Fuji S5200

[Jake21]

I have some many to spend that i would to put towards my camera....I am looking a buying a polarizer....but am looking for suggestions as to what else is out there that i should get

Thanks in advance

[Mr. Pickles]

Do you have "money" to spend, or "many" to spend?

And do you already have a s5200, and want to add to it? If so, a polarizer can be a good filter to have on digitals. Sometimes it doesn't work like a graduated filter would, especially if you got a graduated blue filter from say Cokin. The Cokin system uses square or rectangular filters, attached to a round adapter for your lens size, and the filters can be stacked, rotated, and more importantly, moved up and down so the "line" is where you want it.

On your camera, I think the only way you can "see" the darkening from the CP, is to hold the shutter halfway down, and then rotate the polarizer.

If this is not what you were trying to say, let us know and we can continue to help you spend your money

[Jake21]

HAHA...I have *Money* to spend

And i have the Camera already and Just want to add to it I have about $150 to spend....Whats your opinion on telephoto lens attachments? I like to shoot sports and would love to be able to get closer to the action

Thanks

[cyclohexane]

For most sports, there's really no substitute for a DSLR with a 300mm equivalent focal length (minimum) lens, though I have take shots of a softball game with a Canon SD500/IXUS pocket camera (for fun). In general, lens attachments for fixed-lens cameras tend to suck, but I guess you could probably make do with them if you had to.

For $150, you can get yourself a nice, multicoated polarizer in the appropriate size for your camera's lens. In general, a good multicoated polarizer costs about $1.50 to $2.00 per mm in diameter; you can save a bit of money by forgoing the multicoat.

[Mr. Pickles]

Actually, we'd need to know what sports you want to shoot "closer", but if it is something like soccer or softball/baseball, then you need a better seat. The s5200 I think goes out to 380mm doesn't it? I think it is a 10x zoom.

I tend to agree that the "tele extenders" affect the quality, but most of them are cheap and will. When I had my s602, I used an Olympus TCON-14B or 17 or 18 (I forget exactly). But they can run from $100 to $200 I think, or they use to. The number (14, 17, etc) is the magnification factor, if you put a dot in the middle (1.4x)

One thing to think about on the Oly type extenders is you don't want to screw it to the lens. Does the s5200 have threads on the body, to add a hollow metal tube? If so, you need the tube first if you don't have it. With the tube, you can put a UV filter on the end and just leave it attached all the time for protection.

[cyclohexane]

A good "seat" for softball or baseball is the dug-out, if you can worm it for things at a high school level and below. The ump might kick you off, but usually you can find a well-protected (reduces the need to dive down when a foul ball flies your way) corner that gives good coverage of each base. 300mm (equivalent) should be plenty long, though you'll need to crop for outfield.

Really, if you can cover the 105-300mm equivalent range and crop, you can probably do pretty well for most sports under the collegiate level. Fast apertures are nice for getting rid of unsightly backdrops, but really aren't a necessity if you're just doing it for fun. You should see the crap that gets foisted on us by "local pros" who make their money off of the parents...

[Jake21]

Thanks Everybody........I tend to shoot football(American).....I have threads built into the body

The only problem right now without the extra zoom is that when I crop the picture to make it smaller it tends to become out of focus or blurry...I try to sharpen it but sometimes that tends to make it look worse

I have been reading around the internet about the telephoto attachment and alot of people who own them tend to say it does give them worse quality pictures and makes pics really blurry

Thanks alot for the info!

[cyclohexane]

American football... This is something that I'd say warrants a lens in the 105-300mm equivalent (on most digital crop bodies, this is the 70-200 lens that is really popular now, though I prefer the wider "true" 70 on film for some sports) for the closer action, and something longer.... 400mm or beyond for infield action.

Since you're working with a fixed lens camera, I'm not sure how much you can do to alleviate the range problem. If they're out of focus or blurry when the picture is crop, something's wrong. Maybe you've got camera shake or something else going on. What program are you cropping with? Sometimes, when you crop a program will resample, and that might reduce the quality of the image.

[badpickev]

Originally Posted by Jake21

The only problem right now without the extra zoom is that when I crop the picture to make it smaller it tends to become out of focus or blurry...I try to sharpen it but sometimes that tends to make it look worse

That is a factor of handholding. the farther a lens goes past 250mm the harder it is to hold it steardy. a mono pod can help a tripod is better. using a remote release will also help. you can get aset of feet for a monopod now a days to you can stand it on its own. a remote shutter release and a pod with legs will allow you to preset for a static shot a one location. now going with football, keeping the camera centered on the pod will help. once you get used to using a pod with out feet you will know how to shoot action with it.

[Jake21]

Thanks everybody for you advice....very much appreciated

[skodadriver]

Hi, I`m new here, I have a Fuji S5600 (the UK version of the S5200).... I find with the zoom that if you try to use maximum zoom the pics are out of focus..... On my viewfinder at the top there is a scale in white that shows a stop mark a little way from the end, and I find this is generally a guide to "in focus" long distance shots..... after that, I think it is the digital zoom that takes over.... Also the use of a monopod, or some form of camera stabilizer, would help with the "long shots".... If, when shooting action shots, it is possible to "pre-focus" on the shooting area, then you may find it helps with the actual shot being taken...Not sure how that would work with football (American or English Soccer) but if you were shooting action at say basketball, where you can focus on the net area, or at a horse jumping gymkhana, where you can focus on the fences before the rider jumps, if you get my drift ! !..
Hope that helps

Skodadriver

[Imagesgranted]

Hi there i.m.h.o if i were you i would buy the tube neccesary to add filters then buy a very god quality polarizing filter something like a hoya pro digital or b+w and an nd filter.

i found when i had fujis years ago it took great macros so a cable release might be a thought and a tripod that can get down low.

Other than that lots of play but thats free.