| Product | Fujifilm FinePix S1 Review |
| Zoom | 50X Optical Zoom (24-1200mm) |
| Size | 16.2 MP with 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor |
| Weight | 680 g/24 Oz (batteries & memory card included) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
| Guarantee | 1 year |
| Where to Buy: | Amazon |
| My Rating: | 9.5 out of 10 |
Fujifilm FinePix S1 – Overview
You decided to go on a vacation, and realized that you are missing something, a digital camera! Nowadays, there are so many choices out there, that you feel overwhelmed! You don’t want to pay thousands of dollars for a high-end DSLR camera, but at the same time want good-quality photos. Had you ever considered a mega-zoom camera also known as a bridge camera?
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is a mega-zoom camera of 16.2 megapixels with a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor. The camera has an optical lens of 50X with an aperture ranging from f2.8 to f5.6 or 24mm (wide-angle) to 1200mm (super-telephoto).
The Vari-angle 3-inch LCD screen and the ViewFinder feature (scene recognition) enable you to frame your shots quickly. So simply point and shoot!
The Fujifilm FinePix allows you to record movies in full HD (1080p/60fps). The five-axis image stabilization feature reduces the effect of a shaky hand while shooting movies.
The battery is Li-ion rechargeable and it gets charged while inside the camera. The battery life is about 350 shots (auto mode).
One of the great features of the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is that it is weather resistant. So, no need to worry, you won’t damage your camera while taking pictures in bad weather conditions. The FinePix S1 is sealed in 70 areas. Therefore, no dust or water can get in!
Thus, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is the camera of choice for your safari vacation. Why? Africa encompasses extreme weather conditions with torrential rains and dusty conditions.
So, you need a camera such as the FinePix S1, which can withstand these conditions. However, I do not recommend that you go scuba diving, nor bury your camera in the sand dunes! The FinePix S1 has not been designed for these purposes!
Get the Best of Both Worlds: Pocket and DSLR Cameras
The FinePix S1 is an excellent compromise between the pocket-size camera and the DSLR camera.
Pocket-sized cameras are light, compact, and as suggested by the name fit snugly in your pocket. However, they do not offer a significant telephoto zooming capability. Therefore, pocket-sized cameras are not suited for capturing wildlife from a distance.
The DSLR cameras are usually heavy and bulky, but these cameras are versatile. They allow you to capture telephoto shots, as well as wide-angle shots. However, the downside to this is that you need more than one lens to achieve all of that!
So, what is the solution? The Fujifilm FinePix S1 with its 50X zoom lens! Another awesome feature of the FinePix S1 is its zooming capability.
The camera can take wide-angle as well as telephoto pictures with the same lens! No need to bring multiple lenses with your camera. Therefore, you won’t miss out on the action by constantly interchanging lenses to take either wide-angle or telephoto shots.
One of the drawbacks of the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is its size. The camera is bulky (5.2 X 3.6 X 4.3 inches) and heavy (24 Oz). Therefore, it won’t fit in your pocket, so you have to wear it around your neck!
Simply Point & Shoot
The FinePix S1 offers the following settings:
- 2 Automatic modes: One with scene recognition and the other without.
- A semi-manual mode.
- A manual mode.
Since I am not a professional photographer, I find that the automatic mode with scene recognition suits me just fine. Therefore, I just point and shoot! However, if you want to fiddle with your FinePix S1, it offers a broad range of possibilities!
No matter if you are a pro or a novice, the bottom line is: to get great photos, you need to PRACTICE! It is too easy to blame the camera for the poor picture quality! Most of the time, the fault lies with the photographer! The user’s lack of experience or knowledge about all the different settings available on the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is the culprit for the low-quality photos!
To capture great pictures, you must familiarize yourself with the camera. Test different settings. Take pictures under various conditions (low light conditions). You should practice taking pictures of moving objects like the animals at the zoo as well as some landscape shots. Play with your camera in order to get acquainted with all the features of the FinePix S1.
Moreover, you need to learn how to use your camera before leaving for your vacation. It is not the time to get acquainted with your new Fujifilm FinePix S1 during your vacation!
Deliver Very Good Image Quality, but it is not a DSLR Camera!
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an excellent choice for your safari adventure. However, the camera is not perfect, which is the reason why it didn’t get a perfect score (ratings at the end of the post)!
Some users might be disappointed by the image quality, especially if you want to make poster-size prints or extensive cropping of the photos. There might be a lot of noises, artifacts, and fine details that will not be very sharp and clean.
