Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD 10MP Digital Camera with 15x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom

I was looking for a "prosumer" priced and sized camera with the following features: 1. Uses non-proprietary batteries (this one uses 4 AA batteries) 2. Capable of optical zoom during video recording (this camera does that, but see below) 3. Capable of digital zoom during video recording (this camera does 5.7x digital zoom - if you turn on the digital zoom feature, you can optically zoom before starting the video record, and then zoom digitally another 5.7x from that point forward - optical zoom does not work during the video if digital zoom is turned on) 4. Long zoom (15x - lens range is equivalent to 27.6mm - 414mm on a 35mm camera) 5. HD video mode (1280 x 720 videos, also does regular 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 videos). Although this camera does do optical zooming during video recording, there are some downsides to this feature. You can hear the little gear motors running during the zoom (I've posted a YouTube video so you can hear the sound - it's audible but not super loud). The focusing in room lighting at maximum zoom is not very accurate. There is no macro mode during video zooming. The digital image stabilization works well at low zoom, but not as well at high zoom during video recording as it does for still photos (the digital image stabilization works better in stronger light than room lighting, and so this is probably related to the low light focusing problems at high zoom). At 1280 x 720 resolution, each continuous video recording can only last for about 15 minutes (takes up 848MB-884MB with the MP4 compression). As for the rest of the camera: The digital image stabilization works very well for still photos. The mono audio is pretty good, much better than what has been posted about an equivalent series of Panasonic cameras. Like all digicams, this one drains alkaline AA batteries quickly (it comes with a set of four alkaline AAs) - use NimH batteries! The lens comes with a lens cap which is a bit loose. Fortunately there is a strap to attach the cap to the camera. The lens itself does not allow for any lens filter attachments. Manual mode allows for two aperture settings (f3.5-5.4 to f7-10.8 depending on zoom setting) and speeds from 1/1000 sec to 4s. There is a nice histogram and exposure meter that lets you know how the exposure will turn out (although in my camera, the middle of the meter setting was a bit too light). The black plastic body feels a bit cheap and flimsy. Would have liked a sturdier aluminum body. The camera comes from the factory with all the clicks and noises turned on, but you can turn them all off. There is a good macro and super macro mode (focuses down to 1cm from the lens) for still photos. However, macro mode doesn't seem to work during video recording. The flash has to be manually popped open - if it isn't, it won't pop itself open and you won't get any flash. However, it is reasonably powerful, and can light up an entire backyard at night from 15-25 feet away. There's an HDMI plug which I haven't tested yet. The camera body also has a micro USB plug to hook to a standard USB plug to download photos and videos from the camera. This micro USB plug is one step smaller than the mini-USB plug. The cover to these two plugs is rather flimsy. Lots of other features, which I haven't tested yet. I'm sure others will post in more about this camera All in all, a nice camera with lots of features.

The Fuji FinePix S2000HD is everything I had hoped for! I was using a Nikon CoolPix S550, which took great still pics, but I couldn't capture my friends surfing. They couldn't take a pic of me surfing with my Nikon at all, which was very disappointing. The problem was we couldn't see our surfing subjects in sunlight without a viewfinder. The Nikon was so slow taking pics that we always missed the action shot & the wait to take the next picture seemed like an eternity. We just couldn't capture surfing pics. I bought the Fugi FinePix S20000HD camera to be able to see my subjects with the view finder, to capture the action quickly & to get crisp pics from a distance. I have to admit I wasn't expecting to much for the price, but the Fuji is awesome!! It has a view finder, but I can see my subjects with either view finder perfectly. It is also so much faster & has so many cool settings. Best of all I am able to capture action with excellent quality. The pics my husband has taken of me are so cool! He captured me surfing & all my crashes with me in mid air, very detailed!! I didn't really need a new camera, but I am so happy I made this purchase because it meets all my expectations. I can now capture pics of my friends surfing that are of the highest quality. You surely can't beat the price for a quality camera like this one! I have to hide it from my husband because he loves it to!

