Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

This lightweight model has a zoom lens that plays well at both wide-angle and telephoto extremes.

The Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd offers a host of advanced features at an affordable $400 price, but its biggest strength is the versatile 18X zoom lens. It covers a 35mm film camera's range--specifically, the equivalent of 27mm to 486mm--providing true wide-angle and extreme telephoto capability in a single compact unit. (However, in our roundup of megazooms, the Olympus SP-570 UZ had the greatest range: 26mm to 520mm.)

On a spring trip to Lake Tahoe, I found the wide angle to be excellent for sweeping mountain backdrops, while the long telephoto let me pick out details in the distance and get up close to wildlife. The camera's dual image stabilization was effective at reducing the chance of blur in zoom shots and at capturing moving targets, such as birds in flight. It works by shifting the sensor to compensate for unsteady hands and by raising the sensitivity to allow for shorter exposure times.

The S8100fd's automatic face detection optimized the focus and exposure in my portraits well, even when I was zooming from a distance. And its automatic red-eye removal took the guesswork out of flash photography. For users who want maximum control, the camera also provides exposure compensation, aperture- and shutter-priority settings, and full manual focus and exposure controls.

Despite the relatively low exposure range of F2.8 to F8.0, the camera tended towards large apertures for my scenic shots. I liked being able to reduce this myself, to achieve a longer depth of focus in pictures with foreground subjects against the lake and mountains.

The color fidelity of my photos sometimes disappointed me. Images with large areas of green trees and grass often looked unnatural. However, the S8100fd performed well in our lab tests, where our judges saw good color reproduction. Exposure accuracy was exceptional in natural light, but could have been better using the built-in flash. Images weren't as sharp as you might expect from the camera's 10-megapixel sensor.

The S8100fd offers several continuous shooting modes, including two high-speed settings that record at a lower resolution. You can record up to 33 frames at either 7 frames per second for 5-megapixel images or 13.5 fps for 3 megapixels, which might be useful for stopping the action in sports and wildlife shots. The camera records only standard-definition video at up to 30 fps.

Rubber surfaces on the front and rear of the handgrip make the lightweight S8100fd comfortable to hold and operate. The conveniently arranged controls generally work well, although it's sometimes easy to forget to select the image stabilization and face detection buttons on top of the camera. The 2.5-inch LCD is sufficiently clear and bright for composing most shots, but its colors didn't seem very natural. Because I wore the camera by its neck strap, I tended to use the electronic viewfinder often--it's hard to shoot with arms outstretched while you have it tethered to your neck. Bumping up the refresh rate from 30 fps to the optional 60 fps improved the viewfinder's stability, but it still felt like trying to focus on a fuzzy TV.

A set of batteries lasted for a good 459 shots in our lab tests, but they drained more quickly than I expected during my everyday use. Fortunately, the camera runs off regular AA alkaline batteries, so it was easy to find replacements during my trip.

The Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd is a good all-rounder at a reasonable price. It offers plenty of automated assistance, but lets you tweak settings manually when necessary. It makes a good choice for anyone seeking a single camera for all occasions.

Fujifilm's FinePix S700

The nicely priced S700 has good features and SLR styling but an awkward electronic viewfinder.

Fujifilm's FinePix S700 adds an SLR-style frame to the solid functionality of an advanced point-and-shoot. Its best traits are its long battery life, manual controls, 10X optical zoom, and image stabilization--not a bad combo in a $250 model.

The camera powers up in less than 2 seconds, and the shutter button responds fairly quickly. It handled close-up shots nicely; I photographed a quarter at a distance of about 2 inches, and the resulting shot looked crisp and clear.

In our lab tests, the 7.1-megapixel S700 earned a high score for color accuracy and an average score for sharpness. Its scores for distortion, however, were subpar. In our battery-life tests, the camera's four AA alkaline batteries supported 475 shots--much better than the average score.

