Fuji Finepix S5000 Digital Camera

The FinePix S5000 looks and feels like an expensive camera, with a rubberized black body you might find on a single-lens reflex model, and a pronounced grip that makes it especially comfortable to hold right-handed. Its 10X zoom lens is still relatively uncommon; only four or five digital cameras offer a lens of that length.

However, its 3.1-megapixel resolution is low for a $400 camera, and we saw the effect in our image-quality judging. With an overall score of Fair--the weakest score in this round of testing, the S5000 earned the lowest scores for sharpness, exposure, and color accuracy. Image noise dragged down its scores, too. The 5-megapixel Olympus C-5000--only $50 more when we checked prices--scored far higher.

The zoom buttons are recessed into the back of the camera, so only the dexterous will be able to operate the camera with one hand. To change focusing modes, you must first turn a locking dial on top of the camera, then press a button on top of the dial to cycle through single-shot autofocus, continuous autofocus, or manual focus. Focusing manually is especially difficult: You must press the exposure compensation mode button and press the zoom buttons. (There's no label for the EV--exposure value--button's alternate function.) Moreover, the display doesn't indicate the focusing range. The S5000 has only a 1.5-inch LCD display, which is the smallest we tend to see these days in advanced cameras; the display often looks grainy, though it does look better during image playback on the camera. You must raise the flash manually; the camera won't do it for you when the shot needs it.

Despite the long zoom lens and the alkaline batteries, the S5000 performed very well in our battery tests, reaching the 500-shot limit we use. (Any camera whose battery life exceeds 500 shots automatically earns a score of Outstanding.) That's a good thing, because rechargeables and an AC adapter are both extra-cost options with the S5000.

You can take good-looking movies with this camera--30 frames per second, with clear audio (most cameras still only offer 15 frames per second). In addition, you can take up to 5 shots per second; and unlike with the cameras' clunky manual focusing, choosing a high-speed mode is easy, thanks to a dedicated button on top of the camera.

Upshot: The S5000 is a very attractive-looking camera; it has the appearance of a high-quality, high-performance model. Unfortunately, it doesn't fully deliver on the performance part of that equation.

Alan Stafford