Camera Crisis!

[Nathan]

With my old camera now gone and done with after seeing lord nelson because the screen cracked its time for a new one , except im having a dilema between two very nearly exact cameras by Fuji.

The old, Finepix S5600 Zoom or the new S5700. The 5700 has 7.1 mega pixels unlike the 5600 which has only 5.1 and has a smaller screen size which is personally better if it uses less battery power in fueling a smaller screen. The 5700 again better but only with 0.8 more digital zoom. The only differance that puts the 5600 up is that it includes voice memo and instead of CDD sensor, contains a SuperCDD HR.

One of the features that has attracted me more leaniantly to the S5600 is its manual zoom on the lense, which is more attractive and again for railway photography a 1.1 second start up ensures i can never miss a train!

Some one enlighted me, is it worth sacrificing 2 mega pixels and 0.8 extra digital zoom, for a manual feature and extra seconds off the mark?

 

[Beaker]

Digital Zoom is worthless. I would go for the manual zoom one myself use less battery if that is your only concern. Does it do RAW files ?

 

[Nathan]

Digital Zoom is worthless. I would go for the manual zoom one myself use less battery if that is your only concern. Does it do RAW files ?

Finepix S5600:

* 5th Generation Super CCD HR sensor
* 5.1 million effective pixels
* 10x optical zoom
* Real Photo Technology and ISO 64 1600 sensitivity range
* Anti-Blur Mode to minimise blurring from photographer and subject movement
* High quality video recording at VGA and 30 frames per second
* Rapid start-up time of 1.1 seconds and shutter lag of 0.01 seconds
* Automatic pop-up flash
* JPEG and RAW file format
* Versatile manual functions including manual focus and exposure
* xD-Picture Card" providing large storage capacity, lower power consumption and fast write speeds
* 1GB capacities currently available

and followed by a load of waffle (Finepix S5700)

7.1 million pixels:1/ 2.5-inch CCD :
Internal memory (approx. 27MB) /
xD-Picture Card 16MB - 2 GB,
SD card (512MB, 1GB, 2GB):
Still image : JPEG,Movie : AVI
(Motion JPEG ) with sound:
Audio: WAVE format, Monaural
sound,number of recorded
pixels Still image: 3,072 x 2,304 /
3,072 x 2,048 (3:2 format) / 2,304 x
1,728 /1,600 x 1,200 / 640 X 480 pixels
Movie: 640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec.),
.), 320 x 240 pixels (30 frames/sec.)
with monaural sound:Fujinon 10x
optical zoom lens, F3.5 - F3.7:
lens focal length f=6.33mm - 63.3mm,
Equivalent to 38-380mm on a 35mm camera:
aperture F3.5- F13.6, 7 steps in
1/3 EV increment:digital zoom
Approx 4.8x:focus distance
Normal : Wide angle : Approx.
30cm/1.0 ft to infinity
Macro:Wide Angle: Approx. 4cm/1.6 in
to 3m/9.8:TelephotoApprox. 60cm/2.0.
"To 3m/9.8ft:
Super Macro: Approx 1cm /0.4 in. to 1m /3.3 ft.sensitivty
"
64/100/200/400/800/1600
(Standard Output Sensitivity):
TTL 256-zones metering:Programmed
AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority
AE, Manual:Mode dial : Auto, PS(AntiBlur),
Natural Light, Natural Light & with Flash
, SP1, SP2, P, A, S, M, Movie SP1/SP2 : Portrait
Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset
Snow, Beach, Museum, Party, Flower.Text
shutter speed 4 sec. to 1/1000 sec. (depend
on Shooting mode):continuos shooting mode
Top-3 (max 1.4 frames/ sec), Long-period
(max.0.6 frames/ sec):Auto focus (Area, Multi, Centre
Continuous AF/ Manual focus,AF assist illuminator available:
Automatic scene recognition:Preset (Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light
Shade, Fluorescent light)Daylight), Fluorescent light
(Warm White), Fluorescent lightCool White),
Incandescent light), Customelf-timer
Approx. 10 sec./2 sec. Delay:Auto flash (Auto pop up)
Effective range: (ISO AUTO(800)): approx. 0.5 - 6.2m /1.6 - 20.3 ft
Macro: approx. 0.3m 3m / 1.0 ft - 9.8 ft Red-eye Reduction + Slow
Synchro view finder 0.2.4 inch approx.230,000 pixels colour LCD monitor
2.5-inch , approx.230,000 pixels, low-temperature polysilicon TFT
colour LCD monitor approx. 97% coverage, 60fps:movie
recodring 640 x 480 pixels, 30 frames/sec. 320 x 240 pixels,
30 frames/sec. With monaural sound, with Electronic Image Stabilisation:
High speed shooting, Best framing Post shot assist windows
Frame No. memory, Automatic playbacklayback functions
Slide show, Trimming Single frame, Multi-frame playback
Sorting by date, Image rotate Voice memo:NTSC / PAL selectable
USB Full-speed:4x AA type alkaline batteries (included)/ 4xAA type
Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (optional) or AC power adapter
AC-5VH (optional):106.1(W) × 75.7(H) × 80.7(D) mm/4.2(W)
× 3.0(H) × 3.2(D) in . (excluding accessories and attachments
weight Approx. 306 g/10.8 oz.(excluding accessories, batteries
and memory card):

