Photos: Hands-on with the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS
Tags: fujifilm, method, film, lens
The Fujifilm S100FS is at the top of the Finepix tree. It's an 11-megapixel bridge camera with a 14x zoom. While many superzooms are closer to the compact end of things in terms of specs and features, the S100 is a true bridge camera. Its resemblance to a dSLR goes beyond the styling. In fact, several features are borrowed directly from its bigger brother, the FinePix S5 Pro. You get raw shooting, a thumb dial for adjusting exposure and manual control over the lens -- you turn it and it zooms.
Imaging is handled by a 2.3-inch CCD, which is certainly bigger than the average. Larger sensors have more space to collect light and images look better. Bigger sensors have a positive effect on controlling noise, which is one of the things we'll be testing in our forthcoming in-depth review.
The camera's body has plenty of heft, and although one-handed shooting is possible, we wouldn't do it for long. The rubberised grip is very comfortable, with a contour for your finger.
The 'FS' in the S100's name stands for film simulation. These modes mimic the look and feel of four Fujifilm films. Film -- how old school is that?
Fujifilm's clever face detection 2.0 will find and focus on up to 10 faces in a scene, even if they're in profile, and also corrects red eye. There are lots of modes and settings, including all the usual scene modes -- landscape, portrait and so on -- as well as four scenes for shooting nature.
Extending dynamic range to capture a greater spectrum of detail in darker and lighter areas is a popular feature at the moment. The S100 can boost dynamic range, or bracket three frames at different settings. Other bracketing options include film simulation and exposure.
The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is available now for £380. Click the links to take a closer look. -Rich Trenholm
Update: Read our full Fujifilm FinePix S100FS review here.
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Rich TrenholmTue 27 May, 2008 9:30am
There certainly is, thanks for pointing that out - duly corrected.
AnonymousWed 16 July, 2008 8:43am
Just to point out the 'manual focus'. Yes, it is done by rotating the ring behind the zoom ring, but it is NOT mechanical, not like the zoom ring. There is a big difference here.
When you rotate the zoom ring, the lens is driven out or in directly from your manual rotation. No motor or electronic activity involved, so it is direct and feels so. However, for the focus ring, your rotation is picked up and converted by some A/D circuits and the signal is sent to the motor or other parts to change the focus, therefore, it is NOT directly driven by your manual rotation.
The difference is huge. When you zoom, it is simultaneously. But when you focus, it has lags, a lot logs. So you can't tell when you have rotated enough or the motor did not reach there yet. This will be not effective for shooting sports or fast moving objects.
This is one of the major negatives I felt from actually using it. All in all, it is still a GREAT camera. The picture quality and feature set is second to none in its class and a very practical camera.
David
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AnonymousTue 27 May, 2008 3:50am
The sensor is a 2/3" sensor, NOT a 1/2.3"!! There is a huge difference between the two!