Fujifilm FinePix S2950HD Digital Camera - (14MP, 18x Optical Zoom) 3-inch LCD

"Like me, if you are one of the customers who had dealings with Camerabox (Digital First), you will be extremely cautious when making purchases in the future. As an amateur, I should have been enjoying this camera in May, but unfortunately due to the camera not arriving, the appalling attitude of staff, and the deceptive and criminal practices by Camerabox, I had to fight for a refund, then order my camera through Amazon. Others have not been as lucky, as Camerabox & Digital First went into administration on 2nd June 2011, owing customers money and failing to supply goods to them. However, whilst any company can call in the administrator, remember to buy it from a reputable supplier, and if possible pay by credit card so there is a chance of recompense. Better late than never, thanks to Amazon"."Well, whilst no professional but a keen amateur and still learning, if you are looking for a good camera, look no further than the Fujifilm Finepix S2950. The specifications which are on the Amazon & Fujifilm web sites give the technical stuff, as do the more competent in their reviews. However, stepping up from a Sony compact, I found the camera a nice size, compact light weight, and user friendly. It has enabled me to develop my basic photography skills, producing many great looking stills at 1080p, and most of the time, very clear 720p video. However, I feel a dedicated video camera or higher specification camera is required for serious enthusiasts of video. Whilst still learning about photography, and only had the camera since 7th June, I have found plenty of helpful modes for different light conditions, including situations requiring the flash, which works very well. It has a large 3 - inch user friendly screen to view photos on, and the easy to follow menus. Furthermore, considering the price it has a very impressive 18x optical zoom which generally produced sharp clear detailed images using focus. Nevertheless, whilst many may be happy to use it as a point and shoot, the camera offers the facility to use manual settings, something I have yet to master so cannot comment at this moment in time. However, the more competent have reviewed this feature. To sum up I can recommend the Fujifilm Finepix S2950 as it is a very good camera great value for money, and I don't think you will find a better spec for the price."

I bought this camera to upgrade from a basic Kodak point and shoot compact digital. I did a fair amount of research and chose this model for its great specifications and low price ( It out specs many others that cost much more). I took it on holiday to France immediately, with no product familiarity. It was no problem at all; it is supplied with the "lets get started" basic manual to get you going at once There is also an online more chunky version. For the absolute beginner like me, the auto mode is superb - really. This will make you look like a proper photographer - if my photos are anything to go by. What is truly impressive is the massive 18x digital and 18x manual zoom features. From a distance of several miles, I took a photo of Mont St Michel using this zoom feature and have a picture that could easily grace a guide book cover! The panoramic feature is superb and truly foolproof and gives amazing results. And i'm not experienced, so its the camera that's doing all the work! As for the manual modes - its all here too. This requires some time and practice, so I have enrolled at night school to learn. After my first session yesterday, where we learned and practised night photography - I can honesty say that my piccies were pretty much as good as the Nikon SLRs and other big makes ( the teacher said so). It will never match the full SLRs for all their abilities, but so far I cannot fault this camera. I am really happy with my purchase. As a further point of note - I purchased through Amazon using their guaranteed before 1pm next day service on the August Bank holiday weekend! I purchased at 17.22pm on the Friday, received an email from the dispatch team at 21.01pm. The camera arrived, superbly packaged by courier before 10am on the Saturday morning! This service is exceptional and worth the few extra pounds for peace of mind as to the retailer, and the knowledge you are prioritised. I would rate 5 stars for the camera and 5 stars to Amazon.

For the price this is the best value camera you can purchase. For users who want a bit more functionality over a compact but are not so tecchy to go for full SLR cameras, the fuji sits perfectly, it has two great point and click settings, plus the ability to alter shutter speed and exposure. It has a great macro mode that captures closeups of insects etc beautifully. Smile and blink detection, and antishake take out a lot of the guesswork. It even has a panoramic feature for stitching together 3 photos.The best feature for me though is burst mode whee you can take 8 shots per second, brilliant when your taking photos of the kids.It feels good and chunky, and build quality is definetly there. The case has a rather odd speckled plastic finish, but it gives the camera grip however you hold it. Do invest in a case as the big 3 inch screen wont stay pristine for long without one. Ive had the camera a couple of weeks and it has taken some great shots, the 18x zoom is a breeeze to use, quickly focusing and capturing tons of detail, with rich colours. A great point and shoot bridge camera with enough features to raise your game if need be.

