Camera choice ~£500

[johnhoar46]

Hi,
After reading the February 2012 Issue of What Digital Camera, I have decided to replace my Sony Cyber-shot 3.2MP DSC-P5, which I have had for many years (and still does good service). The only problem as ever, is what to buy. If I set a budget of £500, would readers recommend a DSLR or stay with compact? The problem with the Sony Cyber-shot is the small screen and limited zoom. Apart from general home use, we plan a holiday to Africa so it would be good to have something that can cope with close-ups and distance, not too complicated or bulky. Thanks, John

[wave]

hi and welcome £500 will get you a very nice camera, you dont say what your photography knowledge is and it will help us.
I would say that if you got a DSLR then you would have to get extra lenses if you wanted to get the best out of it so that puts the price up. There are a lot of good high end compacts on the market like a canon sx 40 that might suit you. Good Luck

[Pigital]

Have you tried checking out amazon? I cant suggest you a good camera but a nikon L120 would be a great choice.

[Phil Hall]

Some sound advice from Wave.

You'll be able to get a decent entry-level DSLR on your budget, but it might not necessarily be the best option for you.

We'd suggest you take a look at a bridge compact instead. These type of cameras offer a long zoom range that's hard to beat with a DSLR and a relatively small body. Most offer an electronic viewfinder and can be used as either a point and shoot camera or as a more advanced model with manual controls if you wish.

Downsides? The sensor isn't as big as a DSLR, so image quality, while good, isn't a match for a DSLR. The performance isn't as strong either. But if you're looking for a all-in-one solution that'll take telephoto shots as well as close-ups that's easy to use, then you won't go far wrong with a Bridge compact.

Your budget means your looking at the top-end of the bridge camera scale, and our two pics would be either the Panasonic LUMIX FZ150 or Canon PowerShot SX40IS.

The FZ150 (£399) is the best all-round solution, with a fast and precise AF system, excellent image stabilisation system and easy handling. It offers a a zoom range of 25-600mm that should be more than adequate for most shooting situations, but if you want even more reach, then the SX40 IS is the one to go for.
At £369, it has an incredibly zoom range of 24-840mm. It's a very good camera, though not quite as responsive as the FZ150. Go and try them both out in your local camera shop to see which one you prefer.

[johnhoar46]

Wave, For the non-specialist, it takes time to understand all the features - which are important and which are not . Your suggestion of the Canon SX40 has got me started, I can now compare it with others around the same price range. Not sure if a DLSR is right for me - I don't want to be carrying/swapping lenses. Thanks, John

[johnhoar46]

Phil, Thanks for the advice and suggestion to look at the Canon SX40 IS and Lumix FZ150. As above, I will see what features they have and then compare others with them. John

[johnhoar46]

Pigital - Thanks for the suggestion but can't find the Nikon L120 in the Nikon listings - can you confirm? John