Customer Reviews

Fujifilm Finepix S3100 4MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have been a film photographer for over 20 years. I've exhibited on and off through the years and have always developed and printed my own black and white film and enlargements. My old Minolta 35MM was getting really old and I was seriously thinking of buying a Nikon FM3 because I love manual control. As the time to buy a new camera got closer, I began to notice the Fuji S3100 at a local store.

While I have never liked the feel of plastic bodied cameras, at least this Fuji was substantial in size. I hate tiny camera. They might be great for sticking in a shirt pocket, but they seem too small to hold and use.

So, one day I'm in the camera store and wow...the Fuji S3100 is on sale at an incredible price. I buy it on impulse.

I think because my expectations of digital photographer were so low, I was able to fall in love with this camera. Like the other reviewer said, this may not be a camera for beginners. While I expected to not understand digital photography in the same way I do understand manual film cameras, I have to admit this Fuji is easy for me to use. I guess I should also say that I opened the box in my car and instantly lost the manual. I was able to figure out everything I needed to know by scrolling through the numerous menus. Though I have to admit it was a relief to find the manual when I cleaned my car.

I just recently went to Toronto and the Fuji was the only camera I brought along. I selected 7 pictures from the trip and had 8 x 10's printed. I could not tell they were digital pictures. They were as sharp and clear and colorful as I have come to expect from film.

I have shot pictures in full auto and in manual. Both produce equally great photos.

All my friends have had digital cameras for a few years and I have seen prints and 8 x 10 enlargements taken with other cameras and I had never been impressed.

The highest praise I can give this camera is that it is the camera that finally lured me away from using my film camera.

The Fuji FinePix S3100 is capable of taking pictures that look great, even enlarged to 8x10 size, when operated correctly; and therein lies the rub. The very things that add value to this camera unfortunately remove it from the list of those suitable for the beginner or those who need point and shoot convenience. The S3100 requires slightly under three seconds "warmup" with the included 16mb memory card before you can see your subject in the viewfinder. This delay appears to increase with a larger card installed and can be a hindrance in candid or spontaneous shots. The FinePix imitates an expensive SLR-type film camera where what you see in the viewfinder is actually what is coming through the lens, but displayed on an electronic screen inside. I found this to work well (and I wear eyeglasses), but one may also toggle the image to the 1.5 inch LCD monitor at the back of the camera with the push of a dedicated button. As with other cameras that feature automatic exposure and focus, the operator must push the shutter button part way down and wait for a confirmation that the adjustments have been made before pushing all the way down to take the picture. Failure to do this usually results in poor-looking photos which inevitably get blamed on the camera. Unfortunately, the image in the viewfinder/LCD freezes for a second or so during the adjustment procedure, meaning the position of a moving subject may have changed by the time you're ready to snap it. For this reason, the camera doesn't recommend itself to action photography. Autofocus is not foolproof on any camera that has it and under certain conditions I found the images I got weren't as sharp as they should have been. This subject is covered in the very complete and informative 100-page manual and as one gains experience it should be possible to forsee and work around those situations that confuse the autofocus. Beginners may find the pop-up flash confusing and forgetting to extend it in a dark setting will spoil the shot.

There is a lot to like about this camera. Although certainly no lightweight mini you can slip into pocket or purse, it is comfortable to hold with well laid out controls. The 6x optical zoom, which was a big selling point for me, brings subjects about twice as close as most zoom cameras will, albeit at the expense of some of the wide angle capability. Two accessory conversion lenses are sold for this camera that enhance its optical capabilities, but are very expensive. The user may select from three sharpness levels and five picture quality/size settings. The included memory card will store eight pictures at the absolute highest quality, or double that number one step below. You may also select from four scene modes; for example, portrait and night. Red-eye reduction and slow synchro flash modes, as well as forced or suppressed flash may be chosen. Limited-quality AVI movie shooting without sound is possible and there is a macro mode for shots as close as a tad under four inches. For those advanced amateurs who like to tweak settings, limited manual adjustments of flash brightness, EV, white balance and aperture-priority are possible. Current settings, along with any cautions, are normally displayed around the perimeter of the viewfinder/LCD screen, but may be turned off.

Several pages in the manual are devoted to discussing the rechargeable Ni-MH batteries consumers typically use in their camera. Over time, these apparently suffer from reduced life and the S3100 includes a discharge feature that may be used to (hopefully) restore their performance. The camera is supplied with four alkaline AA batteries and an optional AC power adaptor is available. In addition to the USB cable for downloading picture files, a cord is included for viewing the images through the video input of an ordinary television monitor, which I found to be a handy feature.

