Fugi S5000 (1 Viewer)

[samuel walker]

Not a bad little box I stacked this against Minolta dimageZ1 and Oly 750all the features were about the same Fugi was more favorable on price.The cam is fairly easy to use after lots of practice Photo quality is nice and clean.Be prepared for the new Dx card.Your old Smartmedia won't go here.The cam comes with a tiny 16k that is almost worthless.The sound recorder is handy.The function switch is sloppy and can move from still photo to movie a little too easily.After a month I like the unit.This cam was purchased for under $300 in1-04 The 128 card was $60 at Target.
Sam

 

[scampo]

I have the S602 and its movie facility is unbelievably good, as is its macro (2cm with full flash exposure!).

 

[mickporter]

I have the S602 and its movie facility is unbelievably good, as is its macro (2cm with full flash exposure!).

I have the Fuji 602 also. A great camera, but probably not for wildlife. I now also have a Nikon 4500 which can focus to infinity, digiscope, has better battery life and shows when the battery if failing (the Fuji warns you about ten seconds before it dies!!), I also prefer the Nikon for macros, finding it easier focusing especially when used with the coollight. Also the Nikon is easy to push into a pocket in case its needed. The Fuji is much too big and more delicate for that.

On the plus side the Fuji is great for general photography, inluding portraits and landscapes. It also looks like a proper camera and doesn't embarass you at weddings!!!

 

[scampo]

Spot on - the Fuji is also a doddle with any hot-shoe electronic flash whereas the Nikon needs an expensive Speedlight.

The Fuji is fine for close up shots of insects, though, and its lens is, I should think, the equal of the Nikon. I'm not properly used to the Nikon yet at all but feel sure it will be excellent - sadly, I knocked mine over while it was attached to my Nikon 82 scope just a week after I bought it and it's still with Nikon being repaired. My first "optics" accident in over thirty years of photography and birding!

)-:

 

[christineredgate]

Steve,hard luck,I wondered why you hadn't made any mention of your digiscoping .Re the 602,I traded mine in for the new Canon,biggest mistake ever,anyway,I sold the Canon 300D to hubby,(I can still use it,once I have purchased the book!!) and I have bought a used 602 from Jessops,complete with12 mths warranty.Can't wait for it to arrive this week.Will not let go again.It is a fab camera,just too bulky to carry all the time.

 

[scampo]

Well, you must like iit, then! Hope it's in better condition than the CP990 I almost bought from them! I love the feel of the Fuji - and it's so easy to use well. It hardly ever lets me down quality wise, either.

 

[Mikejenk]

I'm surprised there are so few posts relating to the s5000 as at my local Jessops store the staff rate it above the comparable Olympus and Minolta models.

I am looking to purchase my first digital camera and I have a dilema as to wether to opt for the s5000 or go the extra mile and shell out on the FZ 10.

I have read a lot of reviews and have tried to get my head around the technical Jargon. What I realy need to know is wether the s5000 is good enough to give me quality bird pics fom a range of say 50 ft. Will the FZ 10 improve quality substantially at this range. Does it matter that the s5000 doesn't have an image stabaliser. Are the batteries for the FZ 10 terribly expensive.

I should be grateful for any responses which will help me make an informed decision from a birder's perspective.

 

[scampo]

It certainly is - it's a fine camera and has many of the features of the S602, now discontinued. If you look around, you'll find the S7000 at some very low prices, too - and that is a better camera in many ways but lacks the 10x zoom lens. Both Fujis also take close up shots with ease.

If you are thinking of digiscoping, though - they are not really suitable as the front of their lens element is so much wider than a typical scope eyepiece - this means you'll get cutting off at the edges (vignetting).

 

[Mikejenk]

Thanks steve. I plan to use the camera to build up a catalogue of pictures of British and European birds without using digiscoping.

This will present a significant challenge in the case of many species. It will be like starting my tick list from scratch plus you can always look to improve on pictures of the species you have already snapped.

