The BK-NH/NH2 is Fuji's branded charger. Any AA NIMH charger will work. The A/C adapter is probably a good idea only if you are going to be downloading pictures through the camera. I would suggest instead that you buy a generic USB card reader and use that so you wouldnt need the A/C adapter at all. If you do purchase an A/C adapter I would stick with the FUJI brand, it can be tricky to match power requirements and plug sizes but not impossible.

Thanks! My camera arrived today and it's great so far. :)) I went out and got a set of Duracell niMHs with a 1-hour charger. I will put them in the camera when the alkaline AAs run out (they came with the camera so I figured I'd use them up first).

The manual says you absolutely need the A/C adapter to download the pics to the computer--that you should "always use it" because if you lose battery power while downloading you can lose data. I had seen the USB card reader on a few websites in the past so I'll look at those again. If I can use that instead of the A/C adapter to download all my pics, & if it's cheaper (?) I'll go with that...

I've had my S5100 for a few months now and am quite impressed with its performance and overall design. Though any AA will work, I suggest as high a capacity AA ni-mh as possible. This camera's battery life is acceptable---unlike many other digital cameras. My advice is to completely forget about USB image transfers and AC adapter power. Just make sure you have a spare set of AAs (even alkalines) handy for emergency use. Your next purchase should be a card reader; make SURE it reads the xD format. Most do, but not all. And keep close tabs on those xD cards because their size makes them easy to misplace.

Thanks! Yes I think I will get the Fuji xD card reader that you insert the xD card into and the whole thing plugs right into the PC. Very small and a lot cheaper than a Fuji A/C adapter--which I was "shocked" at the price of! (no pun intended)

I filled my 16-MB card last night with test pics and I love it so far. Although I'm still trying to test how small of an object I can zoom in on. I got the impression it'd be the same if not better than my 35-mm macro zoom but this morning I tried focusing on a sweetgum seedpod I placed on my desk, and could not focus on it nearly as close as I'd expected. Maybe there is a function I missed....I set it to Auto Macro and used the W/T buttons to zoom in.

Oh, I almost forgot to ask....will the card get damaged from taking it in and out of the camera slot and card reader slots frequently? As in, using a card reader rather than leaving the card in the camera to transfer the pics?

I ask because when inserting it into the camera, it is a very snug fit and required a little pressure. not like inserting a hard disk into a computer....

Actually, if you press and release the card it will come out quite easily. The contacts are rated for 100's of thousands of insertion cycles -- not to worry :-)

OK Thanks.

Today around lunchtime I took out the alkaline AAs, as they were almost done already, and inserted the niMHs I had charged last night. This afternoon the camera shut off on me twice, saying the batteries were too low (the indicator lamp was blinking red too, which I thought was strange). How could they be too low already? I bought them yesterday, charged them last night, put them in the camera today. They are Duracells right out of a new package. I just now put them back on the charger. Is that the right thing to do???

BTW I ordered the Fuji xD card reader today.

OK aren't rechargeable niMHs supposed to last longer than 24 hours? I used the camera off and on a few times today and the rechargeables ran out again today. I bought them Tuesday evening, charged them that night, put them in the camera Wed. a.m., had to charge them last night, put them back in after that, and now have to charge them again tonight. What's up with that?? I can't even use the "discharge" feature on the camera because as soon as the batteries are low, the camera shuts itself off.

Boy the Kodak DX6440 with the CRV battery we have at work lasts WEEKS at a time before needing to come near the dock/charger.

My S5100 lasts at least a week on a set of 2200 ni-mh batteries. But I'm very careful and shut it off as soon as I'm done taking/looking at pictures. Of course using the focus and flash a lot drains the batteries quicker.

Here's a shot I took that really pushed the camera to its limit --full optical zoom--handheld (and walking)--distance is about 150 feet--and then additional software zoom/crop. Equivalent to blowing the image up to at the very least 16x20 (probably more).

This camera has a good lens.

Wonderful!!! I'm a birder, too. :)

My niMHs say DC1500....does this mean I should get the higher-numbered kind? The package said "for digital cameras" but at the time I didn't know there were different numbers on niMHs.

I'm careful too about shutting it off. I took some good macro pics today after getting a great tip from the photography forum. I managed to photograph one of "my" hummingbirds while it fed at the feeder, but I'm still working on an in-flight shot. They were too skittery today.

When I first bought this camera I was a little apprehensive about its lack of image stabilization, but I'm happy to report that it has not been an issue at all. Just make sure to use a fast shutter speed and practice holding the camera steady. I always hold my breath and concentrate on keeping still. After a while it becomes second nature.

The ni-mhs should have their rating printed right on them. If yours are 1500, I would definitely step up to at the very least 2000---1500s will definitely work, but just not as long. Don't pay attention to the advertising fluff on the packaging; just look for the numeric ratings.

Interesting you mentioned hummingirds. That's the main reason I bought this camera. We have lots of them because our house is decorated with many flowers. I just haven't had the chance to try and capture these birds through the lens yet. It takes some planning and luck because it's not easy getting close to these guys. A tripod and the lowest ASA 64/fastest shutter speed combination are important.

Great! I find that stabilization is not really an issue for me, either. Like you I hold my breath (LOL), steady myself, and I will remember to check the shutter speed too. The magic of digital is that you can see the results immediately, and take a 2nd pic if needed (except for those once-in-a-lifetime moments). It's wonderful! :)

I'm happy to see that the tripod hole size is universal so I can use my existing large tripod I have for my regular cameras.

Thanks for the battery tip---I will look for some 2000+ rated ones. It's a shame because this set cost me $24!! They'll be my back up set, I guess.

My card reader arrived today, which I was so surprised at, and it was SO easy and fast! I had my pics downloaded, sorted, sized, and uploaded to my website all in about 15 minutes. :))) I love this thing!!

My batteries have lasted into the night this time, let's see how soon I have to charge again. I will be getting a bigger-rated set at the end of the week when I go shopping next.

Here is a link to my very first set of digital pics, if anyone would care to see them...I took shots of various subjects in various situations, to test out different settings...also, I have resized most of these for purposes of web-viewing. The originals were enormous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Amy's 1st pics with Fuji Fine Pix S5100

You have a good eye, Amy. I liked the pictures--especially the first one: candy dish. Sometimes the best photos are of the most mundane things.

Wow thanks!!! I hope to find better and better subjects/compositions as I learn. :) one thing I notice about trying to photograph hummingbirds in flight---it is very hard to get the camera to focus on the tiny bird in front of all that empty (air) space. Any tips?

Yes, I know what you mean.

I haven't tried it yet, but I believe you can lock the focus on the S5100. If you're trying to shoot a hummingbird in flight, without any objects at all behind it, you have limited options. You can hope the bird stays in your viewfinder long enough to focus---or pre-focus and lock.

You may also try settinig the aperture to the smallest opening possible. As you are probably aware, the smaller the aperture, the deeper the depth of field. But then you're going to need a slower shutter speed, which will blur its helicopter-speed wings. It's a tough project. I've been meaning to try shooting the hummingbirds outside my house, but the technicalities are indeed daunting.