Fujifilm FinePix S5000 Review
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Review
Date: Oct 17, 2003 |
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Photoxels
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Image Quality
The
Fujifilm FinePix S5000 is a digital camera
targeted to beginner to serious amateur photographers
and its image quality is comparable to other 3
megapixels resolution digital cameras. Though
the FinePix can output a 6M file, I find it is
noisier than a 3M output. I have included examples
of both and you can make up your own mind on this.
Since most of you are interested in the FinePix
S5000 because of the long zoom, I have taken a
number of the picture samples at that focal length.
Of course, I have also included pictures at other
focal lengths and in different lighting situations.
The long zoom opens up picture possibilities once
reserved only to those who could afford expensive
long zoom lenses for the professional SLR or dSLR
category.
For
this review, I used the following settings as
my preferred settings:
-
Shooting Mode: Programmed Auto (though I started
out with Auto)
-
Metering Mode: Spot (though I started out with
Multi-Pattern)
- ISO:
200
- Image
Size: 2048x1536 (3M)
- Image
Quality: Can't be set (the S5000 firmware unfortunately
compresses the output)
- White
Balance: Auto
All the pictures on this and the other pages (including
the navigation pictures at the top of each page)
have been taken by the Fujifilm FinePix S5000
for this review. The pictures on this page provide
a good sample of what the FinePix S5000 is capable
of and I have provided the 800x600 version. Remember
that this version is of slightly lesser quality
than the original 2048x1536 version. Please open
and download only once to your hard drive -- and
save me some precious bandwidth. Thanks!
| Clicking
on a picture will display the 800x600 image
in a separate window. Leave that separate
window up for all the other images will also
display in that same separate window. |
Click
here for comments accompanying pictures.
Click
here for comments accompanying pictures.
Need
a place to upload your photos? Free photo sharing
and photo hosting web site at cassepoze.
A
Personal Word
As
with every new digital camera, it takes me some
time to get to know the FinePix S5000. One thing
I find at first (that you probably will also)
is that when using the LCD, the image reviewed
on it tends to look better (sharper, brighter)
even if it is really just a bit out of focus or
slightly under-exposed. (If it is way out of focus
or way under-exposed, you'll notice it for sure.)
At first, I get many blurred hand held shots at
long zoom. But once I learn to hold the S5000
properly, understand how its 2-stage shutter release
(and slight shutter lag) works, I'm home free.
As the sample images attest, the FinePix S5000
produces quality 3MP pictures in Programmed Auto
mode. Probably due to the high ISO of 200, they
are a bit noisier than I'd like (though the noise
is barely visible at 3M output).
Even though Aperture-Priority and Shutter-Priority
is available, I find that the Program Shift function
serves as well in Programmed Auto mode, allowing
me to influence the shutter speed or aperture.
I would recommend that you experiment a bit with
the three different metering modes and see which
one you like best: I have personally settled on
Spot metering.
The
more I use the Fujifilm FinePix S5000, the more
I like it. Fujifilm has done a tremendous job
with the FinePix S5000. If you are an aspiring
photographer and it's a long zoom that you want,
be sure to try out the FinePix S5000.
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