Telephoto lens for S5500??

[Hindolbittern]

My S5500 has a 10x optical zoom but the quality of the images when I do zoom is disappointing. See http://guestwickpromises.blogspot.com/ for August 31st for example.

The camera is fairly new to me (since my very much loved 2600 did the battery drain thing discussed below) and the first camera I've had with the potential for additional lenses.

So, the temptation is to go out and get a telephoto lens. Should I and, if so, has anyone got any recommendations?

Many thanks,

HB

[Andy Bright]

Do you mean an add-on teleconverter? as I thought the S5500 is a fixed lens camera. Don't know too much about Fuji's own teleconverters, but there's no doubt the subjects will be larger in the photos as a result... the actual quality is likely to take a dive though.
Personally, I loved your shots of the Hares, good to see plenty of habitat around them, rather than a close-up.

cheers,
Andy

[Hindolbittern]

Do you mean an add-on teleconverter? as I thought the S5500 is a fixed lens camera. Don't know too much about Fuji's own teleconverters, but there's no doubt the subjects will be larger in the photos as a result... the actual quality is likely to take a dive though.
Personally, I loved your shots of the Hares, good to see plenty of habitat around them, rather than a close-up.

cheers,
Andy

Andy, thanks for the kind words about the hares and their acres of fields, and that was severely cropped. I'll feel a bit more positive about them now. I did like the fact that they were so apparently unperturbed by me, loafing and idly chewing a toe nail (them not me).

I know I am further risking showing the limitless fathoms of my ignorance here, but I believed one could add things to the front of the S5500 - there is a thread.

I'm after higher quality long distance images i.e. less fuzzy hares, and imagined a magnifying lens on the front would make it clearer (and closer). The hares were enhanced using the magic of Paint Shop Pro (there, I've ruined the mystique now!), the originals were even less distinct. They were taken on maximum zoom and, as you say, that does seem to reduce the image quality no end.

I realise that a lot of the bird forum photos are using digiscoping, but before that was invented photographers used to get nice crisp wildlife photos surely?

Am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

I do posess a tripod and am wondering, as I type, if using that in combination with putting the camera on a higher picture quality setting would help with such photos.

Although, I do like to just pootle off on the bicycle and see what I see and having to carry the tripod would be an encumbrance...

Thanks,

HB
http://guestwickpromises.blogspot.com/

Edit - I've just realised by clicking on your link who you are Andy. I'm even more humbled that you like my fuzzy hares now! And a lot more embarrassed at how little I know about how to use my camera...

[Neil]

I would test out the camera on a tripod at the highest quality setting to see what the best result would look like. The camera lens when fully zoomed probably dropped the shutter speed down too low for the movement of the hares. You shouldn't expect the same quality though as you would get from a prime lens for an SLR camera.Neil.

[Hindolbittern]

I would test out the camera on a tripod at the highest quality setting to see what the best result would look like. The camera lens when fully zoomed probably dropped the shutter speed down too low for the movement of the hares. You shouldn't expect the same quality though as you would get from a prime lens for an SLR camera.Neil.

Thanks Neil, I'll make that my task for tomorrow and report back. I took about 50 shots in total in that field and in some the hares were quite static and they weren't any better.

Guess I should have got an SLR - too late now though!

Thanks again,

HB

http://guestwickpromises.blogspot.com/

[Andy Bright]

Yep, as Neil says... a tripod is a sure way to improve things when you're at maximum zoom on the camera, even a monopod would be useful (and more portable for you).

You can add teleconverters to the front of your lens (these are not actually lenses as such). Two options that come to mind after a bit of research are Fuji's own dedicated 1.5x teleconverter model TLFX9 or the Olympus TCON-17 1.7x teleconverter... reports tend to suggest the Olympus produces better results, despite being more powerful. Neither seem particularly expensive in the scheme of things, so it may be worth trying one.

If you are limited by the magnification of your equipment, a hide may be a good option for getting high quality shots.

cheers,
Andy

[stanacko]

Thanks Neil, I'll make that my task for tomorrow and report back. I took about 50 shots in total in that field and in some the hares were quite static and they weren't any better.

Guess I should have got an SLR - too late now though!

Thanks again,

HB

http://guestwickpromises.blogspot.com/

Hi,
I,ve got the Fuji s7000 with 55mm threads at the front(your,s might be same)
What you want is the lens adapter tube then the Fuji 1.4x lens it will screw
onto the tube. You can also fit the olympus tcon 17 which is 1.7x both these
lens have 55mm threads at the rear but none at the front. What I did I got a cheap filter took the glass out stuck it into the front of the Fuji 1.4 with araldite and stacked the tcon 17 onthe front and got some good results.
Stan.

[Andy Bright]

We could do with birdforum regular, Mike Mules as I seem to remember he uses the Fuji 5500 with the Oly TCON-17.

[deborahp]

..... I know I am further risking showing the limitless fathoms of my ignorance here, but I believed one could add things to the front of the S5500 - there is a thread. .....

I've read that the Fujifilm TL-FX9 1.5x teleconverter isn't all that impressive next to the Olympus TCON-17 1.7x, though it does come with the adapter tube. Filters can be put behind the TCON, and the adapter ring that comes with the camera, threaded for 55mm filters, should work. Raynox also makes an adapter tube, the RT5249. (The kit that includes both that tube and a polarizing filter looks interesting.)

Other options are the Raynox conversion lenses, in particular the DCR-2020PRO 2.2x. It's roughly twice as much money as the TCON. The Raynox site for all of their Finepix S5000 series options is here:
http://raynox.co.jp/english/digital/s5000/index.htm

The comparison photos there are pretty impressive, but I haven't found any photo comparisons between the TCON and the DCR-2020PRO yet.

