Kyocera Finecam S5 Review


Steve's Digicams



Review posted 3/25/03


Click to take a QuickTime VR tour of the Kyocera Finecam S5
Click on the S5 camera for a QTVR tour


In 2002 Kyocera introduced the Finecam S4 which was approximately the same height and width as a credit card and billed as "the world's smallest 4-megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens."  For 2003 they have taken the same compact, stylish and durable stainless steel case and integrated a high resolution 5-megapixel CCD imager, "state of the art" digital image processing hardware and an all-glass, 3X optical (35-105mm 35mm equivalent) zoom lens.

The sleek and silver & black Finecam S5 captures up to 2560x1920 pixel still images that rival conventional 35mm film pictures. It also records up to 30 seconds of 320x240 motion video and audio that can be displayed on the camera's 1.6" color LCD or a television set. Still images and movie clips are stored on postage-stamp sized MultiMedia Card (MMC) or Secure Digital (SD) flash memory cards. Still images are saved in JPEG compressed format with one of two quality levels Fine(Highest), and Normal. Movies are stored in Windows AVI format.

The Finecam S5 is compatible with Epson's PRINT Image Matching technology, enabling it to work perfectly with the newest generation of EPSON Stylus Photo printers.  With PRINT Image Matching, critical image specific parameters for printing are recorded by the Finecam S5 and saved in each image data file.  PRINT Image Matching-enabled Epson Stylus Photo printers use this information to ensure that they accurately reproduce the image created by the camera.


Finecam S5 Features:

  • Five megapixel imager for up to 2560x1920 still images
  • 3X optical zoom, F/2.8 (35-105mm 35mm equivalent)
  • 1.6-inch color LCD monitor w/110,000 pixels
  • Macro focus as close as 3.5" from the lens
  • Aperture Priority (F/2.8 or F/9.6)
  • Program AE w/automatic shutter (1 - 1/2000 sec.)
  • Long shutter speeds of 2, 4, or 8 sec
  • Manual focusing possible (0.6m to infinity)
  • Metering modes: Evaluation, Center-weighted or Spot
  • Selectable ISO sensitivity; Auto, 100, 200, and 400
  • Automatic popup flash with 5 modes (Auto, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Flash Off or Night Backdrop)
  • Color modes (Color, Sepia or Black & White)
  • White Balance (Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Manual Pre-set)
  • Exposure compensation (+/- 2EV in 1/3EV steps)
  • Ultra compact and durable steel body design
  • Rechargeable lithium battery pack and charger included
  • Builtin USB for robust image downloads to the host computer
  • Epson PRINT Image Matching compatible
The Finecam S5 outfit includes a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, AC charger/adapter, 16MB SD card, USB data cable and video cable.





Physical Views



Kyocera Finecam S5

Kyocera Finecam S5

Kyocera Finecam S5

Kyocera Finecam S5

Kyocera Finecam S5

Kyocera Finecam S5





Kyocera Finecam S5

The Finecam S5 compared in size to a standard CD disc.








Continue on to
Page Two





Finecam S5 Specifications

Type:
Digital still camera with record, playback, and movie modes.
Imaging Device:
1/1.8" square-pixel interlace readout system CCD with 5,250,000 pixels gross.
Recording media: SD Memory Card, Multi-Media Card (MMC)
Recording Capacity (Guideline) and Image Dimensions in Pixels (when using 16MB SD Memory Card, all pictures taken in the same mode).
Fine: About 4-6 (2560x1920)
Normal: About 8-12 (2560x1920)
Movies (30 seconds each):  About 1 to 2 (320 x 240)
Image Format: Complies with JPEG standard (Exif ver. 2.1) 
DCF Standard (Design Rule for camera File systems),supports DPOF.
Lens:
3x optical zoom lens, f=7.3 mm - 21.9 mm (35mm equivalent 35-105mm), F2.8-4.8
Focusing Range:
About 60 cm - infinity.
In Macro Mode:
About 17 cm - 60 cm (at wide-angle setting).
Exposure Control/
Metering Method:
CCD multi-area evaluation,center-weighted, and spot metering.
Control Method:
Programmed AE
Aperture-Priority AE
Long Exposure modes.
Exposure Compensation:
+2.0 EV to -2.0 EV (in 1/3 steps).
Aperture Control:
Automatic, or manually settable to F2.8 or F9.6.
Automatic Exposure Linkage Range:
EV6 to EV16 (at equivalent ISO 64).
White Balance:
Automatic, manual (preset),outdoor (daylight/clouds), indoor Tungsten/Fluorescent). 
Shutter:
CCD electronic shutter and programmed electronic shutter with independent aperture control (1 sec-1/2000 sec, 2 sec, 4 sec, 8 sec).
Focusing control:
Video feedback auto-focusing (single AF, continuous AF modes), and manual focusing. 
Viewfinder:
True image zoom viewfinder.
Flash:
Built-in automatic popup flash, recycling time about 8 seconds (on full battery charge, at room temperature).

Flash range about 60 cm - 2.5 meters (Wideangle).

Recording Modes:
Flash modes (auto flash, red-eye reduction, forced flash, no flash, red-eye reduction forced flash*); macro recording mode, landscape recording mode; color modes (color, B/W, sepia); white balance (Auto, daylight, tungsten, cloudy, fluorescent, preset); AE modes (programmed, F2.8; F9.6); focus (AF/MF); long-exposure (OFF/2 sec/4 sec/8 sec); sensitivity (Auto, 100, 200, and 400; metering modes (evaluation; center-weighted; spot).
* Settable during long-exposure mode.
Playback modes:
Multiple image display; audio recording; protect; erase (single image); all erase (erases all images in folder DCIM); image rotation (right/left 90 degrees); slide show; DPOF setting.
*Note that files (and folders) recorded on other manufacturer's cameras and devices cannot be erased by this camera.
Setup modes:
Brightness control; date; date inserting; memory card format;  auto power off setting function ON/OFF and time setting (time until camera power turns off automatically); mode lock ON/OFF (preserves mode setting data); beep volume setting; shutter volume setting; select color (Purple, Red, Yellow, Blue); startup screen setting; REC Review On/Off; display language setting (Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish); video output standard (NTSC/PAL); file number reset; mode reset
LCD monitor:
Built-in, 1.6" 85,000-pixel TFT color LCD monitor; size: 354x240 pixels.
Input/Output:
NTSC/PAL composite video signal selectable, power input, USB 1.1 data I/O
Battery Power:
BP-1000S 3.6V 1000mAh lithium battery pack, dedicated AC adapter/charger. Five hours to charge fully discharged battery.

Number of images recordable:
LCD monitor ON - about 160
LCD monitor OFF - about 200
Continuous playback time is about 180 minutes

Dimensions:
92 (W) x 57.5 (H) x 33 (D)mm
(excluding protruding parts)
Weight:
6 oz. / 165 g (not including SD card or battery)






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