Fujifilm Finepix S5200 5.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom
By: Fuji Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 90
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 On: 2008-05-04
I love this camera. This camera is the best camera I have ever used. It does night shots, sports/action shots, zooms in 10x. I have owed it for over 4 years. At first I bought it to take photos of my Siamese kittens. I get perfect shots with no red eyes. The Fuiji lens is terrific for taking pictures of animals w/o eye glare. This camera also has manual settings for more experienced users. I am in a college photo class (B & W film) and was able to use this camera to aid in the film shots.
I cannot say enough good things about this camera. We used it to document pregnancy and after our son was born, soccer games, wildlife shots, flowers and butterfly pictures. I have used it to take pictures of my dashboard in my new van and the pictures come out great. It takes good video clips. I bought a lemon.
I unfortunately have to replace this camera. I paid 380.00 for it new and 99.00 for the 1GB XD memory card. That was over 4 years ago though. I just order the Fuiji S8100fd to replace this camera. This is more advanced camera w/ 10 megapixels. After using this camera w/o any problems I will always replace it with another Fuiji. They are really good cameras. It has been dropped on pavement and it still worked. It also fell off kitchen table and still worked. (Not recommended) It is a pretty tough camera. I have 3 children. My 14 year old uses this camera also. I wish I didnt forget thsi camera in the diaper bag with a leaky sippy cup of milk.
On: 2008-05-02
This camera just keeps getting better and better the more I learn about it. The 10x optical zoom is great for theme parks and zoos and such, or a number of other events and circumstances. Takes great picutres, and is very easy to use. Owners manual is helpful and easy to understand. Highly recommend this camera for anyone who wants seriously excellent personal picutres.
 On: 2008-03-20
Ok, so the 5200 is 5MP instead of 6 and it doesnt have Optical IS but it still beats my Canon S3IS in 1) Low Light and 2) Photo Sharpness. If you look at my S3 review youll see thats important to me. Ive always been a Fuji FinePix fan for its sharpness. This is the standard I juge all other cameras by. For some reason, a lot of people dont recognize Fuji. I cant say all of the FinePix line is great, my wifes F470 SUCKS for sharpness. The 5200 is getting harder to find and a new camera generally costs more than the S3. That is Fujis fault in my opnion. Why they didnt put Optical IS is beyond me, but it is still a great camera.
On: 2008-02-06
I have owned this wonderful camera for about a year now, and have no complaints! It takes amazing photos. There are so many different settings, from "portrait" to "outside" to "action" that I can capture anything I want with wonderful results. I have 3 kids that are always moving and I can get non-blurry pics of them! Its good enough that Ive taken wedding pictures that turned out better than the professional photographers! And the prints? Wow! For the price, there isnt a better digital camera on the market. And the fact that it takes 4 "AA" batteries may be a turn-off for some. But let me tell you, when youre in the middle of nowhere and your battery dies, its nice to know that a trip to the store can get you up and running again!
On: 2008-01-24
Ive had this camera for over a year now. I went from a mediocre handheld pocket sized camera to this and I love it. It has amazing picture quality and you can do so much with it. Its amazing for nature pictures.
The only thing I would say about this camera is if you get it take the time to learn how to use it. I went from basically a point-and-shoot camera to this and there are sooo many settings on there Im still learning (but thats my fault because Ive just begun to really sit down with the booklet) and it has so much potential. The past year Ive taken great pictures (compared to the old) but Im realizing that with all this camera can do if you just know what settings to use you can take amazing pictures.
Its really a great value for the price and I highly recommend it.
 On: 2007-12-24
The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.
On: 2007-12-23
The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.
On: 2007-12-11
I love this camera. When I reluctantly decided to change from film to digital, I found this camera. I have sold many photos with this camera. Its a better outside camera. Takes awesome pictures. You cant beat the color. Learn all the settings too. Manuel mode is a joy. Great color. Fun to learn to get back to the basics of taking pictures. I wish it was as good indoors with a flash. I am now looking at a DSLR just because of the need for a faster camera with a flash. This will always be my back-up until it no longer works. I highly recommended this camera to anyone. You wont be sorry.
 On: 2007-11-22
This is a great camera, but I have found out the the flash is not strong enough in dark areas at a distance. I have taken great pictures with this camera and hope to find a stronger flash for it.
On: 2007-08-29
Its not an SLR. But you arent buying an SLR. Overall its worth the cash. Better pics can be taken with an 80$ pawn shop film SLR. But nothing better digital wise without breaking your wallet can be had.
i do love this camera. but once digital SLRs are out, I will dorp it like a bad habit. Until then, I love it.
On: 2007-08-28
Its not an SLR. But you arent buying an SLR. Overall its worth the cash. Better pics can be taken with an 80$ pawn shop film SLR. But nothing better digital wise without breaking your wallet can be had.
i do love this camera. but once digital SLRs are out, I will dorp it like a bad habit. Until then, I love it.
On: 2007-07-13
It makes really good pictures, RAW of JPEG. Youre gonna like it! Its light and easy to simply point and shoot, but if youre into experimenting the creative modes, way to go! I only sold it cause I bought a more advanced one.
by: wa7sa On: 2007-06-09
this camara is the best i have ever had. now i am having a lot of fun and have a lot of picture and videos to share
by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-24
Fuji S5200 Pretty decent camera if you can deal with XD memory.
The s5200 at only 5 megapixels is getting as one review so succinctly put it, "a little past its freshness date", but the camera does have a few nice attributes and you might be able to get one on clearance, as I did, for a small fraction of the original price, and on that basis you may find it a good deal if you can get past a few minor nags (most notably XD memory).
PROs
- Snappy autofocus and shot to shot times, even when compaired with other current cameras (a very pleasant surprise for a camera which is a few years old).
- Electronic viewfinder with nice diopter adjust. (I can use it without my glasses, which is good because using it with my glasses lets in stray light, making it harder to see in daylight).
- Fuji `Super CCD has at least a full stop better noise performance and better dynamic range and color than most other inexpensive 10:1 and 12:1 super-zooms (shoot at ISO 400 with ISO 200 or 100 quality).
- RAW mode capture can really take advantage of the wide dynamic range of the CCD (at clearance prices, the s5200 is a fairly inexpensive way to get this feature, normally only available on more expensive models).
- Good Lens (sharp and not too much purple fringing).
- Better Quality at 5MP than many 6MP and 7MP cameras.
- 55mm filters screw right on (no adaptor needed like many point and shoot cameras)
- If you want a nice 26.6mm equivalent wide angle (instead of the default 38-380), the awesome Kodak "SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH XENAR 0.7X Wide-Angle Lens, 55 mm" sold here on Amazon will screw right on like it was made for this camera (no adaptor of any sort needed). This lens is a bit pricey, but is MUCH better than those cheapy add-on wide angle lenses, and under most conditions gives quality very close to the original lens but wider. (Its about a $110 bucks, but I saved enough on the clearance price of the camera to more than pay for it). Note that the schneider addon lens has the same issues with partially blocking the POP up flash as were mentioned in its Amazon review, but works great for really wide angle natural light shots due to the s5200s higher ISO capability.
CONs
- Larger than other 10:1 cameras that have lens that telescopes into body (big plus however is no worries about messing up lens mechanism).
- Really dumb user interface (things you need like FORMAT and RAW buried on sub-sub menus)
- RAW mode is a little slow and eats up expensive XD memory card space(4 or 5 seconds per shot and 90 pictures or so per 1GB card) but this is on a par with most other point and shoot models.
- Very Small main LCD display by current standards and the alternate EVF can be a bit hard to see in daylight (even though its still much better then the main LCD).
- Supplied RAW converter software is just about useless (but several FREEWARE programs support the camera including s7raw and the famous high quality DCraw command line program).
- XD memory
Whats the bottom line? Given all the considerable plusses and seemingly minor minuses would I buy the same camera again?
SORRY, NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Why? (Probably sounds pretty good right?)
I highly recommend you take a pass on the s5200 (and ANY other camera that uses XD), unless you are a big Fuji or Olympus fan and are already stuck with XD memory.
The XD memory card comes very close to that old computer programming magazine April 1 issue announcement of the invention of the "Write-Only Memory" (a funny April fools joke, but NOT so funny in real life).
I have had a half dozen digital cameras with both CF and SD memory cards, and have NEVER lost even a single image, or had a card fail in more than 4 years, but in only about a month of shooting with `XD I have had images get corrupted or lost a half dozen times and have already had an XD card totally fried when I committed the apparently unpardonable sin of plugging it into a supposedly fully `XD compatible card reader (That works PERFECTLY by the way with both CF cards and SD cards).
