Bridge Cameras

[pmk]

Anyone have any verdicts on Nikon Coolpix P900 Bridge camera (x83 optical zoom)?

[lfcrule1972]

Ok, so what's this bridge that you're all talking about ? :confused:

[pmk]

In this context it means a camera that is more than just a small snapper camera but not quite a full fledged DSLR.

[lfcrule1972]

Ah ok thanks Pete, I have a compact that I used to use a lot but was bought a DSLR last year and I'm loving trying to learn how to use it and all the settings.

I was really lazy with the compact so never changed anything from Auto

[DaveB]

I do use my bridge through the viewfinder, hate using the screen!

Me too!

Anyone have any verdicts on Nikon Coolpix P900 Bridge camera (x83 optical zoom)?

Don't be seduced by big numbers! Used to be "we've got more pixels than you"; now sensors have settled down at 16-20mp, zoom ratio seems to be the new "arms race". Any product has a number of compromises in its design. Apart from possible image quality problems with such a wide zoom range (distortion/lack of definition/chromatic aberrations at extreme ends of the range & susceptibility to camera shake if the image stabilisation system can't cope) the compromise here seems to be size & weight - it's a monster! I think it's probably a very good camera if you need 2000mm equivalent focal length - in the real world, unless you have specialised needs such as wildlife or aircraft photography it's a massive overkill.

. . . & back on the subject of batteries, I'm now using Duracell's equivalent of Enerloop (in fact I'm pretty sure they are in fact re-branded Enerloop) which last MUCH longer.

[THP]

Ok, so what's this bridge that you're all talking about ? :confused:

A compact camera with a bigger zoom. Most of them won't give you any better quality than a normal compact; just more zoom. A few years ago you couldn't get huge zoom without going for a bridge camera but now there are plenty of compacts with 30x.

Anyone have any verdicts on Nikon Coolpix P900 Bridge camera (x83 optical zoom)?

It's crap; most Nikon compacts are. If you want a bridge with a standard sensor size, get a Canon SX60. If you want a bigger sensor, look at the Panasonic FZ1000. 1 inch sensor and 400mm equivalent zoom. Sony RX10 has a 1 inch sensor, 200mm equivalent f2.8 lens for about the same price.

in the real world, unless you have specialised needs such as wildlife or aircraft photography it's a massive overkill.

Bridge cameras are pretty much useless unless it's a static subject. Their focus systems aren't up to tracking and the LCD viewfinders always lag.