Fujifilm's 2004 budget bridge — 4MP CCD, 10x 37-370mm f/2.8-3.1 zoom, RAW, EVF, xD card, four-AA power.
The Fujifilm FinePix S5500 was an SLR-styled superzoom bridge camera announced in July 2004, sold in the US as the FinePix S5100. It replaced the FinePix S5000, swapping that camera's SuperCCD for a conventional 4-megapixel sensor, and was pitched aggressively on price against other 10x-zoom bridge cameras of the day.
It used a 4.0-megapixel 1/2.7-inch CCD (2,272x1,704 pixels) behind a Fujinon 10x optical zoom of f/2.8-3.1, equivalent to 37-370mm. It offered full manual control including RAW capture, ISO 64-400, VGA 640x480 movie recording at 30fps, custom white balance, histogram playback and 100% frame coverage in both the electronic viewfinder and LCD. Storage was on xD-Picture Card and power came from four AA batteries housed in the handgrip.
With RAW, PASM modes and a bright f/2.8-3.1 zoom, the S5500 was one of the most capable budget bridge cameras of 2004 and remains a nicely balanced camera in the hand, its weight split between lens and grip. The modest 4MP resolution and 400-ceiling ISO limit output size and low-light use, but the files have the appealing early-CCD rendering.
Used-market checks: xD-Picture Cards are discontinued and pricey, so a bundled card adds value; AA power is painless. Test the electronic viewfinder for dropout, run the zoom end to end, and confirm RAW capture works if that matters to you. Look for corrosion in the grip battery compartment and stiffness in the mode dial, the common age-related complaints.