Apparently one reason that external card readers work so poorly with XD is that Fuji and Olympus never released the design info, and then to make matters worse, they made incompatible changes like `type M and `type H cards (These cards wont even work right in some Fuji and Olympus cameras, so how are the poor card reader folks supposed to figure things out?) I guess the type H cards were to try to be as fast as SD (theyre NOT), and type M was just to try to save a few bucks (for THEM you silly ninny NOT for YOU, because XD cards sell for 2 to 4 times what equivalent SD cards sell for).
Dont `hot-plug the memory (which is fine with SD and CF) or youll loose your pictures (and if you hit the jackpot destroy the XD card completely).
Dont try to download with an external card reader, unless you know it works with EXACTALLY that type and size XD card (shouldnt cost more than a couple $40 dollar cards to find out if your reader works if your lucky).
Dont even try to download from the camera without that AC adaptor (that they didnt bother to supply) or very freshly charged batteries, because downloading big RAW files over the SLOW USB port takes FOREVER, and if the batteries die, so will the card and your pictures most likely.
So, despite my favorable impression of the s5200s image quality, and general willingness to overlook its other slight imperfection, if I had it to do over again I would NOT buy this camera again knowing now what a joy it is working (or more often NOT WORKING) with XD memory cards.
To put things in perspective, if someone told me tomorrow that there was a new Fuji or Olympus camera with an incredible 40:1 F1.4 zoom with flawless optical performance, with a new Zuper-Duper CCD that could shoot at ISO 6000 with NO NOISE, and that it only cost 100 dollars (but that this miracle camera could ONLY use XD memory), then I just might be slightly tempted, but probably would PASS on it.
Remember Jack Nicholsons great line in `Terms of Endearment
- "Id rather stick needles in my eyes!"
Thats how much I despise XD memory, now that I have had to deal with it.
On the other hand, if you are already used to dealing with XD from another Fuji or Olympus product (youre a better man than I am Charley Brown), then I DO recommend the s5200 if you can find one on clearance, because aside from the hated XD memory issues, it performs quite well and can take some really awesome images (especially in RAW mode).
by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-14
I love Fuji digital cameras and believe that you cannot beat the image quality. Everything other reviewers have said is true but the one thing that makes this camera pretty much unusable for me is the extremely weak flash. Im a Realtor and need great indoor shots of large rooms. This camera says the flash goes 13 feet but even that is not strong enough. I took a photo of a beautifully set dining room table. The first few feet was lit..the rest was not. I thought of using this camera for only outdoor photos but even that wont work a lot of the time. When taking people pictures I almost always force a flash so that their faces are not in the shade. I took dozens of people photos of an outdoor charity event I sponsored with a forced flash and none of the faces came out.
If enough people complain about the flash Im hoping Fuji will improve upon it. As for now I need to go shopping for another camera.
On: 2007-05-13
I love Fuji digital cameras and believe that you cannot beat the image quality. Everything other reviewers have said is true but the one thing that makes this camera pretty much unusable for me is the extremely weak flash. Im a Realtor and need great indoor shots of large rooms. This camera says the flash goes 13 feet but even that is not strong enough. I took a photo of a beautifully set dining room table. The first few feet was lit..the rest was not. I thought of using this camera for only outdoor photos but even that wont work a lot of the time. When taking people pictures I almost always force a flash so that their faces are not in the shade. I took dozens of people photos of an outdoor charity event I sponsored with a forced flash and none of the faces came out.
If enough people complain about the flash Im hoping Fuji will improve upon it. As for now I need to go shopping for another camera.
by: micro_joper On: 2007-05-04
I saw a lot of reviews and finally decide to buy this. Just confirm what the reviews say. Amazing superzoom and the capabilities in auto mode. I have made photos in a lot of different conditions with great results (Dark, in motion, bright, indoors, from the car in motion, etc.). I defintly recommed this camera for an enthusiatic who want to try something between point and shot and SLR. I think this is a great choice also to experiment and play with different shutting speeds and apertures. Its like a mini SLRs with a nice auto mode for times when you do not have chance to experiment. You can even buy aditional lens an filters for more great shots. For me this one works as my first serious camera.
Also the compact design its great because I did not want a camera that made me think if I should leave it at home or take it?
Love the short time between shots.
Love the batteries life.
And love the price.
The only cons I see its the editing software. It is no really good but, you can get one aftermarket..
by: sczerwiak On: 2007-04-11
This is a great little camera. The shots are easy to take and view. Great price. Thank you.
On: 2007-03-21
This is a very good product. Suitable for an amatuer photographer who wants to excel. This is like a mini DSLR.
On: 2007-03-07
Very Big Bang for the Buck.
Surprisingly versatile for a consumer level Super Zoom P&S camera.
The result right out of the box at default settings are good.
If you read the manual, and know something about photography, it really rocks.
It is no DLSR, but it is the kind of camera you can hand to beginner and they can do quite well.
As they learn more it has the capacity to allow them to grow and experiment.
It is light, quite compact and durable.
Actually it make a perfect vacation camera for when you want to go light and easy.
It made a perfect Gateway Digicam and led me to get my DLSR.
But I wll still keep the Fuji for those trips to Miami :)
On: 2007-01-26
Beautiful pictures, lightweight and very easy to use. This is also Consumer Reports best buy pick.
On: 2007-01-20
I think this would be an excellent camera but I have not had the time to read the instruction manual. It is not the best if all you want to do is point and shoot. You need to know a little about photography. I am a little disappointed with the 10x optical zoom. I thought I would be able to zoom in close to take photos of birds, etc - but it just doesnt seem to zoom in very much. It could just be me though because I dont know how to use it except in automatic mode.
On: 2007-01-12
This camera has been great so far, after 2+ months. It does not seem to use much battery power, despite frequent use. Zoom is awesome. The prints come amazingly close to the quality seen on the screen. Not as quick from click to picture as hoped, but still good. Video quality good. Quite satisfied.
On: 2007-01-12
I got my S5200 last September through Amazon. I was upgrading from a HP Photosmart 320 (low MP point-&-shoot) and didnt know much about this class of camera. Most of my camera time is spent getting shots of my 17 month-old son and the HP was not keeping up. After extensive research, reviewing an endless stream of customer and semi-professional reviews, I took the plunge and ordered this one.
I like the construction of this camera. I found that for the price and features (and % of positive reviews), the closest comparable camera was the Kodak Easyshare Z740. The Z740 and several other similar class cameras all had the cheesy gray plastic shells that most cell phones have. This makes them seem flimsy and delicate. The black, hardened plastic of this Fuji, coupled with the rubberized grip around the lense tube (for lack of a better term) give this camera a sturdier feel and more professional appearance.
Since I am not an experienced photographer and only have experience with low-end point-&-shoot cameras, I spent a lot of time with the owners manual. I am inclined to figure out most new gadgets with ease, but the many settings and features of this camera are scattered amongst different buttons and on-screen menus in an illogical manner, so I needed help.
The auto mode meets most of my needs in good light and is fair in low light without the flash. Outdoors in sunlight, high speed movement is captured well with no blur. I tested this by photographing cars traveling 65+ miles on a nearby freeway and experienced no blurring (not even on their wheel rims). You will need to keep the camera still or on a tripod in low light to minmize blurring and attain an accurate autofocus, but for this price range, it is reasonable.
The long zoom is VERY cool and reveals a wide range of details in distant subjects that are hidden from the naked eye. A full zoom roof shot of a highrise building several blocks away and in the last stages of construction revealed previously invisible construction personnel on scissorlifts, unnoticed ladders, and the a/c unit mounted on the side of the cab of one of the work sites tower cranes. So cool...
While the highest ISO setting is 1600, I have found that for my purposes, 400 seems to yield the best results with the least amount of high-res grainy fuzz or "noise." Most of my shots are taken using the auto mode with the autofocus, but I am learning more about the benefits of using the manual focus while adjusting the exposure time. As time allows, Ill learn how to use the manual aperature settings to my advantage.
The manual focus is not well designed and kept me from giving this camera 5 stars. When another button that works like a keyboards "shift" key is held down, the zoom buttons act as the focus controls. Instead of a fluid transition, the focus advances and retards very slowly in small increments that are audible if you listen closely.
The awful decision by Fuji to include an XD memory card that is only 16 pathetic megabytes is very disappointing. You wont come close to this cameras full potential until you upgrade to at least a 512 megabyte card. This will yield approximately 220 photos in the highest (non-RAW) resolution settings. The video feature isnt even worth using until you upgrade this card.
