Need opinions Fuji S9100

[LivingtheWDWdream]

I am sorta new to the DIS but i have two major trips coming up within the next 12 months so I want to find a good Digital Camera.

Right now I have a Olympus Camera that is 7 Megapixels. It gives great photos but my Mom really likes it and uses it more then I get to use it (she seems to always borrow it and need it when I do)

So since my birthday is in a Few weeks my family asked what i want for my birthday well I'm asking for a Digital Camera. 1. so mom can just keep what she borrows and 2. so for my WDW trip and my DCL repositioning cruise i can have a nice digital camera.

Sorry this is long!

I was looking at the Fuji Fine Pix S9100 which is 9 mega pixels but I am wondering if anyone has it or knows someone who has it and what they think about it?

Maybe you have a Fuji and could give me feedback on the brand at least?

Thanks for any help you may be able to give me I can't wait to have a camera all to myself!

 

[photo_chick]

I have an older Fuji p&s and have been happy (as happy as I could be with a point and shoot) with it.

 

[Keikai]

I picked the finepix 9100 up in Japan for my dad, excellant choice, great camera, i would get it, an SLR without the lens hassle in my opinion, i would have got one for myself as i only have the finepix s602

Good camera.

 

[YEKCIM]

I would also consider the S6000fd; same focal length lens, but only 6MP (MP issue is not a huge deal, IMO).

Specs comparison:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/com...=fuji_finepixs9100,fuji_finepixs6000&show=all

The S6000fd bests the S9100 in several areas. You may want to check out some reviews, too, paying particular attention to the sample images at various ISO settings.

~YEKCIM

Fuji S5200 albums: http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/fasteddiew/

 

[RainbowsMist]

I have the Fuji S6000 and I LOVE it!!!!

 

[Groucho]

Like the others have said, don't let megapixels influence your decision (if anything, more mp can mean worse quality pictures.)

The newest Fujis have both an xD and an SD memory card slot. I'm not sure about the one you mentioned, but that's a nice thing to have, as SD cards are much cheaper and easier to find.

I do like the Fujis a lot, though, they seem to have the best sensors available in point-n-shoot cameras.

 

[klmall]

bump

 

[LivingtheWDWdream]

Thanks everyone,

I have narrowed my choices to:
Fuji Fine Pix S9100
Sony Cybershot DSC-H5
Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Any advice on the other two? Thoughts?

 

[YEKCIM]

Thanks everyone,

I have narrowed my choices to:
Fuji Fine Pix S9100
Sony Cybershot DSC-H5
Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Any advice on the other two? Thoughts?

Here is a comparison of specs between all three:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/com...uji_finepixs9100,sony_dsch5,oly_e500&show=all

I don't have any first-hand experience with any of the three, so would not be of much help to you there. The Oly is in a somewhat different league, being a dSLR, but I think the 4/3 sensor may be somewhat smaller than typical dSLR sensors...the "crop factor" is 2X instead of 1.5X or 1.6X and I *think* that means a smaller sensor. Also, the Oly would require additional lens(es) to cover the same range as one of the two "super zooms" you are considering, although the ranges covered by the Fuji and the Sony are somewhat different. The Fuji goes wider, but the Sony goes longer. Also, the Sony has IS and a HUGE 3" LCD, but I would bet that the Sony's two AA's drain pretty quickly (I have not read a review; this is just a guess).

Personally, if I were looking at a budget dSLR, I'd consider one of the Pentaxes (apologies to Groucho for treading on his turf) .
~YEKCIM

 

[Groucho]

Like YEKCIM said, the Olympus is a true DSLR, but it does have a smaller sensor. Here's a graphical illustration of its size:

The Olympus uses a "Four Thirds" sensor, which is about 225mm square, versus the APS-sized sensors found in most other DSLRs, which are about 369mm square. This accounts for them having more noise at higher ISO. There are also other quirks, like a small, dim viewfinder (to accomodate "live LCD" functionality), and mysteriously, not true focus rings but ones that you twist slightly one way or the other and hold while it focuses, not unlike hitting a button on a PnS. You'll also find a smaller selection of lenses and higher prices for the ones there are. On the up side, it is a DSLR and the lenses seem to generally be very good.

