Camera Buying Guide

May 13, 2015November 29, 2016 by Jonny

I often get asked what camera to get to get into photography, here are some ideas…I always suggest SLR cameras but are some great compact cameras and bridge cameras (a mix of SLR and compact) nowadays. The main battle in the SLR world is Canon vs Nikon still, with Sony and Panasonic making in-roads, especially for the not-quite-SLR-but-similar options.

In terms of price, £400 will get you a decent entry-level SLR. But if you are after something small enough to fit in your pocket, you can actually spend more than you would on a budget SLR to get something with similar quality. But a Canon Powershot is a decent compact camera at a decent price.

Another option is a Bridge camera; which basically is a SLR with a non-detachable lens. They usually have super long zoom lenses but you can’t buy specialist lenses as you are stuck with the one on the camera. These are called all sorts of things, but the one below is a ‘bridge camera’, it’s the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000.

So, in no particular order here are a mix of SLRs, bridge and compact cameras; each has a link to a review on DPReview.com and a link to Wex which is a good place to buy, but Amazon and John Lewis are a couple of other places to check for prices.