Model Design / Appearance (6.0)
The FinePix S5200 is a small SLR-like camera. Nearly every feature of the S5200 imitates a typical DSLR – the grip, the viewfinder hump, the lens barrel, and many of the controls look similar to the ones on large DSLRs. The FinePix S5200 has fewer controls than most DSLRs, though, so it doesn't look as crowded. However, it does look a little fake. The grip on the lens barrel looks like a zoom ring, and it's disappointing that it isn’t one; a zoom ring would be a better control than the pair of buttons that actually control the focal length. The shiny accent strip around the lens seems to be Mylar tape. Whatever it is, it won't last long. The microphone grill is absurdly prominent, and not likely to improve the sound. Unfortunately, the S5200 isn’t a looker.
Size / Portability (7.0)
The FinePix S5200 weighs just over a pound with batteries and memory card. At 4.4 x 3.3 x 4.4 inches, it's very compact among SLR-styled point0-and-shoot cameras. Though it won't fit in any typical pocket, it will be comfortable on a neck strap for a day of sight-seeing or taking snapshots at a wedding.
The camera lacks good protection against dust and moisture, however. The memory card door, the port covers, and the battery compartment door are barely sealed. FinePix S5200 users will have to protect the camera throughout use, storage, and transport.
Handling Ability (6.5)
The FinePix S5200's thick right hand grip and ridged texture surrounding the lens barrel make it a simple matter to hold on to the camera steadily. The resilient rubber surfaces and the comfortable contours should encourage users to shoot with both hands on the camera for improved stability.
Because the FinePix S5200 does not have image stabilization, users will have to hold the camera perfectly steady both in low light and when the zoom is set to telephoto. This presents a problem to many users, particularly the ranks of amateurs who shoot without using the left hand to steady the camera.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (7.0)
The control buttons on the S5200 are large for such a small digital camera. The actuation on the four-way controller is mediocre – pressing the control doesn't give as much tactile feedback as it should, and it can be hard to tell if the control has been activated. That's too bad, because the FinePix S5200 relies on the four-way controller for many functions. The controller adjusts aperture and shutter speed in manual modes, focus mode, flash mode and, in playback mode, image deletion and scrolling, as well as menu navigation.
In full manual mode, the up and down segments of the controller set the shutter speed. To set the aperture, the user must press the exposure compensation button while pressing the up and down segments. Engaging button combinations like that is much slower and less convenient than single, dedicated controls. Further, the exposure scale is a horizontal line that does not indicate the Exposure Value or amount of over or under exposure. Users are instead guided by a highlight indication on either the “+” or “-“ end of the scale. While this does clearly denote the suggested metered exposure, it does not provide enough information for users to manually manipulate exposure controls to their benefit. In this case, it might be better for users to switch to a priority mode and use the EV compensation to shape the exposure.
The buttons on the S5200 aren't crowded, in part because Fuji omitted buttons that are common on other similarly-styled cameras. This leaves the user to navigate the FinePix S5200's menu system to switch ISO and make other adjustments that advanced users access frequently.
Menu (5.5)
The FinePix S5200’s menus are extensive; many controls that could have had their own external buttons are in the menus instead. This design decision makes the menu organization more important than it might be otherwise: users who make lots of changes may get frustrated by the number of controls they have to scroll past to get to the one they want. For instance, the self-timer control is the first menu item. It is above white balance and ISO, which are controls that advanced users will access far more frequently.
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Shooting Menu
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Self-timer
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2 or 10-second delay
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Photometry
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Light meter pattern
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White balance
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Adjust camera to type of lighting
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High-speed shooting
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Limits focus range to make the camera shoot faster
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AF mode
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Sets the autofocus system to focus at the center of the screen, to find a high-contrast region near the middle of the frame and focus on that, or to allow the user to manually select an area for focusing; the AF/MF button next to the viewfinder selects between continuous AF, single AF, and manual focus
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Set
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Access the Set-up menu
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Sharpness
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Choose Hard, Standard, or Soft settings for sharpening
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Bracketing
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Choose bracketing at 1/3, 2/3, or 1-stop increments
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Setup
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Image Disp.
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Display images after they're shot for 1.5 seconds, 3 seconds or indefinitely, until the OK button is pressed
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Shutter volume
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Set volume for shutter sound
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Beep volume
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Set volume for alert sound
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Playback volume
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Set volume for movies and voice memos
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Frame No.
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Set whether the camera resets frame numbers when the memory card is switched or emptied
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LCD Brightness
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Control brightness of image on LCD
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Digital Zoom
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Turns digital zoom on or off
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CCD-RAW
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Set the camera to record RAW files instead of JPEGs
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Zoom Position
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Set the camera to maintain the zoom setting when the FinePix S5200 is turned off
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AF Illuminator
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Set to turn on the (very bright) AF illuminator when it is needed
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Auto power off
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Set the FinePix S5200 to shut itself off after 5 or 2 minutes unused; can also be set so the S5200 doesn't turn itself off
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Format
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Formats the memory card
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Date/Time
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Set date and time
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Time Difference
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Set current time zone while traveling
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Language
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Set the menu language
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Background color
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Set color for menu
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USB mode
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Set to connect to a computer for downloads or to a printer for PictBridge printing
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Video mode
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Set to PAL or NTSC video standard, for showing slide shows and videos on a television
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Discharge
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Runs down rechargeable batteries
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Reset
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Return FinePix S5200 to default settings
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Another menu of options comes up when the “F” button is pressed.
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F
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Resolution/Quality
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Set file size in JPEG mode
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ISO
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64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and Auto
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FinePix Color
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Standard, Chrome, or Black and White
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A separate menu comes up in Playback mode.
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Playback
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Delete
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Delete either the current image or all unprotected images
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Rotate
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Rotate images
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DPOF printing
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Set image to print
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Protect
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Prevent an image from being deleted from the memory card
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Slideshow
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Set options for slide show
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Set
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Access setup menus
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Voice Memo
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Record and play voice memos
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Trimming
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Crop images
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Ease of Use (6.5)
It's not uncommon for cameras like the FinePix S5200 to be easy to use in automatic modes, but awkward to handle in manual modes. That's the case here. Though the S5200 has all the manual features that would be on a serious user's checklist, many are inconvenient to use. Shutter and aperture controls, for instance, rely on the four-way controller rather than a dial for adjustment, and ISO and white balance are buried in menus.
It's easy to set the camera to Automatic mode, and it's likely that S5200 users will be happiest that way.