I liked the camera's 'Natural Light and Flash' mode shooting option, where the camera captures a pair of consecutive shots--one without flash and another with flash--so you can compare which lighting captured the better image. A continuous-shooting mode snaps shots at a resolution of either 7 megapixels (the unit's maximum) or 4 megapixels. This feature worked fine, but it was a bit slow to record.

The S700 has the chops to perform well in most shooting scenarios. You may find the body a bit bulky, though.

Fujifilm S5200

This bargain-priced model is well designed, takes attractive shots, and is easy to use.

The Fujifilm S5200 is fast in a number of ways. For one thing, it starts up quickly: It was ready to shoot in about a second after we turned the power on, and shutter lag was less than half a second. That's quick enough to ensure that you wouldn't miss many shots.

The autofocus is very snappy, finding the right focus point in under a second in most situations. A couple of unconventional modes make it flexible. The AF Multi mode focuses on a high-contrast object located near the center of the screen. This works well when you take a shot of two people: Though the faces are off-center, the camera usually finds them and focuses on them. The AF Area mode lets you pick a spot anywhere on the screen as the focusing target, which is useful if you want to focus on an off-center object to create a depth-of-field effect. We found this tool is a lot easier to use than the manual focus, which required us to hold down the exposure compensation button while using the zoom buttons to focus.

The S5200's design enhances its ease of use: The handgrip is comfortable, and its textured rubber coating helps you keep holding on even if your hands get sweaty. The shutter button falls under the index finger, and the zoom controls are under the thumb. You can work the mode dial with your thumb, too, but using the other buttons (such as the menu button and the directional control) requires your other hand. The on-screen menus are pretty straightforward, though somewhat oddly worded: The camera refers to "photometry" instead of metering modes, which may confuse some users. The LCD screen is a little small (at 1.8 inches), but the viewfinder is excellent. It's one of the few I've seen that didn't require me to jam my eye right up to it to see the whole image--that's a big plus for spectacles wearers.

We were very impressed with the image quality of the S5200: In our tests with studio and natural lights, images displayed bright, vivid colors and lots of detail. Flesh tones looked great, with natural colors and plenty of shadow detail. Though the camera shoots only at a resolution of 5.1 megapixels, the results were noticeably sharper than from many higher-resolution cameras (such as the 8-megapixel Panasonic DMC-FZ30 and the 6-megapixel Konica Minolta DiMage 6Z). The sharpening that the camera applies didn't cause much color interference: We saw very little evidence of color fringing.

The exposure we took using the built-in flash was slightly off, yielding images that were a bit underexposed. In low light, however, the camera struggled: Though the ISO setting can be pushed up to 1600, images taken at high settings showed a lot of noticeable noise. You can push the shutter speed up to an impressive 15 seconds, but there's no dark field subtraction or other noise reduction mode, so noise becomes a big problem at longer exposures.

The S5200's battery life was superior: The camera reached our test maximum of 500 shots on four AA batteries. You can use rechargeable NiMH batteries if you like, but Fujifilm doesn't include them (or a charger) in its package. We encountered one annoyance involving the power management. Most cameras go into standby mode after a certain period of inactivity, and you can get out of it by pressing the shutter button. But the S5200 simply turns the power off; to start shooting again, you have to turn the power dial to off and then back to shooting mode. You can alter how long it waits before turning itself off, however.

The lens's styling gives the impression that you can zoom by twisting it, but unfortunately you can't do this. And it's sometimes a little difficult to tell whether your photos are in focus or not, since the LCD screen is rather small. But these are relatively minor issues.

Upshot: The easy-to-use S5200 takes great pictures and offers a good range of advanced features for a low price.

