If you love a traditional DSLR camera but aren’t quite ready to face the hassle of changing lenses or carrying a bulky load on your next holiday; a bridge camera could be the perfect fit for you. The name “bridge” comes from the fact that they fill the gap between a traditional point-and-shoot camera and a DSLR variant.
Find the best bridge cameras on Amazon.com
The best bridge cameras have a large zoom lens, giving you the same results different lenses would give you. Sensor sizes on these cameras are generally quite small, about 10% of the size of an entry level DSLR. If all of this seems a little intimating, don’t worry. We are here to break it down and help you find the best bridge camera.
Best Bridge Camera under $400
Panasonic Lumix FZ80 4K Digital Camera Review
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 4K Digital Camera is a much-loved and reviewed model that comes fully equipped with a 60x Optical Zoom. Other features worth mentioning are 20.2-MP CCD sensor and a Scene Auto Selector which will select the best suited mode (out of 16) automatically, making your work much simpler.
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 4K Digital Camera has an easy grip design and a Vibration Reduction which stabilizes the photograph for you and lets you get some steady and sharp 4K videos. You can fully expand and explore your inner creative genius with this camera, and take high-quality photos on the go, with a game rate as high as 60 frames in one second! If you’re looking for a high-quality camera in a relatively lower budget — your search can safely stop here.
Best Super Zoom Camera
Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR Review
Want a 42x Optical Zoom lens with 2.0x Digital Zoom? Want a full HD film, with 1920x1080p/60fps and stereo sound? How about a 3-inch TFT colour LCD display? Or maybe an electronic view finder with an eye sensor would catch your fancy? All this and more can be yours with the Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR. It even has a great autofocus speed of only 0.5 seconds because of a feature called Phase Detection pixels, which increases overall the speed and the performance.
If you don’t want a crazy amount of zooming, but want to be able to take good photos in different scenes, this may be the choice for you. Critics argue that it’s essentially a basic point-and-shoot camera; and this camera is for those who are looking for a model on close to that type.
Best Bridge Camera under $500
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300/BC Review
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300/BC with an Optical SteadyShot, which is essentially an image stabilization that reduces the blur by countering camera movements both horizontally and vertically. This also comes with a tillable 3” LCD screen, which means that you can angle the screen to face you and frame the shot exactly as you would like— even in big crowds; giving you an interesting overhead perspective.
The 50x optical zoom, 10x clear image digital zoom and Intelligent Sweep Panorama makes this camera even more special. Though the HDTV and HDMI cable are sold separately, the price more than makes up for the features. So, if you’re looking for a bridge camera which has the best basic features and is low on extras and pizzazz, you should definitely check this model out.
Best Bridge Camera for the Money
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Review
The Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera is a high-performance 16 megapixel camera that comes with Eye-Fi card compatibility, and Eye-Fi wireless SD cards. This basically means that the user can send images to his smartphone directly, and enable automatic transmission to a phone. Alternatively, you can even pick your favorite one and resize them before sending!
This is not the only feature which puts the Pentax K-50 Digital SLR Camera in another league, though. The innovative in-body shake reduction mechanism; ensures sharp, stabilized and dust free photos. It prides itself on being so versatile, that it can be used in biting cold winters, wet marshlands or stormy desserts. We think the Pentax would be a perfect travel partner for your next vacation!
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Investing in the best bridge camera almost always comes with a hefty price tag, so you need to make sure it’s worth it. Pick and choose the features you would like the most and look for those. For instance, if you’re looking for a great zoom, you might have to sacrifice on sensor screen or a metal body.
Having it all means sacrificing at the altar of a heavy price tag; so a smart shopper should be able to assess his requirements and get one that suits his needs. Also, it is worth noting that while touch screens make changing settings and looking at the photos much easier, they are not a very common feature.
