Hi, I'm looking to get a decent camera for some pictures when i go out walking. I see some great scenery from hills and forests, waterfalls, old railway bridges etc... and have often wished i had a camera with me. I would also like to use it to photograph some of the red kites and other wildlife i come across on a regular basis. I've seen the Fuji hs30exr that retails for around £220. It seems like it has enough options for a beginner to start experimenting with as well as a fairly comprehensive auto mode. The built in lens is a does it all affair so close ups or very long zooms will all be possible. I realise the draw back is that the picture quality wont be up to an slr but probably much better than my phone which is my only source of photos at the moment. In the SLR range i would be looking right at the budget end. Probably the canon 1100d with 18 - 55 lens at £280. This is right at the top of my budget, by the time you factor in the free case with the cannon its about £40 more than the fuji bridge cam. I have read reviews of both so i know neither is perfect and if i was to get enthusiastic about photography i would likely require an upgrade regardless of which i chose but it could be that i only end up using them once a month so would be reluctant to invest more money at this point in time. I have considered second hand but buying second hand unseen seems like more a gamble than its worth. Any advice regarding these camera or others in this sort of price range would be much appreciated. Ian.
I guess it depends on what you want it for and how you intend to use it. If you want to learn photography, go for the SLR. Buy extra bits for it when you have the budget and know more about the type of photography you're into. The image quality is higher, especially 1:1. Just be prepared to move away from the 'Auto' setting to get best results. If you want an easy to use all in-one-system but aren't so worried about image quality, go for the Fuji. (1:1 on bridge cameras normally looks like a finger painting, IMO.)
ordered a panasonic g3 in the end. Not quite slr size but more function than the fuji. Looking forward to it ariving this week.
