Fujifilm FinePix S1800 Digital Camera (12MP,18x Wide Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

Dr. W. E. Allen

at 7:35 pm

Review by Dr. W. E. Allen for Fujifilm FinePix S1800 Digital Camera (12MP,18x Wide Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD
Rating: (5 / 5)
This is my second Fujifilm Finepix bridge camera, bought to update my old S5700 which was 7 megapixels with 10x zoom. This newer model has many of the same great features as my older model, but with very significant improvements. The screen is larger and clearer, the camera has greater light sensitivity and has a new panorama mode which is great. I also like the more manual flash as it means there is no need for the natural light mode. The main reason however why I bought the S1900 is the lens. Mainly because it is much more wide angle, (5mm compared with 6.2 on my S5700). This is equivalent to a 28mm lens on a DSLR. The 18x zoom means the lens goes upto 90mm (compared to 62mm on my older camera). This is equivalent to a 500mm lens on a DSLR. Another feature that I like on this camera is that it uses 4 AA batteries. While the included alkalines do not last long, a set of 2100 mah NiMH rechargeables last a long time. I prefer standard size batteries because it is cheap and easy to replace them unlike the dedicated batteries found in most higher end digital cameras.

There are a few less good points. My old S5700 lens did not extend out as you zoomed, which allowed you to add filters and even an add on wide angle converter. The S1900 lens extends out as you zoom and presumabaly for this reason does not have a thread for filters etc. However I never actually used a filter on the old camera and as the S1900 lens is naturally more wide angled than that on the S5700, plus the panorama function means that this really is not a problem at all. The video quality is OK but not a match for a dedicated digital camcorder (miniDV). The autofocus seems to struggle with focus (found the same on the S5700). Also the sound quality is poor, and is noticeably worse if you select the 16:9 HD setting rather than 4:3 SD setting. Again however for most home use the quality is OK and easier than lugging both a camera and camcorder around when travelling.

Given that you can manually control the shutter speed, ISO and appature I feel that unless you are a professional photographer this camera does all you would ever need and is a better bet than a DSLR. Yes I know the DSLR have physically bigger lens’ which helps resolution, and use CMOS ranther than smaller CCD sensors, but in truth the difference in quality of any photos produced would be hard to spot for any but the the fussiest. Given how much even a the cheapest DSLR would cost, plus a 500mm zoom and a 28 mm wide angle lens added, a camera like the S1900 is a better bet for the kean non professional photographer.

Paul Golson

at 8:38 pm

Review by Paul Golson for Fujifilm FinePix S1800 Digital Camera (12MP,18x Wide Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD
Rating: (4 / 5)
Having had the previous finepix models, it was a toss up between this model and an olympus waterproof. In the end the finepix had a few more pro’s. it is certainly a very easy camera to use from the go.As usage increase so too have i found the need to experiment with the other features of the camera. At the moment I have not been able to figure out how o get clear pictures in the sport mode but know that in time I will manage. For the price, it has more than enough functionality that a novice photographer may need. I would and have recommended this camera to friends.