Fuji FinePix S5200
Digital Camera Review
Nov 30, 2005
- By Patrick Singleton
1.8
The SLR-like Fujifilm FinePix S5200 is a 5.1 megapixel (effective) 10x ultra zoom camera with the typical priorities of a long zoom Fuji: it lacks optical image stabilization, but attempts to compensate with extended ISO settings up to 1600 and a pretty wide maximum aperture to allow fast shutter speeds, minimizing the need for image stabilization. Its images are captured with a 1/2.5” CCD and will appear on a 1.8” LCD monitor, as will its 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 video clips in AVI (Motion JPEG) format. The S5200 is a light, compact camera that offers manual control options, high sensitivity settings and a long telephoto lens to a range of consumers at a list price of $399.95 – going as low as $320 online.
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Picture Quality / Size Options (7.5)
The FinePix S5200 offers six quality/size options for JPEGs, plus the option of shooting RAW files. The JPEG sizes are: 5M F and 5M N (5 megapixels each, at Fine or Normal compression, respectively), 3:2 (at roughly 5 MPs but at a 3:2 ratio for printing), 3M (3 megapixel images), 2M (2 megapixel images), and 0.3M (0.3 megapixel images, useful for email and web use).
RAW files are the unprocessed, uncompressed image data. They can be opened with Fuji's proprietary software on a PC or Macintosh. Using RAW files avoids data loss caused by JPEG compression, and theoretically yields better results. Photographers who plan to edit their images digitally will benefit from shooting RAW.
Picture Effects Mode (6.5)
The FinePix S5200 features a Fuji-standard FinePix setting to imitate highly saturated slide (chrome) film. It can also shoot in black and white, in addition to the camera's normal setting. Fortunately, the “chrome” option is not as gimmicky as the solarization and posterization settings on some other cameras and may be just right for some landscapes, high-tech equipment, and brightly-colored subjects.
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