that probably has a lens thats the size of your thumb Nail, and a sensor thats as big as yor little finger nail :-)  With the digital age not many Peeps print their images anymore, and not at anything larger than A4 etc etc, and I feel that the Glass that they use must be a better standard than the glass of 10 years ago, so again I'm sure that even the now cheaper Fuji 10 Meg Pixel will give him what he is looking for... as most images are stripped of most size and quality to be uploaded onto super web etc :-)

 

Again thanks for the input, I will send him some links for him to have a look at and read etc :-)

[Black Pearl]

Ok, let's get a few facts straight here, starting with the Leica f1.7- f2.8 24-75mm (equivalent) VARIO-SUMMILUX lens for m4/3:

1. Yes, the lens is manufactured by Panasonic's factory, but...
2. It was co-designed by Panasonic with Leica
3. Both companies were involved with testing at every stage
4. A Leica rep pulls one lens from each production batch to ensure quality control
5. The exact same lens is also found on Leica's own D-Lux 109 camera 

I think we can safely say that's a Leica lens, not a Panasonic one. Wholly Panasonic lenses carry the LUMIX badge (not that they are complete rubbish, exactly).

 

 

Its a Panasonic lens - a good one I'll grant you and yes (well done you) you've found one that is a cut above the norm and closer to being a Leica but it is NOT a Leica lens. Leica lenses are made in Germany (other than an older 35-70mm where some versions were manufactured in Japan  but they hold far less value used than the proper German built ones even though they are exactly the same optical glass) and they are made with glass that is sourced by the Leica factory - not Japanese glass. 

 

It might be splitting hairs but it irks me that these brands have stamped German names on the front of their cameras for long enough that the general public believe the hype. They believe it to the point where on a daily basis I had customers coming in specifically to buy a Sony/Panasonic because of the name on the front - the same can be said of other big Jap brands but they aren't trying to bend the rules.

[ChrisLumix]

Its a Panasonic lens - a good one I'll grant you and yes (well done you) you've found one that is a cut above the norm and closer to being a Leica but it is NOT a Leica lens. Leica lenses are made in Germany (other than an older 35-70mm where some versions were manufactured in Japan  but they hold far less value used than the proper German built ones even though they are exactly the same optical glass) and they are made with glass that is sourced by the Leica factory - not Japanese glass. 

 

It might be splitting hairs but it irks me that these brands have stamped German names on the front of their cameras for long enough that the general public believe the hype. They believe it to the point where on a daily basis I had customers coming in specifically to buy a Sony/Panasonic because of the name on the front - the same can be said of other big Jap brands but they aren't trying to bend the rules.

 

Yet oddly, all the reviews mentioned "the Leica lens", and this from expert reviewers who surely wouldn't be taken in by a bit of loose brand accountancy? And surely, this particular lens wouldn't be used on the equivalent Leica-badged camera if it wasn't - German glass excepted - a Leica lens? Unless, of course, the D-Lux isn't a true Leica camera...

[Black Pearl]

There are plenty of Leica compacts that are actually Panasonic's - in fact most of them including the D-Lux. That like the rest differs only in the casing and the JPEG output defaults which are tweaked slightly.

 

The X Series is a true Leica being Made in Germany but I think thats it.

[ChrisLumix]

There are plenty of Leica compacts that are actually Panasonic's - in fact most of them including the D-Lux. That like the rest differs only in the casing and the JPEG output defaults which are tweaked slightly.

 

The X Series is a true Leica being Made in Germany but I think thats it.

 

LOL. I think we can count the M series as true Leicas But then, being rangefinder cameras of their own inimitable ilk, I guess they aren't compacts...

[JHFoto]

I have no issue with them 'teaming up with' other brands but writing that brands name on the end barrel and the way they are marketed could be seen as slightly misleading.

 

The lens on the front of a Panasonic Lumix is not a Leica and it does not make the lenses on the front of (most) Sony CyberShot cameras a Zeiss. Some of the optical design may have come from the listed brands but the lenses come off the end of a Panasonic/Sony (actually Cosina I believe) production line in Japan not from a factory in Germany. 

 

I'm not saying they are poor - but it doesn't not make them inherently better than a brand that uses their own name. 

Leica designs the lenses in conjunction with Panasonic (of course only those lenses for use on Panasonic and Leica-branded Panasonic cameras). Lens production is in Japan and Leica QC people are at the Panasonic plant(s) to insure specs are adhered to.

[JHFoto]

My only point is it would be absurd for a major international company to break our trade description law,  and put the word Leica on their lenses...??

