Anyone got this digi camera?

Fuji Finepix S5600.
Looking to upgrade from my old cheap point&shoot one and this gets good reviews but i'd like some real feedback.

What is it like to use? I'm looking for a good allrounder, landscapes, macro, a bit of low-light stuff too. Portrait shots are not so important tho. Also, it's been out long enough to find it at bargain prices, ie. under £130 delivered - was £280rrp.

Any others I should check out at the price? Can't stretch to DSLR prices, don't think I could justify that.

[Bluepete]

I used to be a photographer, so naturally leaned towards the style of the camera you are looking at. I bought a Konica Minolta a200, 8mp, all singing all dancing etc. To be honest, I hated it. They are a pain to carry, take up loads of space, eat batteries. In short, it wasn't used.
Then, one month ago, I bought one of these Read the specs then have a look at my pics in the Pennine Massive NvS Ride Pics thread. It is simply superb. Light, easy to use and it is always in my pocket. The stills are 6mp, loads of features including a manual mode and excellent video )again, look for the vids I posted after the NvS ride)
I appreciate longer zooms are nice to have, but all you have to do is adapt your photography style a bit and it ceases to be an issue.
So far, I have no problems with it at all. The barrery is amazing, I've taken hundreds of pics and loads of video and only had to charge it twice.
Also, the low light ability is by far and away the best I have ever seen. I simply can't believe the auto focus can see and expose correctly in such dim conditions, but it does, reliably and with beautiful flash exposure.
The facial recognition software is still a bit of a gimic, but seems to work very well.
Can you tell, Ilove it and won't be changing it any time soon!

Originally Posted by BluePete

The facial recognition software is still a bit of a gimic, but seems to work very well.

*mumblesfacialrecognitiongrumblessneakyphotosinthe barwhingegivehimaslapforthatmoan*

We are kitted out with S3000's at work (about 2 yeras old now) and to be honest though I know s8d all about cameras and photography i think its really good and use it for my own use as well. Doubt it helps but thats my two penneth!

Bought the daughter one for her Photography A level, not a bad camera for starters not too difficult to master but is very limited to what it can do. She's just been bought a new one for her 18th(allowed to have it early) for more difficul shots and Im hoping to nick the 5600

Originally Posted by the_runt69

not a bad camera for starters not too difficult to master but is very limited to what it can do.

I have to dissagree there.

I have this camera and find it absoultly brilliant (for a camera in it's price range - you can't compare it against £500 SLR's).

I bought mine while I was in Australia and have taken thousands of pictures (and videos) with it.

I find it great as just a point and shoot camera in almost all enviroments (just leave it on AUTO), but you can also play around with all the settings (aperture, shutter speed, etc) and it has preset settings for different enviroments which I find work very well (most of the time). It has a great lens on it and a v good zoom (10X optical). I've played with most of the settings and have got some really great pictures.

I find it takes good videos (with decent sound), but you do need a BIG memory card to use videos often though (I have a 2Gb and a 1Gb card and have been known to fill both in one day).

It's pretty robust too. I have a padded case which it lives in and it has been thrown around all over the place in that and shows absolutely no damage.

It takes normal AA batteries rather than odd camera batteries, so it's easy to pick up a new set when you've flattened then regardless of where you are. Having said that though, it does eat them if you take a lot of videos.

If you want to see some examples of pics and vids I've taken with it, just say so and I'll send you some.

I think I'll be upgrading cameras in the next few months, but to get better than this one (IMHO), I'll need to be looking at spending £300-£500 on a decent digi SLR.

Just remembered, it also has a threaded bezel on the lens, so in theory, you should be able to get an adaptor to fit most screw on lens addon's (can't remember their proper name), Fuji used to do a wide angle lens for it, but you don't seem to be able to find them anymore (I have looked).

ive used a fuji fine pix for about 2 years now with no problems.

Originally Posted by jamessunhill

I have to dissagree there.

I have this camera and find it absoultly brilliant (for a camera in it's price range - you can't compare it against £500 SLR's).

I bought mine while I was in Australia and have taken thousands of pictures (and videos) with it.

I find it great as just a point and shoot camera in almost all enviroments (just leave it on AUTO), but you can also play around with all the settings (aperture, shutter speed, etc) and it has preset settings for different enviroments which I find work very well (most of the time). It has a great lens on it and a v good zoom (10X optical). I've played with most of the settings and have got some really great pictures.

I find it takes good videos (with decent sound), but you do need a BIG memory card to use videos often though (I have a 2Gb and a 1Gb card and have been known to fill both in one day).

It's pretty robust too. I have a padded case which it lives in and it has been thrown around all over the place in that and shows absolutely no damage.

It takes normal AA batteries rather than odd camera batteries, so it's easy to pick up a new set when you've flattened then regardless of where you are. Having said that though, it does eat them if you take a lot of videos.

If you want to see some examples of pics and vids I've taken with it, just say so and I'll send you some.

I think I'll be upgrading cameras in the next few months, but to get better than this one (IMHO), I'll need to be looking at spending £300-£500 on a decent digi SLR.

Just remembered, it also has a threaded bezel on the lens, so in theory, you should be able to get an adaptor to fit most screw on lens addon's (can't remember their proper name), Fuji used to do a wide angle lens for it, but you don't seem to be able to find them anymore (I have looked).

Didnt say it was a bad camera just that it was limited to what thedaughter needed for her A level, still trying to nick it off her as its great for snap shots
and is a very robust camera for travelling.

Originally Posted by the_runt69

Didnt say it was a bad camera just that it was limited to what thedaughter needed for her A level.

I know that, but you can't complain for the price (especialy the price it is now). I paid AUS$500 for mine in March 06 (that worked out at about £220).