Fujifilm S5100 Zoom Review

AUTO record mode - The "4M" represents image resolution of 4 megapixel (2272x1704) and the "122" represents the quantity of frames that can be recorded on the xD card at the current image size. The "shaking" hand indicates a slow shutter speed warning because we don't have the flash enabled. In the center are the auto focus target marks.

The AUTO mode is the simple Point-n-Shoot mode and as such you can only change the image quality, ISO speed, color mode or enable the Self-timer.

Turning the Mode Dial to Portrait, Landscape, Sports or Night selects that preprogrammed scene mode. As with the AUTO mode, you can only change the image quality, ISO speed, color mode or enable the Self-timer.

The more advanced exposure modes included Program AE where you can "shift" to other shutter speed/aperture combinations. You have the same Photo Mode options except no Auto ISO setting is available. Exposure compensation can be adjusted by depressing the "+/-" button adjacent to the shutter release. You also have access to the full record mode menu which will be explained a little further down this page.

Depressing the "f" button over the LCD calls up the Photo Mode menu. Options in all still image modes are the image size (4M Fine, 4M Normal, 2M, 1M, 0.3M), ISO speed (Auto[Auto shooting mode only], 64, 100, 200, and 400), or Color mode (B&W, Chrome [Vivid] or Standard).

This is Manual record mode, the user manually sets both shutter speed and aperture. Shutter speed is set with the "up" and "down" buttons of the 4-way controller; aperture is set with the same buttons while holding down the "+/-" button. You can meter the exposure by watching the display in the lower right corner and adjust the shutter speed or aperture to center the indicator.

Pressing the DISPlay button next to the LCD toggles from the above screen to the live image without any data display. Pressing it again brings up the grid screen in both Auto or Manual Record.

P/A/M/S menu options:

BRACKETING Set the step value for bracketing: 1/3EV, 1/2EV or 1.0EV
SHARPNESS Soft, Normal, Hard
FLASH OUTPUT +/- 0.6, 0.3
SELF-TIMER ON / OFF, 2 or 10 second delay
WHITE BALANCE Auto, Custom, Daylight, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light
AF MODE Auto focus: Area, Center, Multi
PHOTOMETRY Metering: Multi, Average, Spot
SET - LCD Adjust brightness, SETUP (see Setup menu on next page)

Change the Drive mode by holding down the Drive button and pressing the 4-way selector right or left and watch the LCD display shown above. Options include: Top 3-frame (capture 3 frames at up to 3fps), Auto Bracketing, Final 3-frame (captures up to 40 frames but only saves the last 3 when you release the shutter), Long-period continuous (only available in Auto mode) captures up to 40 frames at a rate of 1.6 frames per second.

Press the Focus selector button to chose from Single-AF, Continuous-AF or Manual focus mode. Manual focus is adjusted by holding down the "+/-" button while depressing the Telephoto zoom control to increase focus distance, or the Wide zoom control to focus closer.

The Macro focus mode allows closeup focusing from 0.3 to 6.6 ft (Wide) and 3.0 to 6.6 ft (Tele).

The Movie mode captures 640x480 or 320x240 pixel motion video with audio at 30 frames per second. The maximum length per clip is limited only by available memory, the included 16MB xD card can hold 13 seconds of video at 640x480 or 26 seconds at 320x240. Movie data is written directly to the xD card as it is captured. The optical zoom lens is not useable during recording but can be preset beforehand.