The video mode is actually pretty good. My 512 card allows just over 7 minutes of good quality video with non-stereo sound. I continue to acquire great and humorous clips of my son being himself.
If you are new to this class of camera, I recommend budgeting in a decent but inexpensive case (Samsung from Walmart?), a tripod, and a lense cleaning kit. My son has a habit of smearing his greasy fingertips on my lense when I loom in too close to get a good shot, so the cleaning kit was a must.
If youre a professional and looking for a money-making camera, this camera is on the low end of the spectrum and not for you. If you are a hobbyist or amateur who is on a real-world budget, this camera is a great investment.
I still have much to learn about this camera and its potential. There are many features that I cannot yet speak of intelligently, but I expect to unlock their secrets and further improve the quality of my photos. I hope this review helps you.
On: 2007-01-11
Second day the stainless steel ring failed of from the lens. After few hundred pictures the message appeared on the screen "Focus error" and camera stopped working. Im very disappointed with Fuji for poor quality of this product .
On: 2007-01-11
This camera is great! It replaced a HP 3.1MP that took OK pictures but the backgrounds were dark and peoples faces were not the correct color, not so with my new Fuji, my photos are just as you see them.
I just wish there were a rating higher than 5!
On: 2007-01-10
Pluses: Great images, quite versatile, best battery life I have ever seen! I think this might be the best inexpensive camera I have owned to date.
Imager produces good clear saturated colors. Zoom is fast and easy to "thumb" - auto focus works very well. Lightweight.
But... Needs a big after market xD card. Not the best speed for shutter delay (press-to-photograph time) but its better than a lot of cameras in the same price range.
Overall, a VERY good buy
On: 2007-01-10
for the money this is a good camera but I like my finepix S5000 better maybe after I use it more they may be the same.still a good buy.
On: 2007-01-10
I recently purchased my Fugifilm Camera and I am extremely pleased with it. I like the 10x Optical Zoom and the fact it stabilizes the camera and you do not get a distorted picture without using a tri-pod.
On: 2007-01-10
I cannot believe the quality of camera I got for the price. It makes great pictures, its fairly simple to use. I highly recommend this camera!
On: 2007-01-10
Very lightweight, sharp photos, a lot of versatility and easy to use. We are very happy with the purchase and would recommend this product to anyone.
On: 2007-01-10
I purchased this camera 5 months ago to replace a Sony Digital and Nikon Film Camera, I have not been disapointed. Indoor pictures without a flash, auto focus, natural light, all make this camera a pleasure to use. Outdoor wildlife with the 10x zoom for Coyote and White Tail Deer and landscape mode for scenery is a delight. Battery life with rechargables is 350-400 pictures. This camera is loaded with features for both the beginner and advanced photographer.
On: 2007-01-10
Very easy to use camera. A camera for a step above basic amateurs.
On: 2007-01-09
Nice camera , easy to use . Im still studing how to use it correctly. Also , I have a sony camera of 4.1 megapixels and I think the picture itself has better quality....
On: 2007-01-09
I bought this camera for my brother in law. The feature set is great and I really enjoyed using it to take photos. Great choice for someone not quite ready/able to take the step to SLR. The screen is good quality and it takes great pictures. I own a much older digital camera that is a Canon and after using this Fuji I will consider buying one when I go camera shopping for myself again.
On: 2007-01-09
Whenever I show people my photos, invariably their first question is: "What kind of camera do you have? These are beautiful!" My adult children requested the same camera for Christmas this year. Mine is the older S5100, so I got them the new S5200. Im jealous of their larger display screen and the automatic flash! Theirs even tells you when the camera isnt steady with this cute little wiggly man! Im going to order the newer version for myself now. I cant imagine switching brands.
On: 2007-01-09
I LOVE THE CAMERA
BUT THE ONLY THING THAT DOESNT WORK IS WHEN I PLUG IN MY 5V. AC ADAPTOR
On: 2007-01-06
The camera is great and was delivered sooner than expected. I have no complaints at all.
On: 2007-01-05
This is a great camera for the price, unlike the small pocket models this has a good lens to provide real telefoto shooting. Color is excellent and the Auto setup is all most people will need. Still small enough and very light so its a perfect travel camera. Comes with a 16meg card, about worthless so get a 250 or 500meg card for less than $30 when you buy. Recharable batteries are also a must these days but dont use the fast chargers if you want long life from these batteries.
On: 2007-01-04
My company has found a new camera! We do surveys that are photo-rich and these cameras are phenomenal! Very fast, lots of options, sharp photos- right out of the box they are very easy to use.
On: 2006-12-27
New to the digital camera world, but not a stranger to photography. I am impressed with the camera, the price, the quality, and the pictures I have taken with it. I recommend to purchase more memory right off.
On: 2006-12-14
I have an older Fuji and this new one is twice as powerful as that one, but I dont see a great deal of improvement in the pictures. Dont get me wrong its a great camera and the batteries last a lot longer in this one, but if you already own a 6X with 2.5 MP you really do not need this particular camera.
On: 2006-11-13
I paid $225 out the door for this camera and it competes with cameras almost twice that price! On the automatic setting, it takes incredible photos, but has the capability to go manual if you are so inclined. For the price, there is nothing on the market that comes close. The macro on this camera is great and the close ups I have taken even on the automatic setting are unbelievable. If you are looking for something that is SLR like, but not the SLR price, this comes close. Of course, the SLRs will take better photos if you are an expert, but if you are an amateur or intermediate photographer and want something that gets the job done, put this one on your list...taking the price into consideration this thing doesnt disappoint. You will be glad you purchased this one!
On: 2006-11-12
I paid $225 out the door for this camera and it competes with cameras almost twice that price! On the automatic setting, it takes incredible photos, but has the capability to go manual if you are so inclined. For the price, there is nothing on the market that comes close. The macro on this camera is great and the close ups I have taken even on the automatic setting are unbelievable. If you are looking for something that is SLR like, but not the SLR price, this comes close. Of course, the SLRs will take better photos if you are an expert, but if you are an amateur or intermediate photographer and want something that gets the job done, put this one on your list...taking the price into consideration this thing doesnt disappoint. You will be glad you purchased this one!
On: 2006-11-10
I gave this to my wife for her birthday, and so far no complaints at all.
The camera has plenty of functions that you can play with, but it can also work in point and shoot situations.
Good quality pictures, and it looks and feels top notch.
On: 2006-11-10
Reviewed most digital cameras on the market today to replace a worn Olympus. Decided that this camera fitted my needs even though I had never purchased a Fuji camera before. I bought it before I made a two-week vacation to Greece. WOW. I was stunned by the quality of my pictures. Colors were unbelievably true to nature. I love to take low level lighting pictures like at sunset, sunrise, etc. I couldnt believe
the outcome. It gave me some of the most beautiful shots I have ever made
with high priced film cameras. And I did this on automatic. No more worries about f stops, speed, etc. for me.
On: 2006-11-10
Im using it for a few months now; I havent found a single problem so far. Earlier, I was using an old FinePix and the optic/sensor sensitivity was not very good; poor quality of photos taken in dark environment. This is not a problem any more. Also, I was impressed with the sharpness of photos of sport actions taken with 10x zoom. In general, I was pretty enthusiastic about all the features of this camera; it took me nearly 3 days to try everything out :-). Sure, there are better cameras on the market; however, considering the price it is just a great deal.
On: 2006-11-10
i like this camera very much is easy to use and gets good results
On: 2006-11-10
I am pleased with this camera. Its pretty easy to use. I have virtually no camera experience, save for breaking them. This camera is easy to operate and is pretty fun to fool around with. I have used the aperture setting several times to get different focus points on the pics. The instructions were easy to comprehend. I have taken quite a bit of Sports photos and I have noticed its extremely difficult to get shots inside a gymnasium. The shots are usually very blurry and the color just isnt right most of the time. Fluorescent modes on the camera are helpful, but do not fix the problem. It could just be me though.
On: 2006-11-03
Wonderful camara, excellent characteristics, has an ample selection of accessories available and protected by one of you lead in manufacture of camaras and lenses.
On: 2006-09-30
I went from taking the camera out of its packing to taking professional quality pictures in twenty minutes. Its amazing!
On: 2006-09-27
I will not repeat what other reviews have stated already, all the reviews below are pretty much correct with this camera being a high quality and easy to use etc etc.
The only issue is focusing on a small target such as a name brand logo inside a Rolex watch. It is HARD even in Manual mode (and I actually have alot of digital camera experience). Forget trying to focus in AUTO mode, it wont happen.. at least not without alot of tinkering and stress.
