Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd camera review

Basic specifications: 8-megapixel 1/2.35-inch CCD (not SuperCCD), Fujinon 18x Optical zoom lens, F2.8 - F4.5, f=4.7mm - 84.2 mm, Equivalent to 27 - 486mm on a 35mm camera, AUTO / AUTO (ISO1600) / AUTO (ISO800) / AUTO (ISO400) / Equivalent to ISO64 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400, 4sec. to 1/2000 sec. shutter speed. List price of £299.99

The Finepix S8000fd represents Fujifilm’s best attempt yet to fuse the advantages of compact and DSLR cameras together, rivaling the latest entry-level DSLRs. The likes of the Nikon D40x, Pentax K100D and Canon EOS 400D all offer faster performance and better image quality than the Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd, plus the advantage of RAW mode which is notably missing on the S8000fd. Crucially, slightly wider-angle than its main competitor, the excellent Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18. The difference in JPEG image quality at slower ISO speeds isn’t that pronounced, but the S8000fd suffers by comparison with its noisy ISO 800 and 1600 ISO settings. The electronic viewfinder is greatly improved, with better resolution and refresh rate, but it’s still ultimately less comfortable and accurate than a traditional optical viewfinder, especially for action photography. So the advantages of the compact digicam format (movie mode, live preview on the LCD screen, dust-free fixed lens) don’t quite out-weigh the disadvantages of this camera, until you factor in the 18x zoom lens. For the majority of photographers the Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd has almost every situation covered in terms of focal length, from wide-angle landscapes to close-up nature shots, all in a light and compact body. You would have to purchase and carry at least a couple of lenses to cover the same distance with a DSLR camera. Thankfully Fujifilm have at last seen sense and included an image stabilization system, an essential feature given the massive zoom range on offer, and one that works very well in practice. This also means that Fujifilm can finally compete on a level playing field with their main super-zoom competitors, most notably the 18x models from Panasonic and Olympus. We haven’t reviewed the Panasonic FZ18 yet, but we much preferred the S8000fd to the Olympus SP-550 UZ, which offers a less usable interface and much poorer image quality. The Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd is therefore both our current ultra-zoom camera of choice, and a viable alternative to a DSLR camera.

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Add comment November 23rd, 2007

Fuji Finepix Z5FD Review

The image quality is absolutely superb and we really stuggled to find fault with any of our images. Colours were brilliantly reproduced and were bright and sharp. A quick start-up to shoot time completed the perfection of such a small, compact camera which is rare to find today. … We really enjoyed using the Fuji Z5FD and though it was excellent value for money. Although the battery life could be slightly better, the images we recived were fab and as long as you keep the battery charged for every occassion you should have no problems with this one.”

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Add comment June 16th, 2007

Fuji Finepix S5 Pro

Pros: Easy to use; extensive feature set; film simulation; good dynamic range; excellent skin-tone reproduction
Cons: Slow continuous shooting; average menu design; interpolated output; heavy
Verdict: A good-value digital SLR with an impressive feature set and which excels at portraiture

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Add comment May 3rd, 2007