Very Useful Camera (Fujifilm Finepix S6500fd)

Member Name: JenCarpeDiem

Product:	Fujifilm Finepix S6500fd
Date:	13/05/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 10.7x Zoom - Many modes for beginners to learn - even A3 prints can look clear

Disadvantages: Grainy above ISO 400, so not very good in low light - easy to outgrow

The Fujifilm 6500fd (6000fd in the US) is a bridge camera - between point-and-shoot cameras (those small rectangular things) and proper dSLR cameras (those big, professional-looking ones!) and it serves this purpose brilliantly. I acquired mine when I realised that I'd outgrown my 2 megapixel point-and-shoot and needed something more. I don't regret it for an instant - it's been a fantastic tool in learning how to take better photographs. This camera is very versatile - I've taken fantastic slow-exposure waterscape shots with it, but I usually use it for high-speed dogs-in-motion photographs! It performs fantastically in either area, and I'm sure it does a brilliant job with portraits as well.

I highly recommend this camera if you're new to digital photography as the 'auto' mode really does do everything for you. It has plenty of modes - my favourite is "program", which means that the camera decides on most of the settings (like in auto) but that I can override any of those, so I can really tweak the results!
It also has a very good macro and super macro options - the super macro is for things very, very close to the lens (2cm or less), and I've gotten fantastically clear results even using the auto mode.

As far as reliability goes, mine has worked perfectly for two years - and it's been thrown about, dropped and even drooled on (by a dog, not me!) - and it's stood up to the wear and tear of near-daily use very well.

The only downside I can find is that it's not very good in low light, and photographs become grainy very easily once you go beyond ISO 400, but this is usually difficult to spot once you've printed your photos - and can actually enhance a black and white photograph.
Also, it's worth mentioning that once you know what you're doing, you may find yourself outgrowing this camera and yearning for one with certain features missing here - like external flash and shutter buttons - or low-light capabilities! However, considering the price of this camera, it's very hard to fault it! Extremely good value.

Summary: A brilliant camera for somebody looking to go beyond point-and-shoot, even useful for semi-pros.

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