I plan to pick my camera before going to Bulgaria in mid may so I can afford to wait until more people post on the pros and cons on the fz 10. It's good to know that in your view the s5000 will meet my needs.

 

[mickporter]

Mike building up a bird photo library is no mean feat. As I said earlier I have both the Fuji 602 and now the Nikon 4500. Taking bird pictures without a scope is really really hard.

I attempted everything, putting bird seed on ground to hiding near the bird feeding tables etc. The biggest drawback you will find with any digital camera is the delay between pressing the button and the camera taking the picture. You need to somehow develop a sort of sixth sense and snap before the bird is in its final position. The other major drawback is noise! Digital camera's make a noise. Especially the Fuji's. Somehow the manufacturer seems to think people want a camera that sounds like a real camera and put built in sounds in the cameras. You can turn this off but it will just be overridden by the lens focussing, or extending etc.... Not many birds hang around after!

Do not be taken in by the zoom lens. They are quite good. Ignore the Digital zoom features cause they mean nothing, look at the optical. They can in reallity be compared to quite a big SLR lens, but will be in no way long enough to capture a robin sat in a tree!!! Only a camera connected to a telescope can achieve anything worthwhile there.

If you look in bird magazines and the net you will see that close up bird pictures have been taken by digiscoping or by an expensive SLR camera (digi or film), with a very very long lens.

Hope this doesn't dissapoint you but I am afraid its reallity...... In fact the reason I am stuck with a Fuji 602 camera that I will only use every blue moon. Digital camera's are great. Fantastic even but each seems to have its own uses. If you just think that in the future you may possibly resort to sticking your camera on the end of your scope, then opt for the Nikon, you will not be dissapointed. (Takes very good pics off the scope as well!!) If you want to get involved in more serious photography look at the Fuji 602, or 7000 (I don't know the other you mention). Or better still spend a lot more and buy a digital SLR, and lots of long long lenses!!


Mick P

 

[Mikejenk]

Mike

Thank you hi-lighting the shortfalls in my plans. None of the reviews I have read on the varous zoom cameras have expressed potetial problems in bird phoography.

The reviews contain great pictures of boats, buildings or sports events but don't allow me to see wether the camrea is adequate for my birding needs.

The Fuji s5000 has a 10x optical zoom and the other camera I refer to is the new Panasonic Lumix FZ 10 with an impressive 12x optical.

Although I knew that I wouldn't get results comparable with digiscoping I had seen it as a challenge to get the best result possible.

However, I don't want to splash out on a camera which renders this challenge virtualy impossible.

I haven't considered digiscoping because my scope (kenko pro 70) is on the cheap side (£280 with tripod, lenses and case cover from ace optics). At present I can't justify splashing out on a Nikon for use with a cheap scope.

After reading your advice I will have to consider wether I am better off saving for a camera and scope rather than going for a large zoom camera which leaves me disappointed with the results.

 

[mickporter]

It wasn't my intention to dissapoint you Mike. I was just pointing out my own observations based on my own experiences.

If you concider that via a telescope, magnifications are X20 or x30 plus the zoom on the camera X4 in the case of the Nikon (I know that isn't exactly an exact measurement!) you will get some idea of how small in reallity x10 really is on its own. Therefore how close you need to be.

Admittedly with computer enhancement and cropping you can get up close, but at the loss of a great deal of definition.
I have a friend who takes terrific bird pictures with her camera. But her camera is an expensive Film SLR, and she carries a lens the size of a telescope.

Perhaps other readers have better experiences than myself, and can be much more positive and encouraging???

 

[scampo]

I think your comments were spot on, Mick. I have been a keen photographer all my life but have never got decent wildlife shots with a normal lens arrangement. I suppose with ultimate patience and a hide of some sort, it might be possible to get close enough? A typical SLR nature kit would need to include an 800-1000mm lens and a portable hide.

