Finally got a camera

[JWSanders]

And what a camera it is!! Very pleased with it so far. It is a Fuji Finepix S5200. 5.1 Megapixel with a 10X Optical and 5.7X Digital zoom for a total of 57X zoom.



When I was in California with my friends camera I noticed some deficiencies in the "point and shoot" type of camera it was. Long range shots were visibly blurred due to camera shake, and even short range pictures were affected if you couldn't hold the camera still for the second or so it took it to take a picture. This camera solves all that! .2 seconds for a wide angle shot and .8-1.2 sec to get a shot at full zoom. Anti-blur seems to work really well, too.

These were taken by just "pointing and shoting":

Full wide angle:


End of optical zoom:


Full zoom:


With a tripod or something similar, the long range shots would be even better!! Reducing the images for the post (even in photoshop) caused a slight amout of blur, too.

Better than many of the cameras I've used in the past. Many extra features, too. Can do exposures from 20 sec.(!) to ISO 1600(!) Video (w/audio) at 30fps at 640x480, although it really eats memory fast. Will take me forever to learn all the features.

I highly recommend it!! The camera was $270.00 at www.buydig.com with free shipping. Got it 3 days after I ordered it. Couldn't have been happier with that site.


Something tells me ya'll will be seeing a lot of pictures from me over the summer.

I hope to document (in pictures) the entire process of polishing up the motor I'll be putting in the bike, as well as a few other things.

[TopCatGr58]

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

Hey JW,

That's an awesome looking camera, it looks to be like an SLR thru the lens style viewer, but not sure!?

However, I think you may have overestimated the zoom capabilities a bit. 10x Optical, and then an additional 5.7x Digital, but you only ADD them together for 15.7x total, not 57x!

You can tell by the size of that gulf sign, it appears to be only about 5x bigger from the Optical to Digital zoom size!

You'll want to stay away from the digital zoom feature though, cause as you dig. zoom in, the pixel count goes down from 5.1mp to around 1mp. So it's the same thing as if you only used the 10x and then cropped the resultant image to blow it up expanding the pixels as you go!

Looking forward to seeing your photographic work!
T.C.

[JWSanders]

It's called an SLR-type. It has a viewfinder, but it dosent tie in to the lens like on a true SLR. It just has a mini-LCD in it. Good for when the sun is too bright to read the bigger LCD, or to get better aim of moving targets. I've been able to snap fairly clear pics of cars going by the house at 50 or so MPH!

No, it isn't an overestimation. Digital magnifications are treated as multiples. If you'll notice, the 10X Gulf sign is very close to ten times the size of the sign in the wide angle shot. And like you said it's 5 times the size from full optical to full digital (5.7X). Consequently, it is easily 50 times the size from full wide to full zoom. I have these in their full 5 megapixel splendor too, which does make it a bit easier to discern. In photoshop, on the 640X480 images, I measure the sign at 5, 46, and 246 pixels tall in their respective zooms. Pretty close. It's a bit of an oversimplification really, but I could explain the mechanics of it if you like. I've worked with digital imaging and video for the last 12 years. Make sense?

Google total zoom as well, many cameras describe it the same way.

There is definately pixel reduction from the imager using the digital zoom. From what I can gather it is interpolating a 2.3 MP image into a 5MP one when on full zoom. It appears to handle it pretty well though, especially considering I was just holding the camera in hand on the last one and that sign is a LONG way away! With a tripod, and some manual focus tweaking, it would be even clearer.

[mro]

Sometimes you feel like a zoom, sometimes you don't

gave my mom a 5.1mp digital, but it's only 5X optical.

While not didital, this gets up close and personal


And for times that I want to get XSive


Has digital sensor and a camera mount



mro
btw, monitor image you posted looks great. Hows it print???

[JWSanders]

I have yet to try printing any of these. Don't really have a need for prints. I imagine I will take a memory card to Walgreens or something when I take a few that I want offline access to.

Im hoping that I will be able to adapt my camera to my son's telescope, too. Would love to get some really close up shots of the moon and maybe Mars or Venus.

[mro]

need for prints

You should be able to print some good size pictures.
Up to 8.5 X 11 and some 13 X 19 will come out ok too.
Suitable for framing.
I'm still using an old Epson Photo 1280 printer. Great in it's day, but better can be had for a lot less now. Have not printed max size yet, (13 X 44) cost to much ink

mro

[e.z.nightrider]

As an ex camera repair tech I think you got a good camera for a good price. Never had many Fuji cameras to work on which means they either didn't sell here or are reliable. It's probably both, good luck and have fun.

Ed Z.