FujiFilm FinePix S5200 Zoom (FinePix S5600)

Opinion: I have had this camera for 4 months and is an excellent model. I have taken over 900 pictures with it and the image quality(2048 x 1536) at 3 MP is better than I expected. Although the camera has 5 megapixels, I don't have to go above 3 megapixels. What I also like about this camera is that it is a Point and Shoot with a fixed lens which prevents any dust entering the body. It also has an attachment thread on the lens for which additional accessories can be screwed on such as filters, wide angle and tele converter lenses to enable the user to be creative in their photography.

All in all, it's a good all-rounder and one that I'll be keeping.

Opinion: I have used this camera for over a year and am still delighted with it. Results are excellent most of the time - mistakes usually caused by me. Now taken well over 2000 photo's.

It does require some knowledge of photography to get the best out of it, but I do not use many of the functions - mostly use Program and Anti-shake (note: despite comments in some reviews, this does not just pick a high ISO)

Generally it is fast, colours are accurate, pictures are good, low-light performance not bad, great for portraits. A very satisfying camera to use.

Opinion: This superb value-for-money digicam doesn't need me to write any more about it than cpfrank has admirably done below.

My only little 'niggle', and it really is a little one, is that the battery door is prone to unlatch if the camera is hurridly withdrawn from its bag and care is not taken where my fingers go.

I am really pleased with its high-ISO performance and find indoor pics taken at ISO 1600 make very respectable 6X4s in which any noise has to be really looked for.

Opinion: I have owned this camera now for two years and still love it.

Remember this is not an SLR. If you want a camera that

gives you control over your shots then this is a great one to

start with. If you want one to pull out of your pocket and

shoot, then this is not it. Take your time, learn the

camera and have steady hand. The zoom is great and

focus is good at full zoom in good light. People will be

amazed at the pics you take with this "cheap" camera.

Only the price is cheap, the camera is great. Great for

vacations...it's light. No need for shlepping around a bag

full of lenses. But please, do not compare with an SLR.

Still, the sensor size/MP rating ratio is a great match.

People who have complained about (no hotshoe, IS, low

light etc..) need to buy an SLR. This site gives you all the

info you need BEFORE you buy it (buttons, functions,no

hotshoe). I knew what I was getting when I got it and

didn't expect any more. But it has given me more than I

expected.

Opinion: A have been using my Fujifilm Finepix S5200/S5600 for nearly 1,5 years. After 5000 shots, this digital camera has never presented any important problem or error message. The fact that the zoom lenses move inside of a hard plastic protection makes this camera robust and avoids mechanical shock and dust contamination of the lenses. This isn't a heavy camera considering its 10X zoom, but isn't a pocket equipment. Therefore, I use it as my main camera, for situations that demand a good picture. For daily pictures, I carry a small pocket camera in my bag.
Despite the fact that new digital cameras have much more megapixels in their sensors than the 5,1 mega pixels from this camera, I think this amount is more than enough to print shots that have the size of a A4 paper sheet. The fact that pictures can be saved in raw (raf) format makes this camera special, since it increases the range of possibility to manipulate and improve the shots.

Opinion: I know four people with the camera.

Two of us are photographers and share a similar opinion of it.

The other two have them for P&S full auto family snaps.

The P&S shooters think they're great - even though one of them paid more than double what the rest of us paid.

The photographers think that Fuji are having a laugh. The spec is great but sadly the images are like mud - even RAW low ISO images suffer from mush and poor contrast. This camera was cheap - and it shows.

Mine is used as a general dogsbody camera for times when there is high risk of damaging the camera or when quality isn't important.

My mate takes his on fishing trips & bike rides.

To be fair to Fuji these units can take a knock, dust, rain and sand - my camera rolls around in the boot (trunk) with no ill effects.

Opinion: I have had this camera for a little over a year and will be giving it to a friend because I bought Fuji's S6000FD.

This is a camera you would want a friend to have. It's image quality is top notch for the price, this camera is an unsung hero that will beat anything other than the S6000FD in the image quality department. It will beat an FZ50 or an S5IS, even though it is older and has fewer pixels. However, to get top results you must be experienced with the camera and be a decent photographer with film skills as well. I never once used it in an automatic mode.

It lacks image stabilization, but that did not matter because I have a steady hand, and it is an easy camera to hold steady.

It claims to have manual focus, but the implementation is useless. If you are trying to shoot action in low light, the AF is likely to miss, even though the camera is perfectly capable of excellent low light photography. This can be alleviated by stopping down to F8, which the camera can handle in low light because it is so excellent at higher ISO's.

When shooting at high ISO's, the camera retains color saturation, right through ISO 1600. A fair amount of detail is lost at 1600, but you will still get a good postcard print with good color. Amazing!

This camera was able to achieve a shutter speed of 200 while shooting a picture of the moon, which allowed a handheld shot. Handheld at maximum zoom (digital and optical) it clearly showed well over 100 craters. It blew my mind. Certainly not expected!

Pros:

Top notch image quality with great color accuracy, even at higher ISO's which makes getting an action shot in medium and better lighting an assumption rather than a hope.

Crisp clear lens 38 - 380

Fast performance

Great battery life (plus it takes AA's!)

Excellent feature set

Great movie mode

Predictable repeatable results

Rugged and lightweight

Low price

Cons:

Chromatic abberations (purple fringing) can ruin some of the longer telephoto shots. Not a good bird camera because birds are often highlighted against a bright sky, which brings out purple fringing. Still better than many other cameras though.

Perfectly useless manual focus.

No optical image stabilization (not a problem for me) but some people will want it.

Opinion: I've taken over 10.000 photos in one year with this camera and i can say that i'm satisfied with it. Its optical zoom capabilities are really good. The material used to build the camera is superb; although i use it a lot and dropped it several times, nothing happened to the construction. It takes raw pictures which is really unique in its category. Image quality is enough if you are not planning to print large posters. Video and the sound recording is far better than i expeceted while i was buying. In the low light, the images are not too bad. (i use a tripod and take good pictures in relatively low ISOs)

Opinion: After 1100 photos all i can say isthat i´m pleased with this camera.I takes good pictures with fine detail and beautifull and richfull colors. Fujifilm has smart limited the resolution to 5.1MP and add the new 5th Generation Super CCD HR image sensor, Real Photo Technology Processor and Fujinon.This camera is very capable low-light performer. We are able to use up to iso 400, without bothered with noise. Iso 800 is still usable, and at 1600 lte´s consider that a bonus from Fuji.
Raw mode very nice to use, af assistance, AA batteries, excellent power consuption (410 pictures wtih 4 AA's).
Fast camera, good burst modes.