Fuji Finepix S5200

[YEKCIM]

After much deliberation, I have ordered a Fuji Finepix S5200. I chose this model primarily based on the fact that it has a long zoom range (28-380mm in 35mm equivalence), ability to shoot at higher ISO (range is 64-1600) and price ($222 after rebate). I'm curious as to whether anyone on this board has one of these, and if so, what your experience has been at WDW, and overall.

Thanks for any input.

~YEKCIM

 

[WillCAD]

I have no experience with the S5200, but I have owned an earlier, similar model for a couple of years - the S602Z. Some of my experience with the S602 may apply to the S5200.

The S602 has a lens that goes from about 28-200 in 35mm equivilent. It takes very good pics, but because of the wide range of zoom, the wide-angle end gives me monstrous barrel distortion. Pics of buildings tend to look like salt-watter taffy.

The color on the S602 is excellent. I have gotten brilliant blues, greens, and reds from it, making WDW look fantastic.

The file size on my 3.1mp S602 is quite small. The JPG compression is very good without much loss. Pictures remain very sharp even with the small file size. Printed pics from the camera are very impressive. I have gotten very clean, clear 8x10 prints from it.

The camera is also very light and easy to carry, but some of the controls onthe back of the camera do tend to get bumped while I'm walking around, changing settings without my notice. The S5200's layout is almost identical, so get in the habit of checking the controls constantly to make sure you are in the right mode and have not switched to black and white.

Since the S5200 is similar to the S602 in many ways, I think you will probably like it as much as I liked my S602 (although I recently upgraded to a Canon Digital Rebel).

 

[Kelly Grannell]

The Fuji S series high ISO (starting 400 and up) is virtually unuseable to the point of completely unuseable (ISO1600). Don't bother with a bridge camera like that.

Based on picture quality usability, I'd recommend Canon S3. Yes, it's less-cool looking but at least the ISO800 is more useable than Fuji S series' ISO400

 

[YEKCIM]

Kelly, have you actually used the S5200? I just got the cam over the weekend, and have not used it extensively, but so far I am happy with the results I am getting. The S3-IS is not an option, due to "financial constraints", although I had looked at the S2-IS, along with the S5200. I'm sure that the ISO1600 shots will exhibit a lot of noise, and maybe the ISO800, as well. OTOH, I don't know of another camera in this price range that has a 10X zoom and anything approaching the higher ISO values the 5200 offers. At any rate, it should fit my needs quite well and offers a lot of flexibility for the money. Should beat the results I have been getting from the still imaging capability of my Canon Optura 30 camcorder which, btw, does not do a half bad job, if the lighting is good.

~YEKCIM

 

[Kelly Grannell]

yup. ISO 800 and up is (to me) unuseable. I like trying cameras and my friend owns a camera shop so everytime she receives a camera to test out, she always hire me to test them. In context of the buyers, of course. So I won't be expecting ISO400 of a Finepix to be as clean as ISO400 from a dSLR.

 

[YEKCIM]

Kelly,

Thanks for the feedback. I realize that I won't be getting dslr performance from a $200 camera, but I think it will be adequate for my needs, at present. I'd like to move up to a dslr at some point, but funds are not adequate at this time so the 5200 will just have to do. On the plus side, I like having the zoom range (38-380mm in 35mm terms) and the virtual absence of shutter lag. My daughter plays soccer so those two features were important. I've shot a fair amount of 35mm in the past and am used to having a lot of grain when using higher speed films and in some situations, prefer having a picture with lots of grain (or in this case, noise) than no picture at all. Most of my photography will be ISO 200 or below anyway, so no biggie on the high-ISO. Again, thank you for taking time to respond to my questions. Much appreciated.

~YEKCIM

 

[Kelly Grannell]

IT's only $200? Wow! Then it's a bargain! The problem with my buddy is that she never tells me the price. I test the items, give her my opinion, and she buys x number items for her in-store stock. So far her interpertation of my 'reports' have been quite accurate.

 

[johnnyh14]

kelly, i was wondering if you preferred shooting film or digital?

johnnyh

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I prefer the look of film but the convenience of digital. So I still shoot the "film-way". Meaning that I treat my digital shots as film-shots. Think and compose in my head, calculate the exposure (if applicable), then press the shutter button and try as much as I can not to use photoshop for anything but special effects. Not even cropping.
Sometimes, however, just like film, some (now digital) dark-room tweaks are necessary, but usually if I have to do it beyond a certain degree, I'll delete the picture just like I put a X sign on my negative so I'll never print those bad pictures.

What I dislike from the new digital culture is that because of its conveniences, people tend to shoot, shoot, and shoot more, then delete later and then alter the hell out of the picture using photoshop.

To me, that's no longer "Photographic Art" but it has become "Digital Art".

Of course, there are always exceptions to that rule.

I hope I don't sound convoluted. I tend to do that a lot.

 

[YEKCIM]

IT's only $200? Wow! Then it's a bargain!

Now-expired $50 rebate is what dropped the net cost to $222 shipped, and that pushed me over the edge on the S5200. That net is just slightly more than we paid for our Canon A75 point and shoot a year and a half ago. Purchase was made from Butterfly, online, and my experience with them was superb.

~YEKCIM

 

[johnnyh14]

kelly, your right. when i look at readers submissions in my photo mags they might as well have a section for digital art. the pictures are altered beyond what should be called photography. i use photoshop but don't alter my images to that extent. the only film camera i still own is a nikon f100 and it sits in my office displayed with my vintage cameras.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

That's what really ticked me off. Every single time I show my portfolio, without fail somebody "reminds me" that with digital anybody can photoshop the images easily and I have to explain to them than NONE of the picture in my portfolio uses photoshop to that extent.

 

[johnnyh14]

levels, curves and color balance are the adjustments i use most. i do like creating double exposures though.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I still consider that pure photography and not digital art because those were the things that you need to do at the lab anyway when using film. But when it comes to that guy who took 30 pictures and collage them AND spent a month photoshopped it, and Pop Photography gave him the Grand Prize, I was (and still am) very offended by it.

 

[YEKCIM]

Did a little ISO 1600 test last night and found that the noise is *much* less than I expected and, although I did not print the shots, am confident that they would make very nice 4X6 or even 5X7 prints. Very acceptable results, considering the alternative is no picture at all.

~YEKCIM