Bridge cameras

Starting to outgrow your digital compact camera, or want finer control over settings when you take photos? A bridge camera could be right for you. They combine a high-quality lens and good zoom with full manual control over settings, all in a package that’s smaller, cheaper and easier to learn than a full SLR camera.

Bridge cameras explained

Named because they 'bridge' the gap between digital compact cameras and professional-level digital SLR cameras, bridge cameras are an excellent place to start if you want to explore ‘manual photography’. They’re designed to make it easy to experiment with your camera settings.

Although most bridge cameras do have a fully automatic mode – which will probably take excellent pictures – they also give you full control over the whole camera. For instance, if you want to vary the shutter speed for different effects or lighting conditions, you can.

Bridge cameras tend to save photos at high resolutions, and may let you save in .RAW format, which is useful if you want to apply effects to your photos on your computer. However, the extra resolution also means file sizes are larger – so you might need a bigger memory card.

If you’re used to a compact camera, you may also find that the batteries in your bridge camera run flat more quickly. It can be wise to budget for an extra set.

A small package that delivers big

Although bridge cameras lack the swappable lenses of digital SLR cameras, they tend to be smaller too. You don’t have to carry a camera and spare lens around just in case the perfect shot comes up.

Ultimately, bridge cameras are designed to provide an easy step up for people used to a fully automatic camera. Most come with clear controls and a nice big screen, allowing you to see exactly what you’re doing. All you have to do is experiment!