Camera Labs

Hi. I'm considering buying the S2000HD. I don't see a review on Cameralabs. I've checked out reviews on a few other sites, but I'm curious to know if anyone has used it and would recommend it. I'd much prefer to get the EOS Rebel xsi, but finances trump desire right now and a good P&S will work for my immediate needs. I appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Deabreuma - I've had a Fuji S2000HD since December. I nearly bought the nearest Olympus to it in price, thinking that the Canon SX1 IS's price, about 100% more, here in Sydney, was too much - and the SX10 IS didn't do HD video.

The SX10 was also About $200.00 more - I bought the S2000HS for (Australian) $350.00 (US$250.00). The SX10 IS was AUD$535.00.

I'd never used a digital camera above the midrange point-and-shoots, so didn't really know what to look for in the Specs and Reviews. So the controls and functions took some time to learn.

The 1280 x 720 video is compliant MP4 - and quite good quality. It converts easily to standard MPEG2 for burning to DVDs that play in standalone players, or of course, on a PC.

The 15x Zoom can be used in all video modes - good HD, 640 x 480 - which is okay, but not as good as the SX10 IS samples shown in the excellent Review of that camera on this site. The 320 x 240 is a bit woeful - for hand-helds doing 640 x 480 and converting down gives a much better result.

The stills pix quality is "reasonable" - better than a midrange P&S - but not as good as I'd expected. It's very sensitive to anything above ISO800 - and rather better if you use the Auto ISO400 setting. If you use that in P-Program Mode where the camera sets Aperture and Shutter, you can vary the exposure manually. You can also use the EV Bracketing - but that only has -1 to +1 EV in 1/3 steps.

It has a Shutter Priority Mode - but NO Aperture Priority! For that, you need to go to M-Manual Mode.

It does have several "Burst" modes - but only the "Top 3" three shots at full 10MP (JPEG Fine or Std - no Superfine) - the other Bursts are at lower MP.

It does have 2 anti-shake modes - but neither work at all well at full Zoom. For the HD or 640 x 480 videos - the anti-shake works moderately well to about a third of the Zoom. From there on out, use a tripod. Turn the IS off on a tripod - or it seems to try to compensate for "shakes" that aren't there.

Video or stills on a tripod - turn the IS off...

The photo quality would be medium-good for a midrange P&S - but for what the S2000HD is claiming to be - no. You can get better results with manual settings - but they're not much better than on "Auto", on which they're like a midranger on Auto...

It does have a dual-flash mode, in which it takes two shots - one with Flash and one without. The idea seems to be that you choose the one that's better... Or you can merge them on layers in Photoshop.

You need to watch the ISO settings - there's a lot of noise in the darker areas if you don't. With the Zoom - you need to be careful with how you set up shots - or there's quite heavy edging and purplish tinges.

So - if you're buying it for the 1280 x 720 - you need to decide if settling for "rather ordinary" Pix functions is a decent trade-off for the relatively low price.

I'll be keeping my S2000HD for the HD video - and it is better than a lower-priced P&S for Pix - but not nearly as good as I'd expected.

So, when I've saved a bit more - it'll be a Canon SX10 IS for the far better functions and picture quality.

If you're thinking of buying one - do your homework. Download a Manual from Fuji's site - and go through the actual functions. Then Google some Reviews and Tests.

If the HD - (it's HD low - 1280 x 720) - and 15x Zoom, with rather "consumer midrange" pix is okay for that luringly low price, fine. For HD video and good pix - look at the Canon SX1 IS - but it isn't cheap. Here in Sydney you can get into an entry-level DSLR - Canon EOS 1000D - with the 18-55mm kit lens, for about $50.00 more.

Regards, Dave.

s8000fd/s8100fd had got better reviews

a guy at trusted review has one and says it fits the bill.

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Sony W110 7MP, 4x
Fuji s5600. 5MP, 10x.

Hi oldwarbler, thanks for your comments, and welcome on-board!

Gordon - Nice to be here, thanks! What a fabulous forum and layout! Those Reviews just slam-dunk everything on the whole Internet!

As you've seen, I'm just getting into cameras with which you don't just turn on, select Auto - and fire-away, shotgun-style.

Actually - having the S2000HD with its lack of some functions - forcing me to use Manual Mode and "see what those things do" - the histogram, exposures, ISO, so on - has "pushed my learning-curve" heavily!

I'm on Disability Pension - so while I can put a bit aside - can't hope to do the DSLR things - so getting a really good Bridge Camera is my current aim.

That seems to be - at present, because I'm still looking at everything I can get material on - to be the Canon SX10 IS... Yes - found the huge 12-Page thread on it. Then the Review - just fantastic - detailed descriptions of "what does which, and how" - the graphics - and sample videos (I know now, for example, that the SX10 does far better 640 x 480 than the S200HD - something I could only know from a real sample) - and the Review on the SX1 IS - so very similar on the still pix to the SX10 - so also know by not affording the SX1 - I won't have a "lower pix quality" camera, if I do get that one - and I already have the Fuji that does fairly good 1280 x 720.

I've even been seeing what the polarising (and other) filters can do with the add-on for the SX10... The interactive on that is amazing - haven't seen anything like that before!

What a superb place - and many thanks for the Welcome!

Best Regards, Dave.