Oh, and the sensor produces images in a 4:3 format like a PnS camera, not the 3:2 format that you find in most DSLRs (and 35mm cameras.)

The Sony H5 uses the little 1/2.5" sensor (as does the Canon S3). The Fuji has a 1/1.6" sensor, which is a good bit larger, slightly larger than the 1/1.8" sensor in the above illustration.

To sum up:
The Sony is a PnS with a big zoom range.
The Fuji is more like a true SLR, with a zoom ring but no interchangable lenses and still a much smaller sensor, but still larger than the Sony's
The Olympus is a DSLR

Also like YEKCIM said, I would definitely consider the Pentax K110D/K100D strongly if you are thinking about the Olympus. Frankly, at the risk of ruffling any Olympus DSLR owner's feathers, the Olympus would the last of the current crop of DSLRs that I'd consider. (I'd go Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Sony, then Olympus. And quite frankly, I'm not that hot on any of the currently-sold entry-level Nikons or Canons, I'd have to go to the next models up in each system. If you can still find a Nikon D50, I would give that consideration, though.)

If you were sticking to those three you listed, though, I'd probably lean towards the Fuji, even though it's a lot of money for a camera that still isn't a DSLR.

 

[LivingtheWDWdream]

Thanks so much for your explinations and help!

I think i have ruled out the sony and the other two are still thoughts but i was poking around and found that Canon is coming out with a new Camera called the Canon Powershot S5. Have you heard anything about this?

Is Canon a good camera?

 

[YEKCIM]

Thanks so much for your explinations and help!

I think i have ruled out the sony and the other two are still thoughts but i was poking around and found that Canon is coming out with a new Camera called the Canon Powershot S5. Have you heard anything about this?

Is Canon a good camera?

Here is dpreview's preview of the S5-IS: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

It is basically the next iteration of Canon's highly successful SX-IS lineup, the most recent of which is the S3-IS. You will find a lot of very happy owners of the various models in this "family" of Canon cameras on this forum; maybe some will chime in. The S5 seems to raise the bar in some areas, such as the added hot shoe for accessory flash, the addition of face detection technology, larger LCD. It is still a PnS, of course, and will still be at a disadvantage, compared to a dSLR, due to smaller sensor size, as graphically illustrated by Groucho, below.

A couple other considerations you need to be (and may already be) aware of: you cannot shoot video with a dSLR, like you can a PnS; also, "live preview" (via the LCD) is not an option on most dSLR's. This latter is not a consideration for me, personally, as I prefer to use the viewfinder to compose my shot, but thought it worth mentioning, in case it is an important factor for you.

You can do a side by side comparison of the different models you are considering here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

Depending on your family's gift-buying budget, I would still consider one of the Pentax models instead of the Oly, and would give consideration to Fuji's S6000fd instead of the S9100. Also, the S5-IS has just been announced, so it will be a while before it is actually available for purchase, and even longer before it is reviewed.

~YEKCIM

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Here is dpreview's preview of the S5-IS: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

It is basically the next iteration of Canon's highly successful SX-IS lineup, the most recent of which is the S3-IS. You will find a lot of very happy owners of the various models in this "family" of Canon cameras on this forum; maybe some will chime in. The S5 seems to raise the bar in some areas, such as the added hot shoe for accessory flash, the addition of face detection technology, larger LCD. It is still a PnS, of course, and will still be at a disadvantage, compared to a dSLR, due to smaller sensor size, as graphically illustrated by Groucho, below.

*chime*

I'm one of the very happy owners of the Canon S3 (and, the designer of the "family" graphic a lot of us are using in our sig.) ... for a P&S, it's an excellent choice.

True, the SX series doesn't have the low-light performance of the Fuji's, but I think the IS and other features push it slightly ahead. At the very least, having the IS means I can get faster shutter speeds in lower light without needing to bump into the higher ISO (which IS more noisy on the Canons).

