Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification



The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 was announced in January 2013 and is a bridge camera which has 40x optical zoom, 10 fps continuous shooting and full manual controls. It is available for around £180.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Features

The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 has a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a 40x optical zoom lens, which is a 35mm equivalent of 24-960mm, with optical image stabilisation to keep blur and shake to a minimum. To help when framing your shots, particularly at longer focal lengths, there is an electronic viewfinder (EVF) which helps you keep the camera steady. The super macro mode allows you to shoot objects just 1cm away from the camera and it can shoot full resolution images at 10 fps.

There is an Auto mode and a number of scene modes to choose from as well as full manual controls. Other shooting modes include Motion Panorama, which shoots up to 360°, HDR mode and Advanced Filter which includes cross screen, miniature and toy camera.

Videos are recorded in full 1080p with stereo sound and optical zoom available. High speed movie mode allows you to record at 480 fps to really slow down the action. The camera can be connected to a HD TV via a HDMI cable.

Key Features

• 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor
• 40x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 24-960mm)
• Optical image stabilisation
• 3.0 inch 460k dot LCD screen
• Built-in electronic viewfinder
• Full manual controls
• Full 1080p HD video recording
• ISO 64-12800
• 1cm minimum focusing distance
• Advanced filters
• HDR mode
• Motion panorama mode
• 10 fps continuous shooting

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Handling

The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 has a similar look and build to a DSLR - it has a good rubber grip. The lens barrel is also rubberised and there is even a rubber area on the rear for your thumb to rest. The EVF is bright - ideal for shooting in low light or with the zoom extended and is activated via a button. The zoom can also be adjusted via a side lever on the lens barrel and the button which activates the flash is located just above the lever.

There are plenty of other buttons on the camera - on the top are buttons for exposure compensation and continuous shooting as well as the zoom rocker, on / off switch, shutter release and mode dial. On the rear are movie record, playback and display buttons as well as a rotating wheel which can also be used as a d-pad. It also gives access to flash, macro and self-timer and function. The function button is customisable - you can choose between ISO, image size, white balance , focus mode and more.

The LCD is a good size and has a decent 460k dot resolution. The S8200 has a clear menu system and is certainly an easy to use camera. Battery life is rated at very respectable 300 shots according to CIPA test results when using the supplied alkaline batteries. If you want more you can purchase Ni-MH rechargeable batteries which offer 500 shots or lithium batteries for 700 shots.

We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response		0.1 secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response		0.3 secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response		1.0 secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo		1.4 secs
Shot to Shot without Flash		1.2 secs
Shot to Shot with Flash		2.1 secs
Continuous Shooting - SH1 1.2		62.5 fps
Continuous Shooting - SH2 VGA		180 fps
Continuous Shooting - L		3.0 fps
Continuous Shooting - M		4.8 fps
Continuous Shooting - H		9.6 fps

Focusing is a little on the slow side when using the zoom at its longest. The continuous shooting L, M and H modes all record in full 16 megapixel resolution, with SH1 and SH2 modes both restricted to 1.2 megapixels and VGA size respectively.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Colour reproduction is excellent and images are well exposed. Portrait shots have decent skin tones and are free of red-eye when using the flash.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images have a reasonable amount of detail but are a little softer in the corners. Purple fringing is a slight issue in contrasting areas of the image. The lens has a 1cm minimum focusing distance of just 1cm in super macro mode which allows for a decent close-up shot.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO 100, with the very slight appearance of noise visible at ISO 200 and 400. At ISO 800 images become a little softer. Noise becomes significant at ISO 1600, with colour reproduction suffering. Noise worsens a little at ISO 3200, and again so at ISO 6400, but image quality isn't too bad at these higher settings. ISO 12800 produces images of poor quality, with this best avoided when possible.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Under the incandescent lights the Auto White Balance (AWB) performs well, although there is a slight colour cast. The incandescent preset takes a better picture. Under the fluorescent lights the AWB performs well - there are three different fluorescent presets, two of which take a good picture under the fluorescent lights.


Panorama 1 | 1/170 sec | f/8.4 | 4.3 mm | ISO 100


Panorama 2 | 1/180 sec | f/8.4 | 4.3 mm | ISO 100

Panorama mode - Panorama shots are easy to take and have a decent amount of detail as well as being stitched together really well. You're able to shot 120º, 180º and 360º panoramas.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Digital filters

Digital Filters - When shooting in PSAM modes you can apply a colour filter to your image for an extra touch of creativity. There is also the Advanced Filter mode which has a lot of choice such as HDR, partial colour, toy camera modes and a lot more. We've included plenty of examples above.

Video - Videos are recorded in full 1080p HD with optical zoom available. Quality is good although you can hear the zoom whilst shooting and the focusing can take a few seconds to catch up.

Value For Money

The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 is available for around £180. There are a number of cameras with 40x optical zoom and over. With 40x optical zoom are the Fujifilm FinePix S8200 at £189.00 and Olympus SP-820UZ at £187.49. The Nikon Coolpix P520 at £288.95 and Fujifilm FinePix HS50 at £389.00 both have 42x. With the highest amount of zoom currently available, 50x optical zoom, are the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS at £359.00 , Sony Cybershot HX300 at £339.00 and Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 at £279.00.

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Verdict

The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 is typical of many bridge cameras on the market. You get loads of useful features which make using the camera a similar experience to a DSLR. Highlights include 10 fps continuous shooting, good battery life, the electronic viewfinder and full manual controls. The downside is that image quality isn't the best you'll get on a camera though, but for those who like to share pictures on sites such as Facebook, this isn't really a big issue for many users.

	The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 is feature packed and decent value for money.

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Pros

Feature packed
Good zoom range
Decent image quality
Has an electronic viewfinder
Advanced filter mode allows for creative shots
Good battery life

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Cons

Focusing is slow when zoomed in
Images are soft in the corners
Zoom noise is loud when used during video recording

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Fujifilm FinePix S8200 Specifications

View Full Product Details