Rating: 
Summary: Great second digital camera!
Review: We were previous owners of a Kodak and were looking for a step up from the basic digital point and shoot. We are very happy with this Fuji model. The 10x zoom is awesome. We took it on a beach vacation and got great action shots from far away. The camera is smaller than you think. It fits in a palm and is pretty light. Granted, it won't fit in a pocket, but that is trade between size/convenience and higher photo quality. The flash is much better than our Kodak; it is much more powerful and does a better job filling in the light indoors. Indoor pictures of our kids are much clearer and have truer color. The flash does drain the batteries quicker, but when used outdoors, we can easily get several hundred photos on a single set of AAs. I don't care much for the included Fuji software; I have chosen to use a third party one instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Digital Starter!
Review: I am on a mission to become a photographer. I've always loved taking pictures and I want to start really focusing (no pun intended) on photography. However, I didn't want to start with a $1500 digital SLR and then discover I'm not really as into photography as I'd hoped. So I researched cameras in this price range. The Fuji S5000 stood out as a great starting point for many reasons:1. Awesome zoom.
2. Sturdy construction.
3. Good for action
4. Great price.
5. Easy controls. What concerned me were professional reviewers saying that there was "noise". So I looked at betterphoto dot com and reviewed pictures taken with this camera. I found night shots, shots of fireworks, portraits, action and macro all with perfect detail. Many of the photo were competition winners. That was enough for me. I read a review here saying the noise obscured details. Huh? I have taken macros of bees in mid flight with the antenna and fuzz perfectly in focus and clear. I've taken night shots as well--all lovely. I don't notice noise except in the lowest light and that was because I hadn't figured out my camera settings yet! This is the perfect starter camera for me. We've gotten great action photos, great portraits, wonderful landscapes. I love it! It does have some "warm up" lag time and like all digitals it's got shutter lag (reduced with pre focus considerably). This means you have to plan your shots carefully, but in order to avoid this you have to go film or Digital SLR and both of those aren't options at this point. Bottom line: Don't compare this to cameras that cost three times as much--it's an unfiar comparison. I compared it to other cameras in it's price range and class, including the Dimage Z and some others. The others were very flimsy feeling, awkward to hold, and unimpressive all around. I'm very happy with my camera. I'm also hooked on photography and will practice with this camera for a year or two and then invest in a true Digital SLR. But for a digital with an SLR feel and the ability to take amazing pics this camera is exceptional. I love it. Get a 512 card--you won't regret it. A polarizer filter is also a good investment--both to protect your lens and insure good daytime shots. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Great step towards a SLR digital camera
Review: Just bought my Fuji S5000 a month ago and am extremely pleased with it!Out of the box I was taking impressive, detailed pictures!Although daytime shots are taken best with this camera, with some setting adjustments nighttime shots can be pretty good.I have taken most of my shots on the 3 mp setting and they have turned out great.Although in order to use the Raw format you have to use the 6 mp setting.The zoom is great. I used it taking pictures from a moving vehicle and you couldnt even see a blur.I found by reading the book and experimenting most of the problems people have can be overcome.Only cons with this camera is you tend to get a lot of blur on low light shots. And lastly the included software isnt the greatest
Rating:
Summary: Rock and Roll!
Review: If you don't mind it's bulk compared this camera packs a punch. Absolutely love it for taking macro-photo shots. Easy to put in all your 55 and 52mm (with adapter) filters that you probably already own. Using this baby with a +4 magnification filter and you are taking a full frame picture of a dime in focus. Artistic creativity abounds with full manual control if you so desire, or very sophisticated automatic action. Have been using for a year and I am pleased as can be. Lock, load, shoot!
Rating:
Summary: Great camera
Review: I have had this camera for about 5 months now and am extremely pleased with it. This is my 4th digital camera, and is by far my absolute favorite. It takes gorgeous pictures - I've had many printed and everyone I show them to is amazed that they are from a digital camera. I use it on the 3 megapixel setting, and the pictures are just as nice or better than pictures from my film Canon Rebel SLR. The battery life is great as well - After 5 months, I've gone through the batteries that come with the camera, and am only on my second set of Energizer E2 lithium batteries - and I use the camera a lot. The camera is really easy to use, and although many reviewers have said they needed a tripod to get clear pictures using the 10x optical zoom, I haven't had a problem with them coming out blurry at all just by holding the camera in my hands. There is hardly a lag like most digital cameras have between the time when you press the shutter button and when the picture is actually taken - I've taken hundreds of pictures of my brother's soccer games, and with a little practice, have gotten a lot of great action shots of him. I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone looking for a better-quality digital camera. I haven't had any problems with it, and the picture quality, even on 3mp, is amazing. This is a great camera.
Rating:
Summary: You can't go wrong with the S5000
Review: I bought my Fuji S5000 just over a year ago, and since then have taken well over 3000 pictures - it was my first foray from film to digital and it has made me a true convert. I was very reluctant to go digital - I liked the reliability of film camera (ie no pictures getting lost on a hard drive or facing technical difficulties trying to figure out how to use it) as well as the quality of the images, so it was going to take a really good camera to convince me that it was worth it.
I selected the S5000 for a few key reasons: it got very good reviews from serious photographers as to the the quality of the images (which are totally justified), it was very intuitive to use (my 7 year old figured it out in about 2 minutes and loves taking and viewing pictures on it), it is very light and easy to handle, and it takes AA batteries (a lifesaver - extras are always available anywhere, and money-saver since I use rechargeables). An added benefit was the 10x zoom which has been amazing at my daughter's soccer & softball games and other outdoor school events - it is the envy of the parental paparazzi along the sidelines at her games.