Probably the best photo I've ever taken, a zoomed in close-up of a seagull on a piling, came out beautifully even without using a tripod. Another, of a mostly black cat, was somewhat fuzzy, owing to autofocus confusion because of the dark fur. A hand-held macro shot of a flower blossom looked fine, even though it was taken under low light conditions without a flash.

For the money, I find the S3100 to be a good performer.

My 35mm is 35 years old with multiple lenses and a mini suitcase to carry it all. I was looking for the right digital camera to replace this old and cumbersome companion in my travels. I found it in the Fuji S3100 after having done my research homework and handling the camera in the store.

Picture quality was the #1 requirement. My first test shots (in the auto mode) were downloaded to the PC and test printed as 3x5's at home. The quality was outstanding in all respects. My prior research did not disappoint. Coloration was perfect. Focus was perfect. Light balance was wonderful with the flash within its range. The pictures were velvety smooth to the point I couldn't stop looking at them. The WOW factor was evident in every shot.

I heavily cropped one picture of my son from a full length view of him (6 feet) standing in our dinning room to a view of his chest and face. I printed a 5x7 of this shot and there was neither a hint of graininess nor any deterioration of quality.

Optical zoom was the #2 requirement. I like to capture all kinds of details in buildings and monuments, etc. when I travel. The 6X optical zoom gets me close to what I want without the weight and bulkiness of my old telephoto lens.

Comfortableness/Grip was the #3 requirement. This camera fits my hand like a glove. Its grip is perfect. It is locked securely in the hand with fingers around its grip area - little or no chance this camera will ever slip out of guys' bulky hands. The shutter button can be hit with the index finger and the thumb can work the back of the camera without ever loosening the grip. The left hand can easily stabilize the camera as the shot is composed by holding beneath the lens hood with little chance of obscuring the lens or flash with fingers.

A Manual mode was the #4 requirement. After years with a totally manual 35mm SLR, I did want only a point and shoot digital. I wanted the ability to have some control. I took one test shot of myself in an area well lit with fluorescent lighting, testing the use of the Self Timer and with the camera in Auto mode. The camera warned that I needed flash, so I popped the flash, set the timer and ran into the camera's view. In Playback mode I could tell from the LCD that my face was a bit light. I went into Manual mode and stepped down the intensity of the flash, retook the picture and liked the result. With Manual mode, you can still be a bit of a photographer.

I mentioned that I popped the flash after the camera warned me. I like the fact that the S3100 does not pop and auto fire the flash, even in Auto mode. It gives you one more aspect of control in how shots are composed and one less electronic connection that can go bad. My daughter owned a Cannon Rebel with an auto pop up flash that stopped popping, and the cost to repair was not worth it. It was cheaper to buy a dedicated flash for the hot shoe connection.

Until I started working with the camera, I didn't know I would come to appreciate the electronic view finder as much as I do. When you look through this bright viewfinder you are looking at what the lens sees and exactly what the picture will look like. Because this view finder is so accurate and bright, displays the necessary information and is so comfortable to the eye to use, I use the liquid crystal display only for playback. One push of the dedicated button next to the LCD toggles between viewing by the LCD or view finder. Very nice and much less a draw on the batteries.

Finally, the camera uses alkaline AA's or Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeables. Very cost effective. I use the Hydrides and after one month of ownership and using the LCD heavily as I learned the camera, and then taking Christmas and New Year's shots, the batteries are still going strong.

T.C.
New Jersey

I upgraded to this camera from a fixed-focus Olympus D-360L. Going from 1.3 to 4.0 megapixels was most definitely an improvement. I appreciate the zoom, macro, and animation features of this camera as well. The ergonomics are good, the fit and finish are very nice. I like the lens hood and cap that are included with the camera. In functionality, it approaches many of my old 35mms. Now for the "buts"

The camera is maddingly slow to recharge the viewer. One reviewer suggested that it may be due to the size of the card. I did not find this to be the case. It is just that slow -- all of the time.

The functionality of the menu selections is not as intuitive as I would have expected.

Battery life (per charge, NiMH) is much less than I had expected. I always keep spare AA's in my pocket when attending an extended function or event.

Finally, the "travel kit" offered with the camera is a waste of money. A charger and four NiMHs -- which can be purchased in any electronics store -- should be included with the camera, not part of a "kit" containg a silly array of superfulous gadgets.

"Buts" notwithstanding, it is a good camera for the price. It's not for technophobes not for those looking for the simplest point-and-shoot options.

I bought this camera a few months ago. I was actually thinking about buying a different camera and came across this one. I'm an old school photog and I use mostly 35mm pro and semi-pro equipment but wanted to get a decent digital at a good price.