However, the vast majority of users will find that the quality of the image is excellent, especially for sharing through social media. Moreover, if you plan to print your photos, the result is very satisfactory.
The quality of the pictures in low light conditions is decent, but not great. You can use your Fujifilm FinePix S1 up to the sensitivity setting of 800 ISO without any significant loss in the resolution. Ideally, you should set it to a maximum of 400 ISO. If you use settings above 800 ISO, the resolution will drop significantly with some purple fringing in high contrast areas.
Wi-Fi Connectivity… Your Photos Get Home Before You!
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. So, you can transfer your photos effortlessly to your Smartphone or tablet. All you need to do is to install the Fujifilm app on your Smartphone, iPad, or Android. Then, just press the Wi-Fi button on the back of the camera and that’s it, no need for a user ID and password!
There is no built-in GPS in the camera. However, through the Fujifilm app, you can geotag your images. This may not be ideal, but it is better than nothing!
Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an Excellent Alternative to DSLR Cameras
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is easy to use since you just point and shoot! For this reason alone, the FinePix S1 is the perfect camera for novice photographers! The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is the only camera out there that is weather resistant.
Because of its awesome zooming capability provided by the 50X optical lens, you don’t need to carry loads of lenses to capture amazing shots! The FinePix S1 delivers a high-quality image for the price. Furthermore, the Fujifilm S1 camera is an awesome alternative to the expensive DSLR cameras.
So, if you want to capture everlasting memories, I highly recommend the Fujifilm FinePix S1, and if you are like me and prefer to shop online, Amazon offers the best deals on this camera.
I hope that you enjoy this review. If you have any questions about the Fujifilm FinePix S1, please leave a comment below.
Hello Sonia,
Mega-zoom cameras seem like the best option when traveling and planning on taking detailed photographs. I think the Vari-angle 3-inch LCD screen and the ViewFinder feature would be conducive if we are capturing animals and their behavior. Since this Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera can take wide-angle as well as telephoto pictures with the same lens, it honestly seems like my dream camera. I really am not a fan of changing lenses and preparing a lot before taking photos. So I am glad to know about this camera.
Thank you for the review, Sonia. Could you please suggest some of the best pocket-size cameras for me?
Well, I personally think that the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an excellent choice for what you are planning to do with it. It offers superb value for the price.
However, you want to take a look at other contenders in the category of compact camera I would suggest the Nikon B500 Coolpix or the Canon PowerShot SX530, which are both in the same price range as the Fujifilm FinePix and thus constitutes an excellent alternative to the latter.
Nice, very thorough, and well-written review about Fujifilm Finepix S1 I would say. I am using my drone most of the time. However, my hand camera starts to be too underperforming for my daily tasks, so I really need a new one. Weather resistance and excellent optical zoom are something I really need cause my conditions are pretty bad here most of the time. I bookmarked this article for further use to have it as a backup when making a buying decision in the near future. Thanks for sharing this.
I don’t think you can go wrong by picking the Fujifilm Finepix S1 as it is a well-rounded camera for an affordable price.
Hi there,
I really love to take photos of my 4 leg baby, my labrador dog, the sea, the mountain, my loved ones. Even if I am not a professional photographer, having a good camera make the difference.
I really want this Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera and maybe I will make myself a present for Easter :)! I will show you some photos after :).
Thanks for sharing and I think sometimes is not bad to take a present for ourselves :).
Have a nice day
Cristina
I like how you think that we should spoil ourselves! You deserve to buy yourself a gift! 🙂
The Fujifilm FinePix is an excellent choice, no matter if you are a novice or a professional photographer. It’s pretty easy to use, so you cannot take a bad photo with it! And please, stop by again, I would love to see your photos!
Thanks.
Hi Sonia,
A very detailed and informative post. I found your review of the Fujifilm FinePix S1really helpful since I am looking for a good camera to capture photos while traveling. I do not want to spend big bucks on a DSLR camera, but I do want the quality pictures they produce. So I think Fujifilm Finepix S1 sounds like the camera for me! Is it user-friendly for a beginner photographer?
I am not as well a professional photographer, but I love to take pictures! With the FinePix S1, you just point and click! You have two automatic modes that you can choose from. The difference between the two is that one has scene recognition, making taking pictures with the Fujifilm camera effortless. Therefore, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is very user-friendly.
However, I do recommend that you read the instructions manual before starting taking pictures with the camera to get a better understanding of all the features available. It will speed up your learning curve!
