Is Fuji Finepix S5500 best camera in price range for panoramic/landscape shots?
davout
panoramic landscape shots from vacations and occasion close ups of my kids
in sports action.
I'm drawn to the Fuji S5500 by its reputation and zoom. Is this the best
camera for my purpose and that price range?
ASAAR
It's a very nice camera, but probably not the best for panoramic
landscape shots. Its 10x zoom is only equivalent to 37mm at its
widest. You can get Fuji's WL-FX9 wide angle conversion lens which
will get the camera down to 29mm, but that bumps the camera up into
a slightly higher price range. If you chose this camera because of
its relatively long 370mm zoom (which can also be extended to 555mm
with another Fuji lens adapter) to take closeups of your kids in
sports action, then yes, it probably can do an adequate job, but you
probably won't be able to get really good shots handholding it.
Look for support, whether from a convenient tree branch or tripod.
More convenient for landscapes would be one of several cameras
that have zooms that don't need a conversion lens to go as wide as
27mm or 28mm, such as the Olympus C-5060 or Canon's PowerShot 60 and
Powershot 70. One of Nikon's cameras also has a similarly wide zoom
but I don't recall the model number. These cameras won't have the
10x zoom of the Fuji though.
measekite
reason. I have decided that IS (image stabilization) is a mandatory
requirement. Unfortunately this is lacking on this camera. I also
would like a longer zoom.
davout
Also is the difference between 4M or 6M pixels relevant at this level?
"measekite" <meas...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:tCsce.10845$J12....@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
measekite
DMC-FZ5 with a Leica lens is shipping now. It got great reviews from
all of the major reviewers except for PC Mag. The other is the just
announced Canon S2 and that will ship in June.
Stewy
ASAAR <cau...@22.com> wrote:
The Panasonic FZ5 may be another to consider a 12x zoom and image
stabilization. Remember you can always stitch digital photos together.
A.P.
"davout" <davoutXXX...@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:4271fb61$0$338$cc9e...@news.dial.pipex.com...
but i know it is a little beter then the old S5000) but after 4moths i
upgraded to
Fuji S7000 because i wanted :
Hotshoe for external blitz.
Mount for mekanical cable release.
15 sec shutter (vs 2 sec on S5000)
More pixels
Histogram
Better EVF
Super Macro ! (you can focus on a fly sitting on the lense!)
Can use xD or CF cards
+ +
There is a big chance that you will like digital photo'ing
...and as you progress you soon will miss thees feautures.
....So .... If i was you i know what i would do :-) !
reg
AP
A.P.
The tripod mount on the FujiS5500 is not in line whit the
photo axis! You may have to 'offset' a S5500 if you wana use
a panorama-head in order to pan around the nodalpoint.
(This can make a difference if your panos include both 'forground'
and 'background' subjects. No a big deal if you stick to
'background-only' panos)
(On a FujiS7000 the tripod-mount is in line whit the photo-axis)
AP
ASAAR
> I once had a Fuji S5000 (I don't know the S5500,
> but i know it is a little beter then the old S5000) but after 4moths i
> upgraded to
> Fuji S7000 because i wanted :
>
> Hotshoe for external blitz.
> Mount for mekanical cable release.
> 15 sec shutter (vs 2 sec on S5000)
> More pixels
> Histogram
The S5100/S5500 has histograms, but only on playback. It also can
go to 15 seconds, but only in manual mode.
> Better EVF
> Super Macro ! (you can focus on a fly sitting on the lense!)
Not an advantage if the fly is sitting on something else. :)
> Can use xD or CF cards
The review I read only mentioned CF cards. Can the S7000 copy
pictures from one card to the other? That would be a nice feature.
Two other differences are the S5100/S5500's greater 10x zoom range
and (I may be mistaken here) the S7000 lacks an AF lamp?