The S5 is likely to be a very good camera. No increase to the sensor so I doubt the picture quality will be better (in fact, I've been a little concerned because they've gone and added more MP and more ISO which is likely to increase noise) but it's DIGIC III (which is supposed to be a better processor) so it might all even out. The main advances it's got over the S3, though is the flash hot shoe, a bigger LCD (still flip-out and twist!) and the DIGIC III.

However, if you're trying to make the decision between a DSLR and an S3, the capabilities of the DSLR will eclipse a P&S ... even a great one like the S3/S5.

However, if you're in the market for an advanced P&S, I don't think you could go wrong with an S3/S5....

 

[Groucho]

True, the SX series doesn't have the low-light performance of the Fuji's, but I think the IS and other features push it slightly ahead. At the very least, having the IS means I can get faster shutter speeds in lower light without needing to bump into the higher ISO (which IS more noisy on the Canons).

I think the larger sensor makes up for the lack of IS. (If only Fuji would add true IS, they'd really wipe the competition!) The larger sensor (1/1.6" vs 1/2.5", more than 50% larger) mean that all photos should be noticably sharper, the technology of the Fuji sensor means you'll probably get better color, and you'll be able to go to high ISO mode without so much of the penalty of the 1/2.5" sensor cameras.

In low-light, the IS vs better high ISO performance is not necessarily a clear victory one way or the other, but that big sensor helps with every photo.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I think the larger sensor makes up for the lack of IS. (If only Fuji would add true IS, they'd really wipe the competition!) The larger sensor (1/1.6" vs 1/2.5", more than 50% larger) mean that all photos should be noticably sharper, the technology of the Fuji sensor means you'll probably get better color, and you'll be able to go to high ISO mode without so much of the penalty of the 1/2.5" sensor cameras.

In regards to the bolded stuff (above): I've not been able to tell one way or other in any of the picture gallery shots done on various camera sites. If there IS a difference, *I* can't see it.

Image-wise, under equal conditions, I don't think there's anything to give one camera a decided edge over the other. Comparing a night-scene at ISO800 (Canon) vs ISO1600 (Fuji), certainly the Fuji has the edge -- other conditions, not so much.

I get it ... you're not a fan of Canon's.

The S3 has some other great features that *I* think give it the edge (which is why I bought it ); a beautiful movie mode with full (silent) zoom support and full-size still image capture, 12X zoom, flip-out rotating LCD, SD cards and great battery life....

In either case, they're both great cameras and unless you do a LOT of low-light photography I doubt anyone would be dissatisfied with either....

 

[Groucho]

Well, I'm not a big Canon fan (for a number of reasons, the reason here being their technique of needlessly handicapping their stuff to encourage you to upgrade), but specifically, it's the little 1/2.5" sensor that I'm not pleased with, and all the same remarks apply to the comparable Sony, Panasonic, Kodak, etc, that are all using the 1/2.5" sensor in a "high end" PnS. (Same with my old Minolta 12x zoom 5mp PnS, where the noise levels made me need a DSLR!) My wife has a 6mp Canon with a 1/2.5" sensor, I am quite familiar with the pros and cons of this sensor. It's a rare picture that really looks like it's getting close to 6mp worth of sharpness.

I had a bit of a problem with the image galleries on most review sites as they are don't reflect realistic usage. Nearly every photo is a bright outdoor shot at a low ISO level. I'd really like to see a few hand-held, no-flash, indoor photos in these reviews... this is where you'd really see the difference. Like DCResource says about the S6000 (they don't have a review of the S9100 yet), "The S6000 lets you take high ISO images that are far better than other ultra zooms on the market -- especially if you're willing to shoot in RAW mode and post-process a bit."

If Canon or the others would put their larger 1/1.8" sensors in their long-zoom cameras, with IS, I think they'd have a stronger contender. They'd still probably lag behind the larger and more advanced Fuji sensor, but the difference wouldn't be so glaring.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

If Canon or the others would put their larger 1/1.8" sensors in their long-zoom cameras, with IS, I think they'd have a stronger contender. They'd still probably lag behind the larger and more advanced Fuji sensor, but the difference wouldn't be so glaring.

Yeah, but if they did that, they'd be cutting into their DSLR marketshare!

