[Bethaneeny]

I'm not sure which forum this belongs in, so I've just gone for advice! Mods, please move if it's in the wrong place!

I'm trying to get back into photography, I did photography A level 2 years ago, using a Lumix FS30, and it's still going strong. It's 14 megapixels, 8X optical zoom.

I'm looking to get something a bit better though, I'm not getting rid of my Lumix, I just want something more than my compact, so I can get better shots for actual photography, nature, architecture, etc, as I use my lumix just for photo's of friends, etc.

I've seen this
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...#pdpPromotions

with 26X optical zoon and 16 megapixels.

and whilst I know it's not a full DSLR (which is WAY more than I can justify spending), from what I know, Nikon's are very good! What I'm asking is, is this a good camera for the price? Or can I get better?

[Billy_Value]

do you want a bulky one or would you prefer a run and gun camera

[Gogfumble]

I have a bridge camera which I got for the step between a compact and an slr. I will buy an slr one day, when I can afford it but until then I am very happy with mine.

Have a read of this review for that one. Seems quite good for the price.

http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...x_l810_review/

[evil c]

Can't help you with the 810, but Which? tested the L610. It's £155 here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-COOLPI...8258&sr=1-1and. Which? said the following.

'This is a fantastic camera. Picture quality is brilliant, the image stabilisation does a great job of cancelling out camera shake, and it's small enough to fit in your pocket. All this makes it a worthy Best Buy.

It's a great all-round camera, but the flash performance really stands out from the competition - it'll be great if you take a lot of indoor shots. The 14x optical zoom means you won't be caught short when taking long-distance shots, too.

Though it takes excellent photos for a compact camera, we did spot some loss of sharpness when it's zoomed right in. Our tough tests also picked up some slight colour distortions when zoomed right in or out, but it's less noticeable than on most similar cameras.

It records 1080p HD video, but both the video quality and the sound quality are disappointing. You can't use the zoom while recording a video, either, because the lens motor would interfere with the audio.'

Better still is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ48 on sale for £220 here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DM...9179271&sr=1-1. Which? said: 'The 24x zoom lens is one of the best features on the FZ48. Starting from a terrific wide angle of 25mm, this is a lens that's just as well suited to landscape and indoor shots as it is to faraway subjects.

When you're closing in on distant subjects, the 24x zoom is helped by an optical image stabiliser. Our tests found that this did a superb job at limiting the effects of shaky hands, helping to keep your photos sharp.

The FZ48 takes excellent shots, with crisp detail and colour accuracy that pleases time after time. The pictures lend themselves nicely to cropping and editing, or to printing enlargements. Thanks to the manual adjustments you can be sure to capture some impressive photos, though the FZ48 performs superbly when left in its automatic mode as well.

The FZ48 can capture Full HD 1080p video, and it's largely a tremendous success in this regard. You can even attempt some of the camera's neat tricks such as its creative miniature mode while recording videos.'

I'd recommend taking out a trial sub to Which? for only £1. Then you can go through all the latest and archive reviews online at your leisure and get an up-to-date idea on what might be best for you.