Kyocera Finecam S5R review

The Finecam range will be familiar to anyone who has followed the development of digital cameras for the past couple of years. The S5R is based on the Finecam S5 (see issue 102, p75) with which we were only moderately impressed.

But the 5-megapixel S5R has had more than your average stylistic touch-up to recommend it over the original. The R in the model name stands for RTUNE, the name of the unit's image processor, which, uniquely, is fast enough to allow the camera to shoot continuously at three frames per second straight to the SD memory card until it's full. There's a proviso, though: the card you're using must be a fast one, capable of write speeds of 10MB/sec or better. These are few and far between, but the likes of SanDisk's Ultra II (see issue 113, p45) or Extreme cards will do it.

On the outside, the S5R looks great - at least as chic as the most stylish models, with the possible exception of the slinky Canon IXUS i (see issue 112, p84). Ergonomics are good, with a rotary mode switch selecting between primary modes (setup, review, single-shot, continuous shooting and movie) and a convenient four-way, push-to-select joystick falling under the right thumb to navigate the menu system.

Startup is pretty fast at just over three seconds, and once the auto focus has locked on, shutter lag is essentially zero. If you're waiting for a particular shot, using the manual focus option will mean you're certain to catch it. Manual focus, however, is coarse with only six steps between 0.6m and infinity.

One feature the camera lacks, which is now almost universal among other new models, is an AF assist lamp; consequently, the auto focus has a very hard time in low light, so this isn't one to choose for your indoor party snaps. This is a shame, since the fact that the flash is a pop-up unit places it far enough away from the axis of the lens to render the usual red-eye effects minimal.

When it comes to manual control, the S5R hasn't progressed from its forebear, with just two manual aperture settings on offer, f/2.8 or f/9.6, and no shutter-priority mode. You do get centre-weighted or spot metering, though, as well as spot focus in addition to the area and manual modes, plus settable white balance to accompany the usual presets. Sensitivity extends to ISO 800 too, if you can put up with the high levels of noise.

Image quality from the S5R is good but not spectacular: the evaluative metering isn't as intelligent as Canon's newest models, being fooled with simple shots such as portraits against sky, and auto white balance gave many natural-light shots a blue cast. Nevertheless, basic resolution is good, although at default sharpening settings things are a little soft. A point we noticed when testing is the limited battery life: despite the large lithium-ion battery, it lasted for only about 100 shots when previewing with the 1.6in LCD.

Partnered with a fast SD Card, the S5R's quick operation will be a boon for film photographers fed up with the sluggishness of digital compacts, and the price is very reasonable for a 5-megapixel model. It falls between two stools, though, with more features than the average snapper would want, but not quite enough finesse to act as a serious photographer's backup camera.

Author: David Fearon