Photo gallery: Fujifilm FinePix S5700The Fujifilm FinePix S5700 is Fuji's latest offering for those baulking at the idea of purchasing a digital SLR, but are looking for something more than your average point-and-shoot camera. Sporting a maximum resolution of 7.1 megapixels, sensitivity up to ISO 1600, 10x zoom and 14 pre-programmed scene modes, the FinePix S5700 promises quality photos in a range of lighting conditions, for folks who would rather not do the math that comes with manual shooting.
That said, our first reaction to the FinePix S5700 was that it was a too feature-rich and finicky for the average consumer. First-time Fujifilm camera users will find its endless array of menus both tedious and bewildering, each seeming to conceal a teeming nest of options, yet never making it immediately obvious how to change the most commonly used settings. Making clever use of the FinePix S5700 definitely requires consultation of the user manual, however we fear that most will simply set the mode dial to AUTO and be done with the learning curve.
Design
The FinePix S5700 lends itself ideal for one-hand shooting thanks to a comfortable pistol-grip configuration and rubberised body. When held, buttons remain within easy reach of the thumb and index finger, allowing the user to change settings such as aperture and shutter speed on the go. Its gloriously large and bright 2.5-inch LCD screen renders the viewfinder as comparatively useless as one's appendix, and using the viewfinder in lieu of the LCD's benefits is as comfortable as typing with your keyboard pressed into your face. We also found that the LCD display delivered a more accurate impression of how one's photos would eventuate (and prevented the dreaded sweat-on-screen phenomena), so use of the monitor selector button to toggle between displays rapidly fell by the wayside.
Another of the FinePix S5700's design quirks is in the placement of the zoom. While most would expect the zoom control to be accessible by the thumb on the back of the camera, instead it features on a wheel surrounding the shutter button. This is no massive hindrance, but at first seems a little unnatural.
The FinePix S5700 does redeem itself somewhat by virtue of its no-nonsense aesthetic, as unoriginal as its design it may seem. Its matte-black body, chrome detail and elegant lines resound with a grandeur reserved by its dSLR brethren, all the while alluding to the user of its distinction from those that simply point and click.
Features
Again the FinePix S5700's menu system takes the fore with its abundance of menu-buttons sans clear direction. Just when one would assume that the MENU / OK button nested within the multi-directional keypad would satisfy all one's needs, it turns out that the four points of the keypad hold their little secrets. As a result, early attempts at using the semi-automatic or manual shooting modes turned into something closer to a motor-skills examination than a creative exercise; with the wrong combination of buttons one could become trapped in a maze of options, without obvious means of escape.
Given this hive of cryptic functionality, with both patience and humility there is a lot you can achieve with the FinePix S5700. Pressing the italicised F button gave us access to a variety of useful shooting modes, including the option to also shoot in black and white or chrome (sepia). Its 14 pre-programmed shooting modes (including Natural light, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Museum, Party, Flower and Text) take the legwork out of adjusting the FinePix S5700 to perform at its best in diverse scenarios.
Shutter speeds in the Manual, Program, Aperture- and Shutter-Priority and pre-programmed shooting modes range from 1/1000 seconds to 4 seconds. There is no facility to keep the shutter open for longer than this.
Being able to create videos with mono sound is also beneficial, although common amongst cameras in its class. Recording at 30 frames per second with image stabilisation, you can create movies at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, including use of the FinePix S5700's smooth, silent optical zoom.
As well as bearing a token 27MB of internal memory, the FinePix S5700 can store photos on either xD or SD memory cards. This is a vast improvement over previous Fuji models which have only accepted the seldom-used xD card, meaning that one can now transfer photos using pretty much any storage card reader. The FinePix S5700 saves still images in the JPEG format, although this is no great sacrifice considering the image quality it produces. At full resolution (7MP), a 1GB storage card should be able to store around 280 photos.
For low light conditions, we were pleased to find that its light-sensitivity extended to ISO 1600. Combined with its light-metering i-Flash (intelligent flash) system and image stabilisation mode, we found it relatively easy to produce handsome, natural images, both with and without flash. Unless suppressed, the flash jumps like a cagey Jack Russell at the first hint of a low-light scene, ensuring both reliable shooting and a bit of a scare the first few times it happens.
Performance
While on the topic of image stabilisation, we found it a little strange it that had to exist within the FinePix S5700 as a specific mode on the mode dial, and not be inherit to every shooting mode. If the light conditions are too low for a clear shot, a shaky little man appears on the display and inevitably, your photos start to blur. However, this threshold came about far more readily than we had experienced with other cameras, making the image stabilisation mode a necessity for the flash-shy.
The FinePix S5700's power-on and wake up were as fast as anyone could desire, both clocking in at less than 2 seconds. From there, continuous shooting is pretty zippy, with barely a pause to write to the storage card between frames.
A word of caution should be given regarding battery life, as the combination of rapid shooting and use of the LCD screen seemed to churn through the AA batteries at an alarming rate. Less than two hours of shooting in both bright and low light with the occasional use of flash brought the camera to a deathly halt, with only a few minutes warning prior to the event. It is definitely recommended that users of the FinePix S5700 tow along a spare pack of batteries in preparation.
Image quality
In bright light, images from the FinePix S5700 possess both excellent sharpness and accurate colour reproduction. This becomes most evident when shooting in Macro and Super Macro mode, in which you can capture an impressive level of detail, shooting as close to the subject as 1cm away. Conversely, using the 10x optical zoom does not seem to compromise image quality.
In low light situations sans flash, a warm cast begins to permeate each photo. Thankfully noise does not become glaringly obvious until ISO 1600, being the upper limit for the FinePix S5700.
The Fuji FinePix S5700 is a sturdy, mid-priced camera for those hoping to achieve that greater degree of creative freedom with their photos. However, those shy of undergoing its learning curve may overlook its strengths and possibilities.
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