The camera has an 18x Fujinon optical zoom lens (equivalent to 27-486mm) but very compact with a resolution of 10MP.
The 2.5″ LCD (230,000 pixels) has a wide viewing angle, an electronic viewfinder (EVF) and a dedicated button to switch between the two view modes.
The control system on the back is clear, compact and allows quick operation of necessary features / parameters.
The handle design is big, “rubber mosaic” help to hold the machine firmly, forehand. All important shooting modes are taken up. Finally, the shutter button is covered by the zoom / wide button; On / off button, below are two separate buttons for portraits and a dual anti-shake button. The mode dial has more on it than you’d expect. Auto is Auto — nothing to explain there. PS bumps the shutter speed to freeze camera shake or a fidgety subject. N cuts the flash for shots where you want the room’s actual light, weak as it might be. NAT hedges its bets: one shot with flash, one without, fired back to back so you sort out later which one looks better. Zoom Bracketing shoots three frames at once, at 1x, 1.4x, and 2x, for when you can’t decide how tight to go. SP dumps you into scene presets. P lets you fiddle with most settings while the camera still owns shutter speed and aperture; S and A hand that control back to you, one setting at a time. M is manual, all the way. Movie shoots video with sound.
The memory card slot supports both SD / SDHC and xD. USB interface / AV output and direct charging terminal. Machine uses 4 AA batteries.
FUJIFILM digital camera FinePix (FinePix) S8100FD black FX-S8100FD: Buy it now
Design and build
Chunky grip, big lens barrel up front holding the 18x zoom, built from tough plastic rather than anything premium. No weather sealing, but it feels like it could take a drop or two. Runs on four AA batteries — annoying if you forget to pack extras, convenient if you’re somewhere without a charger. Controls are sensibly placed: mode dial up top, the usual buttons for playback and menu.
Sensor and lens
8 megapixels off a CCD sensor — decent color, decent detail, noisy once you push the ISO. The 18x Fujinon zoom (27.5-495mm) is the whole reason to own this camera. Wide enough for a landscape, long enough to catch a bird three trees over. It’s sharp through most of that range, but push it all the way out and you’ll see some distortion and color fringing creep in. White balance rarely needs a manual nudge.
Low light
Past ISO 800 things get grainy fast. A tripod buys you some room; without one, expect noisier shots once the sun goes down.
Handling
Autofocus is quick in daylight, slower once it gets dark or contrasty. Shutter lag is a non-issue except at full zoom. You get the full manual menu — aperture priority, shutter priority, program — plus scene presets for anyone who’d rather not think about settings. Burst mode crawls at 1.2fps, fine for casual action, not built for sports. The screen is low-res and just okay for framing shots.
Video
VGA video was dated even when this camera launched. It’ll do for a birthday party clip, not much else. The built-in mic is passable at best.
Extra features
Face detection juggles multiple people in frame. Image stabilization genuinely helps at long zoom, though a steady hand still counts for something. Manual controls go deeper than most point-and-shoots bother with. The flash works but leans toward red-eye and harsh shadows if you’re not careful.
Bottom line
The 18x zoom and real manual controls make this a camera worth having if you shoot in daylight and want more reach than a basic compact gives you. After dark, or on video, it falls apart fast — but that was true of most cameras in this class at the time.
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.