Customer Reviews

FujiFilm FinePix S5000 3.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My dear husband, (a pro photographer) clued me into this camera before it was even shipped from Fuji factory. It compares to the top of the line Nikon Coolpix and Olympus high end digicams costing $800-1,000. But it outshoots all its competitors even though the others cost a lot more $$. I have been shooting this camera for only 3 days now (it was just released for sale last week) and I love it. My husband loves it and is thinking of buying one for himself even though he owns 3 digital SLR cameras and numerous 35mm Nikons. The photos from the S5000 look fantastic even at the 1mb and 3mb sizes. The lens is really sharp and the 10X zoom allows one to compose just about any photo one can envision. The camera fits nicely in the hand, buttons are intuitive and easy to reach, and one can shoot pics one-handed. It is a much smaller camera than it appears from photos, it is shorter than my cricket lighter!

It has a short lag time between pressing the shutter and making the image, as ALL digicams do, but I get around that by using the "best of 5" mode...it can blaze off 5 pics in one second, capturing precious fleeting expressions of my 3 month old son that other cameras would miss. White balance is terrific, skin tones look very realistic to life, metering is right on with what a pro photog would select. You won't regret owning this truly awesome camera. I'm loving it so much I'm ordering a second xd card to take even more pics.

Just buy it!!!

I've had this camera for about a month and have had nothing but fantastic photos to show for it. I am merely a photography novice, but the photo quality, features and zoom can hardly be beat for the value of the product.

The Good: Good picture quality, top-notch optical zoom, easy-to-hold body design, low battery drain when using high quality NiMH batteries, tube adapter and lensecap included.

The "eh"s: Slight purple glow under certain lighting conditions, TTL EVF will take a little getting use to, included software is usable, but nothing comparable to IrfanView and Windows XPs built in image handling.

The Bad: Included memory card is woefully small, included batteries will last about half of a blink of an eye.

I purchased this camera as an upgrade from my Fuji 3800 and while that was a good camera, the s5000 is a great camera. This camera is truly about the zoom, all 10x of it! I can easily zoom in on the blue jays in my neighbors trees and when looking at the photo you would think I was right next to them instead of in the next yard over. I have heard complaints that photos others have taken with the zoom fully extended have turned out very blurry. I have never experienced any blurriness with this zoom lens at all. The zoom on this camera is amazing! Another plus about the s5000 is the styling, it has the look and feel of a traditional SLR which helps traditional 35mm camera users feel comfortable using this camera. Also the setup is extremely easy. I had the camera out of the box and operating within 5 minutes the day it arrived. Even though this camera has many advanced features such as manual focus, white balance and ISO controls the beginning user won't have any problem operating it, the camera is fairly self-explanatory in that sense. One nice feature is the camera's AF illuminator which makes taking indoor shots without the flash very simple and they are usually in focus. Another great feature is the cameras ability to operate in three color modes: Black and white (which turns out awesome pics), standard color (usually looks exactly like the real thing), and chrome mode (which simulates slide film and makes the photo much more rich in color).
This camera is almost a 5 star, but I just couldn't rate it a 5 star because of a couple problems. Most of the time when I am taking pictures against a brightly lit background (whether artificial or a bright sky) there is a noticable purple fringing on the photos. It is not immediately noticable, but once I noticed it I was not happy with the photos until I edited out the purple in Photoshop. One should also consider purchasing a 256 xd card because of the wealth of photos you will be taking. On the cameras highest resolution ("6" MP) I can fit close to 200 pics on a 256 card. One other problem I have with the camera is more in the way Fuji marks the camera. On the side in large print is "22x zoom" and this is simply not true. The camera has 10x zoom with 2.2x digital zoom, and everybody knows that digital zoom doesn't count because of the way it can butcher the quality of the picture. Also Fuji tends to say that this is a 6MP camera which is also not true. This is a 3 MP camera with the sensor ability to capture the image as if it were 6MP, the difference is huge and many people could be fooled into thinking that they were purchasing 6MP cameras which is simply not true.
I would recommend this camera to anyone, beginner or professional simply for its wealth of features and its value. When the camera was originally introduced in the summer of '03 it retailed for close to $600, I have now found it brand new online at several sites for $277, so I would also recommend shopping around before purchasing the camera.