 

[mickporter]

Yes one thing apart from lots of equipment my friend has, is bags and bags of time and patience. Both of which I lack.

She will think nothing of sitting for a day or more just to take one shot. She will sit for hours with just one particular shot in mind. I just snap and snap and hope!!!

Any of the camera's you describe Mike will be great and take really good pictures. All I am saying is that wildlife is a whole new ballgame. Birds refuse to sit still. Voles, foxes, deer and Otters appear and disappear quicker than you can press the shutter. Hedgehogs will not smile, and dogs eat cameras!

You give it a go mate. There are lots of guys on here who will help you. Join a camera club and take advice. Above all just enjoy what you do. At least with a digital camera there is no film to waste..........

 

[IanF]

I have to agree with what has been said above.

For decent photos from a distance of 15 yards+ the you definitely need either a decent scope+camera or a DSLR+decent lens.

For distances less than that, acceptable results can be got with a Comapct design plus teleconverters, but quality of results is a compromise. For a couple of years I have been using the 2.1 MP Olympus C2100UZ IS+Tcon14+B300 converters. Canon made a similarly specified IS90Pro. Many amateur bird photographers over here and in the States used these cameras for quite a while before moving on to better thing, mainly DSLRs. Even with the equipment which applies to digiscping as well. The closer you get to the subject the clearer the photos forseveral reasons. So pick your location. Some of my best ones have been taken at bird feeding stations where the birds can come within 30' or even down to 5' which even a 10x can deal with very well.

For people on a tighter budget I'd still say go the compromise route of a camera with a decent 10x+ optical zoom, 4MP+, Image Stabiliser, min ISO 50 or 100 and capable of taking teleconverters. Just make sure you view plenty of photos of the type of subject you wish to take, taken with that camera.

Digiscoping can give good results, but can be quite cumbersome for following active birds and needs a decent quality scope in additin to the camera. DSLR's to my mind are the best quality and ease of use but cost the most.

 

[Mikejenk]

Thank you all for your input. After reading your comments I will probably opt for the cheaper S5000 (which has a x15 convertor avaliable). I can then put the cash I will save by not buying the more expensive panasonic model towards a bottom range or second hand Nikon and have a crack at digiscoping.

This way I will have a decent multi purpose camera and the oppurtunity to build up my birding gallery. As my only photography experience to date has been with the use of a compact 35mm zoom I have a lot to learn but will enjoy the challenge.

Thanks again for your help

Mike Jenkin

 

[prairiemerlin]

I have a Fuji FinePix S5000. I've had it for about half a year now. I love it. It has a great zoom, it's not too expensive, and the clearness of the photo is good. It was definetly worth it, and I have taken some fairly good shots with it.

 

[mickporter]

Mine is a 602 but very similar, and yes I agree it is a very good camera. One which you will not be embarrased to take out in public, unlike the odd shaped Nikon 4500 hehehe......

 

[glyn_canada]

So if I am going to digiscope with the Fuji s5000 and just crop out the vignette on the PC, what else would I need? Please be as specific as possible.

thx

Glyn

 

[jeff]

So if I am going to digiscope with the Fuji s5000 and just crop out the vignette on the PC, what else would I need? Please be as specific as possible.

thx

Glyn

I also have the Fuji S5000 + 1.5x convertor, i wanted an all round camera that i could use for both bird and holiday snaps, but have also started digiscoping now for those far away birds, but most importantly i didn't want to shell out loads of money.

Do a search of the gallery for "fuji s5000" and see what results you get back, i'm sure i'm not the only one who's posted a few in there.

I'm new to photography, so hopefully in time my pictures will improve.

As you do with any camera, i tried holding it to the scope and taking pictures, i guess with practice it would be possible, my best attempt was the water rail (posted in the gallery) with the s5000 held to the scope with no zoom, the lens ring made it easier to hold against my scope, i thought about popping some screws through the lens ring to hold it in place, but never bothered in the end as i got a coolpix off ebay.

Good luck with whatever you choose.