Fujifilm S100FS

[Parchiao]

This looks like the ultimate holiday camera!

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08...ujifS100FS.asp

[David Chin]

Looks good on paper and hopefully it will live up to expectation. I notice it can record images in RAW, which is good.

[Loupisk]

Price? Any idea?

[FilterFunk]

pricing has not been announced, expected to be announced closer to its launch date (mar 08)

[hlw8888]

read somewhere on dpreview forums that this cam costs ard 790 CAN (i suppose is Canadian dollars) which means this cam costs ard slightly more than S$1000.

is it worth it? though i think this cam would make a good travelling cam.

[hlw8888]

http://fujifilm.jp/personal/digitalc...0fs/index.html

if u are able to read japanese.

[HydroPoP]

Finally the long awaited dream all in 1 camera to replace my aging S9500

[Sohrion]

Reposting this from the S6500 replacement thread...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08...ujifS100FS.asp



Comparing to liarliar's expectations:

Super CCD - 1/1.6" = Exceeds (2/3" Super CCD)
Optical zoom at least 18x = Lower (but still damned good 14.3x 28-400mm)
Wide angle 28mm stays = Match
Still operates on AA batteries = Lower? (Li-ion battery)
Manual zoom and focus rings stays = Match
6MP and more okay = Exceeds (11.1 MP)
IS = Match (Lens shift)
Hotshoe for external flash = Match
Supports SD/CFI and II = Lower (SD and xD)
WB temperature (kelvin) controls = ? (Not sure, custom WB available)
Shutter speeds - bulb, 60sec ~ 1/4000sec = Lower (same as predecessor 30sec-1/4000)
Optional accessories (2x Telephoto and .4x wide) = ? (Not sure)
Tilting or swivel LCD at least 2.5" 230k color = Match
Non-extending zoom lens construction = Lower (same mech as predecessor)
Lens hood and caps and adpator provided in package = Match (same as predecessor)
Better lens construction (like the Pentax coated optics) to prevent lens flare and ghosting = ? (Don't know yet)
Faster f2.8 lens = Match (f/2.8 to f/5.3)
Live view = Match (same as predecessor)

Overall the S100FS looks excellent on paper.

Appearance-wise: putting the Fujifilm badge on top of the flash bulge looks a little strange, though somewhat aggressive. In addition, this is a large camera, at 150.4mm it is even longer than Panasonic FZ50 (142mm) and rather heftier (918g without battery!) than S9600.

Any other comments?

[Sohrion]

Originally Posted by hlw8888 read somewhere on dpreview forums that this cam costs ard 790 CAN (i suppose is Canadian dollars) which means this cam costs ard slightly more than S$1000. is it worth it? though i think this cam would make a good travelling cam.

Hard to say at this time, for me pixel-level quality is important and squeezing 11.1MP into a 2/3'' in CCD may have performance issues. A thousand dollars isn't cheap, 15cm isn't short and 918g isn't light - I'll wait and see...

[mrhobbit]

hmmmm i dunno about you guys, but i kinda prefer a larger camera(after shooting with a DSLR, i cant hold a compact steady!!)

on paper it certainly does look good, however the only gripe i have with it is the li-ion battery....

this camera does give the lower end DSLRs a good run for their money if ISO control is good.

*iso 10000 at 3mp! wonder if its usable

[xiaotaizi]

Originally Posted by HydroPoP Finally the long awaited dream all in 1 camera to replace my aging S9500

me too. i'm so looking forward to a replacement for my 9500 too.

Originally Posted by Sohrion Hard to say at this time, for me pixel-level quality is important and squeezing 11.1MP into a 2/3'' in CCD may have performance issues. A thousand dollars isn't cheap, 15cm isn't short and 918g isn't light - I'll wait and see...

yes. $1k can buy u quite a good lens..... a lens and a body on my s3 pro weights almost or less than 918g... (s9500 is 750g only i think)

but if this is any good, i'm selling my 9500... 9600 is not a very big jump, but this one seems to be good. i'm eyeing the VR (lens shift?) and DR (400%??!!)

i guess the earliest we can see any review on its performance will be in march (???)

sample pics here
http://fujifilm.jp/personal/digitalc...s100fs_002.jpg

[Clockunder]