Personally, I think the biggest difference *is* the IS. The only option the Fuji has is to run the ISO up ... even though it's good, it's still grainier at ISO800 than ISO100 ... certainly better than my S3 at ISO800, but it's still kinda grainy. With IS, you can keep the ISO low and still get crystal-clear shots.

I agree, though, if Fuji ever does pair their sensor with real IS, the other companies are going to really have to scramble....

 

[YEKCIM]

Yeah, but if they did that, they'd be cutting into their DSLR marketshare!

Personally, I think the biggest difference *is* the IS. The only option the Fuji has is to run the ISO up ... even though it's good, it's still grainier at ISO800 than ISO100 ... certainly better than my S3 at ISO800, but it's still kinda grainy. With IS, you can keep the ISO low and still get crystal-clear shots.

I agree, though, if Fuji ever does pair their sensor with real IS, the other companies are going to really have to scramble....

Stitch,

I agree that, where camera shake is concerned, IS is a marvelous technology. However, if *subject* movement is an issue, IS will not help a bit. Only a faster shutter speed will address that situation, and in those instances, clean high ISO, such as the Fuji delivers, is definitely an advantage.

In the end, it is a matter of personal preference, based on the shooting requirements of the individual making the purchase. And, I totally agree with you and Groucho that if Fuji ever paired their superior high-ISO performance with IS, *and* priced and marketed it aggressively, the competition would have a hard time keeping up. No sign that's gonna happen, though.

~YEKCIM

 

[Groucho]

Yeah, but if they did that, they'd be cutting into their DSLR marketshare!

Personally, I think the biggest difference *is* the IS. The only option the Fuji has is to run the ISO up ... even though it's good, it's still grainier at ISO800 than ISO100 ... certainly better than my S3 at ISO800, but it's still kinda grainy. With IS, you can keep the ISO low and still get crystal-clear shots.

Well, ISO 100 to 800 is a full three stops, and I don't think you can consistently get that kind of performance out of the IS in a PnS camera.

And as YEKCIM pointed out, IS is primarily only good for still objects... the Fuji can replicate that with a small tripod. Meanwhile, for moving things like Spectromagic, there's no competition.

And I do absolutely think that there's a market for a PnS with a larger sensor. The problem is that the marketplace has not been educated about sensors, and only Fuji ever really ever seems to talk about them, in the PnS arena. Currently the marketing seems to be shifting somewhat away from megapixels and towards ISO levels... maybe, just maybe, they'll start focusing on the sensor one of these days........

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Well, ISO 100 to 800 is a full three stops, and I don't think you can consistently get that kind of performance out of the IS in a PnS camera.

No, probably not 3 ... it's at least two, though. However, there's almost no difference at ISO200 between just about any, except the worst, of the small-sensor cameras. The Fujis really shine at 400 and above and nothing can match them at ISO1600 that I've seen, yet (except a DSLR).

And as YEKCIM pointed out, IS is primarily only good for still objects... the Fuji can replicate that with a small tripod. Meanwhile, for moving things like Spectromagic, there's no competition.

Very true, but Spectomagic is one 25 min. show out of a week-long vacation at Disney....

And I do absolutely think that there's a market for a PnS with a larger sensor. The problem is that the marketplace has not been educated about sensors, and only Fuji ever really ever seems to talk about them, in the PnS arena. Currently the marketing seems to be shifting somewhat away from megapixels and towards ISO levels... maybe, just maybe, they'll start focusing on the sensor one of these days........

I doubt it, for the same reason as above, a P&S with a big sensor would really cut into the DSLR market. They'd essentially be DSLRs without extra lenses.

The only real difference, then, would be lens choice. P&S cameras have a lot of features, now, that DSLRs don't have (like movie modes and live LCD readouts) and most DSLR users don't really care because of the picture quality differences and flexibility of having whatever lens you want. But, I wouldn't estimate the desire to have one camera that can take great stills and great video in one compact package.

I think a lot of people who have moved into the DSLR market looking for the better pictures would be perfectly happy with a huge-sensor superzoom. And, if you can't continue to sell them $500 lenses, it's not much of a market strategy.