Reviews Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd BurelPhotography.com

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Having recently taken its long zoom cameras into ever more DSLR-like territory, Fuji's S8000fd is something of a departure. The S8000fd places a smaller sensor behind a much longer-range zoom lens in a less SLR-like body. Going head to head with the Panasonic FZ18 and Olympus SP560UZ the S8000fd is Fuji's most ambitious zoom compact to date. It is also the first long-zoom camera from Fuji to offer image stabilization (in this case a CCD-shake system), which is offered by most competing brands and is pretty much essential with a zoom this long.

The S8000fd packs an awful lot into its compact body, and seems to be trying pretty hard to be all things to all people, with manual exposure controls sitting alongside point-and-shoot convenience features such as face detection. There is a high-speed shooting mode (at reduced resolution), and some extremely high sensitivity modes (again at lower resolution), for shooting in low light. What compromises this all-encompassing approach brings, we shall see.

Headline features

18X optical zoom, giving a 27mm-486mm equiv. range
Dual IS, combining sensor shift technology with high ISO settings
8.0 million pixel sensor
ISO 6400 at 4MP
ISO 1600 at full resolution
Face detection (up to 10 faces per shot)
Face detection-combined In-camera red-eye reduction
High-speed focus mode
Rapid continuous shooting (up to 15fps at 2MP)
60 fps LCD refresh rate
Accepts both xD and SD cards, including SDHC

S8000fd Key specifications

Street price	• US: $340 • UK: £200
Body Material	Metal/Plastic
Sensor	• 1/2.35" Type CCD • 8.0 million pixels total
Image sizes	• 3264 x 2448 • 3264 x 2176 (3:2) • 2304 x 1728 • 1600 x 1200 • 640 x 480
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 @ 30 fps • 320 x 240 @ 30 fps • AVI Motion JPEG with WAVE monaural audio
Lens	• 27 - 486 mm (35 mm equiv) • F2.8 - F4.5 • 18x optical zoom
Focus	• TTL contrast-type autofocus • Single / Continuous AF • Manual focus • Center / Moveable area / Multi
Focus distance	• Normal: 70 cm (wide) / 1.5 m (tele) - Infinity • Macro: 10 cm (wide) / 80 cm (tele) - Infinity • Super macro (60mm equiv. only) 1 cm - 10cm
Metering	• TTL 256-zone metering • Multi-area • Average • Spot
Shutter speed	• 30-1/4000 sec (extremes depending on exposure mode)
Aperture	• F2.8-F8 (wide) • F4.5-F8 (tele)
Shooting mode	• Auto • Picture Stabilization (auto High ISO) • Natural Light • Natural Light with Flash • Movie • Program • Aperture Priority • Shutter Priority • Manual • Scene modes
Scene modes	• Portrait • Landscape • Sport • Night • Fireworks • Sunset • Snow • Beach • Museum • Party • Flower • Text • Auction (Multi-shot composite)
Sensitivity	• Auto (Max ISO 1600) • Auto (Max ISO 800) • Auto (Max ISO 400) • ISO 64 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200 (4MP or fewer) • ISO 6400 (4MP or fewer)
White Balance	• Auto • Fine • Shade • Fluorescent (daylight) • Fluorescent (warm white) • Fluorescent (cool white) • Incandescent • Custom
Image parameters	Finepix color (Standard, Chrome, B&W)
Continuous	• 1.5 fps, max 3 images (Top-3 or Final-3) • 0.5 fps, unlimited • 7 fps, 15 shots at 4MP • 15 fps, 15 shots at 2MP
Flash	• Built-in pop-up • Range (Auto ISO): 8.0 m (w), 3.0 m (t) • Modes: Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync, all with Red-eye reduction option.
Storage	• 58 MB internal memory • SD/SDHC memory card (not included) • xD-Picture Card (not included)
Viewfinder	• 0.24" electronic viewfinder (EVF) • 230,000 pixels • Approx. 97% coverage
LCD monitor	• 2.5" TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels • Brightness boost • Approx. 97% coverage
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 High speed • A/V out (NTSC/PAL switchable)
Power	• 4 x AA batteries alkaline or NiMH (alkaline included) • Charger optional
Other features	• DPOF • PictBridge • Index view • Histogram • 2 and 10 sec self-timer • Hardware-based Face Detection AF/AE
Optional accessories	• Leather case • Compact AC Power Adapter AC-5VX
Weight (no batt)	505 g (17.8 oz) inc memory card and batteries, 410g without.
Dimensions	111 x 78 x 79 mm (4.4 x 3.1 x 3.1 in)