Strengths:
price! Functionality! High ISO 800 (although at 1M);takes filters;movies smoothness

Weaknesses:
auto focus and shutter lag are better than average, but still too slow for spontaneity; cumbercum to navigate the menu; manual focus extremely difficult to use;poor build quality;no true wide angel

Summary:

You can't beat the price-functionality ratio of this thing. ... High ISO comes in handy for indoor photography. You can even take B&W pictures.Pictures quality is good enough. Overall I strongly recommend it. But you read reviews to find out the less than perfect aspects so here we go: 1)build quality--lense barrel is loose, we exchanged the 1st one and the 2nd one was even worse, but it doesn't seem to affect picture quality;2)manual focus too difficult to use,auto focus' generally fast enough but takes some hunting sometimes 3)camera makes an unpleasant high-pitched sound 4)no true wide angel (only 37mm), but that seems like the industry norm 5)shutter lag is quite good but still too slow for taking spontaneous pictures of little kids playing (true for all digital cameras in this price range though).5)ISO800 only available at 1M;6) longest exposure time is only 2 sec.

Some tips: 1) use the chrome color setting to get better saturation 2) combine tele and manual focus, if you want to fill frame with your subject, e.g. your kid's face 3)get a UV filter and lens cap put on to protect lens; 4) or put on a polarizer filter to get richer colors ( a must have for seiour scenary phtography); 5) for in-door pictures, better to forgo the automatic settings and use the "P"(programable) or "A" (aperture priority) to set ISO to 400(800 only at 1M) to ensure maximun shutter speed to avoid shaking,"slow-syc" flash mode helps with low light conditions too.

the s5000 has a very nice professional feel. it also has 10x optical zoom which is great. but the superCCD system that fuji uses doesn't give as much detail as hoped for, and in the end, you have to conclude that there are better camers at this price point out there.

pros:
- 6-megapixel interpolated still mode.
- vivid colors.
- 10x optical zoom!
- flexible: point and shooters have automatic selections and scene modes while creative shooters have plenty of control with manual and priority exposure modes.
- continuous shooting mode.
- RAW file output.
- bright LCD works well even in low light.
- xD card features short write times, less battery usage.
- non-proprietary batteries used. this means replacement batteries are as close as the nearest convenience store (i recommend rechargeables though).
- good macro performance.
- supplied lens adapter gives camera a more professional look and serves as a lens protector.
- supports add-on lenses.
- unlimited 30 fps 320x240 video.
- adapter ring (which doubles as lens hood) included.
- low redeye occurrence.
- built-in AF illuminator.
- not as big or heavy as i thought. dimensions are 4.4"W x 3.2"H x 3.1"D, weighing 11.9 oz. (excluding batteries and media).

cons:
- image quality not as good as competition - too noisy and over-compressed.
- visible purple fringing.
- noticeable vignetting.
- lens shading visible in everyday shots
- no gain in resolution using the 6MP image size setting.
- no direct adjustment for tone or color saturation.
- no manual white balance.
- limited night exposure capability.
- flash exposures slightly underexposed.
- ISO 800 limited to one megapixel image size (1280 x 960).
- you're on your own when using manual focus - it doesn't show focus distance.
- this camera is made of plastic and it doesn't feel very solid.
- no exposure info for photos in playback mode.
- slowest shutter speed available is 2 seconds.
- although i like the fact that fuji uses non-proprietary AA batteries, 4 of these definitely add bulk.
- the supplied 16MB xD card is inadequate. be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for more memory (at least 128MB).
- the AA batteries supplied by fuji are not rechargeable so add a few more bucks to your budget to buy a charger and rechargeable AAs.

i hope this helps your buying decision. peace.

I bought this camera about one week after it was released. So I paid $469, but have been using it since early August. All my photos have been excellent, for color and sharpness. I have printed my digital images on Silver halide (AgX) paper and have been impressed with the quality. I have prints as large as 12x18 and see no digital artifacts. While some reviews say that the compression is too much I would disagree. The file sizes are around 800kb and easy to work with and don't over use your hard disk. Don't get caught up in the mega pixel wars, I find a 3MP camera will be enough for your printing needs. I am a research technician in digital imaging and have put the camera through several test for sharpness, grain (noise), and color. So far I can find no fault with this camera for the price range and its features. Another positive feature is its use of power supply, 4 AA batteries. If you are ever in a pinch these can be purchased any where. Battery life is very good, I use the electronic view finder. This takes a little getting use to, but really is fine after using the camera for a short period. If there is one thing that would have been a nice feature would be automatic pop up of the flash when it is needed. Using the camera in Program mode makes it easy for anyone in the family to use, yet the camera has features for the more serious photographer. So if you want a camera with 10x optical zoom, easy to use, no special battery, and the new xD camera card this is a great buy. The xD card really is faster than the compact flash cards so widely used. And if you buy the xD to compact flash adapter you can use the xD card in other compact flash equipment. One final positive is this camera looks GREAT!!!

