Fujifilm Finepix S100fs 11.1MP Digital Camera with 14.3x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom

At least as far as I'm concerned. This is my 4th full size digital camera and, the best, by FAR, even over my Fuji S9000.

The image stabilization, dynamic range expansion, equivalent zoom range of 28-800mm (including digital) and high resolution are giving me the best pictures I have ever taken.

My favorite settings:
aperture priority or manual (right next to each other on the knob)
color: high
tone: hard
ISO: 400
Dynamic expansion: 400% (requires ISO 400)

The dynamic expansion really improves the brightness capture range. I guess this what they used to call lattitude in film photography. I have definitely noticed fewer blown highlights and fewer blotchy, near-black areas.

Neat feature: if you're in aperture priority and decide to go manual, it's just one click away on the mode knob and your aperture choice is automatically carried over to manual. The metering switches to a very convenient slider that lets you instantly compare your settings with what the meter is predicting. This feature essentially lets you intuitively set exposure compensaion in a visual way without fooling with a separate button or function.

I've never had a camera with image stabilization. Wow. Handheld shots with telephoto, pulling the neckstrap tight, really surprised me.

Fuji wisely moved the 2 and 10 sec self timers out of the menu and right on the 4-way selector, so when you're doing tripod work, you make 2 clicks and hit the shutter to make hands off shots. I do this a lot so this was a major productivity enhancement.

I'm finding that I use the extra zoom much more than I had anticipated. You can get very personal head-and-neck pictures of people, instead of the usual head-to-waist shots, without getting so physically close to them that you artificially change their behavior.

Being able to zoom while taking a movie produces results good enough that I haven't bothered to buy a video camera.

The tilting LCD makes it easy to get low and high angle shots. When taking a movie, you can put the camera on your tripod, tilt the LCD down, and hold the camera way up in the air while still being able to see the framing.

I especially like how you can set the focus to manual, yet still hit the autofocus button to preset and lock the focus at a certain point. If you also set the exposure in manual, there's nothing left for the camera to calculate when you hit the shutter and response time is quite fast.

There is so much extra resolution available, that you can easily crop out very useful photos from inside the full frame without worrying about losing detail. Even when you use the digital zoom, you're still getting 800mm of zoom at 5 megapixels! One of the first things I do in post processing is resize and throw away excess content, unless I anticipate using the image for a poster print. My favorite way to get a panorama is to zoom out, then crop the top n bottom out of the image.

I use one glass filter, a Hoya Moose's warming circular polarizer. I picked up a 67 to 77mm step-up ring and use Cokin P series filters.

Definitely get a coupla spare batteries. There's one seller here on Amazon that sells 2 packs of higher capacity than Fuji's battery.

I think the SDHC 8GB, class 6 cards are the way to go. I got a couple, and one with a bundled reader, as I can't just pop them in my computer like the XD cards. Scads of video recording time.

WalMart sells a Sony camcorder case that is a perfect fit for this camera, holding the camera sideways with the memory card access door up, and pockets to hold batteries, charger, cables, and even room for a minipod and a cut down piece of Kodak grey/white card. It also will hold the Moose filter box and Fuji's lens hood.

I realize that full-fledged DSLR's could take better pictures, but you'd probably have to spend over 5 times the cost of this camera (including lenses) to do better and still have to hassle of carrying everything and changing lenses. Don't forget the dust patrol, too.

Regards,

Mark

Im really surprised about that camera.I wish the battery that came with it would last longer but its not bad at all.
While im still in the process to figure out every option that i have with that camera...im finding out all new things on the way that are so interresting.

I love the zoom.I took pictures on a playground and set so far away from it and when i zoomed it the picture came out really nice.
The video is good as well.
When you got the flash open and you got it on video mode...what happens is what seems to be a little light on the front turns on...and is super bright so that the object that u looking at is shined on by the light. thats makes it really fun specially when you film at night so you can really use that option.
if the flash is closed it still takes good videos at day time just when its dark..well..it stays dark... *haha*

the camera is really fast in taking one picture after another...so every like 3-4sec it lets you take a pic at the highest pixel solution.which is a big improfement to my old camera.

im still working on all the options as i said but im slowely getting there.

What i can say at the end is...
...if you really like taking pictures...and you have lots of fun with it but you want something with a good zoom and lots of options to explore..its a camera to consider to buy.
I really enjoy it....

oh,one more thing.... I find it really upsetting that it is so super hard to find a battery for that camera. apperently you cant buy it in the stores around my area. Nobody got a battery for that camera. and in the internet,well... not too many fair and good looking options either...so i wish that was a little different.

i wish everybody fun with the camera...

be good...

I have owned many DSLR's, icluding a Canon 1D. This non-DSLR is a better alternative, both in cost and ease of use. Unless you're shooting for a magazine, this camera's performance is more than enough. No more changes lenses, a 14.3x zoom, 11 megapixels (the 7 pics per second at 3 megapixels produces great pictures,) what more does the advanced amateur need? Save your money and buy one like this.

I oerdered the camera sunday evening (7-27-08) on this site. And I received it today (7-30-08) and only $7.35 for shipping (3-5 days) I got it before that! I absolutely Love this camera. It is bigger than the Fuji s9100 I had. I love every feature about it. It takes awesome pictures.I can't wait to use it more. I already ordered another battery for it and I plan on getting an ATP 16 gb sdhc card for it. I also am wanting to get a sunpak auto 383 super external flash!!! And of course lens filters for this whopping 67 mm lens. And I am very happy with Amazon.com for shipping it out fast and in great condition. Thank you Amazon!!

The previous reviewers have said most of what I want to say. Have had the camera for just a little over a fortnight. Still have to see the purple fringing problem (probably since I take a lot of interior and low-available-light shots). The flash is stronger than I was led to believe by some digital camera review sites. The ability to use SD cards is a great relief since it's suddenly become difficult to find high speed Xd cards where i live. A zippy, do-it-all wonder: everyone I've shown it to (even the DSLR owners) can't help firing off a few shots-- an unexpected psychic reward.