Fujifilm FinePix S100FS

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Features & handling

The S100 FS replaces the popular S9600, and at first glance you could be forgiven for thinking that is was actually a D-SLR. It certainly looks the part, with its sculpted design and chunky handgrip that makes for a more substantial body compared to a Canon EOS 450D or Nikon D60.
The sensor inside the S100 FS is physically smaller than that found on a typical D-SLR, but packs in a resolution of 11.1MP. On the front is a massive 28-400mm zoom lens that D-SLR kit lenses can’t hope to match for reach. Fuji has also employed a lens-shift image stabilisation mechanism too, which it claims will offer a compensation effect of up to three stops.
At the rear is a 2.5in 230k pixel screen that, rather than being flush with the body, can be pulled out and angled 90 degrees upwards and 45 degrees downwards. As well as composing your shots on the screen, there’s also the option of switching to the electronic viewfinder too.
The FS stands for Film Simulation, so you have a choice of colour modes, including old favourites Velvia and Provia.
There’s also the ability to increase the Dynamic Range to 400%, allowing you to maintain more detail in both the highlights and shadows – it does come at the expense of ISO, which is increased to a minimum ISO of 400.

Performance

Continuous shooting is slow, managing seven continuous JPEGs (or three RAWs) at 3fps before it comes to a halt. The AF’s not quite a match for systems found on budget D-SLRs either – and though you can control the AF point selection, it takes its time to focus.
The screen at the back is clear, and though Fuji has put a lot of work into the electronic viewfinder – it’s the best one available on a bridge compact – it’s still a poor compromise compared to an optical one.
Image quality is good – plenty of detail that will hold up to an A3 print while it also copes well at high ISO speeds – even results at 3200 were acceptable. There’s a noticeable difference between the Film Simulation modes too, with Velvia producing some really punchy results as you’d expect.

Verdict

The Fuji FinePix S100 FS is the best bridge compact out there today – it’s packed with features, has a nice solid feel in the hand and the images more than hold up under close inspection. That’s not forgetting the advantages of a bridge compact – the all-in-one solution with a colossal zoom range and no risk of dust getting on the sensor. It’s attractively priced too for what you get – to match that kind of focal range on a D-SLR you’d have to invest another £100-150 on an extra telephoto zoom. 
Where it falls down is it’s fairly pedestrian performance, electronic viewfinder and lack of depth-of-field control when compared to a D-SLR. These problems aren’t unique to the S100 FS, as they’re inherent in any compact, but they’re hard to ignore, especially when you consider that the size and weight of the S100 FS is very similar to an entry-level D-SLR. If you decide that the advantages of a bridge compact outweigh those of a D-SLR and it will fulfil your needs, then the Fuji S100 FS should be top of your list.

Product Description 

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