Front (7.0)
The front of the FinePix S5200 is dominated by a large lens barrel with relatively little glass. That leaves a wide ring around the glass for a label, which reads “Fujinon Zoom Lens 10x Optical f=6.3-63mm 1:3.2-3.5 Ø 55mm.” The barrel is threaded for standard 55mm filters.
The lens barrel has a deeply textured rubber ring, which seems as though it naturally turn to control zoom or focus. It doesn't – it's a good grip, but nothing else. There's also a narrow, flimsy strip of apparent chrome around the lens barrel. However, it appears to be tape, and looks like it might peel off pretty easily.
At the upper right, there's a satiny, metal finished microphone with large holes. The viewfinder hump encloses a pop-up flash, and it has the Fujifilm logo and name printed on it. A large AF assist lamp sits between the viewfinder and the handgrip. The grip is covered in a slightly rubbery, leather-textured plastic. The material, combined with an indentation for the user's middle finger, make for a secure hand-hold. The FinePix S5200 has Fujifilm's signature mirror-finish “Super CCD” badge, and “5.1 Mega Pixels” silk screened on the front of the camera.
Back (7.0)
The FinePix S5200's viewfinder has a large, hard rubber eyepiece and a large magnifying lens, which make it easy to see the whole image. The viewfinder has a diopter adjustment dial on the left side. The 1.8-inch, 115,000 pixel LCD is below the viewfinder. A larger, higher-resolution display wouldn't crowd the back of the camera, and would be much more functional.
Two silver-toned buttons labeled “W” and “T” control the zoom setting in shooting mode. The buttons are high on the back, between the viewfinder and the mode dial, and they can be operated conveniently with the user's right thumb. In playback, they control the image magnification.
Along the right side of the LCD display, there is a button to switch the display between the viewfinder and the LCD. Just below, there is a button to boost the display brightness for use in sunlight. The boost affects both the viewfinder and the LCD. The four-way controller is below that. It's a continuous ring with a center button. In addition to navigating up, down, right and left, the controller offers direct controls -- “Up” also functions as the delete key, “Left” activates macro mode, and “Right” switches the flash mode. The center button brings up menus and functions as an “OK” button.
The Display/Back button is below and to the left of the four-way controller. In shooting or playback modes, it switches between display formats. In menu modes, it cancels menu actions. Alongside it is the ever-necessary “F” button, which brings users into a small menu of shooting options.
The right side of the back is covered with leather-textured rubber, which makes the camera easier to grip.
Left Side (6.0)
The left side of the FinePix S5200 features a wide, stamped metal strap lug, the door for an xD media card, and ports for USB, A/V and auxiliary power. The media card door does not latch, and snaps shut with only the slightest catch. If the door opens while the FinePix S5200 is on, the camera shuts off automatically and immediately, aborting file recording. It seems fairly easy to snag the door on something, and doing so while shooting will unfortunately result in lost images.
The ports are protected under a rubber door that is attached to the S5200 with a flexible tether. The door does not provide much of a seal against dust or moisture.
The lens barrel is emblazoned “10x Optical Zoom” in large letters, making the FinePix S5200 a real chick magnet.
Right Side (7.0)
The right strap lug is recessed to keep the FinePix S5200's grip comfortable, which is a nice touch. The rubber covering sweeps from back to front, making the contact comfortable and sure. The rubber is interrupted by a narrow strip of hard plastic, which reads “High Magnification Optical Zoom.” The text is embossed in the plastic, and doesn't affect the comfort of the grip.
Top (8.0)
The focus mode switch is on the top left of the FinePix S5200, and it's surrounded by a locking ring. The top of the flash is printed with the FinePix logo and “S5200 Digital Camera.” The rest of the top is all business, with the large, textured mode dial at the right rear, handy for the user's right thumb. On the far right side of the top, there's a button to control the burst mode and a button to activate exposure compensation. The large, round, chrome shutter release is forward of that, surrounded by a ring that is a three-position switch which turns the camera off, sets it to shoot, or sets it to play back images.
Bottom (6.0)
The tripod socket is roughly centered on the bottom of the camera. That's well to the right of the center of the lens. Adjusting the camera on a tripod will result in slight, unintentional camera angles, which would not occur on cameras where the tripod and the lens are lined up. It's hard to tell what Fujifilm used to make the tripod socket, but is seems to be much tougher than the rest of the camera exterior.