If you need to take alot of close up pictures of small detailed items (jewelery, insects, etc.) then I recommend buying a digital SLR camera, Nikon D50 is a good one! This Fuji you are looking at here is perfect for taking pictures of normal things like people, cars, buildings, sites, etc.
On: 2006-09-27
These cameras are as simple to use as any I have ever seen and the quality of the pictures are as good or better than cameras costing 3 times as much. Great Buy.
On: 2006-09-21
I bought this camera about 3 weeks ago. I get hired by schools and families to take pictures of highschool athletics teams. I decided to upgrade from my Kodak C340 to this when I started getting more requests and jobs. Its got great capture quality, some of my photos the schools have blown up for posters to 20 by 30 and the quality is great. Its manual shutter setting is good for action shots, it does bursts shots which is fine for what I do. Low light pictures come out fine with the adjustable ISO (goes up to 1600), shutter speed, and other manual control options.
Colors are very vibrant and true. Good battery life, runs on AA. Very quick start up time, barely more than 1 to 1.5 seconds tops. As stated in other reviews manual focus is a little awkward to use at first, but like they stated you get used to it. Another great quality is the cameras ability to capture in the RAW format, and of course you can lower the quality to different megapixels if you want as well.
All my research on this camera before I bought made me a little unsure if this was the camera for me, I was considering buying the Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP Digital Camera. But the more I researched it, most people seemed to say one of 3 things about the two cameras, they would say: picture quality is virtually the same, that the Fuji had the Canon beat because of its high ISO capability, or the Canon had the Fuji beat because of the 12x zoom (the Fuji only has 10x).
For me the low price on this one made it worth the buy, but if you really want a Canon, this is not the camera for you, because its not a Canon, and doesnt operate like one. Thats not a con in my book, but if you have a preference its definatley something to consider
On: 2006-09-15
To get a camera better than this one you will have to spend at least US$ 120.00 more, but will loose some great features (like the ISO range) this one has. If it had Image Stavilization (IS), 12x zoom and a bigger screen, it would beat any camera on the market.
PROS AND CONS.
I made my own extensive research on this camera, i even posted it in some forums, if you search for this words "All about Fujifilm Finepix S5200" you will find it. From all the reviews i had read I recompiled this PROS and CONS from this camera:
PROS:
-Very fast shutter (true) and startup (true). (Speed is obviously one of the best features of this camera)
-It takes very Sharp pictures.
-Great low light performance. (it definitely can see more than me in the dark)
-Great control of noise on high ISO.
-Fast Auto Focusing.
-Capable of getting photos of fast moving subject without blur.
-Long Zoom. (yes, too bad is not the longest, other cameras have 12x)
-Real color, meaning low saturation (distortion) of color. (its true, some will find this good, others not)
-Good ergonomic, the camera feels great in your hands. (And it looks pretty good too)
-Light weight. (other cameras in the super zoom category are quite heavy)
-Very customizable settings (nice manual control, except for the manual focus)
-Many photography modes to choose from.
-Low batteries consumption (very true)
-Doesnt use proprietary batteries but 4 AA.
-Auto focus assist light.(A powerful one)
-RAW Mode, for those who like post-processing.
-Auto pop up flash. (Some people find this better to be manual)
-Good Video recording with sound.
-Excellent price-performance relation, a turning point for many buyers.
-Well built, great quality construction. (for most of the people)
CONS:
-Grainy picture (because this camera likes selecting high ISO in auto setting)
-Use XD picture card which is more expensive (Most of times true) and has slower transfer rate (havent notice it)
-No Image Stabilization. (Many people state its not needed because the high ISO and speedy shutter, my idea is this combination is called Anti-Blur. Others claims I.S. is better than Anti Blur. I suppose the combination of both would be the best)
-Difficult menu. (I dont think so)
-RAW mode is hided in the set-up menu. (yes, it should be in the F button menu)
-Too slow manual focus. (true, its better to half press the shutter button and let the camera do the focusing)
-Bulky. (as most of the super zoom cameras are, but I find it smaller than what it looks in the pictures)
-Weak flash. (average)
-Small LCD. (I would say average size)
-No swivel LCD screen. (Definitely it is a useful option, I think the S9000 / S9500 have something like it, but its pricy. The Canons S2 and S3 are the only competitors having this option, but for higher cost and some limitations compared to the S5200)
-Viewfinder dont have enough resolution (maybe the EFV doesnt have great resolution, but it has enough)
-No flash hot shoe. (being able to use an add-on flash would had pleased some user not happy with the built-in flash)
-Only 3 pictures in continuous shot. (It has a burst mode, all pictures you can take, but at a slower rate)
-Not great software, specially the CCD-RAW conversion software.
-Lag between shot when using the flash. (Like most cameras)
-Made in china, for some reason Chinese are famous for having quality issues. Seems like because the globalization we will have to get used to it. Other Fujifilm cameras were made in Japan and showed great quality and durability; Hope this one does it too. (Should it be considered CONS?)
-Battery compartment is a little difficult to close. (nothing you cant get used to)
On: 2006-09-09
My first digital was an Olympus Stylus 400, and it served me well for about two years... until I went to a convention and tried to take an great number of indoor pictures and use the zoom. The Olympus was wholely inadequate. So, I bought the Fujifilm Finepix S5200 and its a fantastic camera. Its easy enough for the beginner to use right out of the box and contains enough settings, buttons, and extras to give the no-so-beginner plenty to sink their teeth into. This is a camera I can grow with as my knowledge and skills increase, and I am looking forward to that. My partner is an exceptional photographer who uses a manual medium format and he LOVES what the Fujifilm S5200 produces VERY please with my purchase.
On: 2006-09-07
I have been using Olympus cameras forever it seems. I have the highly rated SLR 2100 Digital Olympus. Run a search on that camera on Amazon and see the rating - I wish that Olympus would make that camera in a higher res. - but they dont so I was looking for a 10x zoom with higher res. - I wanted the lens always out - this makes it faster to turn on and be ready to shot - it is quieter and takes less battery not having to turn on and wait for a lens to extend. Also you can view the pictures using the view finder or the screen - I like looking at the pictures using the view finder, in bright light I see them clearly.
It took a little while to get used to the settings and the locations of all the features but - after that - the moon is the limit - really I took the camera out last night with a full moon and digitally zoomed in on the moon and got a GREAT picture. It was sweet.... I will have to submit it for all to see.
This is not a point and shot camera - you must take your time for the shot - but you can set the camera up for rapid shot and it will do almost as good as a point and shot camera. I set it up for rapid shot when catching action - and I will get some blurry so take enough shots :o) The best camera I have had for action rapid shots is my Olympus 3030 - that camera rocks and with having the SLR 2100 I have the best of both worlds... all but movie with no sound - and the low res. The Fujifilm S5200 5.1 will shot movie with sound and does a FINE job of that - you can not zoom while taking the movie shot - you must set up for that but - the quality is good. Sound is great - no camera noise - But reading a lot about cameras - no camera of this style will allow you to zoom in movie mode while shooting...
Bottom line:
I like this camera and glad I bought it - I have shots in time that will never again be seen without a camera - my young grandchildren shot in video with sound - and still shots that are GREAT - If you are not willing to spend over 500 or 1,000 dollars for a camera - I would recommend this camera. In fact I am going to buy one for my daughter for her birthday - that is how much I like this camera. But then I am not willing to spend the big bucks for a new camera. Enjoy!!
On: 2006-09-05
This is a nicely designed camera. Its well balanced in the hand and the features are accessible without searching the menu, which means its faster in the field. I resisted the urge to buy more resolution and a hot shoe because the ease of a built-in flash and the high quality of optical zoom is much more practical. Pixels are nothing without optics! I shoot everything from horses at liberty to paintings for reproduction and so far Ive been delighted with the results. Shooting in a dusty, dark indoor riding arena is the ultimate test. I was pleased with the lack of digital noise. Ive had my Fuji S5200 for a couple of weeks and am very happy with my choice.
On: 2006-08-31
The zoom speed on this camera is tops of all the cameras I have and the software pkg is 10 times better and compatible to all MS systems softwares I have never had so much fun taking pics for my self this camera is the bomb.
On: 2006-08-27
Read all the reviews, and finally considered the Canon S-2, Sony H-2, and the Fujifilm S5200. Previously had the S5100 and loved it. The S5200 was my choice and Im very satisfied. Great " blurr " setting enables great shots from a distance on Auto without distortion. Very fast shutter time is Great for capturing movement shots. And the colors are unbelievable and crisp. Great deal on Amazon too. A great quality camera for less money.
