Hello! I am thinking of purchasing this camera within a few weeks,
but I am not sure if I should hold out until June for the new
Fujifilm FinePix S602. I have read many reviews out there
regarding the D5 but want to hear from actual D5 owners. Are you
guys happy with the camera? Any regrets on buying it? What do you
most like and dislike about the camera? Thanks for your help!
Nacho---Dan in Oregon ( My mind's in Vegas, though
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I've had mine about 2 weeks. Took me a month to decide among the finepix6900, Oly 2100uz, D7 or D5. Bought the D5 mail order but went to a local store just to hold them before I made my decision. After that experiance it was between the two Dimages. Personally I can't tell the difference in the pics between the 2 and would rather have the extra top end zoom length than the extra wide angle at the other end, so I went for the D5.
Well, I've had a D5 for about 2 weeks now. Here's what I like
about it:
1. Zoom ring rather than those zoom "rocker" switches that you
sometimes see
2. Manual focus ring
3. Alot of the settings can be adjusted by knob, dials, & bottons
on the body. This really beats digging through menus to adjust
camera settings. Very cool.
4. Picture quality. Makes good photos to my eye.
5. Lens. Good focal length, good quality.
6. General ergonomics & build of the camera. It feels good in my
hand, controls are easy to reach and make sense to me. Feels
solid, yet it's light. I like it.
7. The EVF can give you a live preview of what your exposure looks
like, allowing you to make adjustments accordingly. Very cool.
What annoys so far:
1. I wish it had the 4x manual focus magnification that the D7 has.
2. No popup auto flash. When you need it, you have to pop up the
flash yourself.
3. Umm... It doesn't make coffee?
The Fuji S602 does look like a very nice camera, and it may be wise
to wait for the reviews to come in on it. Also, I'm sure other
camera companies will be announcing new models over the coming
days. That probably won't make your decision any easier.
If cost is a factor, consider that you could likely find the D5 for
right around $500 now (I paid $529 from B&H). I'd guess the S602
is going to come in at around $800-$1100. Phil has it at "under"
800 British pounds. I'm not 100% sure what that translates too in
U.S. dollars, but someone in the Fuji forum suggested $1100.
In any event, I think you'll wind up with a great camera. I don't
regret buying my D5 one bit. I'm very happy with it. Good luck!
Dan in Oregon
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Dan in Oregon ( My mind's in Vegas, though
Minolta Dimage 5
I haven't noticed any halos in any of my images, that's a new one on me, another story to add to the list I guess. There is so much stuff going around out there about both the D5 and 7 that its just incredible. Just forget about the alkaline batteries. This is the link to the charger and 4 nimh batteries I bought and am very happy with them.
I also own a D5, bought it about three weeks ago for $499 from buydig.com. It seems that a lot of D5 owners like me are digital photography newbies. I considered a bunch of point and shoot cameras before decided that I wanted manual controls. After all, if I bought a P&S, I could take snapshots, but I wouldn't learn much about taking photos. My fiancee was initally a bit annoyed by the size and complexity of the camera, but is now enamored of it. She has even been trying to figure out the different camera settings. I find that the AA batteries are a blessing, not a curse. Standard format batteries are so much cheaper than proprietary ones and there is comfort in the idea that I could slap in a set of store bought cells in an emergency. I got two sets of NiMH batteries along with the set that came with the camera. I've averaged about 100 shots on a set, which makes me pretty happy. I've gotten some really great shots from the camera so far, but also plenty of bad ones. This is directly attributable to the learning curve and playing with settings. The cool thing, though, is when I take a bad shot, I just delete it and try again with new settings. I'm opposed to using a flash in general, but the flash on this camera is especially cheesy. I'm thinking about getting an external bounce flash. I generally get better results figuring out the settings to take a shot in natural light. I haven't printed out any shots from the camera, so I can't comment on that yet. Anyway, in general, I am happy with the camera. I view it as a learning tool. In a year or so, I may well upgrade to a higher end camera, but as high-end cameras only remain so for a short while, I think it makes sense to learn on something more appropriate. Hope that helps!
--Remember, never eat more than you can lift.