* Fujifilm FinePix S100FS

Basic Specifications

Resolution 11.10 Megapixels
Lens 14.30x zoom (28-400mm eq.)
Viewfinder EVF / LCD
LCD Size 2.5 inch
ISO 100-10000
Shutter 30-1/4000
Max Aperture 2.8
Mem Type SDHC / SD / xD
Battery Custom LiIon
Dimensions 5.3x3.7x5.9in
(133x94x150mm)
Weight 32.4 oz (918 g)
MSRP $800
Availability 02/2008

Fujifilm FinePix S100FS Overview
Review Date: 07/29/08

The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is based around a 2/3-inch Super CCD HR VIII image sensor with an 11.1 effective megapixel resolution and Fuji's RP Processor III. The sensor is coupled to a Fujinon-branded f/2.8 to f/5.3, 14.3x optical zoom lens that offers a 35mm-equivalent focal range from 28 to 400mm, and includes both optical image stabilization and a true manual zoom ring (rather than the "fly-by-wire" zooms found on most such digital cameras).

Other Fujifilm S100FS features include a 2.5-inch tilting LCD display, an SD/SDHC/xD-Picture Card combo slot, Fuji's face detection 2.0 with automatic red-eye removal, extended dynamic range control, and ISO from 100 to 3,200 with extensions to ISO 6,400 at 6 megapixels and a very high ISO 10,000 at 3 megapixels. The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS also has the ability to save in RAW format, and offers a selection of film simulation modes.

In addition, the Fujifilm S100FS features:

Dual Image Stabilization: Fujifilm's Dual Image Stabilization technology combines optical image stabilization with optimized image settings to reduce blur caused by camera movement and subject movement. A mechanically stabilized "floating" lens element reduces blur caused by slow, hand-held shutter speeds. At the same time, Fujifilm's Picture Stabilization technology reduces blur caused by subject movement.

Multi-Bracketing Function: The S100FS offers expanded bracketing functions including: Film Simulation Bracketing, Dynamic Range Bracketing and AE Bracketing.

High-Speed Shooting: Reliable high-speed performance is possible with the S100FS through Fujifilm's newly developed Super CCD VIII "HR" and the new image processor RP (Real Photo) III Processor. At 3-Megapixels, a maximum of 50 continuous shots at 7 frames per second is possible. In addition, 14 scene settings and customer settings are available with four auto-focus modes offering high-speed, high-precision shooting and focusing for a diverse range of conditions.

Movie Mode: The FinePix S100FS offers a Movie mode with sound at 30 fps in VGA quality, and zoom capable with manual zoom ring while in movie mode.

xD/SD/SD-HC Compatible Slot: The FinePix S100FS features an "xD/SD Compatible Slot" which accepts not only Fujifilm's traditional xD-Picture Cards but also Secure Digital and SDHC cards too.


Fujifilm S100FS User Report

Don't let the price scare you. The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is the least expensive hybrid you can buy.

The Fujifilm S100FS is not only built like a serious digital SLR, it has a larger sensor than most digicams, a real lens with a manual zoom ring, RAW file capture, and some sophisticated exposure controls beyond aperture and shutter speed.

But the Fujifilm S100FS still retains some of the conveniences and fun of a digicam with Movie mode, Scene modes, a single lens (with digital zoom), and LCD/EVF framing (with a tiltable LCD, too).

The Fujifilm S100FS's lens, with its 14.3x optical zoom and Super Macro focusing to 0.4 inch, is one reason this $800 digicam is a bargain. You'd spend a small fortune duplicating that range in digital SLR glass.

That range makes the Fujifilm S100FS a long zoom, but it gives the impression of being something beyond merely a long zoom digicam. It's a hybrid that avoids many of in the inconveniences and expenses of a digital SLR and many of the shortcomings of a digicam. If you're looking to move up but don't want to pack a separate bag for camera gear, the Fujifilm S100FS might be just what you're looking for.

I fell in love with the lens but there are plenty of other toys to play with on the Fujifilm S100FS.

Look and Feel. Perched on a table, the Fujifilm S100FS could easily be mistaken for a digital SLR. It's actually slightly bigger than a Canon Rebel XSi with the kit lens. And it's built just as well. There's nothing cheap about the body, the buttons, or the dials.