On: 2006-08-25
I worked in a camera store. I sold Fuji products and learned to appreciate their quality and reliability. My introduction into photography was by 35mm cameras, and I used them for decades. This is my first digital camera. I am extremely pleased with it and wonder if Ill ever use film again.
On: 2006-08-18
We bought this camera to complement a small 3.2 MP camera that was very portable but not very capable in comparison. We love the S5200s performance. My very first digital was a 2.0 MP Finepix - which is now used by our 7 year old - and it took great photos and lasted many years. Battery use is terrific - our other brand 3.2 MP will go through 4 sets of batteries before we need to replace the ones in the S5200. The video with sound works great and is high quality. If you are looking for a good camera with a great zoom and LOTS of features, and you dont want to pay a ton of money... we recommend the Fujifilm Finepix S5200.
On: 2006-08-18
This is one of the best digital cameras that I have ever tried or sold.
On: 2006-08-17
This is my second digital camera, the first having been a relatively ancient Sony Mavica. The Sony had a 10X zoom capability, a few special effects (which I almost never used), and a flash that could be manually activated. Contrasted with it, the features of this Fugifilm Finepix constitute a whole new universe for me, yet, with a bit of practice, the learning curve is not at all intimidating. Set to "Automatic," the camera requires no learning curve whatsoever. For common, everyday photography, just point and shoot!
So far as picture quality is concerned, most of my amateurish shots have turned out far better than my skill as a photographer warrants. The sole exception to this was a series of distant panoramas I took from a mountain peak at about 6,000 feet above sea level. The landforms and forests were captured in great color, but the sky was uniformly washed out, more gray than blue, possibly an effect of the UV light at that altitude? Perhaps I should have used a UV filter.
My only other criticism of the camera is that it must be connected to a computer with a supplied USB cable, and all the previously un-downloaded shots will download into whatever directory the user has specified via the software that comes with the camera. I would prefer to be able to view the shots in Photoshop on the PC and select those to be saved rather than saving everything and then going back to delete the ones I dont wish to keep. Of course, poor shots can be deleted in the camera before downloading, but sometimes Id prefer to examine them on the larger computer monitor. I also just plain dislike having to install additional software on my PC in addition to Photoshop.
The old Sony I had was perfect in that it recorded all the images onto a 3.5 inch floppy disk inside the camera. Inserting that disk into the PC drive enabled me to open each shot directly into Photoshop with no need for any additional software. Admittedly, I had to carry several floppies along with the camera since each one holds only a tiny fraction of what a memory card will accommodate. Its a trade-off, of course.
Since every contemporary digital camera seems to require specialized associated software these days, I suppose its something one must accept in order to use the new camera technology. Sigh. Compared with its more-or-less equivalent competitors, the Figufilm Finepix appears to offer more flexibility at a competitive price, and I am pleased with its overall performance in my inexperienced hands.
On: 2006-08-16
This is my second digital camera, the first having been a relatively ancient Sony Mavica. The Sony had a 10X zoom capability, a few special effects (which I almost never used), and a flash that could be manually activated. Contrasted with it, the features of this Fugifilm Finepix constitute a whole new universe for me, yet, with a bit of practice, the learning curve is not at all intimidating. Set to "Automatic," the camera requires no learning curve whatsoever. For common, everyday photography, just point and shoot!
So far as picture quality is concerned, most of my amateurish shots have turned out far better than my skill as a photographer warrants. The sole exception to this was a series of distant panoramas I took from a mountain peak at about 6,000 feet above sea level. The landforms and forests were captured in great color, but the sky was uniformly washed out, more gray than blue, possibly an effect of the UV light at that altitude? Perhaps I should have used a UV filter.
My only other criticism of the camera is that it must be connected to a computer with a supplied USB cable, and all the previously un-downloaded shots will download into whatever directory the user has specified via the software that comes with the camera. I would prefer to be able to view the shots in Photoshop on the PC and select those to be saved rather than saving everything and then going back to delete the ones I dont wish to keep. Of course, poor shots can be deleted in the camera before downloading, but sometimes Id prefer to examine them on the larger computer monitor. I also just plain dislike having to install additional software on my PC in addition to Photoshop.
The old Sony I had was perfect in that it recorded all the images onto a 3.5 inch floppy disk inside the camera. Inserting that disk into the PC drive enabled me to open each shot directly into Photoshop with no need for any additional software. Admittedly, I had to carry several floppies along with the camera since each one holds only a tiny fraction of what a memory card will accommodate. Its a trade-off, of course.
Since every contemporary digital camera seems to require specialized associated software these days, I suppose its something one must accept in order to use the new camera technology. Sigh. Compared with its more-or-less equivalent competitors, the Figufilm Finepix appears to offer more flexibility at a competitive price, and I am pleased with its overall performance in my inexperienced hands.
On: 2006-08-05
Incredible camera for the price. This camera uses 4 AA (rechargeable) batteries. Amazon should carry the AC adapter, which is needed if photos will be transferred from the camera to a pc using the usb cable. If power cuts out during transmission, data will not be transmitted correctly. The manual states, "Always use the AC power adapter when connecting the camera to a PC."
On: 2006-08-01
Im extremely happy with this camera. It works as advertised, takes great pictures, and has an almost imperceptible delay between pressing the shutter button and taking the picture. The 10x zoom allows close ups without being close. The exposure compensation feature takes three quick pictures at sligthly varying exposure levels so you dont get alousy shot of a special moment.
Recommended to anyone.
On: 2006-07-31
Its a great camera, that takes wonderful pictures and its easy to use, besides the manual is a big help to understand how to achive better pictures.
On: 2006-07-24
I spent the weekend playing with my cameras features...doing my best to try them all..and taking over a hundred pictures in the process. Here are my results in no particular order:
SUMMARY: What a camera for the price!! At just over $200, it does more than Ill ever need it to. And its half the price I paid for my 4M Olympus Camedia C4000Z 3 years ago. Im still getting used to which functions are available with buttons and which are in the menu. GREAT CAMERA that does almost everything you can with an SLR (except change lenses, which is a hassle Id rather avoid). HIGHLY RECCOMMEND
PROS:
1. BATTERY LIFE: good to average
2. FOCUS: Fast to focus, except at the outer edges of zoom in low light.
3. ULTIMATE CONTROL: You can have as little or as much control over the image captured as you want. I took one (very dark) night shot of wet leaves lit by my porch light with a 15 second shutter speed. Of course, you can also intentionally take out of focus shots.
4. HIGH ISO AVAILABLE: Good to have available when you need it. Took one night shot of the cityscape at ISO 800 and got a good 4" x 6".
5. CONTINUOUS MODE: Comes in 4 varieties to help you get the shot when your own timing isnt so good. First 3 shots, last 3 shots, one I cant remember, and Long-period (shoots up to 40 consecutive shots). Long-period would seem to be an easy way to build a panorama photo series.
6. RAW: Shoot in this format is good to have when you dont want pixels lost to compression. All editing must be done post-conversion. You can then edit the TIFF and re-save it either as a JPEG or TIFF.
7. MANUAL FOCUS: In Manual mode you can change anything. I even intentionally took a picture out of focus just to prove I could. Manual focus is, of course, rather slow (as expected), but is effective as long as the subject isnt mobile. Easier to use with LCD screen. Even when auto focus failed (!AF displays), I could manually bring the subject into focus).
8. WEIGHT: It is incredibly light, and seems lighter than my old Olympus Camedia 4000Z, even though its manual says its heavier.
9. FEATURES: All the features I can conceive of using with several that Ive played with but dont think Ill ever use.
10. ZOOM: Coming from 3x optical zoom to 10x...what can I say? WOW! Be cautious, however at the far end of that range in lower light. Youll need a steady hand, tripod or to switch to anti-shake mode.
11. 2 SEC TIMER: Love that for the tripod/night shot. No long waiting for the shot.
12. STARTUP TIME: Starts up almost instantly and is immediately ready to shoot.
CONS:
1. HIGH ISO: On full auto, camera will select above 400 ISO values. Above 400 pictures become more grainy and 4 x 6 is the largest higher quality print you can get. If you want a high quality night shot, youll have to select ISO 400 or lower and set it on a tripod/shelf/whatever to get the shot.
2. RAW CONVERSION: The provided program only converts the RAW to a TIFF without editing. Would have been nice if I could have "edited" the RAW version and then saved to TIFF just once. Also would have been nice to be able to save to more than just TIFF.
3. SLOW MANUAL FOCUS: The pace at which manual focus changes is dreadfully slow. Dont even try using it on a moving target. Would be nice if it incremented faster when the button is held down for over a second and then you could slowly fine-tune the focus one button press at time. But not how they implemented it.
