FUJIFILM FinePix S5200 / S5600 Digital Camera

Apart from the useless first seller I tried to buy one of these from meaning I ended up with 2 of them I am really pleased I got one. I say this in case someone reads this and sees me selling one and wondering why I love the camera but am selling it.

I bought it as I had an S5000 a few years ago and although the picture quality wasn't up to the Olympus equivalent, it was very fast. I reckoned the S5600 with 2 more Mega pixels more than the S5000 would have overcome this and I would say it has.

The main benefit is the large 10 times zoom lens but at first look, with the lens not retracting when switched off, it seems more bulky to carry than other similar cameras. However, it still fits on the same case I used for the S5000 but more importantly it makes it even faster than the S5000 was.

Some write ups can be a little critical of the colours or fringing compared to other cameras but I think that overall, the pictures are perfectly acceptabe but that isn't the point. With most cameras I've had or tried other than a digital SLR camera, in the real world, by the time you've seen what you want to photograph, got it out of the case, switched it on, lense has come out etc etc etc etc, the moment has gone and you have no photograph or when you press the shutter, there is a delay meaning you you only get half of it.

The S5600 is brilliant for this. If I switch it on, then take the lens cap off. By the time I have got it to my face it's ready to go. It also takes the shot when I press the shutter, not a second or so later.

I wanted it as I had been invited to the Goodwood Revival car race meeting hoping to get some good shots. It did not dissapoint. I was about 20 feet from the track, taking zoom pictures of cars going past at over 100 mph. Approx 30% of shots were sharp, well balanced with the car filling the frame and using a fast shutter setting (still an auto setting) with no shake. Bearing in mind I am not a great photographer I think that this is brilliant ratio and most of the missed shots were down to me not the camera.

Overall, to sum up, this is a great camera for the average pick up and clicker that wants to take excellent shots in the real world where things move and the moment is quickly lost. There are cameras that are slightly better at this, that or the other but they won't get the picture at all because the bird has flown away of the car gone past.

If you are better than a pickup and clicker, don't let that put you off, it does have all the manual/semi manual options as well but I have always found the camera is better than me at sorting focus and exposures so I use the various automatic options.

This is a great camera and if I could think of a goog reason to keep both of them I would. I cannot even keep it as a spare as by all indications they seem pretty reliable too.

They seem to go for under £100 too making them absolutely brilliant value for money.

I hope you find this useful
Mike