Beginner questions (Bridge vs DSLR)

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Terence1983

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Ok so I have been interested in photography/videography for a while, haven't really dabbled too much into it as yet, made a few random videos of running Parkrun using my cheap action camera and edited in Windows movie maker, they came out ok but very wobbly LOL.

I currently have a Fujifilm S2980 bridge camera and a Volkano 4k action cam, never go more than 1080p at 60fps on the action cam or it lags like crazy on playback. Never used the s2980 on video, it takes 4 aa batteries and they don't last long, currently have 2 sets of rechargeables I use.

So im not sure if I want to fork out a lot of money on a DSLR just yet but at the same time I don't think my Fuji will cut it, I want to film a lot of sporting events so I need something that can snap quickly. I know it has to do with shutter speeds but I have no clue other than that. I have not yet fiddled around with settings on the Fuji but from anyone's experience, would I be able to get it to snap pics a bit quicker. Portrait and landscape shots in decent light are fine with it, not great but I could probably learn and adjust and get them looking much better, but I cant seem to get action shots to be clear.

So is my bridge camera a waste of time or can I get away with it to learn on until I can get a proper DSLR. Oh and from my research id be looking at a second hand Canon 200d as an upgrade, I like the flip out touch screen.
 
Terence1983 said:
never go more than 1080p at 60fps on the action cam or it lags like crazy on playback
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Playback on the cam or on PC?

Terence1983 said:
not sure if I want to fork out a lot of money on a DSLR
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Shop around and definitely buy 2nd hand if you can.

This is important:
Do you only wanna shoot video?
  • Yes - get a dedicated video camera
  • No - try get both a cheap SLR for pics and a dedicated video camera.
In a nutshell:
Filming with an SLR is only practical when you're shooting a movie where you can shoot it again and again until it's perfect. If I had to film everything I did (live action) with an SLR, I would've missed ALL the shots.
Not all DSLR lenses can be used for action video - this might also turn out to be very expensive.
 
If you want to go the DSLR video route, keep in mind that the older cameras (maybe even the newer entry level ones?) could not autofocus while recording.

I personally don't like bridge cameras at all, but whether you should upgrade to a DSLR (or mirrorless) depends on why it doesn't work for you.
For action shots, you want fast shutter speeds, which means you want a camera that can use a higher ISO without excessive noise. A fast lens will also help here, but $$$
But it could also be that the time between it focussing and actually taking the photo, the subject moves slightly out of focus. Then you want a camera and lens that focusses quickly. Again, $$$$ and $$$.

A Canon 200D could be fine for that, but you will want to specifically check for the focussing speed in reviews.
 
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Meelperd said:
Playback on the cam or on PC?


Shop around and definitely buy 2nd hand if you can.

This is important:
Do you only wanna shoot video?
  • Yes - get a dedicated video camera
  • No - try get both a cheap SLR for pics and a dedicated video camera.
In a nutshell:
Filming with an SLR is only practical when you're shooting a movie where you can shoot it again and again until it's perfect. If I had to film everything I did (live action) with an SLR, I would've missed ALL the shots.
Not all DSLR lenses can be used for action video - this might also turn out to be very expensive.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, well the action cam or my Huawei P30 lite takes decent video so the SLR will be mainly for stills. I would use just my phone but zooming doesn't work well, hence the SLR route for close up zoomed shots.

As for the playback at 4k, I don't remember, it was quite a while since I used it. I need to charge it and check it out again. If memory serves I tried it once and I think it was on the laptop on vlc that it was lagging.
 
Barbarian Conan said:
If you want to go the DSLR video route, keep in mind that the older cameras (maybe even the newer entry level ones?) could not autofocus while recording.

I personally don't like bridge cameras at all, but whether you should upgrade to a DSLR (or mirrorless) depends on why it doesn't work for you.
For action shots, you want fast shutter speeds, which means you want a camera that can use a higher ISO without excessive noise. A fast lens will also help here, but $$$
But it could also be that the time between it focussing and actually taking the photo, the subject moves slightly out of focus. Then you want a camera and lens that focusses quickly. Again, $$$$ and $$$.

A Canon 200D could be fine for that, but you will want to specifically check for the focussing speed in reviews.
Click to expand...

Yea ive seen how expensive it can get and as a beginner and not sure if the bug will bite im a bit skeptical to fork out even for the 200D, its a nice camera but I can get something a bit more entry level at half the price.

I have actually been looking into mirrorless, will look around and see if I can maybe get a second hand one even.

Thanks guys
 
Terence1983 said:
So im not sure if I want to fork out a lot of money on a DSLR just yet but at the same time I don't think my Fuji will cut it, I want to film a lot of sporting events so I need something that can snap quickly. I know it has to do with shutter speeds but I have no clue other than that.
Click to expand...
What kind of sport(s)?And what kind of photography? Shooting team photos has different requirements than shooting a sprinter or a boxer in the ring.
 