4. LIMITED SAVE QUALITY CHOICES: My Olympus let me save to TIFF and about 10 different JPEG quality settings, varying pixel density and compression settings. I used to use the highest quality only for portraits or shot I knew I was likely to enlarge. This camera only offers 5 still settings, only one of which is a 3:2 aspect ratio.
On: 2006-07-21
I purchased the s5200 to replace my aged s304. Its a better camera in every way, faster, more features, better zoom etc etc. It takes the same memory cards and batteries too so no extra expense there either and at $240 a bargain !. Hope it lasts half as long as my 304 did (which survived being dropped out the window of a train and falling down a staircase !).
On: 2006-07-18
After enjoying my Olympus mju 400 for over 3 years, have decided to try out "prosumer" entry level units without breaking the bank. After reviewing the s5200 on amazon and realizing what a bargain the sale price was (definitely a lot cheaper than other brands with similar features here in Manila), i decided to try it out. I had the unit and a 1GB card shipped to my sister while she was on vacation in OH, and she was all raves about it:
- very powerful zoom
- light weight and very easy on the batteries
- great ergonomics
- amazing color and details even on close-ups and zooms
- and all for the price of a point and shoot
I recently got to try the unit firsthand and have taken very clear shots of buildings about 2kms away and no problems..amazing that 10x is just about the magnification of high end rifle scopes....also great autofocus on macro close-ups on stuff inside the house
Still have to start practicing on the manual settings, although functions are buried in the menus and the manual zoom was a bit hard pressing the W/T and +/- buttons simultaneously, but PC interface is a breeze. I hope to upload some pictures ive taken to the site for comparison.
All in all, im a happy camper so far! Highly recommended.
On: 2006-07-17
I cant really add too much to the great reviews others have already written about this camera. Ive managed to take several great shots using it. I recently purchased the close-up lenses to make it work better in macro mode, which I suggest you do as well.
On: 2006-07-15
I love this camera. It takes clear beautiful pictures and the shots are never dark or blurry like the credit-card sized cams. Even at a party at nite, my camera took the best lit pictures with its pop up flash.
It doesnt come with rechargeable batteries and the memory card it comes with only holds about 11pics...So if you need to use the camera right away you need to go buy those items plus a charger. I have been having some issues with the batteries, but I dont think this is camera related. The software makes it really easy to upload pics. So far so good.
I highly recommend it.
On: 2006-07-10
I like the camera - the zoom is the best feature, by far. I took a shot from a hot air balloon of a hawk at the top of a tree in the distance that was just amazing!
My night shots are mixed... some great, some utterly blurry and horrendous no matter what Ive done to change the settings between auto//nighttime//shake//flash//no flash. Those results have been really unpredictable. Now, that could be because Ive only had the camera for 3 weeks and havent finished reading the really pithy manual they sent. But, I will say that I have a fair amount of common sense, and thats not helping right now!
By and large, the daytime shots have all been stupendous and the jury is still out on the indoor//night shots.
LOVE that zoom, though - did I mention that? Even maxed out, it takes great shots. And you cant get that in another camera for this money. Its a good camera - Im just not sure itll be your ONLY camera.
Oh - I should also mention that, even with the batteries in it, its very light. - lighter, even than my Elph
Good luck with your shopping.
On: 2006-07-08
I bought the S5200 5 months ago, after owning a Canon A75 3MP digital camera. The difference in the picture quality is amazing! So much sharper on the Fuji! So many pictures I took with the Canon were blurry, and I was holding very still!
The price has gone down about 50 since I bought this, so its even more of a deal now.
On: 2006-07-05
Bought the S5200 when my Canon EOS SLR developed a serious problem. Thought Id try digital for the first time. Camera came recommended by my local camera store owner, so I trusted... Have used the camera for about a month in several settings; graduation using the zoom from about 40 yards, a wedding reception with variable lighting and outside (cloudy conditions). All pictures came out surprisingly good..clear, with good color (zoom worked great!). At least equal to my old Canon SLR and Im still learning how to use the camera! Half the fun is taking the media to the local pharmacy to choose, crop and develop only the pictures I want! Oh, yea, the video capability is fun also. Allows you to shoot without the person knowing its video (until you show it! - they think its stills). So far, I am VERY pleased with this purchase, both from a cost and picture quality point of view.
On: 2006-07-05
I purchased this camera for my husband and loves it. He did plenty of research before he picked this one and left settle hints :). It has the best lag time for the price range and the zoom is great. The photos that are taken with it look wonderful. He doesnt have a single complaint.
On: 2006-06-10
i luv this camera....i bought it because i luv taking pics and i like the little detail in things....the last digital i bought was ok but this one is the best out of the 5 ive had.....i use to have a cannon that was a film camera but i like this one better it works just as well and i dont have to wait for the film to get developed....that is a big pluse for me....buy this camera....u wont regret it, i promise....
On: 2006-05-03
I did research on digital cameras for about six months before I settled on this one. My considerations were a) image quality, b) price, and c) usability.
Lets start with usability: I mean "usability" in the sense that whether the camera had all the features I needed and none of the ones that I didnt. I know, theres no such thing as too many features, but Im not a professional. I know enough about photography to understand the technical aspects of shooting good-to-great pictures, but dont care enough to invest oodles of money into a camera that has millions of features that Ill never use. In that sense, the S5200 was a good buy.
In terms of price, when I bought mine, it was just shy of $300. I considered it a good deal, since the local camera store sold it for $400 (I know, I should support local merchants, but saving $100 is quite an incentive when youre a student). I hadnt planned to spend more than $500 on the camera.
Image quality was an important consideration, since I often get enlargements. This camera will let you go up to 8 x 10 (I know it says 13 x 17, but then you run the risk of fuzz) and still maintain perfect clarity.
Other considerations: the learning curve for this camera is a bit steeper for those of you who are just coming out of the point-and-click 35mm and/or disposables. The manual is helpful in explaining what all the features enable you to do, but it doesnt explain, for instance, that if the A number gets bigger, that actually means the aperture gets smaller. Still, once you get the hang of it, its amazing what you can do.
Some things are adjusted automatically, others are not. The ISO number will remain on whatever setting you have it on until you change it, for instance. This is both a boon and a curse. If youre shooting a lot of pictures under similar conditions, its great. If youre shooting pictures under vastly different conditions, its a pain. On the other hand, the aperture and shutter speed are adjusted automatically to what the camera thinks are good for the setting, and you can tweak them.
The manual focus is a pain in the ass to manage, because neither the EVD nor the LCD screen are large enough for you to notice any change in the focus depth. However, the autofocus works beautifully, and I would recommend that you stick with this.
On: 2006-04-25
I used this camera on a trip to the west coast and got some amazing shots. I am by far not a photographer, and this camera makes me look like a pro. The video feature is cool...I got my nephews first steps on it!
On: 2006-04-20
I love this camera because of its powerful zoom and other features. But I have to return it to the store now because of the "Zoom Error" message displayed on the LCD after I played this camera for 3 weeks. Luckily it is still covered by 30 day return policy. After I searched on Google I found a lot of reports about the "Fuji Zoom Error" issue. It seems that the zoom mechanism of Fuji camera is not so reliable.
On: 2006-04-18
I received this camera before Easter weekend and had plenty of time to read the manual and play with it. I think it is a great camera, on automatic it is hard to take a bad picture unless you really screw up and put your finger on top of the flash so it wont open like I did a few times. It can be as easy to use or as technical as you would like. I especially liked the natural light feature which allows great pictures inside without a flash. A good buy you wont regret.
On: 2006-04-01
I love all the features of this camera--the zoom, all the various photo settings, the ability to change ISO settings. The CCD is outstanding (**at the lowest ISO setting**), and color preservation is pretty good. One of the things I really like about this camera is the speed at which you can take repeated pictures. For a person who has only had point-and-shoot cameras up until now this has been a nice step up and a learning experience. If you are in the same position I was expect a little bit of a learning curve. But you should expect that with any camera you buy that is more than a point-and-shoot--this camera is no harder than the next. Ive had the camera for a few months now, so Im starting to feel pretty comfortable with its capabilities.