> Ups ! I forgot to mention someting important :
> The tripod mount on the FujiS5500 is not in line whit the
> photo axis! You may have to 'offset' a S5500 if you wana use
> a panorama-head in order to pan around the nodalpoint.
>
> (This can make a difference if your panos include both 'forground'
> and 'background' subjects. No a big deal if you stick to
> 'background-only' panos)
The offset is only 2 cm, less than an inch. How close would a
foreground object have to be for its image shift to be 1. noticeable
and 2. objectionable? And then, it probably wouldn't matter much
anyway unless the foreground object was included in the "stitch".
Note also that even at the widest zoom, the offset error about the
lens axis wouldn't be the full 2 cm. as each successive shot
wouldn't require the camera to be rotated 90 degrees. More like 40.
Does the S7000's EVF/display show 100% of the image? Very few
non-pro cameras do, but the S5100/S5500 does, which makes if much
easier to avoid including foreground objects along the stitch line.
A.P.
"ASAAR" <cau...@22.com> wrote in message
news:7vs771hrbi2qr2773...@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 22:46:20 -0700, A.P. wrote:
>
> > I once had a Fuji S5000 (I don't know the S5500,
> > but i know it is a little beter then the old S5000) but after 4moths i
> > upgraded to
> > Fuji S7000 because i wanted :
> >
> > Hotshoe for external blitz.
> > Mount for mekanical cable release.
> > 15 sec shutter (vs 2 sec on S5000)
> > More pixels
> > Histogram
>
> The S5100/S5500 has histograms, but only on playback. It also can
> go to 15 seconds, but only in manual mode.
>
My S7000 has histogram in record mode.
>
> > Better EVF
> > Super Macro ! (you can focus on a fly sitting on the lense!)
>
> Not an advantage if the fly is sitting on something else. :)
I use Supermacro when i take pictures of 'micro-mineral-specimens'.
Because of this supermacro option i have decided not to sell my S7000!
(I use an Oly E-300 as my primary cam now) The S5000 was only able
to fockus at 15cm (i think). The S7000 can focus at 0cm (when in
'SuperMacroMode).
>
> > Can use xD or CF cards
>
> The review I read only mentioned CF cards. Can the S7000 copy
> pictures from one card to the other? That would be a nice feature.
>
A S7000 has slots for both xD and CF Type II card. You will have to goto
'SetupMenu'
to select which one to use. You can not copy between the cards (If both a xD
and a CF is inserted to the S7000).
> Two other differences are the S5100/S5500's greater 10x zoom range
> and (I may be mistaken here) the S7000 lacks an AF lamp?
>
The S7000 has 6x optical zoom (+ 3.2X digital zoom).
The S7000 has no AF assist lamp, but it
has a future you may find handy when you are in manuel focus mode:
If you press the 'Magify' button
the center of the EVF/LCD picure will be digitaly magifyed in order to help
you
judge if you are in focus or not.
>
> > Ups ! I forgot to mention someting important :
> > The tripod mount on the FujiS5500 is not in line whit the
> > photo axis! You may have to 'offset' a S5500 if you wana use
> > a panorama-head in order to pan around the nodalpoint.
> >
> > (This can make a difference if your panos include both 'forground'
> > and 'background' subjects. No a big deal if you stick to
> > 'background-only' panos)
>
> The offset is only 2 cm, less than an inch. How close would a
> foreground object have to be for its image shift to be 1. noticeable
> and 2. objectionable? And then, it probably wouldn't matter much
> anyway unless the foreground object was included in the "stitch".
> Note also that even at the widest zoom, the offset error about the
> lens axis wouldn't be the full 2 cm. as each successive shot
> wouldn't require the camera to be rotated 90 degrees. More like 40.
> Does the S7000's EVF/display show 100% of the image? Very few
> non-pro cameras do, but the S5100/S5500 does, which makes if much
> easier to avoid including foreground objects along the stitch line.
>
Right , the 2cm offset should not be a big deal.