Thanks.
Hi Sonia,
I truly enjoyed reading your review. I found it very interesting and helpful!
I have a camera Sony, but it is a bit old now so, I think it’s time to get a new one:)! Because I don’t have a lot of patience, I am sure this camera will suit my needs since the zoom lens allows us to take telephoto shots and wide angles with the same lens. That’s great!
I will show this review to my husband so we can read more about this camera, later on, I am sure he will love it too. Bookmarked:)
Thank you very much for this excellent article!
If you are thinking of getting a new camera, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an excellent choice, especially if you don’t want to carry with you a broad spectrum of objectives in order to take different types of photos.
Thank you.
Hi Sonia
Thank you for this great review, I’m not a professional photographer, but I like to take photos of the sunrise every day from my window, I have an excellent view and spend a few minutes each morning watching the sunrise and taking pictures from my smartphone.
As I want to have better image quality and better zoom ability, do you recommend this camera for my case?
Thank you again,
Wish you all the best.
For the intended purposes that you mentioned, which is taking stunning pictures of the sunrise, I would indeed recommend that you buy the Fujifilm FinePix S1 since it offers a lot of flexibility with its 4X-12X zooming capability.
I am a bit jealous of you since you can photograph the sun rising from your window! I don’t have such great views from mine!
Thank you.
I have been very interested in taking photos and the Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera might be a great option for my needs. I thought your article was very informative and educational. It seems it would be a very hardy camera to take on vacation almost anywhere since it’s sealed in so many places. I think it would be a great camera to have. At $357 it is a very good price for what it does.
You are right. The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an exceptional camera since it is versatile and weather resistant. As many photographers will tell you, the number one enemy for lenses is the DUST! Consequently, by being sealed in more than 70 areas, that prevents any dust or water from getting into the FinePix S1 and causing any damages!
Thanks.
Hi Sonia,
Thank you so much for this review. Christmas is over but Valentines and my birthday are coming. Both my husband (Nikon) and son (Sony) got cameras from Santa, and I am kinda jealous. I never really had the chance to get into photography but living in the jungle I know how to appreciate a good image. I have been using my old battered cell phone to take pictures of family activities. My kids tease me a lot, but when they see the pics, they always say “Whatsapp it to me.” Having a camera like this would be awesome! It doesn’t hurt being weather proof and dust proof as well. Wireless remote control for selfies too :)! I am in love!
I shall put this on my wish list.
And Kudos on a great website.
Ann
I hope that your husband fulfills your wish list and gets you the Fujifilm FinePix S1 for your birthday! 😉
If not, you should treat yourself and buy one! The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an awesome camera. I am sure that once your husband and your son catch a glimpse of your photos and become aware of all the features the camera has to offer, they will be jealous!
Thanks for stopping by.
Excellent review, Sonia. One thing I need to know. If you use Manual mode and shoot at ISO 800, do you get to use the full range of shutter speeds up to 30 seconds? Or, like the Nikon P600, are you restricted at ISO 800 (and higher)? In the P600, any shutter speed lower than ONE second automatically defaults to ISO 100, so the camera is worthless for the kind of night sky photography I often do where I usually use 6-10 seconds at ISO 800 or even 1600. Frankly, the Nikon restriction makes no sense to me. So I am hoping that the full shutter speed range is available at ISO 800 in the S1.
Thanks, Sonia!
Doug
After taking a closer look at the owner’s manual, I found that the shutter speed for the Fujifilm FinePix S1 for the manual mode, in low light conditions, ranges from 3 sec to 1/2000 sec. So, unfortunately, the shutter speed isn’t slow enough (6-10 seconds) for your intended purposes, which is night sky photography.
I hope this helps.
This is a great weather resistant camera that stands head and shoulders above some of its rivals. A positive point, is that it’s WI FI ready that would help to get pictures uploaded asap, which is a big advantage. I really would like this camera and may save to get one for Christmas for myself.
I agree with you this Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera is awesome. And, nowadays the WiFi connectivity is a must, in my opinion. Another good point is the fact is very versatile with the 50X zoom!
Water resistant, AND it has a crazy telephoto lens? This camera looks pretty sick! What does this camera compare to? Who are its competitors in the market? The review is great, extensive, but if I’m going to spend $400 on this camera, I’d like to know if I’m looking at the right alternatives as well. Maybe you can help out in that area.