This camera gets excellent reviews in various camera magazines so I purchased one as being a cheaper version to the HS10 which I had tried and liked.This one has a lower zoom range and is motor driven as opposed to the manual on the HS10.The S2950 is a compact little camera that feels quite comfortable and has a lot of control to it - even to be able to set up whether you are using rechargeable cells or not (can anyone actually afford to run these cameras on throw-a-way cells - apart from the environmental issues of 2000-4000 batteries thrown away in the like of one set of 4 rechargeable?). It has a very large, bright screen at the back that would benefit from a protective cover if you like to have the camera around your neck and perhaps rubbing on a cardigan or coat zip.That is as far as I can praise it because I wasn't actually able to use it.The downside was that I had previously tried the HS10 that has a large, bright, viewfinder with adjustable focus. The S2950 has none of those and all I could see was a small, dull, blurry screen with large dark surround and I was totally unable to see enough through it to take a photo.Before anyone point to the large screen at the back - I started taking photos back in the days of roll film and have never been able to adjust to the stupid, modern method of holding the camera at arms length and trying to view through a screen - if the sun lets you. It is so detached from using a viewfinder and only necessary because the camera is too small - or the manufacturers too cheapskate to put a proper viewfinder on.Another disadvantage I found was that the control buttons at the rear are slightly raised and in the very short time I had the camera I found I accidentally operated buttons simply by handling the camera. This was a great annoyance and not one I was used to as my previous camera all had buttons that could not be accidentally pressed.Which brings me to a final point. Memory is so cheap now that it would only cost the manufacturer perhaps £2 or less to put a 8Gb or even 16Gb memory card with the camera - but I can't think of any who do. They will claim it gives you a choice. But it is very annoying to pay a lot of money on a new camera - which you cannot use until you have gone out and spent more money on a memory card!A tip here - all cameras can be set to record pictures at less than their maximum resolution. Unless you are making lots of prints at poster size - it is not worth running the camera at its maximum resolution of 14Mp. 3 Mp is plenty for 7 x 5 prints - even with a bit of trimming and will make your storage space go much further - especially after a few years of storing photos on a computer.So the S2950 has gone back to the supplier for a refund and I have gone back to my 8 year old Olympus - with its proper viewfinder that I can see through.

This is a decent camera for the price providing you take a few precautions.First off, taking the camera straight out the box and snapping a photograph indoors (or in other low light situations) on the fully automatic mode will likely produce an unimpressive result. This will be due mostly to a very noisy image. This camera will reach ISO speeds as high as 6400 but it is not recommended to go above 200 as said noise starts to become very apparent (on the automatic mode the camera sets an ISO of around 800 when indoors or in other low light situations and this is detrimental for picture quality).Increased noise level at ISO's above 100 is one of the consequences of squeezing 14 million pixels onto a small sensor and afflicts virtually all 'compact' camera's (and the S2950 is a compact with bells and whistles) with very high megapixel counts. High resolution DSLR's overcome this with larger sensors that create much less noise for a given ISO. You can greatly improve things with compacts by keeping to low ISO's and using the flash in poor light. I also recommend setting the colour mode on the S2950 from the standard mode to the Fuji chrome mode for more saturated colours.I have dual image stabilisation switched off as this works by raising the ISO speed to increase shutter speed (supposedly to eliminate blur) and I take better quality pictures without it (the camera still has single CCD stabilization). Having a steady hand also helps.The S2950 has nine resolution modes...L - 14 megapixels (4:3)L - 12 megapixels(3:2)L - 10 megapixels (16:9)M - 7 megapixels (4:3)M - 6 megapixels (3:2)M - 5 megapixels (16:9)S - 3 megapixels (4:3)S - also 3 megapixels (3:2)S - 2 megapixels (16:9)...and two image quality modes: Normal and Fine. Out of the box the camera is set to normal (highest compression). I have it set to fine. This, combined with the highest resolution mode, will produce a JPEG with an average size of between 5MB - 7MB. A 2GB SD card will take approx 280 pictures at this highest quality, an 8GB card 1150 (it would be a good idea to buy an SD card not lower than class 6. There is currently an 8GB class 10 card on Amazon for less than £8).The S2950 has three sharpness settings: Hard, Normal, Soft. I have mine set to hard. If you enhance your images in Photoshop however you want to keep the setting to normal and do your sharpening there. The camera offers various focusing options such as automatic focus, including tracking, or manual selection of a focus point within the frame (good for focusing on off center subjects).The automatic Panorama mode is very easy to use and the first time you shoot one you will be impressed. The downside is that on this camera Panoramas are restricted to a resolution of 3 Megapixels. For full resolution images you will have to take 3 or more normal shots and join them together in Photoshop or similar program.I was disapointed with the first picture I took with this camera straight out the box but after tweaking the quality settings and keeping the ISO to a max of 200 (I personally never go above 100 with compacts) I have found the pictures to be sharp, clean, and quite pleasing (caution, low ISO speeds equal slower shutter speeds and pictures become prone to blur in low light. In low light either use high ISO speeds and accept the increased level of noise or, as I said above, train yourself to hold the camera extremely steady, or learn to use the flash for better indoor pictures). Users who dont read the instruction manual might also need to realise the shutter button first needs to be depressed halfway to allow the camera to set focus and aperture before taking the shot.If most of your photography is outdoors in good light then even the fully automatic mode will produce good quality pictures. Getting to grips with the Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual modes ups the creative potential of the camera enormously and makes your photography a lot more fun than just pointing and shooting (it should be noted however this camera, like many compacts, does not have a true aperture. In addition to its 'fixed' aperture of F/3.1 (5.6 at telephoto) it uses a two stop neutral density filter to simulate an additional F/Stop of 6.4 (11 at telephoto). While cutting down the light, this ND filter does not alter the depth of field. The good news is the 18x optical zoom partially compensates and gives scope for depth of field work between its wide and telephoto setting. While this is of no importance to the casual snapshotter more ambitious photographers might want to consider this restriction on aperture setting when making their buying choice).To get the best from this camera try the following 5 step process:1. Set to Program Mode 'P'. Program Mode is identicle to 'Auto' but allows you to overide the auto settings if desired.2. Set the ISO speed to 100 (absolute quality freaks, like myself, will want it at 64)3. Set resolution to 14 megapixels and image quality to 'fine'.4. Set sharpness to 'hard' and colour to 'chrome'.If you keep the camera fixed to this 4 step setting you effectively have a point and shoot camera that should provide clean, pleasing, pictures in the majority of situations.As a final tip, if you want to improve the quality of your indoor flash shots cover the flash with a light diffusing material. Light from flash tends to be hard and directional; being unflattering for portraits and uneven in exposure (foreground objects being too bright, background objects being dark). Softening the flash with diffusing material inceases the eveness of the exposure while being more flattering to your subject. For home made diffusers some people use tracing paper or white rip-stop nylon fabric (I've read about one guy who used a tiny segment from his shower curtain). You'll get better results though by visiting your local camera shop and enquiring about diffusing materials. They shouldn't cost much.Anyway, thats the end of my photography class.For a price of £110 the S2950 is good value for money. Its no substitute for a DSLR but it is a big step up from an Iphone 4.