This camera has surpassed my expectations in every area, prodcucing clear and reliably superb pictures in a variety of conditions. I have avoided the shutter-lag issue which turned me off to many digital cameras by using the feature which allows you to depress the shutter button halfway to focus, and then pause to wait for the perfect moment with almost no lag time when you ultimately depress the shutter the rest of the way. Self timer, black & white mode, and rapid shooting (which takes up to 5 picutres in rapid succession) are all very easy to use. I must say that I have not used the Manual Mode at all, even though that was an important feature to me in selecting a camera. I hope to master that mode soon, but when you're running around trying to get shots of active kids you are very grateful for the outstanding Automatic Mode!
I did upgrade to a larger memory card - 128 mB. I can take up to about 140 pictures on it, and combined with the 30 or so I can get on the card that came with it I have plenty of room to store all my picutres from a 1 week vacation.
Printed pictures come out wonderfully. I print all my pictures at Costco because they are printed using the same machine as film pictures, therefore alleviating my concern that pictures printed with printer ink and paper will not withstand the test of time. Plus at $.19 per picture it is way cheaper than buying photo paper and photo quality ink, not to mention a time saver (I take a lot of pictures!). I also feel that the quality of the pictures, particularly the color, is better than some of the online printers like Shutterfly.
I have never loved a camera as much as I have do this one, and I only realized this when I thought I had lost it a week ago. Debating whether this was my chance to finally upgrade to a SLR like the Nikon D70, I realized that the S5000 was the perfect camera for me and that I would be a fool to not replace it with the same thing. Lucky for me I found it (at the bottom of my kids' closet - don't ask me how it got there). So the story has a happy ending, and I am contentedly back to taking pictures with my S5000.
Rating:
Summary: As Good as it Gets at this price
Review: I purchased this camera 8 months ago and wish I had checked the price on Amazon before doing so. The shape and style of this camera and its black body make it look far more expensive than it really is and set it apart from many other cameras on the market.
But you don't buy a camera for its look alone, or do you? (not a good idea). Having said that in this case you would not go far wrong. The camera is packed with features that will please not only the casual snapper but also those who would like to get far more involved in their photography.
The lens is as good as anything in this price range and the zoom is up their with the top range models. If you just want to let the camera make the choices for you leave it on automatic, your photographs will be excellent. If you already have the technical skills or would like to make your own decisions regarding shutter speed, aperture, white balance etc. the camera allows you to do this. The different modes allow portrait; landscape, night shots, I could go on forever. I like to take pictures of my cacti collection and the macro facility is excellent. The camera fits in the hand beautifully and feels like a solid piece of equipment. The only slight criticism I have, is that by the time the camera tells you your batteries are low on power, it is too late to do anything about it, apart from replace them. This is a gem and I doubt you will get it cheaper than on Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: This is My first Digital Camera...and it's Wonderful!
Review: I bought the camera from a camera store after doing some extensive on line research and talking to the clerks about the options that meet my needs best, and I have to say that the Coolpix S5000 has certainly lived up to all expectations! I love the fact that the controls are so versatile and give me all the control over the images that I need to meet all of my amature photography needs! I am still learning how to use this feature rich camera and hope to keep improving my skills to take full advantage of it's potential!
The only issues I have had with the camera came in low light situations (Indoors at night), but I am certain that I am not using the settings to the best advantage, so I can't say for sure if it's the camera, or my inexperience with the settings that is to blame. I tend to think it's me...
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Digital Camera
Review: I bought the FujiFilm S5000 3.1MP in early April 2004 for my honeymoon and then to use on a regular basis for other travel and events. I spent much time researching various cameras with similar features. I decided on this camera because it has 3.1MP (a higher MP is only needed by a professional photographer), great zoom options, exposed LCD window, lighter weight, and a nice design. Given that I use the camera in the correct lighting and without a shaky hand, all of my pictures are crystal clear and professional looking. This is the perfect digital camera to own, and for having it for over 6 months, I am still certain that I made the best buy. My husband is very happy with it too, and we are both amateur photographers, but since we have an excellent camera, we are often complemented on taking professional looking photographs.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Camera for Price Point and Features
Review: I have had this camera for a year and it is wonderful.
I was hesitant to purchase a digital camera given my experience with a first generation Sony Mavica (that had a disk drive) and that I am a photo enthusiast. I have a Canon SLR film camera that I adore and even used to take photos of my sister's wedding (semi-professionally). I, however, have not even picked up my SLR since I received this camera.
Zoom-There is sufficient rangers withing digital and optical
zoom that allows you to retain excellent picture quality.
Flash-Easy to use and sustains enough light to get good quality
indoor and night pictures. It has been a great help at posting
items on ebay when it is difficult to get good light indoors.
Software-Simple to transfer pictures from your camera to your
computer and to view on your television. The controls on the
camera themselves are also easy to use for deletion, saving
and changing to macro and other features.
Viewing Screens-Able to see very well thru the viewfinder as
well as the LCD.
Manual-So glad you do have manual options. Especially in low
light situations. If I want a crisp picture but know that the
auto settings will show too much movement I can adjust the
settings and then gamma correct on the computer.
Video-Nice to do short video clips. The picture quality is not
great but is a great extra feature when you have cute
nephews who do cute things :)
The only drawbacks I would advise on this camera are just true of all digital cameras. Interior shows are difficult to master. You have to practice a lot and take lots of pictures before you can become comfortable with the picture quality in dark and interior environments.
I highly recommend this item for the average user as well as someone like myself who is used to a film SLR. If you just want a slim point and shoot you may want to seek a different camera, however, as this camera is more the size of a small 35MM w/ out the large lens.
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