The video capabilies of the camera are nice, but nothing to write home about--it wont replace your video camera. The camera also has some annoying blurring problems with lower ISO settings--so make sure you have a steady hand, or use a tripod. My one big complaint is that graininess is a huge problem at higher ISOs. It starts from the moment you move from 64 (the lowest setting) to 100. Take test pictures of the same object at different ISO settings, throw them into photoshop, and then zoom in about 5 levels or so. Image quality is outstanding on the ISO 64 pictures, but you get noticeable image degradation by moving up just one ISO setting. The result is that by the time you get to ISO 800 or even 400 the image has significant graininess. So noticeable that even 4x6 prints of the pictures look pretty bad (like they were printed on an older color ink jet printer). In my option a 5 MP camera should not have 4x6 prints coming out that bad. Its really a shame too because at lower ISO blurring is a problem--too bad there is no image stabilization (luckily I have a surgeons hands--literally).
Overall, the camera is a nice, affordable step up for those who have been point-and-shoot people and want to get a little more serious. It is not, however, without some moderate flaws, which is why I give it only 4 stars.
On: 2006-03-25
simply a amazing camera, i had a S5100 before, and the new features of the s5200 are really cool.
the new color processor works excellent, also the iso up to 1600 provide a wide range of creative shoots!
and, at least the antiblur system is simply great...
if u are searching for a nice portable and real value camera, this is a excellent choice.!
On: 2006-03-25
bought this camera about 2 wks.ago and am impressed. taken about 1475 shots so far and battery life is about 300-400 shots depending on flash used. first off-pictures are very good quality.color is exceptional. works as good as or better than naked eye in low light conditions-just great!!! the optical zoom is very,very good. has a ton of options which take quite a while learning all the symbols. the movie mode has excellent video but the audio i would only rate fair. now some things i dont care for: the digital zoom is not very good in resolution but its ok just to crop pictures. the electronic view finder also needs some clarity. the menu seems a little user unfriendly at first but with some practice is getting better. due to the enormous amount of options it keeps interest all the way up to advanced intermediate photographers. the lcd seems to fade out easily in sunlight even at high settings. i compared this camera with sony dsc-h1,canon s2is,anpanosonic z-5. these are all good super-zoom cameras.some things i liked on the sony were the 2.5" lcd and image stabilization. fuji uses an anti-blur mode to avoid camera shake which works well most of the time but not always. when you get out to full zoom it is very touchy and easy to get blurred images. i guess thats why they have tri-pods.overall this camera is highly competitive against the other super-zooms,so you just have to try them out yourself. if you want the low light capabilities then this camera is miles ahead. i bought this camera for 225. with a fuji rebate. this made it a no-brainer for me.
On: 2006-03-15
I bought this camera for my wifes birthday and after 2 months of use she LOVES it. Easy to use, light weight, takes great sharp pictures. She told me I out did myself with this buy!
On: 2006-02-26
This camera is amazing. I attend women in childbirth and take a lot of pictures of babies coming into the world in very low light conditions (candlelight or one lamp). Any other camera I would have to use a flash or settle for hardly being able to see, but this camera really duplicates the light conditions. If I can see, the camera can see. This has resulted in some phenomenal birth photos, and newborn photos, since all the pictures of new babies arent just babies cringing to the harsh light of the flash. I can capture the softness and beauty of the moment.
Another really important thing for me is that there is virtually no lag time between pushing the button and the camera taking a picture. That means I get a picture of the exact moment that I want. This is essential when photographing an event like birth or taking pictures of kids, animals, ect. I have had this camera several months now and the only thing negative that I can say about it is that if light conditions are very low and you are using the natural light setting you have to hold the camera very still if you dont want the image to blur. I have learned to do this so it isnt a problem, but most other people who havent used my camera before have a hard time taking pictures in low light. Thats okay though because they can always turn on the flash and still get a terrific picture! (You would have to hold really still taking a picture with ANY camera in low light.)
The zoom is another great feature of this camera. I wouldnt want a camera with any less zoom after using this. It makes it so much easier to take well composed candid shots (especially when using the natural light setting- people never realize you are taking pictures of them!)
I recommend this camera to anyone who wants quality pictures! If you are going to invest in a digital camera, you might as well invest in one (like this one) that can take pictures of the same quality (or better) as your 35mm.
On: 2006-02-25
This camera is amazing. I attend women in childbirth and take a lot of pictures of babies coming into the world in very low light conditions (candlelight or one lamp). Any other camera I would have to use a flash or settle for hardly being able to see, but this camera really duplicates the light conditions. If I can see, the camera can see. This has resulted in some phenomenal birth photos, and newborn photos, since all the pictures of new babies arent just babies cringing to the harsh light of the flash. I can capture the softness and beauty of the moment.
Another really important thing for me is that there is virtually no lag time between pushing the button and the camera taking a picture. That means I get a picture of the exact moment that I want. This is essential when photographing an event like birth or taking pictures of kids, animals, ect. I have had this camera several months now and the only thing negative that I can say about it is that if light conditions are very low and you are using the natural light setting you have to hold the camera very still if you dont want the image to blur. I have learned to do this so it isnt a problem, but most other people who havent used my camera before have a hard time taking pictures in low light. Thats okay though because they can always turn on the flash and still get a terrific picture! (You would have to hold really still taking a picture with ANY camera in low light.)
The zoom is another great feature of this camera. I wouldnt want a camera with any less zoom after using this. It makes it so much easier to take well composed candid shots (especially when using the natural light setting- people never realize you are taking pictures of them!)
I recommend this camera to anyone who wants quality pictures! If you are going to invest in a digital camera, you might as well invest in one (like this one) that can take pictures of the same quality (or better) as your 35mm.
On: 2006-02-04
All lI can say is WOW!!!. This is the most underrated and reviewed camera around. I purchased it to replace the vaunted sony dsc-h1 that was sent back because it was a lemon. However this is so much more than a point and shoot model.
I have owned the whole s series and moved to what I thought was up when I purchased the Panasonic fz 20. True the Panasonic is still considered the "Gold" standard but this little wonder is pure magic in my hands.
It is not an easy camera for a beginner to master but once you work with it lives up to its manufactuers claims. The low light shooting function coupled with and ISO range from 64 to 1600 with the best noise reduction in the prosumer market make it a must have.
As with any of this brakets cameras there are trade-offs and there is no sense comparing this to a digital slr as it is unfair but if you want the benefits of shooting in natural light and having a camera to grow with you with a beautiful lens and features not even available on the higher priced models invest in this baby. For well under 400 little smackers you are getting not only anti shake which in this camera is adjusting the settings so that shake is mitigated by and increase in speed but the natural light function and maual controls that are sophisticated and professional.
Though there is no physical manual zoom lens the focusing ooptions on this camera belay that minor loss.
All in all a superb camera at an unbelievable price for someone who wants to feel and experience of working with a range similar in complexity to an slr.
Trade off would be the much greater pixel strength of the big guns but try this camera and you might just be surprised.
Add to this the 10.7 x zoom and the reach of the digital zoom which is only available in 3.2 pixel strenth plus the 55mm direct access for accesorie lenes and you have a dust free real pro-sumer wonder.
My Olympus wide angle which is 55 threaded works beautifully on this baby and I am looking forward to using the telephoto attachments as well
THIS IS THE BEST BUY IN THE DIGITAL CAMERA MARKET FOR A SERIOUS AMATEUR OR A RESTLESS PRO LIKE MYSELF!!!!!!
On: 2006-01-24
I chose the Fuji S5200 as my jump into digital cameras after many years of using 35mms. I read reviews on many cameras and decided on the Fuji. This camera takes sharp crisp pictures, is easy to use and I am very happy with it. You can read reviews for hours or take my word for it. This is a great camera.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-07
this is the best camera ive every owned and ive owned 5 this is the best, has a great zoom and the batteries last pretty long
On: 2005-11-09
This camera is relatively new, so there are not many reviews in cyberspace yet. However, some diligent searching will reveal a few. They generally fall into the "unbelievably good" category, but when you read the details you find the user has had the camera for only a few days, or it is their first camera. There are a few quite negative reviews, including some posted images of poor quality.
I have had mine for a few weeks, and have mixed feelings about it. Yes, it does have all the features that others have listed, and it offers very good value for money. However, you need to understand what it is doing if you are going to take good pictures. If you just "point and shoot", you may be disappointed.
The S-5600 has a very long zoom, but no image stabilisation. Unless you use a tripod, you may find it hard to get sharp pics at the extended settings. The "anti-blur" setting works well, but at the expense of sometimes undesirable ISO levels. IS would be better.
Also, you need to be careful about focusing. The autofocus sometimes misses small subjects. You need to diligently use the "pre-focus" half-shutter option to make sure your subject is in focus before completing the shot.
