What you are looking for is called a superzoom or bridge camera. The two links below will give you some info on these cameras. Unfortunately both reviews leave out the Fuji entires ( S6000 and S9000) which I think are two of the best inthis class, but the articles give you some basic info to get started looking at these cameras. Good luck..
Superzoom advantages over DSLR-Cheaper-lighter-can shoot video-live preview on the LCD screen.
DSLR advantages.
- Larger sensor chip - much less image noise at high ISO ( translation: Much better pcitures in situations where there is not enough light)- Better lenses and more choices means better image quality.
- More creative options because of greater ability to control the depth of field in the image ( translation: You can take a portrait and have the subject in crisp focus and the background out of focus - really makes th subject 'pop". Noon DSlr's can't do this very well due to their samll sensors).
Good luck.
Http://www.shutterbug.com/...pmentreviews/amateur_digital_slrs/1205superzoom/.
Http://www.imaginginfo.com/.../article/article.jsp?id=2215&siteSection=17.
Mike.
Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.
'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..
Radudot wrote:.
99% of the pictures will be taken in holidays and will includeshots of my daughter (portraits or in action at ski) or somelandscapes..
Portraits typically are at about 100mm "35mm equivalent". Landscapes are usually wide (28mm or so0. Action or ski shots, well that depends. How far away are you going to be?.
From time to time, if a subject is interesting, I willtry to capture some candid-pictures, so some pretty nice zoom isexpected..
Long zoom candid shots give the impression the photographer was hiding in the bushes. Good candid shots are up close, wide angle. If you are shy about holding a camera up to your face, get a digicam with tilt/swivel LCD (like some of the Canon A series)..
I also like the pictures with a short depth of field (Ihaven't taken one), so I will like to be able to do it, too..
These are easier to do with fast lenses and big sensors. Two things seriously lacking on almost any digicam, including all superzooms..
Pick up a DSLR with a f/2.8 or faster lens and short depth of field is easy..
With a small-sensor digicam you can still do it, but you have to think more, and there will be situations where it just isn't possible. Use a longer focal length, get your subject to stand away from the background, etc..
Quality is more important than price or size/format..
If quality is more important than anything else, why not get a DSLR? You'll compromise on price and size, of course..
Seen in a fortune cookie:Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed..
99% of the pictures will be taken in holidays.
Quite honestly then you don't need an SLR, anything half decent will do..
Quality is more important than price or size/format..
You can't have both. I am a full time pro photographer. I use top end SLRs for work and I use them because I cannot compromise on image quality or price. But then I have spent a very large amount of money and carry about 25kgs of gear as a minimum..
You don't want or need that on a holiday, and neither do I..
Personally when I am on holiday I want the smallest, lightest camera I can buy, and for holiday snaps that is more than good enough..
If you really want to show off and be flash. Buy yourself a Leica. Very nice cameras, and still pretty small...
Riddell wrote:.
99% of the pictures will be taken in holidays.
Quite honestly then you don't need an SLR, anything half decentwill do..
Then I have spent a very large amount.
Of money and carry about 25kgs of gear as a minimum..
You don't want or need that on a holiday, and neither do I..
Personally when I am on holiday I want the smallest, lightestcamera I can buy, and for holiday snaps that is more than goodenough..
I have to disagree with you here. I t depends on what kind of holiday photos you're taking. For a professional photographer your holiday might be a chance to get away from photography and you may bring a camera out of a sense of obligation to record what you and your family did, but not necessarily out of enjoyment. For those who don't do thsi professionally a vacation may be a chance to realy explore their creativity and shoot scenes and landscapes they will never see again. For those individuals not just any camera will do. It really depends on how the OP views this experience and how much gear he is willing to lug around..
Mike.
Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.
'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..
Why not just pick a non-SLR out of the list of "Highly Recommended" cameras? Not much difference between the best non-SLR's and a common or garden SLR for a lot of people and this sounds like one of those times..
Regards, David..
I have to disagree with you here. I t depends on what kind ofholiday photos you're taking..
Sure I agree with that, but at the same time I would suggest that that there is not a lot of difference between any decent model in terms of image quality. Its much a muchness..
It really depends on how the OP views this experience andhow much gear he is willing to lug around..
Well if photography is his hobby then that is very different to just taking holiday snapshots, in which case control matter a lot. But again any of the decent compact cameras offer full manual control..
If you go anymore than that, such as wanting Tripods, filters, different lenses etc, then he really needs to go for an SLR..
