Digital Home Thoughts: Fuji Announces FinePix S8000fd

"Fujifilm is bringing the wide-angle, long zoom technology to the consumer market with today’s introduction of the FinePix S8000fd. The 8-MegaPixel, SLR-styled camera features one of the largest optical zooms on a fixed-lens camera in the industry, and introduces Fujifilm’s latest ‘Dual Image Stabilization,’ plus ISO settings of up to ISO6400 (at 50% resolution) – all features you would expect in a high-end digital camera, but at a price point consumers can afford.The S8000fd comes equipped with Fujinon’s 18x Wide Angle Optical Zoom lens, offering unprecedented flexibility in a compact SLR body style camera. With a 27mm-486mm equivalent, it’s all the lens you need in one device. The fixed lens eliminates the need for additional zoom or wide angle lenses, and it’s a sealed system, which prevents dust contamination – the #1 D-SLR repair complaint."



While the amazing zoom (27mm-486mm, that is about 20x zoom) is way cool, the problem such high zoom cameras face is the motion blue at high zoom levels, at least without a tripod. Fuji is countering this with their Dual Image Stabilization which combines hardware stabilization as well as software backup (combining automatic ISO and high shutter speed controls). I think the fact that Fuji deserves props for thinking ahead and is giving its consumers a good product. The best news of course is that it will be in the $399.95 price range.