Edited January 15, 2015 by JHFoto

[ChrisLumix]

My only point is it would be absurd for a major international company to break our trade description law,  and put the word Leica on their lenses...??

 

Also, whatever the ins and outs of which nationality glass it is, Leica are not going to lend their name to rubbish, or even average, lenses. They have too much of a reputation to see it go down the pan, taking their good stuff with it.

[JHFoto]

Precisely........................

[Black Pearl]

Its nothing more than a marketing gimmick - a good one I grant.

 

Sony and Panasonic were more than capable of making a really good (just as good) lens but someone in their marketing department very cleverly decided to pay another brand to have its name on the front to make the cameras sound special - it is a marketing move that has done them very well and I do applaud them for the business decision but even if those said bands do have input it doesn't make the lenses any better than they would have been. People all over the world have been taken in and are willing to pay extra for a camera that would have been just as good but cost them less.

 

You know what - good on them - profit is king.

[JHFoto]

I think people will make up their own minds when they read what has been pointed out in this thread.......

[stevedevil]

A good discussion guys, as for putting your name on someone else's Lens, then car manufacturers do it all the time... Ford Galaxy ( VW Sharon )  Ford Ranger ( Mazda BT50 ) etc etc, they are "Licensed" to put their name under manufacture agreements, The glass is probably one company, the assemble by another, and sold under someone else..  Lets look at the top end of glass, Hasselblad etc, Are they really worth £20,000 as half the issue with poor quality images, is usually the Person Operating it 

 

Anyway spoke to mate today, he is going to look at your recommendations, and the Seller Refirbs look a great deal, as you can get a warranty etc too 

 

Cheers Gang

 

Steve

[ChrisLumix]

Sony and Panasonic were more than capable of making a really good (just as good) lens but someone in their marketing department very cleverly decided to pay another brand to have its name on the front to make the cameras sound special - it is a marketing move that has done them very well and I do applaud them for the business decision but even if those said bands do have input it doesn't make the lenses any better than they would have been. People all over the world have been taken in and are willing to pay extra for a camera that would have been just as good but cost them less.

 

I'll cede you one thing BP - there are very few poor lenses around these days. 

 

When it comes to Sony, I'm a bit more puzzled than with Panasonic, as they bought the entire Minolta camera division and could quite easily have put ROKKOR on each camera and people would have said "must be a good lens". So why go to the trouble of paying Zeiss just for a name?

 

I agree that Zeiss and Leica make their own high quality products. Zeiss in the old days made lenses not only as an independent lens maker (I could have bought a 35-135mm zoom way back when, for my Minolta), but also for the Contax, and I think Yashica range of SLRs too? Whereas Leica made cameras bought by the few who could afford them and had a superlative reputation. What I CANNOT believe, is that either company would accept money from a pair of Johnny Come Latelys just to add a sheen to optics which they'd had no input to. 

 

I repeat what I said before, about some lenses Panasonic use : they were co-developed by them and Leica, and tested, and Leica exercise quality control on the production line, and use the same lens in their own branded (Panasonic-made) compact cameras.

 

I do remember back in about 1980, Leica teamed up with Minolta to create the Minolta CL camera - so they do have 'previous'. But that camera was a high quality machine, I don't believe Leica could afford - then or now - to lend their name to any old crap (though I do take your point about Panasonic having the capability to make good cameras off their own bat).

[JHFoto]

What about the Leica V-LUX camera its exactly the same as Panasonics FZ1000 but costs £400 more, this conclusive evidence is my last word on this subject...

[stevedevil]

Come on guys, todays glass is yesterdays glass tomorrow, I have the Canon 28-70mm f2.8 L USM lens, had it on my EOS 5 film camera, it was the lens to have, now its the lens not too, as 24-70 out, then the 24-105 etc etc etc...  But still great glass, yes not weatherproof, but I have a bin liner...

 

What we can afford and how we use it must be worth more than a discussion over who makes better what ???

[Black Pearl]

This is in the 'Technical Stuff' section so discussions about the technical things is what you're going to get - we have fantastic 'Image Sharing' sections for pictures and talk about them.

[stevedevil]

This is in the 'Technical Stuff' section so discussions about the technical things is what you're going to get - we have fantastic 'Image Sharing' sections for pictures and talk about them.

 

Yes I see that, I asked a simple question for a mate looking for a half decent Bridge Camera, and seemed to unleash a war on what glass is best, and it takes an admin to start the topic going way off line, as I mentioned from the start, he is upgrading from a compact to something a little better with a half decent image... And as said I have thanked the members with the positive reply's, Im really not sure he is worried with who, what, of how the name on the lens got there ???