Fujifilm FinePix S100fs

performance, usability, price, lens, zoom

viewfinder

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Very useful zoom range Excellent resolution and good edge to edge detail Sharp, generally high-quality lens Expanded dynamic range option (and it works) Excellent high-ISO performance for a non-DSLR Full photographic control, huge range of SLR-like...

Strong, visible chromatic aberration at the most useful focal lengths Noise reduction attacks fine detail if you look too close 230 shot battery life somewhat limiting Film simulation rarely useful RAW processing software is unusable Electronic...

With the price of DSLRs dropping all the time, the justification for bridge cameras between compacts and full-grown DSLRs looks increasingly weak. The S100FS makes a game job of proving that there is still room for such a camera.

DSLR feel from a digital point and shootGreat range with the 14.3x optical zoom lensFace Detection with automatic red eye removalFast shutter releaseTilting 2.5 LCD screen

So is the Fujifilm FinePix S100fs a DSLR? Well, on looks alone, you might t

The market for the so-called bridge cameras is very much under pressure due to the DSLR cameras becoming cheaper and cheaper. And yet the bridge cameras are obviously in favour, especially when they have a huge zoom range. It's quite clear that a...

The first thing that impresses about the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is its build and weight a large proportion of that due to the chunky optic bolted onto the front and, image quality apart, it's an impression that stays with you. Being well thought...

Exposure 2 is similar to what the S100FS produces, but that Photoshop compatible plug-in also offers emulations for Velvia 50, 100, and 100F film, with and without grain, something Fujifilm's own simulation does not provide

Shooting speed and responsiveness similar to DSLR, Usable ISO performance even at high sensitivities, Consistent auto focus across the lens range, Amazing dynamic range, similar to DSLR, Huge zoom range; reasonably fast apertures throughout, Amazing...

Slow from initial power-on to first shot, Macro focus isn't easy outside of the "sweet spot", Bloated menu system is sometimes difficult to navigate, 400 percent dynamic range mode limited to ISO 400, Some lens faults show up in your images, A little...

Very good photo quality; outperforms other super zooms at high ISOs by at least a full stop (though see issues below) ; Whopping 14.3X, 28 - 400 mm zoom lens ; Optical image stabilization ; SLR-like body has excellent build quality; easy to hold;...

Lots of purple fringing; SuperCCD tends to smudge fine details a bit ; Expensive for a fixed-lens camera ; Below average battery life ; Awkward manual focus system ; Full shutter speed range not available in shutter priority mode ; Very slow RAW...

The Fuji FinePix S100fs is an impressive camera, though its price makes it a tough call. It costs twice as much as other super zoom cameras, and more than some entry-level D-SLRs (though, to be fair, adding a comparable lens pushes the price of an SLR...