Which cheap bridge camera to buy?

hgaaditya

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Hey,folks..I'm new to the field of photography,and have never ventured out of the auto mode :).
But now i'm looking for a decent Bridge camera under 100$. I searched the net for quite a while,but it seems there aren't many decent
cameras in this range.What I mainly want is manual controls,So that i get a hang of it,before i buy an SLR in the future.
So i found out these were the ones in my budget: (In order of my choice)


1)Fujifilm Finepix S2980 ( My 1st choice)
2)Panasonic Lumix DMC LZ20
3)Olympus SP620UZ
4)Canon Powershot SX160 IS
5)Nikon Coolpix L610


The last two are just for the sake of options..


Can anyone tell me,if these cameras any good for a beginner,i.e for learning And has Decent performace.
Actually I am inclined towards the fujifilm S2980,
Because it has almost all the features,one can expect in a bridge camera.


So please let me know,what you guys think of these cameras,,and also suggest any other cameras in the same price range, if any.
Also the Pros and Cons list of these cameras would be helpful.(Size,battery type,Weight DOES NOT matter,only performance is expected)




Any advice is welcome,,thanks in advance....
 
Hi hgaaditya - any of these cameras will produce great pictures - here are sample images from the Fuji, the Panasonic and the Olympus - but there are a few differences that may not be readily apparent in the specs.

I would cross the Olympus SZ-620UZ off the list because it is the most expensive of the lot and it lacks a "DSLR-like" PASM dial for exposure settings (the PASM dial is the "Program, Aperture Shutter, Manual" mode dial on top of the camera - it is a feature that you will see on almost all DSLRs).

That really leaves your top two - the Fuji S2980 and the Panasonic LZ20. But the Panasonic has no viewfinder, something that you would expect from a DSLR-like camera. So that leaves the Fuji.

Bottom line: the Fuji is the most "DSLR-like" of the cameras on your list - but its short battery life (300 shot CIPA rating), and long power up and shot-to-shot times (over 3 seconds) are not DSLR-like at all, and may be a little frustrating.

That said, as long as you understand its limitations, it will be a great practice camera.

You can get one new for as little as $110 via Amazon

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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