So far this camera is great! I ordered it on the 28th of December, estimated delivery was for the 6th of January. It arrived on December 31st! Brilliant service from Amazon as usual. The size of the camera is just perfect, it's not too big, nor is it too small. The picture quality is fantastic and is great at capturing photos when the 18x Optical is at its full. This camera is great at capturing action photos. I take pictures of my pets and I got a fantastic photo of my cat (which was at the other side of the garden so I had the zoom on full)pouncing at something. I got an amazing action shot of the cat in mid air and the quality was amazing! This was only my first day using the camera also and I'm not the greatest at taking Photos.This camera is bloody brilliant if you are like myself and want to get into photography and maybe study it in College/University. The one downside I would have with this camera is that it only accepts Alkaline batteries, there is no charger for the camera. I suppose this can be a good feature too when you're out and about because batteries can be bought just about anywhere. There is also no case for the camera, I would strongly recommend a case as the camera is quite fragile and I don't feel fully safe carrying it about round my neck all of the time.I have nothing overly bad or disappointing to say about this camera. I only got it recently so I'm going to put it to serious use at all my gigs and get some action photos.I would advise all to purchase this camera, you will not regret it.

I bought this camera for my daughter for her birthday as she needed a good camera for her college work. When it arrived and I took it out of the box, I was surprised at how small it is. It fits nicely in the palm of your hand and has all the things you need to take fabulous photos like the panoramic setting where you can take several pictures one after the other and then it puts it all together to make one long photograph, which is fab! It also has red- eye detector and face detector too which is great if you don't like the red eye on your photos. The phots are sharp and the camera has 18x zoom lens and is very easy to set up. A lovely item. Recommend it to anyone looking for a good camera. Don't know what else I can say about it. My daughter is really pleased with it. Fabulous item for a fabulous price, Thank you Amazon!!

This was bought for my husband as a Christmas gift. He needed a camera that takes close ups in good sharp focus but he didn't want one that was too complicated. This camera fitted the bill well and he has spent the last few days getting to know the various ways of using the camera and is pleased with the results. I read the advice about various types of cameras before buying this one. He has always found Fuji cameras easy to use in the past and this one is no exception. If you want a good basic camera with not too many extras that takes a good picture that is great value for money this is the one for you

