Another feature for checking the quality of your snaps is a face detection zoom, which zooms into detected faces in a picture just after you've taken it, so that you can check that everything is in focus and re-take it if necessary.
Performance
Top three burst mode captures three full-resolution images in one second. Top 33 captures 33 frames in a blistering 4 seconds, but at a reduced 5-megapixel resolution. The extended burst mode fires away for at least 6 minutes, but at a less impressive 0.5 frames per second.
The flash is on the harsh side in automatic mode, and with no adjustment levels available in this mode, there's no middle ground between harshly lit flash-assisted pictures and noise-affected, blurry, dark images. In program and manual mode the flash can be tweaked, which provides a much more pleasing fill-in effect. Even with the flash on full power, we saw no trace of red-eye.
We say low-light images are noise-affected rather than simply noisy, because the S2000HD actually does a decent job of keeping speckly noise out of pictures. The cost is, as ever, a level of smearing of detail along with the noise grain. It's not really noticeable on screen, but could affect larger prints.
As always, best results can be achieved by making full use of the camera's adjustable options. With settings tweaked, the S2000 can show off its decent lens to best effect, with no purple fringing, lens distortion or vignetting apparent. There is some softness at full zoom, however.
Conclusion
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD didn't make a great first impression, with fiddly and confusing controls and variable automatic performance. It's not a patch on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, say, for ease of use. But once we dived into the S2000's tweakable options we warmed to this superzoom, impressed with the quality of the lens and clever playback features.
Edited by Marian Smith
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User reviews2
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Andrew Sloan 8 May 2011
Good: on the automatic setting point and shoot is great if like me you dont have a clue about manual settings
Comment: for a relativly cheap dslr camera under £150 you could do a lot worse for more money does everything i expect it to
smat 7 October 2008
Good: Compact with out compromise
Bad: Yet to find anything
Comment: I purchased this on the basis of your review and am very pleased. It dose everything it says it should.
I have had several Fuji cameras in the past and this helps as many of the controls are the same.
The speed of operation especially on the burst modes is excellent but look out for reflections of sun light that make vertical streaks on the 3 MB fastest setting.
So far it has not put a foot wrong very pleased.
Thank you for your review it gave me the push to get this camera.
Rgds Steve
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