just bought my first bridge camera

[aponi]

and its way more complicated than I thought

It's a Canon PowerShot SX 50 HS. The plan is to use is as my carry everywhere camera, specifically to take to work so I can wander around at lunch and take pictures. Also the husband wanted a better camera to take hiking but didn't want to mess with ISO and "all that stuff".

I thought I'd take it out of the box and be off and running. Not so fast, I'm actually having to read the manual.

I have to say, I didn't know about bridge cameras and looking back on it this is what I should have started with instead of going straight from P&S to DSLR.

[WRon]

I haven't used a PowerShot SX 50 HS, but it surely does have one heckuva zoom range - the equivalent of 24 to 1,200 mm. One thing to bear in mind is that you better have a tripod or legs of steel to shoot with it zoomed out all the way. Following the 1/lens focal length rule for successfully handholding a telephoto, you'd have to shoot at least at 1/1,200th of second to get a steady shot zoomed all the way out. I don't know how much you can dial up the ISO on the camera, but it seems you surely need to be aware of that long zoom capability to get successful shots. Anyway, have fun and shoot lots.

[drh681]

I have found that I need to hold the barrel of the lens when it is extended that far. even with that, I still generate about a 25% camera movement failure rate.
Thae bad thing about that much range is the lens opening gets smaller just when you need the extra light! but sometime that is a good look too.

[WRon]

Nice shot, drh. Shows the capabilities of that long zoom nicely.

[aponi]

So far I haven't gotten any work on the zoom, but I feel like it's going to involve the tripod.

I found the fisheye filter on it. I never have quite understood what fisheye lenses do, still not really sure unless its to provide entertainment in the elevator at work.

[drh681]

Yeah not a fan of the fish eye. I do like the "miniature" filter for isolating a subject.

[MarkD]

Enjoy the camera! Your husband can use it on full auto.

[WRon]

I don't totally disdain fisheye lenses. Indeed, when in creative hands, such shots can be very interesting. Can't remember exactly who it was in this forum, but he bought a fisheye and posted some very nice shots. Sorry I can't remember who it was, but maybe he'll read this post and be inspired to show us some more.

[aponi]

It's a neat party trick. I ran across the tilt shift filter and the selective color filter. I've done both of those in photoshop elements a time or two for kicks. Those might be fun for him to mess around with. I'm in danger here of him getting too too into photography and wanting to crack into MY stuff. He got a bit too jazzed when I told him that all the filters and lens attachments that I have for the Rebel are out there for the PowerShot. I have a couple of filters on the way now actually. It occurs to me that if something happens to the lens, the entire camera is shot.

[mrchile]

So far I haven't gotten any work on the zoom, but I feel like it's going to involve the tripod.

I found the fisheye filter on it. I never have quite understood what fisheye lenses do, still not really sure unless its to provide entertainment in the elevator at work.

The fisheye filter only puts in a curved distortion similar to the effect of a true fisheye lens. Yours doesn't seem to duplicate the curved distortion all the way around, just on the sides.
A fisheye lens shows actual 180° or even wider coverage of a scene. Completely around with a circular lens, corner to corner with a full frame lens.