I am not sure if there is a space for talking about what type of cameras we all use here. I am sure here on 365 we all have a wide range of different cameras and phones.
Recently I have been toying with the idea of changing all my kit.
Lugging around a DSLR and a few lenses just isn’t a good thing when you reach your senior years. !
Does anyone use a Bridge Camera ?
What are your thoughts Good , Not so Good ?
If I’m wrong to ask about equipment here on 365 , I apologise.
Over the last 45 years I have moved from a film camera to a DSLR to a bridge to a compact to a phone. I still have all my cameras but just cant be bothered lugging any of it around anymore.
I’m locked in to my mirrorless, but don’t usually carry all my lenses. I have a small bag that holds my camera and 1 extra lens (and a spare battery). It’s small enough and light enough for me. My only trouble is deciding which to carry as my alternate lens.
In the past, I had a small compact digital, which would fit in a shirt pocket. But that role has been supplanted by my phone.
I used to have a Lumix bridge camera when I started here 7 years ago and loved it.
Until I saw photos taken with a Lensbaby, then I bought a Canon DSLR with way too many lenses! I will change back to a bridge camera for convenience sake as I always seem to have the wrong lens with me.
I love my Lumix TZ 80, they've just released a newer version. It's small, portable and acts like a bridge camera.
Just bought a Sony mirrorless as that's small and lighter than DSLR, but for holidays it's the 'phone or my little TZ!!
I appreciate the various arguments here, especially the article included by Suzanne @ankers70. My husband and I, in our late 70s and early 80s both decided that the full DSLR with various lenses was too much for us to cart around. On a recent holiday to Italy we decided to just use mobile phones - result excellent, but basically buildings and scenery. We then invested in two bridge cameras, mine is a Canon Powershot SX80HS which I love! I never use digital zoom, only optical and the results have been very satisfactory, great for birds, insects, flowers and macro as well. Hubby bought a NikonP950 and has been most unhappy with this as it is as heavy, heavier in fact, than his old DSLR and very unbalanced when hand held. It has a "bird" setting but the results have not been brilliant. He has now reverted to an old Lumix DMC FZ1000 which gives brilliant results all round. I guess what I am trying to say is that it really depends what you want the camera for. Mobile phones are excellent "happy snaps" "holiday pictures" and landscapes but not if you want to do any kind of nature photography.
I did try a number of mirrorless and bridge but found them heavier than my DSLR and, as Judith says above, quite unbalanced in the hand. In the end, I opted for using my Nikon D3500 but don't have any additional lenses. I keep a Sigma 18-300 zoom on it for versatility. That keeps weight and bulk down.
I have issues with arthritis in my hands and don't want excessive weight to carry around either, so watching this discussion with interest.
When I travel I tend to use my iPhone 15pro. I also have a LUMIX TZ90.
I have had Fabulous results from the above.
I also have a Nikon Z50 mirrorless which is light but tend to use this when I want to challenge my photography skills. Obviously lenses and bags add to the weight but not too much.
Good luck.
I am a reformed photojournalist. I have used Kodak DCS-620x, Nikon D1, D2H, D4, Nikon F4, F5, now a D7500 and Z6 MkII. I have had a variety of Coolpix cameras and Canon Elphs. The reality for me these days is my iPhone 15 Pro Max does 90% of what I need. The only time I pull out the Nikons is when I have a freelance sports job, or my DJI drone for aerial work. And, the Bridge cameras are so overpriced these days.
It’s an interesting debate. Thank You Suzanne for adding the article about Bridge Cameras. A real eye opener for me. I never realised that the Aperture setting on bridge cameras is so so limited. It has steered me away from Bridge Cameras. Thanks for all your inputs. Kind Regards Doc.
I haven't had a DSLR.
I got tired of lugging my SLR and lenses around and swapped them for a series of compacts.
The first was a Ricoh with amazing close focus.