I did ALOT of research before I bought anything, and when I saw this, it caught my eye. I love that it actually LOOKS like a real camera, and it performs better than any camera I've ever had. I've owned mine since the end of February and have taken hundreds of photos that have turned out outstanding. Everyone who sees them marvels at the quality, clarity, and color accuracy--not to mention the fact that I can get a GREAT picture of a goal shot from the OTHER END of a soccer field. By the way, all of those pictures I took that people loved--those are all with only 2MP

My FAVORITE features of the S5000:
*10x optical zoom allows for EXCELLENT composition (ignore digital zoom though. It diminishes photo quality)
*First-5 and Last-5 modes, when teamed with Aperture Priority at 1/1000 or so, allows me to get the PERFECT shots at sports matches and anything else that might otherwise be missed. THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST FEATURE OF THIS CAMERA! I RELY ON IT FOR *ANYTHING* THAT I KNOW I WANT TO CAPTURE, FROM WAVES CRASHING ON THE REEF TO A DROP KICK BY OUR TEAM'S GOALIE.
*It is VERY EASY to use! As soon as I got it, I was experimenting with the camera in less than 10 minutes.
*Battery consumption is quite respectable, especially for this type of camera. I use 4x2100 NiMH AA's (I love that it uses AA's) which last easily for hours of taking 5 or 10 shots in a row every couple minutes at sporting events. I use the flash ALOT, and it doesn't wear too much on the batteries either. (Just watch out for the batteries it comes with... they lasted about an hour after I first got the camera.)
*XD card is great! It's REALLY fast and easy to use.
*Oh yea... finally, THE PRICE !ROCKS! FOR WHAT YOU GET!!!

Unfortunately, all cameras have their cons:
*With the GREAT zoom the S5000 has, keeping it steady without a tripod becomes a challenge. Steadying software would have been a great boon, but it had to be cut for cutting cost and size.
*I !DO NOT! like the electronic viewfinder. It's hard to use, lags more than the LCD, and is less sharp. The S5000 should have had a standard viewfinder. I'd use it alot more and even save batteries from not using the LCD.
*The so-called "manual focus" is a joke. I've found it impossible to operate.

PLEASE!!! Don't let my gripes take away from this EXCELLENT camera! Things could always be a little easier or better, but with a camera at this price, of such high quality, and has SO MANY CAPABILITIES, you can't turn this one down!!!

Last tips for use:
*You NEED a larger memory card. At a minimum, 64MB. I recommend 128MB, though I have a 256MB card. It works GREAT and holds over 400 shots at 2MP, or 325 shots at 3MP. With a camera this much fun to use, you NEED space to play with.
*GET RECHARGABLE NimH AA batteries!!! You can't go for even an afternoon without rechargables. I recommend at least 1800-2100 capacities.

*FINALLY: HAVE FUN!!! THIS CAMERA HAS !ALOT! TO OFFER, SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS CAPABILITIES! READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL! IT HELPS!

I've had a Casio/Canon QV-3000 since 2000 and really liked it except for the wimpy zoom (3x). I wanted to upgrade to a camera with a better zoom and maybe more MP. I was going to get the Canon Digital Rebel but the more I looked into it the more pricey it became, more lenses and equipment plus a lot harder to use. The Fuji S5000 fit my needs just perfect with the 10X zoom and 6MP. I don't know why they don't advertise this as a 6MP camera because it has a 6MP setting as well as a RAW format! I've only had it a few days and already have taken some fantastic pictures and I'm sure the best are yet to come.

Read all these reviews then go out and get one. I'm glad I didn't invest in an SLR because this is a snap to use and the picture quality is awesome!

Before purchasing our first digital cameras, my wife and I did a heck of a lot of homework. We finally settled on the Fujifilm A205 for my wife to carry around in her purse, and the Fujifilm FinePix S5000 for me -- as I am a bit more serious about photography.

I wanted something that gave me the feel and many of the features of an SLR, but I didn't actually want to deal with either the price or bother of an SLR. After doing about a month of research, I purchased the FinePix S5000 and it is the perfect solution.

If you read the other reviews, you'll learn about many of the terrific features of this fine camera, but I'll mention a feature I didn't really realize until I brought it home and played with it for a few weeks.