Very satisfied, got what was describted. Mint condition

Vor dem Kauf habe ich mich in den anderen Rezensionen hier erkundigt welche mir sehr geholfen haben. Ich kann nach 1 Woche folgendes sagen. Das Gerät ist super bedienerfreundlich. Für jemanden der gerade mit dem fotografieren anfängt fängt Sie in unterschiedlichen Automatikstellungen hervorragend die Bilder ein. Der Digital Zoom ist klasse aber die Fotos werden dann auch nicht ganz so scharf als wenn man im Bereich des optischen Zooms fotografiert.Das Austauschen der Batterien an der Unterseite der Kamera wo sich auch die zusätzlich gekaufte Speicherkarte befindet bereitet hingegen dem was ich hier gelesen haben mir kein Problem. Bei öffnen des Schachtes hat man im Regelfall die Kamera ohnehin auf dem Kopf so das weder Batterien noch die Speicherkarte rausfallen können.Fotografieren in Räumen mit Blitz ist kein Problem. Die Bilder werden klasse. Ohne Blitz muss ich mich an die anderen Rezensionen hängen, sollte viel Licht im Raum sein ansonsten wirds in der Auto-Stellung nicht ganz so gut.Mein Ergebnis lautet große Kamera für verhältnismäßig kleines Geld. Kaufen !!!Nachtrag 06/2015Alles gut, die Kamera macht Ihren Job. Gute Bilder, nichts klappert oder wackelt am Gerät. Bilder in Räumen bedürfen eine zusätzliche Ausleuchtung, ansonsten Outdoor super Bilder.Ich würde sie als Foto-Normalo wieder kaufen.

Avant de l'acheter et vu le prix je n'étais pas chaud pour l'acheter mais maintenant que je l'utilise très souvent surtout pour faire des tutoriels, le prix et la qualité sont au rdv.Un très bon appareil pas cher et belles photos parfois dans des conditions difficiles.Je ne suis pas un pro de la photo mais cet appareil aide les apprentis comme moi.Un seul petit défaut, le cache objectif est mal étudié et ne tient pas correctement en place.

Il mio è un giudizio da utente generico medio, che cercava una fotocamera digitale di buon livello che consentisse facilità d'uso, buon zoom ottico, flash e filmati in HD e, ovviamente, foto di qualità. Beh, con questo modello ritengo do avere soddisfatto in pieno tutte le attese. Nella confezione ci sono i libretti di istruzione in inglese, tedesco e olandese. Nel CD invece si trovano i manuali completi in tutte le lingue, compreso l'Italiano. Anche sulla macchina è possibile selezionare la lingua italiana per i menu sul display. In dotazione inoltre, copriobiettivo, cavo USB e A/V, cinghietta di trasporto e quattro pile alcaline. Durante le riprese dei filmati è possibile utilizzare lo zoom ottico, che però lascia una traccia rumorosa nella registrazione audio. Numerose le modalità di scatto e le funzioni fotografiche, con riconoscimento volti e possibilità di scattare foto panoramiche (unendo in automatico tre fotogrammi consecutivi) e super-macro, per le foto ravvicinate. Buona la qualità dei video.Il prodotto è stato spedito dal Belgio. La consegna è stata effettuata addirittura un giorno prima del previsto (SDA). Impeccabile il servizio offerto da Amazon.

J'ai cet appareil depuis 1 mois, venant d'un compact de bonne réputation mais vieillissant.Dans les tests des pros, ce FinePix S2950 est souvent noté soit très mauvais, soit pas mal.Mais comme souvent, les pros le sont un peu trop et sont tellement habitués à des appareils dit "moyen de gamme" à 400 € qu'ils en perdu la mesure... (un peu comme les tablettes Archos G9, qui sont en fait de super produits pour le prix ^^)Bref, pour 119 €, j'ai un bridge qui marche bien, un zoom très correct(sauf au max, perte de qualité légère mais bon...), une macro d'enfer et des modes bien vus.Pour les photos HDR, par exemple, il faut normalement faire des photos en bracketing (ce que ce bridge fait, logique) en RAW (ce qu'il ne fait pas)... Mais malgré tout, les photos non RAW prises en bracketing permettent de faire de l'HDR de bonne qualité sur ce S2950... Mais dans les tests des pros, ils se sont arrêtés à "pas de RAW, je ne teste pas le HDR" ! :(J'ai fait aussi les tests de la goutte d'eau (prendre un jet d'eau pour ne voir que les gouttes qui le compose, pour résumer) et en mode semi-manuel je n'ai eu aucun problème.Ceci dit ce bridge souffre d'un souci en ISO élevé. Mais jusqu'à 400 ISO il n'y a pas trop de bruit.Au pire, des logiciels comme le très bon Lightroom d'Adobe permettront de corriger tout ça de manière respectable.En Bref, ce bridge est un TRES BON appareil photo numérique au vu de son prix !NB : J'ai eu un soucis de pixels chauds sur le capteur CCD, cela arrive sur 5% des appareils (allez voir sur les forums ^^). Amazon a procédé au remplacement immédiat de l'appareil. Un seul mot : Chapeau !