I have had good Panasonic and Canon ones too, when I started wanting super zoom instead of macro.
And Sony too.
Like somebody else said, I only use optical zoom.
After a while I added a Nikon bridge to my kit - my current one is the Coolpix L840. It has 38x optical zoom and a tiltable back screen (no viewfinder). It is very easy to hand-hold with one hand at its full zoom.
However, the bridge only ever comes out under specific circumstances - because it is too big to fit in my back pocket.
Even when I broke my last compact, the bridge has not become first choice - I now usually use my Android phone - because it fits in my pocket.
When I've been choosing a new camera before, I've gone on to Flickr where you can look at photos taken by specific models to see if they do what you want.
I don't envy you, having to research for a new camera, so much to consider and take in. Probably why I haven't changed my camera in ten years. But when I did buy my Olympus EM10 in 2015 it was for the reason you mentioned, its small size and lightness. I was doing a lot of mountain hiking at the time and the idea of humping one of those enormous DSLRs around was unimaginable.
Just for my own interest, I wondered how my ancient kit compared to modern bridge cameras, so I looked up the data for the two bridge cameras Google currently says are best:
Sony RX 10 V weighs 1.1 kg
Nikon Coolpix P950 weighs 1kg
My Olympus EM10 body plus standard lens plus wide-angle lens plus telephoto lens, weighed on the kitchen scales, 0.88 kg
So, maybe a micro 4/3 mirrorless from Panasonic or Olympus might meet your needs.
But then you have to consider price, and one hundred other things the reviews tell us are important. Aaaaargh ! No wonder we all use our phones these days.
Great thread! i am reading everyone’s responses with great interest…
I switched from a DSLR to a micro 4/3 mirrorless some years ago and will not go back…. I used to carry a really good long lens when travelling but switched to a cheaper / lighter long lens after injuring more shoulder a couple years ago…. I will choose which lenses to carry depending on what i am doing…. For city walks more likely a shorter, wider (and better) lens…. For nature - the longer lens…. I also have a cheap pancake 20mm f/1.7 which is awesome for carrying on the plane as well as for dealing with super low light situations (like the catacombs in Paris) 🥴…
I’m a huge fan of the Olympus (OM) line…. I’ve had successive versions of the EM-5 and loved them all…. my hubby recently decided i needed the OM-1…. which I’m still struggling with a bit…. heavier and larger than the EM-5, and i still haven’t figured out how to get focusing to work properly (which may be more about the cheap long lens than anything else)…
My Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on my Equipment article. After much searching, reading and watching countless You Tube presentations looking at umpteen reviews, for now the gear I have is here to stay.
@docfox I've started using a Sony RX10 v4 for most of my photos. They are still available but are no longer being made. I love it because it's really versatile - it goes from f2.4 to f16 and from 24mm to 600mm. It's relatively light and I can carry it around all day without any problems. It's made taking photos fun again. The main drawback is the limited ability to shoot in low light without getting motion blur or tons of noise, and it can be a little slow to focus on small objects when compared to my D750. I also make sure I carry a spare battery because one battery won't last for a full day's shooting. But generally I've been quite happy with the shots I've been getting with it. It's so much easier than lugging a load of heavy lenses around, and then never having the right one on the camera for the shots I want to take!!
I have found the menus a bit complicated after my Nikon D750 so it's been a learning curve that I haven't quite reached the end of yet. Also, I do still use my D750 for more serious photography, like a wedding I shot in January, and for night photography. I rarely print so I don't know what the quality would be like on large prints, but for smaller prints and posting on line it's perfectly adequate.
PS I'm an unfit nearly-62 year old woman if that makes any difference.
PPS The article about bridge cameras linked above isn't quite correct because the v4 of the Sony RX10 was first released in 2017. (The article says the last Sony was released in 2014.) Still older than a new mirrorless, I know, but maybe the article is a little out of date.
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In the past, I had a small compact digital, which would fit in a shirt pocket. But that role has been supplanted by my phone.