Crossfit, calisthenics , obstacle course racing, running (not sprinting, normal 5km to marathon distance type stuff). Not really team sport kind of thing and nothing that has like very very fast movement.
 
Terence1983 said:
Crossfit, calisthenics , obstacle course racing, running (not sprinting, normal 5km to marathon distance type stuff). Not really team sport kind of thing and nothing that has like very very fast movement.
Click to expand...
I would recommend a DSLR camera. Something to keep in mind:

Cameras need to be replaced to keep them relevent. They have moving parts that age and technology advances make them sort of obsolete every 5 to 8 years or so. On the other hand, even the cheapest DSLR cameras can take FANTASTIC shots.

Lenses generally last a lifetime. The better quality lens, the better the potential for a great photo. A cr*ppy lense will reduce the quality of most pictures.

My advice would be to buy the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera that suits your needs, but to buy the best quality lenses that you can afford. As a start, get a 30mm or 40mm prime lense and a 70 to 200mm zoom lense. If you only want one for starters, get the 70-200.
 
deesef said:
I would recommend a DSLR camera. Something to keep in mind:

Cameras need to be replaced to keep them relevent. They have moving parts that age and technology advances make them sort of obsolete every 5 to 8 years or so. On the other hand, even the cheapest DSLR cameras can take FANTASTIC shots.

Lenses generally last a lifetime. The better quality lens, the better the potential for a great photo. A cr*ppy lense will reduce the quality of most pictures.

My advice would be to buy the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera that suits your needs, but to buy the best quality lenses that you can afford. As a start, get a 30mm or 40mm prime lense and a 70 to 200mm zoom lense. If you only want one for starters, get the 70-200.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. Appreciate it. I am leaning towards a Canon 200d or Nikon D3500, they are similarly spec'd and priced but I feel the Canon has a few better features like the moveable screen. Mirrorless I like Canon EOS M100. I can get a second hand Canon EOS M10 for R2999 which is less than half the price of the other ones on my list but im not sure if this will be best for my needs.
 
Terence1983 said:
Thanks for the advice. Appreciate it. I am leaning towards a Canon 200d or Nikon D3500, they are similarly spec'd and priced but I feel the Canon has a few better features like the moveable screen. Mirrorless I like Canon EOS M100. I can get a second hand Canon EOS M10 for R2999 which is less than half the price of the other ones on my list but im not sure if this will be best for my needs.
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Honestly, any one of them would work fine. Check which one sits most comfortable in your hand. Also, try to determine which lenses you would like to accumulate over the next 50 years, then check relative prices of the camera that fits that lense. The lense choice is really what you should focus on first, as the lenses often cost magnitudes more than the camera body. Once the photography bug bite bites time, you will use your bonus more than once to buy another lense
 
Mirrorless would not be my first choice for sports.
 
deesef said:
I would recommend a DSLR camera. Something to keep in mind:

Cameras need to be replaced to keep them relevent. They have moving parts that age and technology advances make them sort of obsolete every 5 to 8 years or so. On the other hand, even the cheapest DSLR cameras can take FANTASTIC shots.

Lenses generally last a lifetime. The better quality lens, the better the potential for a great photo. A cr*ppy lense will reduce the quality of most pictures.

My advice would be to buy the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera that suits your needs, but to buy the best quality lenses that you can afford. As a start, get a 30mm or 40mm prime lense and a 70 to 200mm zoom lense. If you only want one for starters, get the 70-200.
Click to expand...
That's R20k boet.
 
deesef said:
Cameras need to be replaced to keep them relevent. They have moving parts that age and technology advances make them sort of obsolete every 5 to 8 years or so. On the other hand, even the cheapest DSLR cameras can take FANTASTIC shots.

Lenses generally last a lifetime. The better quality lens, the better the potential for a great photo. A cr*ppy lense will reduce the quality of most pictures.

My advice would be to buy the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera that suits your needs, but to buy the best quality lenses that you can afford. As a start, get a 30mm or 40mm prime lense and a 70 to 200mm zoom lense. If you only want one for starters, get the 70-200.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. The mechanical parts will break, but the camera will take just as good pictures as it used to. My 6D was released in 2012, and it is still an amazing camera. The only reason to replace an older camera with a newer one, is when you find it lacking in some way. Focus points, dynamic range, low light, focus speed etc. All those will improve, but that doesn't make older cameras any less useful. Entry level cameras will age quicker, but Canon only uses a couple of sensors for their entire range of cameras, so the sensor is good for many years.
Also remember that we have long since passed the quality of film cameras.

As Neon said, the 70-200s are expensive as hell. For the sports OP is talking about, you can probably get close enough that a 50mm f1.8 will do?
 
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