The EVF/LCD shows 98%-99% of what goes into the pic-file.
(At widedest zoom [if that should matter?] ).
...This should leave us whit the Hotshoe and Cable-release option only :o)
I don't have to explain the value of thees options to you ASAAR.
But OP may need some guideing : The buildt-in flash (on S5500) has a Guide#
= 12
that is not much ! Gives you only 4-5m range at dark subjekts ! Then you
wery
soon wish that you could get one of them cheap Guide#=40 flashes from B&H
USA
and put on top of your cam! Then your cam has to have a hotshoe. The S5500
has NO hotshoe. And get a flash whit safe trigger-voltag! T.volt <= 6 volt !
And when you want to explore the fun of doing longtime exposures you VERY
SOON find out that using the selftimer to trig the cam is a bad solution!
You will miss the calble-release already while you are fiddling whit setting
up your
WERY FIRST longtime exp shooting. Not to mention if the pic include moving
subjects like cars - ppl's, then you have more control whit a cable-release.
I think OP wery soon will want to use the cam on other things too, not just
kids and panos
Then adding a 'little' extra $ for the hotshoe (and C.R ) now, or at least
concider doing
it, is better then upgrade after 2 months
This is my advice :-) ( I have been there myself )
But a S7000 costs twice the prize of a S5500 ($490 vs $235 at B&H)
Here is a popular forum for Fujifinepix users:
http://www.s5000.net/phpBB2/
Some ads for used cam's there too.
reg
AP
ASAAR
> I use Supermacro when i take pictures of 'micro-mineral-specimens'.
> Because of this supermacro option i have decided not to sell my S7000!
> (I use an Oly E-300 as my primary cam now) The S5000 was only able
> to fockus at 15cm (i think). The S7000 can focus at 0cm (when in
> 'SuperMacroMode).
Zero cm? I hope the S7000 has a light source inside its lens,
unless you'll be taking SuperMacroPhotos of translucent objects. :)
The S5100 can do a little better, but Macro Mode isn't its strong
point. It can focus down to 10 cm with the lens set to wide angle.
If zoomed to the telephoto extreme, nearest focus is a huge 90 cm!
> > Two other differences are the S5100/S5500's greater 10x zoom range
> > and (I may be mistaken here) the S7000 lacks an AF lamp?
> >
> The S7000 has 6x optical zoom (+ 3.2X digital zoom).
> The S7000 has no AF assist lamp, but it
> has a future you may find handy when you are in manuel focus mode:
> If you press the 'Magify' button the center of the EVF/LCD picure will
> be digitaly magifyed in order to help you judge if you are in focus or not.
The S5100 doesn't have the ability to magnify the focus area. It
would be a big help if it did, but I think that to focus quickly and
accurately, the camera would need to use a ring on the lens like my
old film cameras did, instead of using buttons on the camera body.
> Right , the 2cm offset should not be a big deal.
> The EVF/LCD shows 98%-99% of what goes into the pic-file.
> (At widedest zoom [if that should matter?] ).
That's very good. I believe that most cameras show less than 90%,
and some don't even show 80%.
> ...This should leave us whit the Hotshoe and Cable-release option only :o)
> I don't have to explain the value of thees options to you ASAAR.
> But OP may need some guideing : The buildt-in flash (on S5500) has a
> Guide# = 12 that is not much ! Gives you only 4-5m range at dark subjekts !
> Then you wery soon wish that you could get one of them cheap Guide#=40
> flashes from B&H USA and put on top of your cam! Then your cam has to
> have a hotshoe. The S5500 has NO hotshoe. And get a flash whit safe
> trigger-voltag! T.volt <= 6 volt !
It may not have a hot shoe but there are smart external flashes
that can work with the S5100/S5500 if they are set properly. I'll
probably get one within a couple of months.
> Here is a popular forum for Fujifinepix users:
> http://www.s5000.net/phpBB2/
Thanks for the link.