Alternatively maybe a rnagefinder may be more his bag?..
Fuji 9100 is almost certainly the camera that has the balance, feel and specification most like a DSLR. Really nice photographers camera with 28-300 lens. Benefits of not being a DSLR include live preview, flip out LCD, exposure info large and overlaid in the electronic viewfinder. Sony R1, if you can find one, had a larger sensor just like a DSLR, so it gave DSLR quality at higher ISO..
What are you going to miss by not having a DSLR? Nice clear pictures at ISO above 200. This means telephoto shots and pictures taken in low light with visible electronic noise (grain) in the background..
Do bear in mind that entry level DSLRs are the new 'bridge' or 'prosumer' cameras. If live preview and flip out LCD do not interest you, get a DSLR and put an 18-200 all purpose lens on it..
But a camera for a holiday? Canon s3 or s5is - it is not too big and has image stablilisation.John.Please visit me at:http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/backtothebridgehttp://www.pbase.com/johnfr..
Thank you for the advices. Two additional questions:.
1. It seems for me that I should choose between the S9100 and the FZ50...any advice here?.
2. If I will print the pictures in non-large format, does it make any difference the sensor size (eg. cannon S5 vs the FZ50)? Are any differences in the output?.
Thank you,Raud..
Radudot wrote:Two additional questions:.
1. It seems for me that I should choose between the S9100 and theFZ50...any advice here?>>.
OK. Image quality is going to be similar and noise only marginally different at high ISO (I think the Fuji is better but both are worse than entry level DSLR). The Panasonic has a longer zoom lens than the Fuji. So if you shoot landscapes, groups of people, or inside of houses, buildings in the street then the 28-300mm of the Fuji is what you neeed. If you shoot more portraits, wildlife, and like to take pictures of architectural detail from a distance then the Panasonic with the 35-420mm zoom would be better..
The Panasonic has a better flip out LCD - it rotates whereas the Fuji only flips out from the camera body at different angles..
When I handled both cameras side by side I formed the opinion that the Fuji was better, but you must remember I am familiar with SLRs and the Fuji is built to mimic the SLR. The Panasonic is a nice camera..
2. If I will print the pictures in non-large format, does it makeany difference the sensor size (eg. cannon S5 vs the FZ50)? Are anydifferences in the output?>>.
Not that I am aware of. When you print, resize the image in Photoshop or similar program to 300dpi and then set the dimensions to that of the size of the print you wish to see. Simple adjustment of Curves (find the blackest black and whiitest white first so that the white point is correct for the image) a little dodging and burning where exposure may be too light or dark, should be all you need to do. Sharpening is already quite strong out of the camera, so you should not apply much of that in Photoshop..
Remember to shoot so as not to overexpose the highlights and then you will be able to rescue detial from the shadows. Take two shots if you have a landcape where the sky is too bright - one to expose the sky and the other for the land. You can then replace the burnt out sky in Photoshop. It iwll be authentic because you took the other shot at the same time..
I cannot tell you which of these cameras to buy. You choose for yourself which feels best. To avoid buyers remorse (everyone feels this at some time), it would be a good idea to go to a camera store and handle an entry level DSLR with a 18-200 Tamron or Sigma lens. This will show you what you miss by not having live preview and what you gain in terms of image quality from the much larger sensor. If the decision is still the Panasonic or Fuji then you will know for sure it is the right one..
John.Please visit me at:http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/backtothebridgehttp://www.pbase.com/johnfr..
It depends a lot of how large you want to print. For prints of 30x42 cm 6M is enough without cropping..
Good ultrazooms are Fuji S6000, Canon S3, Sony H2. Fuji has 1-2 stops advantage in ISO speed over the other two but it has no OIS (that gives you 2-3 stops) and a slower lens at tele end (f/4.9 compared with f/3.5 or f/3.7 for Sony) so you have to get in higher ISO than Canon and Sony. If you need wide angle Fuji is better. For telephoto Canon S3 and Sony H2 are much better (faster lens, image stabilization, longer focal length)..
Panasonic has a big problem with the sensor and NR. It is priced as if it was a dSLR but the performance is less than the above mentioned. If you use low NR or RAW these problems are lessened. To get a good picture with Panasonic will need more work than with the others.Fuji 9100 has 9M and more noise than 6M Fuji6000. The lens are the sameVictorBucuresti, Romaniahttp://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/victor_petcu/..