Yes, you don’t have to bring many extra lenses with this camera. With one lens, you can take portrait shots and telephoto shots. And the fact that it’s weather-resistant, you don’t have to worry about the dust getting into your camera!
As for its competitors, there are the usual suspects… Canon PowerShot, and the Nikon B500 Coolpix to only name a couple, which are all available on Amazon.
This is an excellent review of the Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera. I must say I would like to have one. I take many photos in the mountains, and I use them for my site. But I use just a pocket camera for Sony. You write that this is a compromise between the pocket and big cameras. But it still looks bulky to me. I usually carry a lot of stuff and am not sure how to deal with it.
I checked the link you provided for it at Amazon. The price indeed looks reasonable. As I said, I would like to have it. But I need to feel it in my hand first. Thanks for the information.
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is heavier and bulkier than a pocket camera. But you only need one lens. So you don’t have to bring many lenses and spend your time switching lenses in order to get a wide range of shots!
Since I’m not a professional photographer, and I think most importantly, I really don’t like to carry a lot of stuff while traveling, that’s why I find the FinePix S1 to be a nice compromise as opposed to a DSLR camera, for which you’ll need to carry more than one lens in order to take a different type of photos (portrait and telephoto shots).
This camera looks and sounds pretty neat. On top of that it seems to have some pretty convenient features with that wi-fi connection and transfer. Image quality isn’t exactly my highest priority, but if its cheaper than a DSLR camera, I think its a fair trade.
Just one question, does it handle well from shock(like accidentally dropping it on the floor)? I don’t exactly have the most steady hands.
I don’t know many cameras that could resist being dropped on the floor. The lenses will not survive such a drop! I suggest that you get a sling strap to secure the camera! That makes it very comfortable to wear the camera! The Fujifilm Finepix S1 will resist shocks such as being knocked or bumped around but not dropping on a floor!
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is weather-resistant, so if you’re taking pictures while raining, you don’t have to worry that it will damage your camera. And this camera is dust-resistant and can be used in a dusty environment such as a safari vacation!
Hi Sonia,
I loved your review. It just so happens I am on the lookout for a good camera, so it was ideal. The review was thorough, with a good balance of images and the advertising link. The video was also good, very inspiring toward wanting to buy the camera.
You offered good product information and details, and the cons of the camera were well pointed out, along with other options provided if this camera was not correct. In addition, you highlighted more features about the camera than I would have looked for if I had just gone to the shop to purchase it, so thanks again.
I think that the Fujifilm FinePix S1 offers the best value for the price within its camera category. And the quality of the images is excellent, especially if you share them through social media and print small-size photos (4 X 6 in)!
Hi Sonia
I found your site recently and just had to come back, you have awaken a need in me, a need to see Africa.
Im on a budget but must visit Africa and this time round I have to bring back quality pictures so thanks so much for the cameras reviews.
Will help me make an informed decision when buying my safari camera.
Thanks so much.
Africa offers picturesque landscapes that are definitely worth taking pictures of… And enabling you to bring home a piece of Africa!
And you should consider the Fujifilm FinePix S1 as a serious contender when you’re ready to buy your next camera!
This looks like an ideal camera for those not wanting a full DSLR. I bought my first DSLR camera a few years ago and I was shocked at how good the photos are however being a few years old now it lacks the pixel resolution of the newer cameras.
I don’t think I would ever step down from my Nikon but the thought is getting more attractive with cameras like this on the market.
Good information thank you.
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is an excellent alternative to a DSLR camera, especially if you’re on a tight budget. The FinePix S1 is a versatile camera. You need to bring only one lens and take portrait shots and telephoto shots! And the Fujifilm FinePix S1 is perfect for travelers because you might not be allowed to get a lot of luggage!
Photography is something I always wanted to learn but life got in the way and I never did. I enjoyed your camera review and am looking forward to more.
I am not a technical photographer! I don’t play much with my camera. In fact, I leave everything in the Auto Mode! I would love to take some lessons about photography to try different things with my camera one day, to exploit all its features fully! That will probably improve the quality of my pictures…
This looks like a really good camera. The price is very reasonable and I really like 50x zoom. You can’t go wrong with a camera that is weather resistant. Thanks for reviewing this, Sonia.
The Fujifilm FinePix S1 camera is indeed very affordable, and for me, the fact that it’s a weather-resistant camera is a big plus. So if you get caught in bad weather (heavy rain), you don’t have to worry that you are going to damage your FinePix S1 camera!