Until I saw photos taken with a Lensbaby, then I bought a Canon DSLR with way too many lenses! I will change back to a bridge camera for convenience sake as I always seem to have the wrong lens with me.
I will follow this thread with great interest.
Just bought a Sony mirrorless as that's small and lighter than DSLR, but for holidays it's the 'phone or my little TZ!!
https://edinburghphotographyworkshop.com/dont-buy-a-bridge-camera/
I am posting it to add to the debate
I have issues with arthritis in my hands and don't want excessive weight to carry around either, so watching this discussion with interest.
I have had Fabulous results from the above.
I also have a Nikon Z50 mirrorless which is light but tend to use this when I want to challenge my photography skills. Obviously lenses and bags add to the weight but not too much.
Good luck.
I got tired of lugging my SLR and lenses around and swapped them for a series of compacts.
The first was a Ricoh with amazing close focus.
I have had good Panasonic and Canon ones too, when I started wanting super zoom instead of macro.
And Sony too.
Like somebody else said, I only use optical zoom.
After a while I added a Nikon bridge to my kit - my current one is the Coolpix L840. It has 38x optical zoom and a tiltable back screen (no viewfinder). It is very easy to hand-hold with one hand at its full zoom.
However, the bridge only ever comes out under specific circumstances - because it is too big to fit in my back pocket.
Even when I broke my last compact, the bridge has not become first choice - I now usually use my Android phone - because it fits in my pocket.
When I've been choosing a new camera before, I've gone on to Flickr where you can look at photos taken by specific models to see if they do what you want.
Just for my own interest, I wondered how my ancient kit compared to modern bridge cameras, so I looked up the data for the two bridge cameras Google currently says are best:
Sony RX 10 V weighs 1.1 kg
Nikon Coolpix P950 weighs 1kg
My Olympus EM10 body plus standard lens plus wide-angle lens plus telephoto lens, weighed on the kitchen scales, 0.88 kg
So, maybe a micro 4/3 mirrorless from Panasonic or Olympus might meet your needs.
But then you have to consider price, and one hundred other things the reviews tell us are important. Aaaaargh ! No wonder we all use our phones these days.
I switched from a DSLR to a micro 4/3 mirrorless some years ago and will not go back…. I used to carry a really good long lens when travelling but switched to a cheaper / lighter long lens after injuring more shoulder a couple years ago…. I will choose which lenses to carry depending on what i am doing…. For city walks more likely a shorter, wider (and better) lens…. For nature - the longer lens…. I also have a cheap pancake 20mm f/1.7 which is awesome for carrying on the plane as well as for dealing with super low light situations (like the catacombs in Paris) 🥴…
I’m a huge fan of the Olympus (OM) line…. I’ve had successive versions of the EM-5 and loved them all…. my hubby recently decided i needed the OM-1…. which I’m still struggling with a bit…. heavier and larger than the EM-5, and i still haven’t figured out how to get focusing to work properly (which may be more about the cheap long lens than anything else)…
My Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on my Equipment article. After much searching, reading and watching countless You Tube presentations looking at umpteen reviews, for now the gear I have is here to stay.
Thank You for the valuable input from everyone.
Kind Regards Doc
I have found the menus a bit complicated after my Nikon D750 so it's been a learning curve that I haven't quite reached the end of yet. Also, I do still use my D750 for more serious photography, like a wedding I shot in January, and for night photography. I rarely print so I don't know what the quality would be like on large prints, but for smaller prints and posting on line it's perfectly adequate.
PS I'm an unfit nearly-62 year old woman if that makes any difference.
PPS The article about bridge cameras linked above isn't quite correct because the v4 of the Sony RX10 was first released in 2017. (The article says the last Sony was released in 2014.) Still older than a new mirrorless, I know, but maybe the article is a little out of date.
Looks a great camera. Anyone familiar with it? Kind Regards Doc