Fujifilm Finepix F50fd, Z10fd, A920, F480 and S8000fd - New Cameras

[Darren Rowse]

5 new cameras from fujifilm today:

Fujifilm Finepix F50fd - 12MP, 3x zoom - this one looks very nice
Fujifilm Finepix Z10fd - 7.2MP, 3x zoom - fashion camera
Fujifilm Finepix F480 - 8MP 4x zoom - entry level
Fujifilm Finepix A920 9MP, 4x zoom - all rounder
Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd - 8MP, 18x zoom - super zoom!

[TheFemGeek]

Is there any information on the Finepix F45fd? I was given this camera by a friend and he was explaining to me how the sale rep at Ritz stated that this camera was better than the Nikon Coolpx and a Sony Cybershot point and shot. I've noticed in the camera that there's a Ritz logo option for the opening screen which may explain why the salesman boost the camera so highly. Have you heard of this camera?

[rickyrockrat]

So I got suckered into buying a 8000, after being wowed by my S602Z, a 3.2 megapixel, 6X zoom. If you want to take pictures at dusk or early dawn, this camera will give you absolute junk for pictures. My S602Z takes much clearer pictures than it does.

Also, if you have to take pictures inside even with good lighting (I was taking pictures behind the professional photographer, who had set up those umrella reflectors and lights, and I got pictures that looked like I was using the $90 digital camera I bought my Nieces for Christmas.

I still don't know what it will do in full daylight, but the noise on this thing absolutely sucks. I would have said buy a Fuji FinePix before I threw my money away on this thing. I might be good for a monoculor, though! I've gone though the manual trying every setting I could to do things like limit the ISO and up the exposure, but I only get dark, very noisy (i.e. uneditable) pictures from this camera in any kind of semi-low light.

My suggestion is to take your laptop along and take pictures, then put them on your laptop to see how they REALLY look - but make sure you get something other than that sorry picture reader M$ has. Gimp is an excellent choice and it is free, in addition to being an excellent graphics editor.

[GEli]

Originally Posted by rickyrockrat

So I got suckered into buying a 8000, after being wowed by my S602Z, a 3.2 megapixel, 6X zoom. If you want to take pictures at dusk or early dawn, this camera will give you absolute junk for pictures. My S602Z takes much clearer pictures than it does.

Also, if you have to take pictures inside even with good lighting (I was taking pictures behind the professional photographer, who had set up those umrella reflectors and lights, and I got pictures that looked like I was using the $90 digital camera I bought my Nieces for Christmas.

I still don't know what it will do in full daylight, but the noise on this thing absolutely sucks. I would have said buy a Fuji FinePix before I threw my money away on this thing. I might be good for a monoculor, though! I've gone though the manual trying every setting I could to do things like limit the ISO and up the exposure, but I only get dark, very noisy (i.e. uneditable) pictures from this camera in any kind of semi-low light.

My suggestion is to take your laptop along and take pictures, then put them on your laptop to see how they REALLY look - but make sure you get something other than that sorry picture reader M$ has. Gimp is an excellent choice and it is free, in addition to being an excellent graphics editor.

Respected reviews seem to disagree with you. Naturally any high MP, small sensor camera will have significant ISO noise, but judging by the sample photos provided in the review I linked the camera produces decent results right up to ISO400, which is surprisingly high for a point and shoot camera. Take the camera out of full auto and reduce your ISO (point and shoots are happiest at ISO100, securely mounted to a tripod) for greatly decreased noise.

I'd advise you learn to use your camera before posting such a harsh review in a public forum. There are essentially no shoot cameras that can be hand held in low light with useable results, and your expectations of this camera were clearly unrealistic.

[wannabehorsephotographer]

Are dSLRs really better at not showing noise than point and shoots (all things equal - ISO, etc.)? I knew that if you got a faster lens then you could decrease the ISO and get less grain. Well, I guess another reason to upgrade to a DSLR.
I get really great pics with my Fuji S700 at 400 ISO, usable pics at 800 ISO, and sometimes some okay pics - depending on the subject - at 1600 ISO. If I was going to market my pics or frame them though, I probably wouldn't shoot over 400 ISO. There does get to be a lot of grain issues at the higher ISOs
~wannabe

[irene67]

Originally Posted by GEli

Respected reviews seem to disagree with you. Naturally any high MP, small sensor camera will have significant ISO noise, but judging by the sample photos provided in the review I linked the camera produces decent results right up to ISO400, which is surprisingly high for a point and shoot camera. Take the camera out of full auto and reduce your ISO (point and shoots are happiest at ISO100, securely mounted to a tripod) for greatly decreased noise.

I'd advise you learn to use your camera before posting such a harsh review in a public forum. There are essentially no shoot cameras that can be hand held in low light with useable results, and your expectations of this camera were clearly unrealistic.

Hi! I had read a lot of great reviews on Fuji in general so I bought the 8000 right after it first came out and before a lot of reviews on that specific camera were out.

And I also had a somewhat bad experience. I do have to say that I got many pictures that were amazing and the big zoom is great and very fun. However, some pictures were so grainy and awful and I could not figure out why. I kept the ISO low, I made sure the SS was definitely high enough, but some pictures just were terrible. My husband would try to take a simple indoor picture of the kids, with flash, in Auto mode and often they were horrible. Our previous camera was a Canon Powershot 2 mp camera from 2003. And honestly, the pictures on the Canon were often much better.

I was VERY lucky and was able to sell my 8000 with only a slight loss. I got a Nikon D40 and the difference was immediately amazing. I know it really isn't a fair comparison.

Irene

[Anni]

I agree with the posters who are unhappy with their S8000's. Mine is capable of some nice shots, sure, but it is VERY prone to grain - at times with ISO's as low as 100. Also, its reds aren't too accurate - many come out pinkish. I'm looking at replacements for this camera also. As I got it at a very good price I don't think I'll have too much of a loss if I sell it, but still - I had high hopes for this model.

[kyteflyer]

New to forum, and resurrecting an old thread. I, too, bought an S8000fd. On paper the specs don't look too bad, but in the real world, its just not up to scratch, and nowhere near the quality of some of its predecessors.

I find that it is excellent during the daytime, outside and in very good light. Clouds are a nono unless they don't actually block the sun. I have got some fairly decent shots for late afternoon, but sunrises and sunsets are generally pretty dreadful. I find that the AUTO camera makes some really surprising choices for low light photography, so I almost always use it on manual.

Given that I am doing that, it seems that a DSLR would be a more appropriate camera for me, after all.

I'll be selling mine, I hope not at too much of a loss.

[mommakat]

I just purchased a new camera at Christmas. I did not purchase the Fujifilm 8000fd, but purchased a Fujifilm 8100fd. I assume this is an upgrade from the 8000fd.

I am a very amateur photographer, and it has taken me a while to start to get the hang of this camera. But I have had some nice success lately. I'll include one of my favorites on here, but you can also see more of my photographs on my blog at http://tinkerbellsmommakat.wordpress.com

Like I said I am new to this camera and photography in general, but I believe I read in the manual where they have included a noise reduction setting on the camera as well. I have shaky hands, so the stabilization for this helps me too. I just got a new tripod, so plan on going out today and practicing some with that as well.