A couple of folks have mentioned places to try a camera out, and I want to reinforce that. Many cameras have similar features and quality ratings but each "feels" different to the user and menus for the bewildering number of features are also accessed and laid out differently. And not necessarily better or worse, just different. So there is great virtue in handling the camera, and a good camera shop is often the place where you will also get more professional information (though sometimes less selection). For example, I was looking to upgrade to a bridge camera (the DSLRs were just too bulky for me) and compared a Nikon model (don't recall number) and Sony HX400, both in the $450 - $500 range at the camera shop, very similar features. I liked the way the Sony focused, felt in hand and how the menus were accessed, and BTW it has a "faster" lens; ended up with the Sony. I have only had the camera a month or so with so far only a little use, but these cameras as a 'class' seem really fun and versatile.

The lower image quality with the small sensors is, to my thinking anyway, mostly a concern if you anticipate having prints made that are quite large (larger than, say 16 x 20"). If that is in your future, by all means look at sensor size and pay the price.

As several have pointed out, it is a good idea to handle a variety of cameras. Even a place like Best Buy will have some to mess around with, but a camera shop will often offer more advice and knowledge. I have long been a Canon fan, but have lately switched to Sony after messing around with a couple models.

As you look around, consider size. If you will not carry the big DSLR, you will not have nice images. Mirrorless are smaller and handier in many ways, and a few models now offer a viewfinder built in, which makes them much more user friendly (for me, anyway). The small point/shoots offer many more features than your iphone, but only modestly better quality (with a few exceptions from Canon and Fugi, probably others). Bottom line on this: the best camera for you is the one you will have along with you when you see the image you want.

I just picked up a used camera that came with a "universal" charger that can be set up for virtually any camera battery. Digipower http://www.digipowersolutions.com/has dedicated chargers, too, but if you have more than one battery type, you can adjust the Digipower TC-U450 to work with them all, and for around $30.

Have you used the manual focus with the FZ200 much? I am looking at that as a possibility but will want manual focus in some tricky lighting and reflection settings and want something reasonably easy to get to and use.

I, too, am looking at the long zoom "bridge" cameras and am finding the side-by-side comparison feature HERE https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras to be useful. At first glance many of them look very comparable but there are significant differences depending on your needs. I have decided, for example, that I want to be able to shoot RAW and many (surprisingly) do not support that, including several Nikon models. Panasonic offers a shorter zoom (still very long) but weather sealing. Sony lenses look to be a stop or more faster, and manual operation is more like the old SLR days than any I have handled. Which brings up another point: there is much benefit to actually messing around physically, at a shop, with a couple different cameras since, as in other camera options, how it feels in hand and how intuitive, for you, the menu systems play out are important considerations. I am leaning toward Sony at the moment, DSC - HX400.

[quote=Abo]That is cool. Did you know you were short sighted before you saw the first photo?

As it happens, no, neither I nor my parents (who I know heard my comments about distant sharpness in pix) knew about my vision issues. I just thought that was how things looked, between "reality" and a photo. Since I could see distance well enough in one eye to get by (and read the blackboard) it took all the way until an eye screening in driver's ed, probably at least 4 or 5 years later, to diagnose it. Meanwhile, I got thoroughly hooked on photography.

When young, perhaps 11 or 12, I remember how cool it was to see those distant things in a photo clearly. Of course, it turns out I was near-sighted. But that was what got me started.

First, Brownie Hawkeye, "flashfun" model I think, followed soon after by my dad's hand-me-down Duraflex IV, which carried me into my late teens. Things got serious when he handed down the Argus C3 "brick", which took great images for years, and was a good teacher of all things photographic, followed by decades of reliable service from a Minolta SRT 101. Still looking for the digital camera I like as well as that simple old workhorse.

I am happy to have just found this forum!

As a long-time enthusiastic amateur, and missing the experience of my old SLR days I am ready to upgrade from a little Canon point/shoot that has actually served me well and a Fuji X20 that is just not quite nice enough. I shoot landscape, mostly, but like to tinker with very close up stuff. Fast action and focal lengths needed for wildlife are not particularly an issue. Favorite shots might get printed, never larger than (and almost always smaller than) 16x20 or so.

Other things equal, I will work with my local camera shop, unless selection becomes an issue. The further I can stay under $1,000 the better, though I would stretch a bit to lens up later if necessary.

I am looking at Nikon D3300/3400 at a good price with a lens kit (18-55mm and 55-300 mm) or D5500 but without some of the promo pricing. They carry Canon but do not seem too thrilled with Canon's lower end DSLRs compared to Nikon. Thoughts on that? I do like the relatively small size of the D3300/3400. One of the changes with the new 3400 is the elimination of a sensor cleaner in the camera. Do those things work very well, or is a (carefully done) manual cleaning the best way to maintain anyway? Both are currently available, but D3300 will be gone for good when sold out.

Intriguing, and also with some holiday promotions, are a couple offerings in the Olympus OM-D mirroless series, with smaller size and interesting features. They have a Fuji model I haven't yet looked at.

For macro work it seems that the options are a standalone lens, which the camera shop people strongly recommend or an inexpensive screw-on closeup ring. Nikon and Olympus both offer a closeup ring - any specific experiences with them?

Are there thoughts or experiences on sensor quality between Nikon low end DSLR and Olympus OM-D (and Canon, for that matter)?

Of some small concern is battery life in the mirrorless, which I am told is substantially less than DSLR. What are your experiences there? I don't need to cover an all-day wedding shoot or like that, and am willing to carry a spare if necessary.

General thoughts on the mirrorless experience will be appreciated. The OM-D series has a viewfinder built in, which is, for me, an essential feature.