Fujipix S5000 - why do my pics look so bad?

[StageLeft]

The parenellsraw was taken on a tripod using default auto settings and the full image size, raw 3 megapixel. parnellsraw.jpg <- notice the artifacting/compression around the spoiler on the civic?

DSCF0246.JPG

Second picture taken holding it, but still raw.

This camera's "raw" images are all about 800-900k JPEGs. I think you can take true raw but they are ungodly large.

 

[Aharami]

wtf are u talking about? and i didnt know u live in china/japan/korea/

blah...what a nasty wing on that civic

 

[Anubis]

are you post processing them at all? if you shoot raw shoot true raw, with raw you will have to work the image a lil to get exactly what you want

 

[GoingUp]

Hey Shmabbles! Hope youre enjoyin Japan. I just got back from Europe

How much are you moving your hands when you take the photo? If its low light, the shutter will be open longer and make your pictures blurrier. Maybe you should invest in a mini tripod. The stuff in teh left in the shadows doesnt look as sharp as the items on the right in the sunlight.

How many megapixel is your camera and what resolution are you shooting at?

 

[StageLeft]

How many megapixel is your camera and what resolution are you shooting at?

"Raw" 3 megapixel! First shot was tripod and second was holding.

I'm thinking maybe this is just how digital camera pics look. When I compress these down to 8X6 or something they look fine, and prints (at least 4X6) are good. I guess maybe this is just the limitation of 3 megapixel? Does anybody else have a raw (or minimally compressed) 3 megapixel from a camera here which looks a lot better?

BTW I'm back from japan. I was there for only 4 days.

 

[Mday]

it's the camera. the pictures look awful on the pictures i've taken with the camera. the processing of the images from the ccd just sucks. i think it has to do with the interpolation the camera does. i see the same problems on the s7000 also.

 

[BigSmooth]

Skoorb, do all your pictures show significant artifacting in both RAW mode and normal modes?
I've read good and bad things about the S5000. Consumer reviews (on Epinions, Amazon, etc.) are overwhelmingly positive, probably due to the excellent feature set for the price, but pretty much every professional review complains that the images are too noisy/overcompressed.

 

[Carrot44]

I have done some stuff with the fuji cameras and me and other reviews all say that the compression is just plain to high. But Fuji planed things that way so if you don't like it get a different camera........... I hear it can be fixed with a flash update but Fuji won't do it. Sux.............. I own the S602 and it does not have the compression problem.

 

[TechnoKid]

Turn off any softening that the camera does when you take a picture. Also, set the iso lower, it may remove some of the graininess.

 

[StageLeft]

I've not really done raw mode because their "raw" mode is weird (I don't think it's a tiff), and one reviewer said not to bother unless you're doing high quality prints.

I agree that the camera is nice with nice features, though I do think that the compression is flat out too high. 850k for a 3 megapixel image is trimming it too much. Those pictures are huge, so it's easy to make out the nastiness - when I compress down to 1024X768 or something they look pretty good, and the few prints I've done are pretty decent. Overall I'm pleased with the camera, though my next one in a few years will have better quality (course that's obvious, as technology progresses ).

 

[radioouman]

I have an old Fuji Finepix 4900z and I would agree that hte compression is high, but noise also seems to be introduced by using a high ISO shutter speed.... In automatic mode, my defaults to ISO 200. But if put it in manual, I can get almost totally noise-pics by using ISO 100.

Pic I took using ISO 100

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have an old Fuji Finepix 4900z and I would agree that hte compression is high, but noise also seems to be introduced by using a high ISO shutter speed.... In automatic mode, my defaults to ISO 200. But if put it in manual, I can get almost totally noise-pics by using ISO 100.

Pic I took using ISO 100

Excellent! I will experiment

Nice thing about this camera is the night shots greatly amplify light beyond even what I can see. It's like night vision

 

[Ornery]

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have an old Fuji Finepix 4900z and I would agree that hte compression is high, but noise also seems to be introduced by using a high ISO shutter speed.... In automatic mode, my defaults to ISO 200. But if put it in manual, I can get almost totally noise-pics by using ISO 100.

