Buying cameras in the US

[MorningGlory]

They probably mean either one of two things:

1) Continuous mode -- that is the camera keeps taking pictures as long as you hold the shutter button down. It might me anywhere from .5 to 2.5 frames-per-second. Some cameras can just keep going in continuous mode (provided the memory card is fast enough) and some cameras have a "burst" mode where they'll take a preset number (usually 3-6, AFAIK) and then slow down.

-OR-

2) Fast shutter speeds -- the faster the shutter, the more "frozen" the image. Slow shutter speeds lead to blurry shots. I know that Fuji cameras make use of their good high ISO to use faster shutter speeds instead of IS.

If I had to guess, for a Fuji camera, they're probably talking about #2 (although I believe that all of the Fuji's also have a continuous mode -- your model, I believe, has their "Top 3").

Thanks Stitch

You're absolutely correct, on both counts It did refer to the shutter speed, and in the several reviews i've read since I posted, i've found it also has a continuous mode (the only thing mentioned was that it took 5.25 secs to take 5 photos, which the reviewer decided was "fast" - by the scale in your post, it's definitely faster than medium ). I dunno if there are other continuous mode settings (like the 'top 3' thing you mentioned).

Suffice to say, im even happier now i've found out more about it. One of the main reasons I decided to buy it now, instead of waiting til I got to the US, was so I could learn how to use it correctly. Including, if possible, the manual controls (which I have absolutely no clue about - but I will start a thread with specific questions I have....im looking forward to your input ).

 

[YEKCIM]

Be sure to try the S5600's "Chrome" mode (accessed via the "f" button on the back). I put mine in "Chrome" mode as soon as I got the camera, and have never changed it.

My 2006 WDW album is here if you want to see what the camera is capable of, in the hands of a fumbling point and shooter:

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/fasteddiew/DisneyWorld 2006/

All shots were made in Chrome mode.

~YEKCIM

 

[MorningGlory]

Be sure to try the S5600's "Chrome" mode (accessed via the "f" button on the back). I put mine in "Chrome" mode as soon as I got the camera, and have never changed it.

My 2006 WDW album is here if you want to see what the camera is capable of, in the hands of a fumbling point and shooter:

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/fasteddiew/DisneyWorld 2006/

All shots were made in Chrome mode.

~YEKCIM

I seen a review that mentioned about the chrome mode. Seeing your pictures, I can see just how vivid pictures are when using it!

 

[boBQuincy]

Most of the big US stores have weekly sales that are posted in the Sunday newspaper. If the model you are interested in is on sale that week it is probably a good deal.

The warranty card is likely to be marked "US and Canada" which could leave you with a service problem. The battery charger will probably work on 220V but will have the incorrect plug.

By purchasing the camera here you are likely subject to import duties unless you can prove you had it when you left home. Chances of anyone even asking you about this are pretty slim but it can happen.

Finally, the colors will not have the requisite "u" in the spelling and thus may not be as bright as the colours you get at home.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

You're absolutely correct, on both counts It did refer to the shutter speed, and in the several reviews i've read since I posted, i've found it also has a continuous mode (the only thing mentioned was that it took 5.25 secs to take 5 photos, which the reviewer decided was "fast" - by the scale in your post, it's definitely faster than medium ). I dunno if there are other continuous mode settings (like the 'top 3' thing you mentioned).

1 shot/sec. isn't too bad for a P&S ... most of them can't even manage more than 1. With a fast SDCard, my S3 can hit 2.5/sec and there's a couple other ones that can go that fast, too. Many of the DSLRs can go even faster and the *expensive* Canon Mark III can do 10fps!!

I'm sure you'll be able to find out what continuous shooting modes it's got from the manual ... it's probably got more than one.

Suffice to say, im even happier now i've found out more about it. One of the main reasons I decided to buy it now, instead of waiting til I got to the US, was so I could learn how to use it correctly. Including, if possible, the manual controls (which I have absolutely no clue about - but I will start a thread with specific questions I have....im looking forward to your input ).

Good luck with your new camera!

Check this site out: www.goingmanual.com ... just about everything you need to know about manual settings on cameras can be found here. It's a great site! Their tutorials are great, but I'm not so sure about their Forum; some of the "recent topics" look to have nothing to do with cameras, and I'm not about to check them out (they might just be the victims of evil, foul, disgusting spammers*, though)....

Of course, there's lots of folks here who are more than happy to answer questions, too!

*spammers are the lowest form of life on earth!

 

[MorningGlory]

Stitch, the manual available to download on that site is just what I was looking for!

Definitely written with the beginner in mind I can't wait to get my camera now to try some things out.

 

[Simon123]

Hi,

I'm Simon the author the Going Manual site and e-book. I was looking through my site logs and saw the link from this site.

First thanks for the link. The site is free and open to everyone and I hope it helps. I've been using open source software for years and this is me giving a little back.

Second, Spammers are indeed the lowest form of life. The odd messages that appear are not from me. Unfortunately I've chosen a skin for the site that has problems with many of the anti spamming measures for phpBB (the forum system)

I try to check in often and remove the messages but they keep coming! Just wanted to explain the situation and hopefully I'll find the time to write a anti spam module for the board. Wedding season is kicking off tough and that means busy weekends so please bear with me!

Hundreds of people visit the site everyday so it'd be nice to see a few more people interacting on the boards and posting their pictures for critique. it's a great way to improve.

Simon

 

[MorningGlory]

Well, thanks Simon

I really appreciate the manual you have written, and have spent the last couple of days reading through it all. Im now really beginning to understand the cause and effect of the different settings, and can't wait to put it into practise (hopefully around Thursday coming).

I'll try to post some of my trial photos in your forum once I've had a go with it

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Second, Spammers are indeed the lowest form of life. The odd messages that appear are not from me. Unfortunately I've chosen a skin for the site that has problems with many of the anti spamming measures for phpBB (the forum system)

I try to check in often and remove the messages but they keep coming! Just wanted to explain the situation and hopefully I'll find the time to write a anti spam module for the board. Wedding season is kicking off tough and that means busy weekends so please bear with me!

Hi, Simon ... great work on the GoingManual site ... I recommend it to everyone who has questions about their new cameras.

Sorry, if I gave you some negative press, but you show the most recent posts right on your main page; when I wrote that other post, about 4 of the 10 were about sex or online-pharmacies. I knew it was either spammers or you were allowing any kinds of posting.

Glad to hear it's not your site's policy to allow this sort of crap.