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Fujifilm FinePix S100FS

Discontinued

Reviewed

December 2009

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

"Film simulation" modes
RAW support
Swiveling LCD screen

Cons

Expensive
Bad JPEGs
Careful: It may jab you in the eye

Where to Buy

for $999.99

Our Analysis
Specs
55 Amazon Reviews

The Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is a 2-pound digital camera with a 14.3x lens and 11.1-megapixel resolution. The FS in the name stands for "film simulation," four modes that attempt to emulate the quality of various film stocks. That's cool, reviewers say, and so is the swiveling LCD screen. But the JPEG quality is judged as poor, and one reviewer says he recommends the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS only for those who will shoot in RAW mode and then tweak in Photoshop.

The most detailed reviews of the S100FS are at specialty websites like Imaging-Resource.com, DCResource.com and Steves-Digicams.com. Owner reviews at Amazon.com compose a decent sampling. And most of them like the thing a lot more than the professional reviewers do.

Where To Buy

Fujifilm Finepix S100fs 11.1MP Digital Camera with 14.3x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom
(55 reviews) Buy new: $699.95 7 Used & new from $349.00

Our Sources

1. Imaging-Resource.com

Reviews here are based on very thorough testing. "We were very disappointed by the severe chromatic aberration," says reviewer Mike Pasini. That's not a problem for those who tweak in Photoshop, "but we cannot recommend it for snapshooters who just want to shoot JPEGs."

Review: Fujifilm FinePix S100FS, Mike Pasini, July 29, 2008

2. DCResource.com

Testing is thorough and reviews are unbiased, but Jeff Keller merely offers a list of alternatives rather than saying what you should buy. He likes the Fuji FinePix S100FS but says the high price means you should consider a more expensive digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera or a cheaper point-and-shoot.

Review: DCRP Review: Fuji FinePix S100FS, Jeff Keller, July 19, 2008

3. StevesDigicams.com

Reviews here are exhaustive and unbiased, but they suffer from few direct comparisons with other products. They do, however, say that an entry-level digital SLR may be a better value than the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS. One annoyance: being poked in the eye by the LCD tab while trying to shoot.

Review: Fujifilm FinePix S100FS, Editors of Steves-Digicams.com, Aug. 26, 2008

4. DPReview.com

DPReview.com offers detailed, professional reviews. While acknowledging that the S100FS fills a need between compacts and digital SLRs, reviewer Richard Butler is turned off by flaws in the image quality for those needing to make large prints, especially "oddly colored edges."

Review: Fujifilm FinePix S100FS Review, Richard Butler, April 28, 2008

5. Pocket-lint.com

Pocket-Lint is a respected British review website that rates all kinds of techie toys. Reviewer Doug Harman seems to want to like the S100FS because of all its "film simulation," but image quality "ultimately might disappoint you, as it did me."

Review: Fujifilm FinePix S100FS Digital Camera Review, Doug Harman, May 20, 2008

6. Amazon.com

About 50 owner reviews give the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS a near perfect score.

Review: Fujifilm Finepix S100FS, Contributors to Amazon.com

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