The Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd is Fujifilm’s first ultra zoom digital camera with image stabilization. It has many of the features beginner to serious amateur photographers could wish for: very good to excellent image quality, a 18x optical wide-angle zoom with an effective sensor-shift image stabilization, and flexible exposure control.

The new sensor-shift image stabilizer allows hand holding shots at the long focal lengths and slower shutter speeds. The wide-angle makes this a great camera for landscape and large group shots.

There is full exposure flexibility, so if you are a beginner, you can start with Auto, Scene and Program AE exposure modes, then move on to Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and full Manual modes when you are ready to learn and explore. Switching from mode to mode, and using the different options available is intuitive.

The Fujifilm S8000fd has good performance for an ultra zoom. A large 2.5 in. LCD monitor makes focusing and composition easy. Both the high-resolution EVF and LCD gain up very well in low-light situations. An AF-assist Lamp helps achieve focus in low-light. The on-board flash is quite good with a 8.8 m reach. Read the rest of this entry »