Last time there was this thread where bruno84sg had some inside info :

http://forums.clubsnap.com/showthread.php?t=330453

Originally Posted by bruno84sg u bought your camera? Cuz I'm also interested in getting a prosumer camera, heard alot of gd comment on 9600 and 6500. I dunno whether shld get fuji S8000fd since both r discontinued. So I emailed SG fujifilm, they told me a new S-series model will be launched during Jan/Feb '08. It employs 2/3" Super CCD sensor, 11MP, wide angle, Image stabilzer, ISO3200 (11M), 14x Zoom and uses lithium-ion battery. Sounds great... U might wan to wait for tat? I'm waiting...

[Clockunder]

My comments to bruno84sg's inside info was this and they are mostly still valid now with the latest announcemnet of S100fs.

Originally Posted by Clockunder Good : 1) Larger sensor and longer lens Assuming that the 14x zoom starts at 28mm equivalent field of view on 35mm format (A big assumption here), then it would be 28-400mm. On a 2/3” image sensor (approximately 4x crop factor), the actual focal length for the lens would have to be 7-98mm which would be the longest actual focal length for a prosumer camera. On the typical prosumer camera, the longest is usually about 72mm only. The long-ends of new super zooms such as Panasonic FZ18 and Olympus SP-550/560 UZ are only about 84mm which is about 500mm equivalent field of view on a tiny 1/2.5” image sensor. The longest I notice so far is the Panasonc FZ50 which is 88.8mm on a 1/1.8” image sensor, yielding 420mm equivalent field of view on 35mm format. All things equal, longer actual focal length means better ability to resolve details of distant objects as the “demagnifcation” is smaller for longer actual focal length. For e.g. if an object is 10m way, then it would be demagnfied in the following scale to fit into the image sensor : 25mm is 25mm/10m = 25/10,000 = 1/400 100mm is 100mm/10m = 100/10,000 = 1/100 If the object is 20cmx20cm and shot at 25mm actual focal length from 10m away, then it would be 200/400 = 0.5mm x 0.5mm on the image sensor. At 0.5mm x 0.5mm, a lot of details would be lost. In comparison, it would be 200/100 = 2mm x 2mm on the image sensor and more details can be seen. For the same field of view, a larger sensor would use a longer actual focal length and more details are captured. So the larger 2/3” would be better than the typical small 1/2.5” image sensor used by most other prosumer cameras such as the FZ18 and SP550/560-UZ. For e.g. for the same 400mm equivalent field of view, the actual focal length would be 98mm on a 2/3” senor but only 66.7mm on a 1/2.5” sensor. So, all other things equal and if the 2 cameras were to shoot for the same composition and perspective (i.e. exactly the same picture), then the former will have more details. This is a longer lens than other prosumer cameras can be seen from the fact that if this 98mm lens is on the tiny 1/2.5” image used by other prosumer cameras, it would yield 588mm equivalent field of view on 35mm/135 format vs 504mm for Pana FZ18 and Oly SP560UZ. This means that this Fuji camera actually has a longer reach. Also, for the same total pixels and sensor technology, a larger sensor also would have less noise. So the 2/3” sensor would be superior to the 1/2.5” sensor size used in other prosumer cameras and is marginally bigger than the 1/1.6" and 1/1.7" used in the current S9600 and S6500fd. The longer lens would be ideal for Sports which I find the 66.7mm lens (300mm equivalent on the S6500fd) is a little too short. 2) Larger sensor means a wider range for Depth of field play A larger sensor means more room to use shallower DOF to isolate near distance subject as the actual focal length used is longer for the same composition . My previous prosumer camera Nikon 5700 used a 2/3” sensor and I had slightly more room (albeit not much more) to play with DOF than my current S6500fd. Also it is possible to have a nicer bokeh by standing further and use a longer actual focal length. 3) Wide end good for landscape Wider angle lens enable the photographer to enhance the size diference between the foreground and background to make a more dramatic and interesting landscape picture. Those who shoot landscapes know that a good foreground and an interesting perspective are essential ingredients for a good landscape picture and they can be achieved only with a lens much wider than 35mm equivalent field of view on 35mm/135 format. Also some indoor shots and still/abstract life shots are interesting only if shot with wider than a 35mm equivalent field of view. 4) Super CCD Needless to say, Super CCD image sensor is superior to the normal CCD sensors used not only in Fuji’s own recent S models such as S5700/5800/8000fd but also in prosumer cameras by other brands. 