Focusing would be less of an issue if manual focus was easier. I would prefer a simple focus ring, like on an SLR. Failing that, it would be better if you could hold down a button with your left hand rather than trying to hold it down with your right hand while also operating the zoom buttons to manually focus. Also, manual focus is very slow - you might not think it is working sometimes. Plan to learn how to use manual focus, and practice using your right hand - not so difficult once you have it down, but again not "point and click".
Ok, so this sounds like a pretty negative review so far. Lets look at some of the positives - and there are plenty:
- Very good lens system, with huge zoom range
- Ability to screw on converter lenses - a wide angle is probably the most useful
- Really long battery life - leaves the Canons for dead (always been a good feature of Fuji)
- Once you understand and master the controls, ability to take great natural light photos (I find the flash a bit harsh)
- Very good movie quality (but no zoom in movie mode)
- RAW mode!
- Good price!
In summary, if you are in the market for a new camera of this type, definitely consider the S-5600, but see if you can get a hands-on trial against a Canon or Olypus equivalent before you commit to it.
On: 2005-11-08
This camera is relatively new, so there are not many reviews in cyberspace yet. However, some diligent searching will reveal a few. They generally fall into the "unbelievably good" category, but when you read the details you find the user has had the camera for only a few days, or it is their first camera. There are a few quite negative reviews, including some posted images of poor quality.
I have had mine for a few weeks, and have mixed feelings about it. Yes, it does have all the features that others have listed, and it offers very good value for money. However, you need to understand what it is doing if you are going to take good pictures. If you just "point and shoot", you may be disappointed.
The S-5600 has a very long zoom, but no image stabilisation. Unless you use a tripod, you may find it hard to get sharp pics at the extended settings. The "anti-blur" setting works well, but at the expense of sometimes undesirable ISO levels. IS would be better.
Also, you need to be careful about focusing. The autofocus sometimes misses small subjects. You need to diligently use the "pre-focus" half-shutter option to make sure your subject is in focus before completing the shot.
Focusing would be less of an issue if manual focus was easier. I would prefer a simple focus ring, like on an SLR. Failing that, it would be better if you could hold down a button with your left hand rather than trying to hold it down with your right hand while also operating the zoom buttons to manually focus. Also, manual focus is very slow - you might not think it is working sometimes. Plan to learn how to use manual focus, and practice using your right hand - not so difficult once you have it down, but again not "point and click".
Ok, so this sounds like a pretty negative review so far. Lets look at some of the positives - and there are plenty:
- Very good lens system, with huge zoom range
- Ability to screw on converter lenses - a wide angle is probably the most useful
- Really long battery life - leaves the Canons for dead (always been a good feature of Fuji)
- Once you understand and master the controls, ability to take great natural light photos (I find the flash a bit harsh)
- Very good movie quality (but no zoom in movie mode)
- RAW mode!
- Good price!
In summary, if you are in the market for a new camera of this type, definitely consider the S-5600, but see if you can get a hands-on trial against a Canon or Olypus equivalent before you commit to it.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-11-05
I just got this camera today. I have tried a freinds s5100 and it was wonderful. The new one, the s5200, is like what the s5100 was to the s5000. It is an improvement from the s5100 without sacrificing anything, even if that does sound exactly like FujiFilms advertisements, its true. The screen is bigger, the EVF is sharper, the macro mode is improved considerably. It is great for a person like me who has suddenly found an intrest in photography. As soppoused to spending $1000+ on high-end SLRs and lenses, this camera has similar quality of pictures as my moms D70. All-in-all, it is a great, versitile camera.
On: 2005-10-23
I have a fujifilm s5000 which I absolutely LOVE. The s5200 is about the same but has a few more megapixels--helpful if you want to print out larger photos. This is an excellent entry level camera and is just as good to have and hold as your forever digital camera. The design is so friendly and its quick to grab and pop off some good shots. Its lightweight so wearing it around your neck wont feel like a burden. You might find youll need a tripod or monopod for those long-range zoom shots however. Even a small amount of "the diet coke shakes" can really make photos come out fuzzy. There are some nice inexpensive monopods around which also have a pan head for range of motion. I take these hiking which adds to my self-defense system too. (I could really knock somebody over with that pan head!!) You might also like to purchase a neoprene soft case for your camera. I bought one on eBay for about $20. I carry my camera all over in my purse and having such a case is almost a necessity. Id also like to recommend the new 1gb XD card. The s5200 can take a film clip. The higher amount of memory is helpful if youd like to take a few film clips then also shoot a number of photos before clearing the memory card. The camera uses 4 AA type batteries and really sucks up the energy quickly. I went through these rapidly before discovering lithium batteries. These run about $10 for 4 which sounds expensive. However, lithium lasts about 15 times longer than even Energizers do. Lithium batteries are also MUCH lighter weight which is nice when youre wearing the camera around your neck!!
Ive gotten so many wonderful photos with my s5000 and some are sale and exhibition quality. There are manual options on this camera and you can also buy lenses that are add-ons to the fixed lens. If you want to learn more about digital photography, then this camera is perfect for you even if you dont ever intend to go any further with it. You will be pleased with your results and thats an important part of the learning process. Hope the tips Ive provided are helpful and encouraging. Ive just upgraded to a Nikon SLR but intend to hang onto my old steady s5000.
On: 2005-10-09
I have been using the Fuji S5200 for several days now and think that it is a fantastic camera. I had been debating between this and several other superzooms. I chose the Fuji for its ISO capabilities and its real photo technology.
Pros:
-Great looks and build. You know this camera has quality written all over it from the moment you pick it up.
-Fast shot to shot times.
-Good auto focus capability, though not the best in its class.
-Good movie mode with 640 X 480 capability.
-Incredible High ISO capability! This is where the Fuji stands heads and above its competitors. You can actually use come pcitures at 1600 ISO with a little work.
-Excellent pictures in auto mode for a beginner. This is a great camera for someone wanting to learn how to use digital cameras. You can start off in auto mode and experiment with many manual settings.
Cons:
-Manual focusing is awkward to use. You have to hold on to 1 button and then move the zoom in or out to focus.
-The menus are a little more difficult to use than others I have tried, though you get used to it like anything else with practice.
-No optical stabilization. This is not really a con in my book due to its high ISO capabilities but some would argue the point.
-No hot shoe.
In the end, Fuji has taken and enhanced the S5100 in several ways to create a bargain of a camera the 399.00 price. Highly recommended!
On: 2005-09-27
Well,@I am not a pro but I will try to write something about this camera for those who are trying to decide if they will buy it or not...
I bought this camera after analysing the reviews of S5200s antecesors; S5000 and S5100.
Both were top sellers and every one (or almost) liked their performance. I also analysed if it was better to buy the strong competitor Canon S1 IS. For my need I chose to buy one of the Fujis.
After reading some reviews about the S5000, some complaining and seeing that the complaining was much less on the Fuji S5100, I decided that the latter would be a great idea had not I done more research. I saw that the few complainings on S5100 would not (probably) be in its up-graded version (S5200) and some nice features would be included, too.
In the site of Fuji I saw that S5200 would come with their newest kinda sensor (5th generation). Also it would come with Anti-blur (comparable to Canons Image Stabilizer) and with the Real Photo Tecnology.
Despite having it only for one week now, I have to say that I am very satisfied with the camera. It was a bit expensive but worth every Yen (I am in Japan, the first place where it had its premiere). I took some shots at night with surprising results, such as those Fuji promissed in their homepage. The Real Photo Tec is really good; instead of a dark and impenetrable background in night shots, you can have a vision of how the party was like. If you know how to use the camera, you can even get many details that I doubt you would ever get with another camera but S5200.
The Anti-blur works fine. It is pretty good to take telephoto shots without a tripod and even for moving objects.
The ISO have a reduced amount of noise even in its highest; ISO 1600. Unbelievable!
The camera is pretty simple to use and the pre-programed functions are very useful with great results. If you just wanna have it to great snapshots, that is the camera.
Even if you wanna have a special effect, after reading the manual, the camera does what you want it to. The features are very nice.
Everything in the camera was thought, rethought and usually you can have what you want in a fingerful.
Cons: I didnt like the difficulty of manual focusing and the EVF (though I dont have much experience with other digital cameras and dont know if it could get much better);
The camera could have more options of aperture.
Out of the cons, the camera is worth for a non professional like me that are begining with photography and needs some nice features.
Some people ask if buying Fuji S9000 would be a beter idea. Need you more pixels, are you a professional (or at least know what White Balance, Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Metering are and what they work for) and have more money to spend, then I would say that it be nice. Otherwise, if you are like me and just wanna practise with a good digital camera that many people will envy for its qualities, then you dont ever need to think about another camera.
I may not here be able to say how good Fuji S5200 is but I really love it and would not change it.
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