A BRIDGE CAMERA

Bridge cameras

dispense with this, so users must compose using the live view feed to either the LCD screen or an electronic viewfinder. This does offer some advantages over a DSLR's optical system, the electronic image allows you to see the exposure and white balance as it will be recorded in the final image. you can see more shooting data. and in low light an EVF can also be brighter than an optical viewfinder.

But the resolution of EVFs is not as good as an optical viewfinder. there;s a slight lag when you look through the eyepiece, and the image can drag or smear as you can quickly, it can.also freeze momentarily as it saves your images.
Most bridge cameras offer a similar range of direct control to entry level DSLRs, with a mode dial and direct buttons for key shooting parameters. Most shoot Raw, and HD video is pretty much standard, though the bit rates. file formats and frame rates vary. Most have a hot-shoe for an dedicated external flashgun, and one or two newer models offer WI-FI and/or GPS.

As with compacts the zoom is usually controlled using a rocker switch on the camera body, though on a couple it can be manually adjusted by rotating the lens itself. like on a DSLR. Virtually all models feature optical. or sensor shift, image stabilisation. Most bridge cameras use the contrast detect method of auto-focusing, which is slower than the phase detect method used by DSLRs, making them less suitable for fast action, and this is why AF tends to hunt as it struggles to find focus on the subject at higher magnifications. SOme of the latest bridge cameras are starting to use hybrid AF sensors that incorporate phase detect pixels within the chip itself, and this dramatically improves AF performance.

There A Reasons To Buy A Bridge Camera

The Lens

in reality there are fewer uses for a 1000mm equivalent lens than most people think. But if you're into nature and wildlife photography or sport, then you may otherwise be unable to get close enough to you subject to fill the frame. if you want to photograph deer in the park, birds in your garden, or the kids playing in school sports tournaments bridge cameras come into their own (though with fast action the AF system may struggle to keep up) but for most day to day shooting the vast majority of photo opportunities can be covered the focal range provided by the average 1-x zoom lens.

The EVFs

for many photographers a viewfinder is essential LCD screens can be difficult to see in bright light and older users can other struggle to see them clearly. For those who don't want a DSLR, the bridge is one of the few types of camera where a viewfinder is till the norm. albeit an electronic one.

The Size/Shape

if you have big hands. and find compacts too fiddly, you may prefer the design and shape of bridge cameras which like DSLRs, offer a substantial grip and a good number of decent sized button to control it with.

Achilles Heel Bridge Camera Features

If you've ever tried to hold a pair of binoculars steady you'll know that t isn't easy. High zoom lenses are the same. This makes them difficult to hold still at high magnifications, especially if you don't have a viewfinder and are relying on the LCD. we'd go so far as to say that bridge cameras without viewfinders should be avoided altogether, such is the difficulty of holding a camera steady at arm's length at a high zoom magnification. Holding a viewfinder to your face helps to stabilise the camera's movement. the other problem with high zoom shooting is camera shake, which is magnified as you zoom. Although virtually all bridge cameras come with image stabilisation *and any that don;t should be avoided like the plague) this only reduces camera shake. it doesn't eliminate it. you'll still need to shoot at a relatively high shutter speed. AN old rule of thumb is that it should be at least as high as the equivalent focal length you;re using, so 1/500 sex is you;re zoomed out at 500mm (though with modern image stabilisation systems you can often go two to there stops lower than this, and perhaps more, if you shoot carefully).

Fast shutter speeds require good light,, or a wide aperture, but bridge cameras (with one exception) have small maximum apertures when you zoom in, so in dull light the only way to avoid camera shake is to raise the ISO sensitivity, which may introduce visible noise into the image.

The exception is the Panasonic FZ200, the first (and so far only) bridge camera with a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, which is over two stops brighter than average.

There A Reasons NOT TO BUY A Bridge Camera

Image Quality

If image quality is the most important consideration you can do better than a bridge. Some DSLRs are not much bigger. or you could consider one of the growing number of CSCs, many of which are smaller and lighter than bridge cameras yet have much bigger sensors and faster lenses (e.g the Nikon 1 S1 below) There are even some premium compacts with larger sensors.

Portability

A bridge camera gives you at least 50% of the bulk of a DSLR without the associated image quality benefits. IF compact size is more important than ultimate image quality. But you still want a reasonably good zoom. look at the growing number of pocket super-zooms (aka travel compacts) with 20x zooms that will fit in your pocket. you;ll still be able to get a very good quality A4 or 8x10 inch print from them which is a s big as most people ever want to go.

High Speed

Although some bridges are capable of short high speed bursts (usually by pre fixing the focus before the first frame) in general they're not ideal for fast action, despite their long zooms. because the AF isn't fast enough, though some are now using hybrid sensors with phase detect pixels, which helps. The other problem is that the EVF may not refresh quickly enough. A DSLR is still the best solution. Even though you won't be able to zoom in as far with a DSLR. the much larger sensor does give you much more scope for cropping later.

Six of The Best OF Bridge CAMERA

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A BRIDGE CAMERA

The defining feature of a DSLR is its mirror and prism assembly, which enables users to see directly through the lens using an optical viewfinder. Bridge cameras dispense with this, so users must compose using the live view feed to either the LCD screen or an electronic viewfinder. This does offer some advantages over a DSLR's optical system, the electronic image allows you to see the exposure and white balance as it will be recorded in the final image. you can see more shooting data. and in low light an EVF can also be brighter than an optical viewfinder. andrian manhatan Bridge CAMERA

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