5) CCD shift Optical image stabiliser Although the benefit is only about 2-3 stops, it is neverthless a plus point. (Many newbies don’t seem to know this and so they erroneously think that their blur picture problems would be solved completely if their cameras have image stabiliser). Image stabiliser is less critical for prosumer cameras than DSLRs because the actual focal length used on prosumers are very much shorter than on DSLR. For the same picture taken (same composition and perspective), a 300mm on a full frame DSLR would be achieved with 200mm on a 1.5x crop factor Nikon DSLR and only 66.7mm on the S6500fd. So a prosumer camera is less susceptible to handshake blur than a DSLR. For me, the guideline of 1/actual focal length applies to avoid handshake blur. When I shoot indoor fashion or events, I need to use a shutter speed faster than 1/125 to avoid motion blur already and so I don't need any image stabiliser even at full zoom 66.7mm for S6500fd. On the wide end, actual focal length is only 6.2mm and I can shoot handheld at 1/8 or faster. Usually using ISO 200 or 400 would get the shutter speed up to 1/30 even for night street lighting shots. For the things I shoot, only less than 5% of them fall within that 2-3 stops which an image stabiliser would be helpful. Beyond that 2-3 stops, a tripod is necessary regardless of with or without image stabiliser. In most situations, I need to use a high ISO anyway to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze people or movement (such as wind blown). So good high ISO is much more important. If the specifications you have posted is true, then the new Fuji S series is really something to look forward to. Downsides : 1) Bigger size and heavier weight With a larger sensor, it also means a larger image circle and the lens barrel has to be bigger. On top of that, a long 98mm would also mean much longer lens than the current 67mm used on S6500fd and S9600. 2) What is the max. aperture at the long end? As the F number is the diaphragm measured in terms of the focal length, it’s usually much smaller at the long focal length end than at the short end. Now the max. aperture on the S6500fd is already F/4.9 at max. focal length 66.7mm. So, what can we expect the max. aperture to be if it’s 98mm? Thereotically, it the diaphragm is the same as the F/4.9 at 66.7mm (the current S6500fd size), then it would be F/7.2 at 98mm. 66.7/4.9 = 13.6 98/7.2= 13.6 or 98/13.6 = F/7.2 On one hand, an F/4.9 or F/5.6 at 98mm would mean a much bigger lens barrel than the current S6500fd and S9600. On the other, if it’s slower at F/6.4 or F/7.2, exposure would have to be at a much slower shutter speed at the long end when compared to other prosumer cameras for the same picture. For e.g. the FZ50’s max. aperture is F/3.7 at 88.8mm (420mm equivalent field of view), the FZ18’s max. aperture is F/4.2 at 84mm (504mm equivalent field of view) and the Olympus SP-550/560UZ is F/4.5. 3) More x zoom usually means less sharp lenses. As the lens elements construction need to cater for both short as well as the long end of the zoom, the lens is usually less sharp with more x zoom. This is why most sharp lenses for DSLR are no more than 4-5 times zoom and the sharpest are the prime lenses (fixed focal length lens). This is also why the images from the new 18x super zoom prosumer cameras are not sharp thoughout the range. With 14x zoom, the rumoured Fuji S series cameras may suffer from sharpness issues at some focal lengths. 4) Higher pixel density with 11 MP on a 2/3” sensor 2/3” sensor (4x crop factor) is only 26% bigger in size than the 1/1.7” (4.5x crop factor) used by S6500fd but the no. of pixels is increased by 80% from 6.1MP to 11MP. Compared to the 1/1.6” sensor on S9600, 2/3” would be about 16% bigger but the 11MP is about 20% more than 9MP. So unless Fuji’s CCD sensor technology and noise reduction have improved much further, there is going to be more noise than the S6500fd and about the same as or marginally more than the S9600. But most consumers are ignorant of this and therefore want higher no. of pixels. For me, based on current sensor technology, only 8MP on a 2/3” sensor would be ideal as this would be about the same pixel density as the S6500fd and probably give even better noise performance than the S6500fd assuming there is some minor technological improvement since S6500fd. Then it would be quite ok to use ISO 800 sometimes to get a faster enough shutter speed. 5) Possibly lower continuous shooting frame rate with more pixels The 6.1MP S6500fd has 2.3 fps continuous shooting mode while most other prosumers cameras have only 1-2 fps. The 9MP Fuji S9600 has a lower fps than the S6500fd. With higher pixels, the continuous shooting speed tends to be lowered unless the camera’s processor is very much faster. This can be seen in the new models of Fuji S5700/5800/8000fd, Oly SP550/560UZ, Pana FZ18 and Canon S5 IS etc. which all have very slow fps in continuous shooting mode. For e.g. the Canon S5 IS has a lower fps than its predecessor the S3 IS because the S5 has a higher pixel count. If the new Fuji has 11MP, then we can expect the fps to suffer, making it less suitable for fast action Sports shooting. One of the key factors I chose the S6500fd over the S9600 is its faster fps because I shoot fast action sports like wakeboard, Rugby etc.

