Should I buy the Fuji Finepix S9600, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 or the Nikon Coolpix P5100?
I am a complete amatuer at photography but have always enjoyed using my point and shoot and have had decent results with my home/holiday snaps and am keen to go one step further. I am taking a digital photography course in about a months time, nothing too complicated just a 6-8 week course to learn all the basics etc. So I am looking to buy a half decent what they seem to call bridge camera and seem to have almost narrowed it down to the 3 above. So just looking for some advice really or should go for one of the above or should I spend another £70+ and go for a Cannon G9 or something else, I’m confused and very indecisive. All advice appreciated, thanks..
Despite their generic labelling as “bridge” cameras, they’re actually quite different, in terms of what they offer:
- The Panasonic FZ18 basically offers an almost insanely long optical zoom, although it’s optically stabilized and (compared to other 18x-zoom cameras) has somewhat better optical quality; but the ISO performance is relatively poor, because that huge zoom mandates a small sensor that can’t possibly offer better ISO quality.
- The Nikon Coolpix P5100 follows the opposite idea: a short optical zoom, and a large sensor (not quite DSLR-size, but still clearly larger than the Panasonic FZ18′s) that allows it to have a quite better ISO performance, therefore making the camera much more able for liw-light situations (especially since the P5100 also has an optical stabilizer, and a pretty effective one, at that).
- The Fujifilm S9600 would be a compromise… sort of. It’s actually larger than the Panasonic FZ18, and yet has a more modest 10x optical zoom (not stabilized, though)… so it can afford to have a sensor even larger than the Nikon P5100′s, therefore an even better ISO performance.
All in all, the Fujifilm S9600 is the best of the three, as long as you don’t consider its size and weight a problem, and you don’t really need as much zoom as the Panasonic offers.
In Focus | Studio Lighting Tutorial – Perfect Lighting Made Simple
|
|
Pearstone AAA Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries (1000mAh) (4 Pack) $7.95 Pearstone AAA Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries are reliable and powerful batteries for digital and other electronic use. Why trust your equipment to batteries that burn out rapidly? At holiday time or when you’re shooting that special image, you want your camera to work at peak efficiency. These rechargeable batteries will get you through the assignment with confidence. And, when charge… |
|
|
Joyful Blessings Christmas Photo Cards – Set of 25 $27.50 White polka dots on a red and green background with a brown accent ribbon create the delightful feel of the festive Christmas photo card. This holiday photo card will send a message of joy to everyone on your list. Printed on premium card stock…. |
|
|
Video Journal $34.99 .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } Girls, it is time to throw away that old spiral-bound notebook and start keeping an interactive journal! Better than the boring diaries of the past, the Radica Video Journal allows girls from ages 8 and up to down… |
|
|
Canon Powershot E1 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue) $210.99 First glance says it all: the PowerShot E1 and you are going to get along just great. After all, you love color that dares to surprise. And nothing delights you more than style that makes you smile. The PowerShot E1 goes everyplace you go — to parties, to the beach, far away and to fabulous times right around the corner. The PowerShot E1 introduces you to a new level of performance with 10.0-mega… |
|
|
Christmas / Hanukkah / Holiday – Digital Backgrounds $69.98 Add some holiday cheer to your photo shoot! Each of the 30 digital backdrops in this volume will provide the perfect background for any portrait or creative project, perfectly fine-tuned for a premium studio look and feel! Your subjects will look better than ever against this marvelous assortment…. |
|
|
Framing Station Holiday Combo Pack – Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas Calendar Maker Valentines Day and Birthdays The Framing Station software digitally “frames” your digital photos in professionally illustrated frames. The Holiday Combo Pack includes thousands of frames and borders that you’ll use every day. The Framing Station enhances photos in all popular print formats including: 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, and letter, and saves high resolution (300 dpi) files which are perfect for commercial printing and making of p… |
|
|
Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Wide-Format Color Inkjet Printer (C11C655001) $399.99 Brilliant 13″ x 19″ prints and beautiful projects have never been easier or more affordable. Innovative Claria┢ Hi-Definition Ink provide rich color and details for photographic enlargements, presentations, signs and any everyday project. Your large prints are also smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant so you can share your impressive prints today and for generations. The Epson Stylus Phot… |
|
|
HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer $262.95 Amazon.com Product Description The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer makes it easy to produce lab-quality photos as large as 13 x 19-inches at home. Enjoy the versatility of printing from your computer, from a supported memory card, or directly from your PictBridge enabled camera. And because this Photosmart printer also produces laser-quality text, you can rely on it for all your printing … |
|
|
Canon Pixma Pro9500 Professional Large Format Inkjet Printer (0373B001AA) $599.99 In one giant leap, the all-new PIXMA Pro9500 takes your work from merely “beautiful” to “extraordinary.” With 10 full-time color pigment inks, advanced new software, camera-direct printing of contact sheets, and support for fine art papers up to 13×19 inch, it’s the new standard for creating your own professional images. .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; fo… |
|
|
Case Logic DCB-309 SLR Camera Backpack (Black) $48.67 This SLR backpack combines practicality and style with customizable organizationand sleek lines. Carry everything SLR camera, lenses, flash and laptop comfortably on your back…. |
|
|
Complete Digital Photography (Paperback) $48.98 Teaches digital photography techniques and skills, explains the difference between traditional and digital photography, and explores editing and special effects. |
|
|
Digital Photography (Paperback) $87.1 This comprehensive introduction to digital photography equips students with the cutting-edge skills and techniques required to produce great digital images. Thorough introductions to the camera and its controls, editing and image manipulation processes, and digital capture and output make this textbook ideal for introductory photography and photographic imaging courses in the digital age. |
