A "Bridge camera"?

I've seen the words "bridge camera" used several times on this forum and have never heard of it anywhere else. A quick google search tells me it's a bridge between a P&S and a dSLR, but all the examples are simply entry level dSLR's that tend to be smaller in size than the more expensive cameras.

Then this morning when seeing this term again the thought occurred to me that it must be a Euro/UK/Asia marketing word that did not ever make it here in the states. I don't remember ever hearing or reading an advertisement that referred to something as a "bridge" camera. We have "entry level", we have P&S and we have dSLR's but I don't think we have "bridge cameras" here. And I can almost guarantee that most US citizens would think a bridge camera was a camera attached to a bridge (surveillance type) or a camera that was shaped like a bridge.

So does anyone else here in the states or CAN call entry level dSLR's "bridge cameras"? Is this a term that is widely used on this side of the Atlantic or am I just getting much older than I care to admit...?

Mojo-F said:

I've seen the words "bridge camera" used several times on this forum and have never heard of it anywhere else. A quick google search tells me it's a bridge between a P&S and a dSLR, but all the examples are simply entry level dSLR's that tend to be smaller in size than the more expensive cameras.

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You are over-thinking this. A good example of a bridge camera would be a Nikon CoolPix L810. It is shaped like a dslr, has a super zoom but handles with the ease of a p&s.

The bridge is carrying you away from p&s with a cam that FEELS like a dslr.

Hope this helps.

Carolina Photo Guy said:

You are over-thinking this. A good example of a bridge camera would be a Nikon CoolPix L810. It is shaped like a dslr, has a super zoom but handles with the ease of a p&s.

The bridge is carrying you away from p&s with a cam that FEELS like a dslr.

Hope this helps.

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Well, yes, I do understand the concept but have you ever heard the term "bridge camera" outside of this forum? Like on an ad or when shopping at a camera store? It's doesn't seem to be a term used very widely here in the states, or am I trippin'?

Mojo-F said:

Well, yes, I do understand the concept but have you ever heard the term "bridge camera" outside of this forum? Like on an ad or when shopping at a camera store? It's doesn't seem to be a term used very widely here in the states, or am I trippin'?

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Back in the day when people at the camera store actually HAD experience with the product they sold, the term "Bridge Camera" was very widely used to explain to a novice WHY it was a good idea to purchase. How-ever, their idea was a logical progression from rangefinder to slr to medium format.
But to more succinctly answer your question...

Yes, I have heard the term outside of this forum.

loosely speaking, it "bridges the gap" between a compact camera and an slr camera. they never seem to have changable lenses, but resemble an slr by their shape, (albeit a smaller size), and the layout of controls. i had a mxxxxxa bridge camera some years ago, great in principle but not so good in practice, i was so dissappointed with it i got rid and bought my first dslr, a nikon d100.

I'm far too young to have heard that term used

We're lucky anyone working in a store even knows what a camera is and doesn't point you to cell phones. I don't ask for help anymore since they seem to need it more than me

We use the term bridge camera up here, too. Quite common. You just don't get out often enough, Mojo.