[Clockunder]

Continued from the above :

Originally Posted by Clockunder Then finally, there is an issue of “Price”. With such specifications above and if the lens is pretty sharp througout its range, the camera would probably be retailed at $800-$1,000, a price at which a die-hard prosumer camera fan like me would also have to think twice very hard before jumping in. Many newbies are already jumping straight to entry level DSLRs which are priced at $900-$1,200 for body + kit lens because they assume that a DSLR is like a Point and Shoot camera where 1 lens is enough and they have not realised they need to spend a lot more on additional lenses and other accessories for a DSLR system. 7mm-98mm on 2/3” sensor seems too good to be true. I suspect they might actually use the current crappy 18x 4.7-84mm zoom lens found on the S8000fd and then curtail its wide end to make it a 14x 6mm-84mm on a 2/3” sensor for a 24-336mm field of view on 35mm format. This would lower down the price and makes the camera more marketable. However, 24mm field of view on a prosumer camera is a break-through and it’s great for landscape and others. Moreover, 84mm on a 2/3” sensor is still an improvement over the current S6500fd and S9600. I’m definitely looking forward to the new high-end S series from Fuji.

[Parchiao]

Here are the samples.

http://fujifilm.jp/personal/digitalc...portfolio.html

[Clockunder]

This new camera looks very good in specifications. It has almost everything of what I always wanted in a prosumer camera. ......newest generation (8th) Super 2/3" CCD (unlike the crappy 1/2.5" or 1/2.3" normal CCD used in other prosumer cameras), tilt LCD, hot shoe, image stabiliser, wide angle and long zoom up to at least 400mm field of view on 35mm format, long actual focal length (I guess it's about 7mm-100mm in this case), faster processor and improved camera algorithm etc. etc.

However, have to wait for reviews first as to it's focusing accuracy/speed, chromatic aberation (purple fringing), lens sharpness and resolving ability etc.

From the way it looks, price could be a stumbling block as a camera with this kind of specifications is likely to be near or over S$1,000.

[bruno84sg]

yOz guys!!! FINALLY IS OUT!!! haa... Dunno when will this be available selling in SG. The inside info. actually come from the fuji site I emailed. They also told me the price is quite competitive wif the other prosumer cam. We'll SEE... hee

[DiGdUb]

tempting!

[hlw8888]

i came across one interesting fact regarding S100FS sensor size. 2/3" = 1/1.5", which means that this sensor isn't really bigger than 1/1.6" too much.

what u guys think?

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by bruno84sg yOz guys!!! FINALLY IS OUT!!! haa... Dunno when will this be available selling in SG. The inside info. actually come from the fuji site I emailed. They also told me the price is quite competitive wif the other prosumer cam. We'll SEE... hee

I will wait for at least 6-12 months for price drop first.

Well, the just announced Olympus SP570-UZ has a recommended retail price of British Pound 389.99 (S$1,090) although UK prices are higher than here.

As mentioned in my earlier analysis ........ the price will probably fall within S$800-$1,000. Now I guess could be S$900-$1,000 actual price we can get from shops at launch.