Overview
The Fuji Finepix S2000HD is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 15x optical zoom lens. It is capable for shooting HD quality movies and still photos.
Why Buy The Fuji Finepix S2000HD
The long zoom lens and the HD movies are the main attractions of the Finepix S2000HD. It also has a manual exposure mode and shutter priority as well.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
15x
2.7 inches
111 x 78.9 x 75.7mm
386g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
10cm
No
Yes
AA
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The first thing to strike me is how bright the picture is. The sky is also packed with colour. This suggests that the Finepix S2000HD is capable of producing some very striking photos. I should say though that the colour of the sky is a lot stronger than it was at the time the photo was taken.
Sun glare has proved to be more challenging for the Finepix S2000HD than other cameras I tested at the same time. More detail is lost from the boats with this camera.
As with the first photo it is the colours in the shot that strike me when I first look. Blue is very strong again and in my view overpowers the photo. Unfortunately the River Thames just doesn't look that blue!
Focusing is o.k. but does get significantly softer in the more distant parts of the scene. Very small amounts of purple fringing are visible in places.
If you plan to make large prints of your photos then you may find purple fringing to be a more serious issue in shots like this one where the sun strikes the edges of the boats and other brightly coloured objects. Focusing is soft towards the edges of the photo.
This is another bright photo with very blue water. Focusing is only average. That is disappointing when you consider the length of the lens on the Finepix S2000HD. When a subject is the distance the building is away from the camera, the lens should be working more or less at its optimum and producing pin sharp images.
Portraits
Here is another photo where the colours are not well balanced. This time there is a pink/orange caste to the photo. Like the first outdoor photo it is also very bright.
Even with flash turned on, the camera struggles to get the lighting levels right. Again I think the photo is too bright. This leads to some of the detail on the face being lost.
With the light lower the Finepix S2000HD produces much more natural colours. The picture lacks a bit of sharpness, so it looks like flash will be required more or less as soon as light levels dip.
Macro, Colours and Noise
The macro shot is quite a good effort. Not surprisingly my macro test shot is bright, but it does have a slight, blue colour caste.
Now I don't mind a bright, colourful picture, but at times the Finepix S2000HD has taken this to extremes. The colours are too strong for my own personal taste and the camera also appears to have a problem with the balance of the colours.
Fuji digital cameras tend to handle higher ISO settings better than many brands. Despite this noise still shows up quite strongly in darker areas at ISO 400. Once you reach ISO 1600 there is noise throughout the picture.
Summary
Over bright photos is not something I come across very often. It is possible you can tone down the photos if you experiment with the controls on the camera, but shooting in fully automatic mode seems to give the camera a problem.
Style
The Finepix S2000HD has a number of similar characteristics to a Digital SLR. The grip on the front lets you take a good hold of the camera.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.42 seconds
12.23 seconds
0.56 seconds
12.39 seconds
2.79 seconds
Ease of Use
Fuji digital cameras are some of the most straightforward. Even a camera like the Finepix S2000HD does not take too long to get to grips with.
Points I Like
HD quality movies
Where it Could Improve
The colours don't work for me
Verdict
The market for digital cameras with extra long zoom lenses is crowded and it takes something special for a camera to really stand out. In my view the Fuji Finepix S2000HD does not match up to the best cameras in this section. It is true that it is not the most expensive super zoom camera, but I feel by paying that bit more you will get better value for money.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Panasonic DMC FZ100 Rating 87/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ100 is an outstanding digital camera. It offers plenty of shooting options for both stills and videos and is one of the most powerful digital cameras you will find. The combination of picture quality and features is very hard to beat. The specification includes 14 megapixels and a 24x zoom lens. Recommended.
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Panasonic DMC FZ45 Rating 87/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ45 has a lot going for it. I thought picture quality compared very well against digital cameras with a similar specification. There is a wide range of features to get to grips with too. In my view this is one of the best super zoom digital cameras and offers good value for money.
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Fuji Finepix HS10 Rating 87/100
This is a high class digital camera. If you are looking for ultimate zoom power it is very hard to beat. Picture quality is up there with the best and there is a great range of features on offer. I enjoyed using the twisting lens barrel to zoom in and out.
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Related Pages
Fuji Finepix S2000HD Review Fuji Finepix S2000HD Specification Fuji Finepix S2000HD Sample Images Fuji Finepix S2000HD Features
Review Date
October 2008
