Fuji introduce FinePix S5500 Zoom with 10x optical zoom and four megapixel

Building on the success of the best-selling FinePix S5000 Zoom, the S5500 Zoom maintains the SLR-inspired design and incredible 10x optical zoom Fujinon lens of its predecessor, the equivalent of 37-370 mm on a 35 mm camera. It also adds an extra megapixel of effective resolution, perfect for extracting additional detail from distant shots.

Whilst retaining the ergonomic design and layout of the FinePix S5000 Zoom, the S5500 Zoom also adds full VGA 30fps movie recording, custom white balance control, histogram playback and 100% frame coverage in the LCD and electronic viewfinder.

Photographers will find this an ideal camera to have at hand at any sporting event thanks to 10x optical zoom and continuous shooting mode. For example, any football fan wanting to capture some fast-moving action from the stands can simply switch modes to ensure they get their shot. This versatile camera is also perfect for travellers - for example, those going on safari, where they are unable to (or may not wish to!) get too close to the subject.

The FinePix S5500 Zoom also comes equipped with a Video Out socket for reviewing images and movies on a TV screen, and PictBridge compatibility for printing images without the need for a computer.

Created with ease of use and convenience in mind, the FinePix S5500 Zoom can be powered by four AA sized batteries or an AC power adaptor.

FinePix S5500 Zoom features at a glance

• Fujinon 10x optical zoom lens equivalent to 37-370mm on a 35mm camera
• Compact, SLR-style body shape to give you features and performance without the bulk
• 4.0 million effective pixel conventional CCD sensor
• A variety of exposure modes, including aperture priority, shutter priority and manual
• RAW format enabling unprocessed file saving
• Wide range of ISO settings (64 - 400) for photography in a wide range of conditions
• High quality movie capture (640 x 480) at 30 frames per second (fps) with sound
• High resolution 1.5" TFT (115,000 pixel) LCD screen featuring 100% frame coverage
• Powered by 4 x AA batteries
• xD-Picture Card providing large storage capacity, low power consumption and fast write speed (cards up to 512MB available currently)
• PictBridge compatible for direct printing without a PC
  

Adrian Clarke, Fujifilm's Director of Consumer Products, said, "The FinePix S5000 Zoom was a real breakthrough for us. It looked great, and packed a breathtaking amount of picture-taking power into a small body. Not wishing to tamper too much with a winning formula, we created the FinePix S5500 Zoom - a successor designed to maintain popular features such as the 10x optical zoom, whilst making subtle improvements to the existing specification.

"We're confident that the FinePix S5500 Zoom will be a hit with new and existing fans of our range of powerful zoom digital cameras. It offers photographers even greater freedom to experiment without being limited by distance."

Specifications

Number of effective pixels	4.0 million pixels
CCD sensor	1/2.7" conventional CCD Number of total pixels: 4.23 million pixels
Number of recorded pixels:	Still image: 2272x1704 (3.87 million) 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480 pixels Movie: 640 x 480 / 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames/sec. with monaural sound
File formats	Still image: JPEG (Exif Ver 2.2) Movie: AVI (Motion JPEG) (Design Rule for Camera File System Compliant / DPOF compatible)
Storage media	xD-Picture Card (16MB to 512MB capacities currently available)
Lens	Fujinon 10x optical zoom lens, f/2.8 - f/3.1
Lens focal length	Equivalent to 37 - 370mm on a 35mm camera
Focus	Autofocus / AF Area Focus / AF (Centre) Focus / Manual Focus AF assist illuminator: effective range up to 2.0m (wide angle)
Focus range	Normal: wide angle: 90cm to infinity telephoto: 2.0m to infinity Macro: wide angle: Approx. 0.1m - 2.0m telephoto: Approx. 0.9m - 2.0m
Shutter speed	Auto: 1/4sec. - 1/2000 sec. Manual: 15sec. - 1/2000 sec.
Aperture	Wide angle: F2.8 - F8 (10 steps in 1/3 EV increments) Telephoto: F3.1 - F9 (10 steps in 1/3 EV increments)
Exposure control	64-zone TTL metering-multi, spot, average
Sensitivity	Auto: Auto (ISO 64 - 320 depending on conditions) / 64 / 100 / 200 / 400 SP/P/S/A/M: ISO 64 / 100 / 200 / 400
White balance	Automatic, Manual (Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light)
Flash	Auto flash Effective range: Wide angle: 0.3m - 4.5m Telephoto: 0.6m - 4.0m Flash mode: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash (Slow Synchro., Red-eye Reduction + Slow Synchro: in manual mode)
Electronic viewfinder	0.33 inch polysilicon TFT (approx. 115,000 pixels) Approx 100% coverage
LCD monitor	1.5 inches polysilicon TFT (approx. 115,000 pixels) Approx 100% coverage
Self-timer	Approx 2 / 10 sec
Video out	NTSC/PAL selectable
Digital interface	USB socket & A/V socket, power input socket
Printing	PictBridge compatible
Power source	4 x AA size alkaline batteries (included) / 4 x Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (optional) or 5V AC power adaptor (optional)
Dimensions	112.7 (W) x 81.1 (H) x 79.3 (D) mm
Weight	Approx. 337g (excluding batteries and media)
Camera functions
Digital zoom (shooting)	3.6x (640 x 480 pixels) 1.8x (1,280 x 960 pixels) 1.4x (1,600 x 1,200 pixels)
Shooting modes	Normal: Auto, Scene Position (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Scene) Continuous: - Top 3 (3 frames/sec. up to 3 frames) - Final 3 (3 frames/sec. up to 3 frames) - Long period (max. 1.6 frames/sec. up to 40 frames)
Movie recording	320 x 240 pixels: 10 frames/sec up to 60 sec 160 x 120 pixels: 10 frames/sec up to 240 sec AVI (Motion JPEG) without sound
Playback	Single frame (with max.14x playback zoom), 9 multi-frame, exposure information with histogram, navigation screen on playback zoom
Colour modes	B&W / Chrome / Standard
Voice memo	Up to 30 sec. WAV format
Accessories included	16MB xD-Picture Card 4 x AA-size alkaline batteries Owner's manual Shoulder strap USB cable A/V cable Adaptor ring (AR-FX5A) Lens cap CD-ROM - USB driver - FinePix Viewer - ImageMixer VCD2 for FinePix - RAW File Converter LE
Optional accessories	xD-Picture Card: 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512MB capacities currently available PC Card Adaptor (DPC-AD) CompactFlash Card Adaptor (DPC-CF) USB Pen Drive/xD-Picture Card Reader (DPC-UD1) Fujifilm 7-in-1 Memory Card Reader (DCR-71) xD-MP3 Card Reader/MP3 Player AC power adaptor (AC-5VH/5VHS) Ultra-fast charger with 6 x 2100mAh Ni-MH batteries Wide conversion lens: (WL-FX9/WL-FX9B) Tele conversion lens: (TL-FX9/TL-FX9B) Soft case