I've had my Fujifilm finepix S2000Hd camera for about 2 weeks now. With all the functions on this camera, I will definitely say that it's going to take awhile longer to come to a fair and accurate review from a photography novice. Pluses: * Menu and functions are easy to use for a beginner. * Good feel and arrangement of buttons, covers, etc. * Nice having AA batteries. I bought some Energizer Nimh rechargeables and got a lot of mileage before recharging. * Love the zoom and trim features in playback mode. * Price. I got more megapixels, manual control, HD video, and a lot of zoom for the price. I really wanted to go for one particular camera that consistently ranked higher in digital camera reviews, but just couldn't go to that price range. I am very happy with the amount of features and the learning experience I will get for the money. Cons: * I'm not really impressed with the photos I'm getting on the AUTO setting. Many pics come out blurry. * Bright pictures often come out over-exposed...even some taken w/out flash. This is one area where experience with the differt settings should bring about improvement. * I haven't really produced a picture with stunning color and really sharp details yet. I am still optimistic that there is one on the horizon, however. I have borrowed a tripod, and am continuing on my quest for that picture that will make this camera worth bragging about. I will also note that I've only had one bright, sunny day to shoot pictures. The Midwest is just too gray this time of year. Overall, a very nice, fun camera. I put a LOT of effort into finding a comparable camera in this price range and couldn't do it --- unless I wanted to go for a demo model or refurbished camera. I am happy with the camera, optimistic about its potential, and have no regrets...other than not being able to afford that top of the line SLR.

I saw this camera at Best Buy and loved it but came online to look at reviews. I was a little concerned because it definitely got some mixed reviews. I went back to Best Buy to look at it again (I just need to see things in person sometimes) and ran in to the Fuji rep who was servicing the store. She was an AMAZING help to me. She showed me tons of features on the camera that I might not have known about. I also started asking her about some of the issues I saw in these reviews and she answered each one perfectly. It boils down to the fact that people get used to the way that one camera does things and then expects future cameras to do the same. Most of the time they are different. This is a great camera but you really need to learn how to do things. I'm a mom and getting great (and fast) pictures of my kids were my main concerns. This camera achieves that and I am very happy. Now, its not completely perfect but I can definitely work with the issues I have. You can't beat the price either!

The FujiFilm S2000HD arrived a week ago and I noticed that the LCD display, when taking a picture, and when reviewing certain pictures, had a line running down the right 1/3 of the LCD screen - and the screen was just a tad darker to the right of the line vs the left side. The line wasn't apparent 80% of the time, but was a distraction on a new camera. I got an RMA from Amazon and returned it yesterday. The defect didn't appear on any of the pictures when viewed on the computer. I currently have a Casio EX-Z600 - a 6 megapixel vs the Fuji's 10. The pictures from my 2 1/2 year old Casio are definitely equal to, and in some instances better than the Fuji. I especially wanted the macro in the Fuji to be superior, but after taking several pictures in a restaurant with both the Fuji and the Casio, at the same time - alternating, even my wife said the macro pictures taken with the old Casio were more colorful, showed more detail, and showed significantly less noise that did the Fuji (when viewed on a 22" HP widescreen monitor). Question now is whether the Fuji was defective other than for the LCD display. I suspect not. I liked this camera - I found the controls to be very intuitive and easy to use. I really liked the 16x zoom. The lens cap pops off easily, but this is necessary because when you turn the camera on, the lens does extend just an inch or so. The lens cap does need to fit loosely so that it will pop off if you forget it when powering the camera on. The cap has a small string to attach it so it doesn't get lost. I purchased 8 rechargeable hybrid AA batteries, and a 16 GB SD card for this camera, but I'm not going to buy another and may wind up not using either the batteries or SD card. Maybe pictures taken in daylight on the Fuji are equal to the Casio, but I can't keep it without seeing any significant improvement over the old Casio.