Pic I took using ISO 100

Your first image was ISO 200. I'm surprised it was that grainy, because 200 isn't pushing it that much. Second image was ISO 160, and it does look better. Lock it at 100, that's what I do.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have an old Fuji Finepix 4900z and I would agree that hte compression is high, but noise also seems to be introduced by using a high ISO shutter speed.... In automatic mode, my defaults to ISO 200. But if put it in manual, I can get almost totally noise-pics by using ISO 100.

Pic I took using ISO 100

Your first image was ISO 200. I'm surprised it was that grainy, because 200 isn't pushing it that much. Second image was ISO 160, and it does look better. Lock it at 100, that's what I do.

Were you talking to radio or me?

How do you know what the iso was for the pictures...?

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How do you know what the iso was for the pictures...?

EXIF

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How do you know what the iso was for the pictures...?

EXIF

LPDA?

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How do you know what the iso was for the pictures...?

EXIF

LPDA?

The Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) format is an international specification that lets imaging companies encode metadata information into the headers or application segments of a JPEG file. This metadata information includes shutter speed, aperture, and the date and time the image was captured.

Make - FUJIFILM
Model - FinePix S5000
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 72
YResolution - 72
ResolutionUnit - Inch
Software - Digital Camera FinePix S5000 Ver3.00
DateTime - 2003:03:19 21:30:17
YCbCrPositioning - Co-Sited
Copyright -
ExifOffset - 252
ExposureTime - 10/4200 seconds
FNumber - 4.50
ExposureProgram - Normal program
ISOSpeedRatings - 160
ExifVersion - 220
DateTimeOriginal - 2003:03:19 21:30:17
DateTimeDigitized - 2003:03:19 21:30:17
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
CompressedBitsPerPixel - 2.00 (bits/pixel)
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/416 seconds
ApertureValue - F 4.44
BrightnessValue - 7.34
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MaxApertureValue - F 2.83
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 5.70 mm
FlashPixVersion - 100
ColorSpace - sRGB
ExifImageWidth - 2048
ExifImageHeight - 1536
InteroperabilityOffset - 1104
FocalPlaneXResolution - 3827
FocalPlaneYResolution - 3827
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit - Centimeter
SensingMethod - One-chip color area sensor
FileSource - DSC - Digital still camera
SceneType - A directly photographed image
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto
WhiteBalance - Auto
SceneCaptureType - Standard
Sharpness - Normal
SubjectDistanceRange - Unknown

Maker Note (Vendor): -
Version - 30333130
Quality - NORMAL
Sharpness - Normal
White Balance - Auto
Color saturation - Normal
Flash Mode - Off
Flash Strength - 0.00
Macro - Off
Focus mode - Auto
Slow Sync. - Off
Picture Mode - Auto
Unknown - 1
Sequence mode - Off
Unknown - 0
Blur warning - No
Focus warning - No (Focus OK)
AE warning - No (AE good)

 

[ElFenix]

first thing i was going to suggest was the ISO

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
The parenellsraw was taken on a tripod using default auto settings and the full image size, raw 3 megapixel. parnellsraw.jpg <- notice the artifacting/compression around the spoiler on the civic?

DSCF0246.JPG

Second picture taken holding it, but still raw.

This camera's "raw" images are all about 800-900k JPEGs. I think you can take true raw but they are ungodly large.

The only artifact I can see is a green Honda with a huge wing.

 

[BigSmooth]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have an old Fuji Finepix 4900z and I would agree that hte compression is high, but noise also seems to be introduced by using a high ISO shutter speed.... In automatic mode, my defaults to ISO 200. But if put it in manual, I can get almost totally noise-pics by using ISO 100.

Pic I took using ISO 100

Your first image was ISO 200. I'm surprised it was that grainy, because 200 isn't pushing it that much. Second image was ISO 160, and it does look better. Lock it at 100, that's what I do.

Were you talking to radio or me?

How do you know what the iso was for the pictures...?

Unfortunately one of the limitations of the S5000 is that it only goes down to ISO 200 in manual mode. Auto mode can use ISO 160, and that's as low as it gets on the camera.

It's a tough call on whether to buy this camera... image quality is obviously extremely important but the noise does not ruin the images IMO and as I said, the camera is otherwise loaded with features for the price.