opinion on camera needed

[GT_Raven]

im looking to buy my first camera and was looking at the following model

FUJI FINEPIX S5100

mainly want to photograph landscapes and some macro , have a budget of around 100

would like your opinion on the camera or suggestions if this one is not suitable.


thanks

GT_Raven

[HIMUPNORTH]

Don't know the camera but try looking around to seee what other users get out of the camera. like.....http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=S5100&m=text

Good luck! :thumbs:

[RobertP]

There are so many 'bridge' and compact cameras out there you will need a bit of luck to find someone knowing a particular one. You can search pbase by camera make for more sample shots then it is down to reading review sites.

At a quick glance of the first page Google threw up it looks pretty good if you can get it for £100.

[Ewan]

Looks good to me. I found one site that said it had 36x zoom...Don't be fooled by this. It actually only has 10x real zoom, and I think 3.6x digital zoom. Digital zoom is useless because you lose lots of detail.

Without reading any reviews, I'd say it looks like a good deal. I've got a similar model, the fuji S5600 (or s5200)

[dod]

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/fuji_s5100_pg5.html

[bailout]

Where have you seen the camera? I assume it is second hand? You can get the 5600 for about that price new. It has just been replaced but a lot of people say the 5600 is better than its replacement, the s700. If you could push your budget up to £150-170 you could get the 6500 which has manual zoom, a wider but shorter lens and the sensor is better at high isos.

[GT_Raven]

the s5600 does that allow for manual selection of appature and iso etc ? as i want to learn to adjust settings myself not rely on the camera to do it for me

[Ewan]

It does. You can set just about everything you can set on a proper DSLR. It's got all M,A,S, and P modes. Plus fully auto and scene modes that you'll never use after your first few snaps. The 6500 is a bit better but there's not that much in it according to reviews etc.

Remember, if you're planning to get really into photography, it's best to go with a DSLR because you can upgrade by buying lenses etc. One thing I didn't realise when I bought the 5600 (and I felt really stupid when I found out) is that the lens is fixed. You can't buy any other lenses for it, so when you want to upgrade you have to get a completely different camera. I think it's really unfair that they design it to look like a serious pro SLR even though it's not. It's a good beginner's camera though. You can get it for £115 now I think.

[Joe T]

Bridge cameras are ideal step-up or 'bridge' cameras for those not wishing to take the full plunge of a DSLR in one go. I had a Panasonic FZ20 for six months before buying a D70, and it was a great introduction to more advanced photography.

Of course you do take a bit of a hit as you end up upgrading in a relatively short space of time, but it is worth it in my opinion.