And there are plenty of buttons and dials on the Fujifilm S100FS, just like on a serious digital SLR. I really didn't have to make many trips to the menu system to change settings. There was usually a button to make the change I wanted, whether it was EV, ISO, shutter release, focus mode, or just setting the aperture and shutter speed. The Fujifilm S100FS even has a command dial like a digital SLR, something rarely seen on a digicam).

That digital SLR experience, which in my view is really the optimum photographic user interface, extends to the lens. There's no zoom lever. Instead, you twist the zoom ring on the lens, just as you would with any digital SLR lens. No steps, just a somewhat stiff twist to the perfect composition.

Unlike many digital SLRs, however, you can see the live image in the LCD or the electronic viewfinder. And because the LCD tilts, you can hold the camera at waist level or over your head and still see what the camera sees.

Although the camera is hefty, I never got tired shooting with it. You can't pocket it but you don't have to sling it over your shoulder either. I used a wrist strap and carried it in a holster case.

With the Shutter button free of a Zoom lever, a simple Power switch rings it. So you won't fumble around looking for some small button to power-on the S100FS. Behind it are an ISO button and an EV button (which also displays image info). And behind them is the handy Command dial.

Just to left of that cluster is the Mode dial. It's a thick mode dial, not the coin-thin sort you see on ultracompacts. A full 3/8 inches thick, in fact, so you can easily stretch your thumb over to spin to another mode.

Usually your thumb will rest on the sculptured back panel right next to the Metering ring around the Exposure Lock button. Below that is the EVF/LCD switch and the Playback button. Directly below the Playback button is the four-way navigator with a Menu/OK button. And to the left of that is the Face Detection/Red Eye Removal button. Well below that is the Display/Back button.

Those back panel buttons are arranged rather randomly, but you get used to the layout quickly.

On the left side of the camera are another set of buttons starting with the Shutter Release modes (which include Top 7 high res/Top 3 Raw, Last 50 3-megapixel, Dynamic range bracketing, Film simulation bracketing, Auto exposure bracketing, Last 7 high res/Last 3 Raw, and Long period). The Image Stabilization button is under that and below it is the Focus Modes switch (Continuous or Single autofocus or Manual focus) and a Focus button.

There's a dioptric adjustment on the left side of the EVF, too. And, as noted, the bottom of the LCD flips up for low angles. You can also pull out the top and flip the bottom back in for overhead shots.

The grip is much more comfortable than the small XSi grip, in fact with a nice molded finger slot for your middle finger.

Get your hands on an S100FS and you won't want to put it down. It handles so much like a digital SLR, I kept forgetting to use the LCD to frame my shots, bringing the viewfinder up to my eye.

Conclusion

Pro:

* Unusually nice fit and finish
* Wide zoom range, extending to 28mm at the wide angle end
* Manual zoom ring
* Lens hood has slot so you can manipulate a polarizer
* Buttons for functions like Image Stabilization and ISO
* Film Simulation mode mimics three film emulsions
* Four Auto ISO settings to limit highest sensitivity
* Raw mode
* Full resolution captures at 3 fps
* Tilting LCD
* Dynamic Range expansion options work well to hold onto highlight detail under harsh lighting
* Shutter lag times are better than average
* Prefocus shutter lag is exceptionally short
* Good continuous-mode speed for an 11-megapixel camera

Con:

* Raw mode is unusually unwieldy
* Very bright AF-assist illuminator
* Zoom not made for Movie mode
* No 16:9 aspect ratio
* Shutter lag is a little slow at full telephoto
* Lots of chromatic aberration from wide-angle through middle focal length settings
* Dynamic Range expansion comes at the expense of higher image noise, and less detail in
shadows
* Camera penalizes you for pressing the shutter button too soon after a shot, by refusing to take a
shot until you release and re-press the shutter button.
* Battery life is short for a camera this size - you'll probably want to pick up a second battery