The adapter ring that forms the barrel around the lens allows me to use professional filters. It tells you that right there in the manual that you can use one filter with the adapter ring, but it's buried under all sorts of other technical information. I'm surprised that Fujifilm doesn't do more to promote this fact because this is a HUGE asset. The only reason I can think of as to why they don't is because there are so many incredible features of this terrific camera.

As for filters, I've since purchased four different ones -- all size 55mm to fit the adapter. The general use UV filter (mostly for protection) and a Polarizer (to lessen glare on sunny days) were a great place to start.

I also purchased two other filters to compensate for indoor light. The flash on the S5000 isn't particularly strong, so it doesn't work all that well from more than 15 or 20 feet away. This is important because if you're in a school auditorium (remember, I have 6 kids -- so I'm there often) with fluorescent lights overhead, the pictures can turn out slightly green if taken from a distance. This does not happen when up close because the flash overwhelms the ambient flourescent light. But when my kids are on stage, for instance, they turn slightly greenish. This is no fault of the S5000 -- it's simply a characteristic of any camera taking pictures under most household or office light. It happened on the time with our old camera.

I bought an FL-D filter which dramatically lessens greenish effect from fluorescent light. I also have an 80A filter that compensates for the same problem that comes when taking pictures from a distance under traditional home-type incandescent light bulbs.

I imagine you can use any brand you want, but each of my four filters is a Tiffen and can be bought online or from many camera stores for about $10 to $15 a piece. This makes the S5000 truly unique. I have not found another point and shoot (non-SLR) camera that has this capacity to use professional filters. You can't use more than one filter at a time, but I'm so tickled that we can use any at all that this is a small issue of concern.

If you're really ambitious, there all all kinds of filters that do everything from soften a picture to create really neat special effects (like starbursts with every point of light). This brings an amazing flexibility to the S5000.

I also bought a Fujifilm TL-FX9 1.5x telephoto lens which I can attach to the adapter ring, effectively raising my optical zoom from 10x to 15x. This is a nice feature, but the 10x standard optical zoom is such a monster zoom that I rarely use the additional 1.5x telephoto lens except when I'm watching my kids on stage from the audience or something like that.

As noted in other reviews, ignore the 2.2x digital zoom, because you'll probably never use it. It is disabled when you're shooting at 6 megapixels (if you're confused about the 3.1 mp versus 6.1 mp, read the descriptions about the amazing Super CCD) so I never am able to use the 2.2x digital zoom anyway. But unless you've had a telephoto lens on your old camera, the 10x zoom will overwhelm you for most purposes anyway. And if you really need more, buy the TL-FX9 telephoto lens that turns your optical zoom to 15x. I purchased my TL-FX9 through an outside vendor at Amazon and it worked out great.

One last thing, don't forget to invest in a good printer. All this camera technology means nothing if your printer doesn't do its job. I bought the Canon i960 at the same time as my camera and couldn't be happier with it when using the Canon Pro paper. The prints are amazing and truly duplicate the quality of processing you get in most neighborhood retail stores where most film is developed.

If you're a serious amateur who doesn't want to break the bank, I highly recommend the Fujifilm S5000. I absolutely LOVE it.

This camera is one of the best hidden secrets of the mid-range/amateur digital camera market. It is about as close to a dSLR as you can get without breaking the bank. For one, the camera fits your hand like a glove, with its huge beefy handgrip and thoughtfully placed controls. The 10x optical zoom is stunning. Battery life is amazing, I go for weeks on a pair of 1800mAh rechargeables. Color and exposure are spot on, AF is dead-on accurate and the AF assist lamp is a rarely-found but valuable feature in this market segment. Shot-to-shot time is practically instantaneous. The S5000 can scale from a novice-friendly point-and-shoot to a killer amateur photographer's camera.

I have only few quams about this camera. For one, the software that compresses the JPEGs is too aggressive. Images show noise when viewed 1:1, but this isn't a problem unless you're printing photos larger than 8x10; if you are the CCD-RAW mode produces flawless images that can be post-processed on your own. Prints from the 3 MP mode look spectacular when printed in non-enlargement sizes. Next, I would make the LCD bigger, although it is incredibly bright and pretty high-resolution. The EVF needs to have a higher resolution, but it's better than the optical viewfinder found on pretty much every other camera in the market.

In all, I strongly reccomend this camera. The professional reviews that I've read tend to put this camera up against cameras that cost it twice as much; that's actually rather flattering for the S5000. It's not a dSLR, but it brings the feel, control, and power of a dSLR to a more frugal, amateur market segment.