[MikeMules]

Hi HB, I use the previous model to yours, the S5000, successfully with teleconvertors and other in-front of lens attachments. They just screw straight into the 55mm thread on the lens adapter, which should always be on your camera, in order to protect the lens.

I own both the Fuji 1.5x tcon, and the Olympus 1.7x tcon, but only use the Olympus. I find it gives far better quality images with minimal chromatic aberration. (I have epoxy-glued a 55mm thread inside my fuji tcon, and stack it together with the olympus to give me a super -tcon, but the chromatic aberration and general loss of contrast in the image makes using this a rare event). I have attached a picture (100% of original image) of a robin (approx. size 11-12cm) to show what the olympus tcon can do. But it is a big item - almost as heavy again as the rest of the camera! (But I like that - it gives me better stability when handholding).

Without the tcon, your maximum zoom is an SLR equivalent of about 370mm (or around 7x magnification if we're talking binoculars). With the olympus tcon, your maximum zoom is an SLR equivalent of about 630mm (12x magnification in binoculars). It still means you need to get close to the animals to take pictures that fill more than half the frame, but your working distance will be far more comfortable for both yourself and your subject.

I also use the S5000 with polarising filters and a +4 diopter for insect photography. I have attached an example of the latter, again, 100% of the original image.

The other thing that could help with using your S5500 is the settings on your camera. And I'll apologise in advance if I tell you stuff you already know or do.

If I recall correctly, your camera's max. resolution is 4mp - more than enough for an A4 size photo-quality print, and enough, with good image taking skills, for an A3 size print. Don't set below this setting - if you need more space, get a bigger XD card.

Don't leave the camera set on Auto. If you do, it will choose a lower resolution setting, meaning you can't crop as effectively, and it will often change the ISO settings (which affects the amount of noise your photo has in it) without warning. I think the S5500 has lower ISO settings than my camera, ISO 100 maybe? Always leave it on the lowest ISO that gives you an appropriate shutter speed.

Remember the handheld rule for shutter speeds: the shutter speed should be 1/(focal length of lens (SLR equivalent)). So with the tcon on, your minimum shutter speed should be 1/600 of a second. This should help avoid blurry pictures due to camera shake. If your ISO setting doesn't give you this, then change to a higher setting - just not ISO 800, as it gives (on my camera at least) a lower resolution image. On that note, never use the digital zoom; all it does is cut out the centre of the image, and you can do that more effectively on a computer.

I usually use my camera in A-mode (Aperture priority) where I control the size of the aperture (amount of light entering the camera), and the camera judges the correct shutter speed. This gives me good control, not only of the shutter speed, but also of depth of field (what is in focus) in the photo. Or else, I use manual mode and set both myself, using the camera's indicator to balance the two.

I have found it a fun and useful camera to learn on, and take a lot (12000 at last count) of photos with. I'm about to change up to a Pentax DSLR in the next couple of months, but I'll definitely keep my S5000 in use until it dies. It's a good little camera for beginning wildlife photography with.

I hope this has been of some help.

[Hindolbittern]

Thank you so much everyone for the information - especially to Mike for spending so much time on your reply. And no - I didn't know it already! I'm going to print it all out and sit down with the camera and try to understand it all. I've always been a bit ISO/focal length etc phobic but I must try and get past that. To me, involving numbers in something to do with art, which I generally do very intuitively, feels like a mind bending combination of right brain & left brain. But I do understand that forcing myself past that will get results.

So, today's tasks...

1. Read and understand (with aid of the manual!)

2. Go out with tripod and try and pin down an obliging subject

3. Order Olympus 1.7x tcon from the net (having done a bit of price research)

It'll be interesting to hear how much of a step change you find your move to the DSLR Mike. But don't make it sound too tempting - I've only just bought this one!

Many thanks again Andy, Neil, Stanacko, Deborah & Mike.

HB

http://guestwickpromises.blogspot.com/

[Hindolbittern]

So, today's tasks...

1. Read and understand (with aid of the manual!)

2. Go out with tripod and try and pin down an obliging subject

3. Order Olympus 1.7x tcon from the net (having done a bit of price research)

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Interim report on progress

1. Did read and am beginning to understand.

2. Scampered over to Blakeney, clutching printouts and camera manual, and used the models in the waterfowl collection. Due to the fact that I was very much experimenting I got some complete failures but some were, I thought, definitely improving. Still more by luck than rational thought, if I'm honest, but the tripod was a big help. The photos below are some of the ones that worked and were on full zoom. Not tampered with apart from some cropping to remove acres of grass. The swans are a bit glary but I wont try and think about that just yet!

3. Put a wanted notice on classified, but if I don't hear anything in a day or two I'll order off the net - mostly seem to be the same price.

Thanks so much for the help.

HB

[Gerry o Neill]

Any advice on a good 1.5x to 2x converter lens foe Fuji Finepix 5600?

[Keith Reeder]

Assuming its for the same sized lens hood thread (55mm), Olympus Tcon 1.7 mentioned above is probably your best bet.

[Gerry o Neill]

Does auto focus work with tcon 1.7x and fuji finepix 5600 combination.

[sands]

Any advice on a good 1.5x to 2x converter lens foe Fuji Finepix 5600?
I have just purchased the Olympus tcon17 for my Fuji s5600. It is an amazing lens. Great sharpness handheld. I'm very pleased with it. BTW is it 1.7x