I love this camera. I have read the previous reviews as well. Yes, the lens cap is a little cheap but it stays on. Yes, you do see lines when aiming to direct light but the images are wonderful. I was a little dissappointed at first (for about an hour) when I first started taking pictures but after I spent that first evening reading the manual and playing with the various settings (about 1.5 hours) I am now in love with it. I previously had a kodak that went kaputz on me within 10 months but my other fuji has lasted 5 years and while a very basic model-still takes the same quality pics as the day it came out of the box (which is why I decided on Fuji again). I can take pics in a darker room with no flash and they turn out wonderful. I have taken over 500 pictures since i bought it and am only on my second set of batteries which is still going strong. You need to make sure you select the right battery when you put new ones in to maximize the life. I love the continuous shooting mode--that was the test for me and it is a wonderful feature. I love the control you have over quality used. I do highly recommend printing the manual--pages 70-93 or so for sure and reviewing them and I highly recommend playing with the various settings as it will help you get the most of your camera. My husband says he feels like he is at a press conference because I never seem to let it leave my hands! I am very happy with it and have no regrets. I think it is definately one step short of an SLR but a whole lot better than a basic point and shoot.

I have read many of the reviews on this camera before and after I purchased it and the biggest issue I have with the S2000HD is the proprietary USB ports/cables -- a shameless and unnecessary grab at our wallets by FujiFilm. Aside from that, this camera has everything a serious amateur photographer could want at a price that is unbeatable. I saw the S700 about a year ago at local RadioShack and I was very tempted to buy that camera but held off since it did not have true IS (neither mechanical nor optical). A friend of mine did buy it and loved it; he bought some filters for it and his photos were amazing. This was very influential in my decision to purchase the S2000HD since it has the same basic specs as the S700 with many added features; if a lesser model could produce such "finepics", surely an upgraded version would do that and more. I'm glad to say, my logic was correct! Before purchasing the S2000HD, I went to 3 top digital camera review websites. A close contender for my money was the Canon SX110 IS. Since I already owned the Canon Optura 20 and the A620, I was leaning towards getting the Canon since I was already familiar with their products and had some compatible accessories. In fact, the SX110 garnered a point to point and half higher rating on all three reviews I read which was not surprising to me. While not a huge difference it was enough to make me pause: was the S2000HD the wiser choice; more bang for the buck but I knew Canon and although pricey, in my mind it would be the sure bet. Canon = quality which tends to be true most of the time. On November 21st, I took my vows with the S2000HD and from the first moment I removed it from the box up to now just over a month later, my love has only grown. A word on battery consumption: a few reviews have lodged complaints that the batteries do not last long. This has not been an issue for me at all; in fact I have been impressed with the battery life considering the large LCD display on the back. I have a feeling people are not setting the battery type in the main setup menu correctly or they might have bad batteries. Last word: for the serious amateur on a budget, the S2000HD is worth every penny.

I have owned several digicams over the last 9 years. This camera was my first Fuji. I was initially very excited over all it's features but Fuji should be ashamed they released this to the market as is. All the reviews stating is has trouble with autofocusing and with overexposure are 100% correct. If you are lucky 2 out of 10 photos will be more or less in focus. The rest are most likely to be blurry no matter what settings you use on the camera or overexposed. I guess if you were willing to just do manual focus you might have a chance though. The videos are very subpar. I was expecting to be able to hear the zoom motor during movies which you can (very loud and clear) but it was a big surprise to be able to also hear the autofocus itself when you are not zooming going "click, click, click" throughout the movie. Add to this the fact that the movies are as blurry as the pics and you have a dud. Finally, the LCD will inexplicably flicker (go off for a few seconds, come back on, go off for another second, and then come back on). I would be tempted to say mine was defective but I got 2 from Amazon and they both did this. Needless to say I did not keep this camera. So then, why are some people giving this good reviews? I can only conclude that they have never had a digicam before and hence compared to a cheap film camera the pictures look great. However, compared to a decent digital camera they are horrific. The professional sites more or less all recommend you buy something else and I have to agree. I just wish I had looked at their reviews closer before buying this. If you want to see some sample video from this camera go to vimeo.com and search for S2000 HD. I put up an example where you can clearly hear all the noise from the zoom motor and autofocus. Decide for yourself.