Need a "bridge" type camera- suggestions please!

[todzwife]

I have a D90 which I LOVE, but I'm a tiny person and it's heavy to lug around at places like Disney, the zoo, etc. I have a Canon Powershot 800IS that is a great little P&S, but the shutter lag REALLY irritates me when I'm needing to take an action shot.
Is there a bridge camera out there that is faster than a regular ol' P&S for times when I can't take the D90? Or should I just stick to what I have and get over it?

 

[YesDear]

Look at the Canon G10. Yes I am a Nikon owner and I am recommending a Canon!

Both are great cameras

 

[boBQuincy]

Look at the Canon G10. Yes I am a Nikon owner and I am recommending a Canon!

NOOOoooooooooo... it's the end of brand wars!

I have another idea: a Canon Xs with the kit lens weighs only a little more than a G10. Yes, it is larger but the weight is not that different, maybe another 200 grams. The performance is *very* different!

 

[RCDisneyFan]

It's not out yet but Canon's new superzoom (SX 1 IS) is coming out soon. It shoots RAW, so you can still have the flexibility to fix your pictures if you need to. It's not that small, but should be really, really flexible. G10 is a very good option if you don't want the zoom and don't care about the rotating LCD (I sooo miss that from my P&S days!!)

Wish I could recommend some of the Nikon P&S cameras that would allow you to re-use the same external flash but - I've been looking over reviews recently - and it seems like Canon's performance and quality still beats Nikon in the P&S arena.

BTW, if you find a satisfactory answer to this:

I have a D90 which I LOVE, but I'm a tiny person and it's heavy to lug around

Let me know - I end up feeling the same way about my D90!

 

[todzwife]

It's not out yet but Canon's new superzoom (SX 1 IS) is coming out soon. It shoots RAW, so you can still have the flexibility to fix your pictures if you need to. It's not that small, but should be really, really flexible. G10 is a very good option if you don't want the zoom and don't care about the rotating LCD (I sooo miss that from my P&S days!!)

Wish I could recommend some of the Nikon P&S cameras that would allow you to re-use the same external flash but - I've been looking over reviews recently - and it seems like Canon's performance and quality still beats Nikon in the P&S arena.

BTW, if you find a satisfactory answer to this: Let me know - I end up feeling the same way about my D90!

I will. I had a D40 and sold it to fund the D90 and I kind of miss it because it was smaller and lighter. My friend has a rebel something that was fast and small...I may find out what it was and get one of those because I'm not sure that a bridge camera will be fast enough. The D40 was frustrating because I couldn't use my prime lenses w/out focusing myself, which I'm not very good at.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I had a D40 and sold it to fund the D90 and I kind of miss it because it was smaller and lighter. My friend has a rebel something that was fast and small...I may find out what it was and get one of those

 

[Hoan & Poopie]

Some good 'bridge' cameras I have used are the Panasonic FZ50 and Fuji S100FS which give that SLR feel with the manual zooming.

Call me crazy but some of the best are the older Sony F707, F717, F828, and R1. You can still get these in like new condition if you look around. Newer is definitely not always better with photo gear.

 

[todzwife]

LOL! Not for "real" photography, but for traveling with the kids (I already have to haul a diaper bag and it's not really easy to have my D90 around my neck while wearing my daughter in a sling)

 

[RCDisneyFan]

Another option, if you're thinking of getting out of the Nikon game altogether - Olympus makes a pretty small SLR (though I don't know much about it & available lenses) or, if you're REALLY daring - Panasonic has the G1. It's a micro 4/3 system. As I understand it, it's about the size of a superzoom camera, but it's an SLR - sans the flip up mirror. You'd have the same issue w/that as with the D40 for prime lenses, but I think they just announced a 20mm pancake lens for it...

 

[todzwife]

Thank you for the suggestions I didn't end up using my D90 much last year at DL because it was so heavy and I was afraid of it getting dropped or bonked. I ended up using my little powershot elph and I was pretty happy with it.

I'm just looking for something "in between". I'm not picky on brand, I'd like to stay under $500. I can get a used Canon XT for about $300 and I'm going back and forth between a smaller DSLR like that and the Panasonic Lumix something. I just don't want/need another 2 pound camera hanging around my neck but I'd like something a little faster than the elph.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Thank you for the suggestions I didn't end up using my D90 much last year at DL because it was so heavy and I was afraid of it getting dropped or bonked. I ended up using my little powershot elph and I was pretty happy with it.

I'm just looking for something "in between". I'm not picky on brand, I'd like to stay under $500. I can get a used Canon XT for about $300 and I'm going back and forth between a smaller DSLR like that and the Panasonic Lumix something. I just don't want/need another 2 pound camera hanging around my neck but I'd like something a little faster than the elph.

Sony's new HX1 came out today, $499 MSRP, large zoom, swivel screen. Panasonic's new ZS3 is now out, smaller than the superzooms but up to 12x, many people like the Canon Sx10is or the Sx200is. I have to handle the camera before I can make a decision to live with it.

Got rid of my 30D and all the lenses because it became a pain to haul around. Just some thoughts.

Jack

 

[todzwife]

Oooh the HX1 sounds awesome!

 

[Disney*Dreamer]

Sony H2. I love mine, and just got a A300, and can not bring myself to even think about getting rid of it.

 

[todzwife]

I'm just bumping this up to see if anyone has tried anything new.

DH has given me some money to get something new

 

[PhotobearSam]

I have the S5 IS and love it and still use it when I don't want to bring my Canon Xsi with me. I think the new version is the SX 10...Correct me please if I am wrong.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I now have the Sony HX-1 and love it. Tried the Canon SX1IS and it was more money and the video not as good.

Jack

 

[todzwife]

How's the shutter lag on it (both of them actually). That's what I'm most concerned about.

 

[blackjackdelta]

How's the shutter lag on it (both of them actually). That's what I'm most concerned about.

You can not tell if there is one on both cameras. The HX1 is 0.008 secs.

Jack