 

[matt]

S5600 is its manual zoom on the lense

What do you mean by that?

 

[Nathan]

What do you mean by that?

Sorry wasnt very clear, literally manual zoom, just twist the ring on the lense to zoom in and out instead of pressing a button to let the motor do it instead.

 

[matt]

Well the s5600 doesnt let you do that

 

[Beaker]

if i remember correctly from the lasting frothing and flapping of fuji cameras , the FD version does but not the bog standard 560000000000000000000.

 

[thefab444]

The S6500fd lets you manually zoom, the S5600/S5700 don't - therefore you cannot zoom during video.

 

[devon_metro]

The only Fuji Bridge cameras with manual zoom currently listed are the S6500fd S6500 S9600

Battery life on the 6500 is excellent despite having a large screen. I would vote a zoom motor as using more battery power.

 

[Nathan]

I got my facts mixed up after reading about the 6500 then the 5600, well i guess regardless its auto zoom for either, so power consumption becomes irrelavent all but the 5600 has a smaller screen.

 

[Jim]

The only Fuji Bridge cameras with manual zoom currently listed are the S6500fd S6500 S9600

Battery life on the 6500 is excellent despite having a large screen. I would vote a zoom motor as using more battery power.

And the 9500!

 

[devon_metro]

Meant to say that, Typo

 

[thefab444]

I got my facts mixed up after reading about the 6500 then the 5600, well i guess regardless its auto zoom for either, so power consumption becomes irrelavent all but the 5600 has a smaller screen.

AFAIK the only "6500" series you can buy is the 6500fd, which has manual zoom.

 

[Nathan]

It does have manual controls, just to check that doesnt mean manual zoom though?

Manual control

Just as you'd expect from a camera that echoes SLR design, the FinePix S5600 Zoom gives you full creative rein to influence shutter speed, aperture, ISO and focus selection. It is a real reassurance to know that the camera's performance can be directed in the way that you wish it. Then again, you could just take the easy route, and leave it on auto...

 

[eezypeazy]

I've got a 6500fd, and I'm very pleased with it, although I haven't yet had the time to put it through all its paces.

This picture and this picture were both taken with it.

Regards

eezypeazy

 

[Nathan]

Very nice, shame about the post infront of the 158 but clearly unavoidable. I love the scenic shot though!

 

[thefab444]

Heh, the S6500 is fast becoming a very popular camera, I've already seen 3 or 4 out and about since I've I had one... which is about a month now. Battery life is excellent compared to my previous Samsung camera which had an automatic zoom and this had to deploy when you started up so mega battery waster plus no way of turning off the screen.

 

[devon_metro]

Although the viewfinder on the 6500 is useless

 

[thefab444]

What's useless about it?

 

[devon_metro]

Electronic and very poor resolution.

 

[Nathan]

Well after a lot of thought (and a bit of saving) ive decided to go with the S5600 as my choice, after seeing Damons recently i dont see any problems with it! Thanks for the useful opinions and feedback!

 

[Tom]

Electronic and very poor resolution.

Digital viewfinders I'd say are more handy as you see what is actually being taken than about 1cm higher than the camera sees it.

 

[Beaker]

Or just get a SLR and see exactly what the camera sees.

 

[Tom]

Beaker, not everyone has enough cash for an SLR.... :roll: :roll:

 

[Beaker]

But i think the one of the cameras mentioned was about £200 - £300 and you can get a SLR for that much. Pixels dont matter too much on SLRs.

 

[Jim]

D-SLR's I am not that interested in to be honest, way to coplicated to work IMO