I didn't want a pocket digital camera. My sister has one and I feel it's *too* small. This camera isn't very bulky, but with the hand grip by the shutter button it fits the hand very well. In fact, I found myself instinctively holding like I would a film 35mm camera with my left hand cradling the lens. This helps steady the camera. Sometimes a light camera is harder to keep steady than a heavy camera. But, I found keeping it steady was not a problem.

While it functions very well as a point and shoot camera the manual features is what sold me *after* I had bought it because I really didn't know all that much about it when I purchased it. So, finding about all the other features of this camera was a pleasant surprise!

Being accustomed to full manual cameras I like at least some control over the operation of the camera. This little camera allows even some one like me some control over the image without it being so complicated that a rank amateur can't use it. The following are some of the features I like personally. I won't discuss the other features like megapixels.

Electronic viewfinder. The first thing I really like is the EVF (electronic viewfinder). On digital cameras most optical viewfinders are slightly off due to parallax error. The only optical VFs that show you truly what the lens sees are the professional SLR digital cameras. The S3100 acts like an SLR with the EVF. You truly get what you see. This is important when using the telephoto or macro settings on the lens. Also, it can be difficult to see the screen on the back of the camera in bright sun or if you're far-sighted (which I'm started to become *sigh*). Being able to use the EVF gives me a big image to compose with rather than stretching my arms out so I can focus my eyes on the screen. This was a huge selling point for me at least. Also, having the EVF allows you to see if your fingers are blocking the lens! This happened all the time with my grandfather's rangefinder camera...

Manual Flash. I can also control the flash. Not just for the usual red-eye and such but the overall output too. This allows me to use fill flash outdoors to open up shadows without it being too bright and looking artificial. This combined with the slow flash feature allows me to shoot indoors and achieve a more natural look.

Aperture-priority. This allows me to manually set the aperture of the camera to control depth of field or somewhat control the shutter speed for creative effect. A lot of cameras in this price range or higher don't have this feature.

EV exposure control. This allows me to adjust the sensitivity of the camera's CCD which is normally equivalent to ISO 100 film speed on this camera (EV range is ISO64 - 250). This works well when I'm shooting outdoors and in the shade, but don't want to use flash to achieve a good exposure. Or, for backlit subjects where I don't want to use fill flash.

Lens. The lens is very sharp. The 6x zoom range (39mm to 234mm 35mm camera equivalent) is very good for most shooting. It would be nice if it could zoom out a bit wider though...say to 35mm or even 28mm, but this is a minor complaint. The macro setting allowed me take great pics of my plants.

Batteries. I love the fact that I don't have to buy proprietary batteries for this camera. It comes with 4 AA NiMH batteries but take alkaline and lithium AAs too. All rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan. I know that if I'm on a trip and my NiMHs bite the dust I can go just about anywhere and buy more AA NiMH batteries...Best Buy, Target, even a home improvement store like OSH carries AA NiMHs. And if they're out of NiMHs I can buy a few Alkalines. You can't say that about a another camera's proprietary Lithium Ion battery! Even if you do find a Best Buy, Circuit City, or Radio Shack will they have your battery in stock?

Well, there's more features but that's just a few I really like. The S3100 is an easy point and shoot camera in auto mode, but still allows some one like me who is used to manual film 35mm cameras some control and exactness over composition and exposure. When it comes time to upgrade Fujifilm's other S line cameras will definitely get a first look.

I bought this camera for my sister to replace one that I broke (oops). It does not have the zoom range that her other camera had, but the megapixels are higher. I borrowed it one day (and she let me!) to see how it works. It worked GREAT! I was in a high school gym taking pictures of my son's basketball game and the pictures were not too dark and came out pretty clear for the situation. I have the next step up camera with a 10X zoom and 5MP and do not get as clear pictures in the same gym!

I am very impressed and she is very happy.

I was looking for a new digital for my wife to take on a trip. It needed point and shoot simplicity, but I wanted it to have some advanced features for me. Also, we were on a budget. As 'last years model', this camera is the best deal out there in the $200 range. The 6x optical zoom gives it better effective resolution than the 4MP it's rated at(digital zoom use a useless measurement). The auto settings and autofocus works well. There are 4 'scene' settings for some control over exposure. The battery life (4 AA's) is excellent. One of the coolest features is the viewfinder: hit a button, and the LCD screen blanks (saving battery life). A smaller, but full featured screen lights up in the viewfinder, so you can see what your doing in bright daylight. The controls are easy to learn and well placed. It's big enough to feel good in my hand.
Oh, and by the way, it takes great pictures.
Cons: Although it has an aperture 'priority' setting (in manual mode), you can't control the shutter manually. It does has a night scene mode that gives priority to longer shutter speeds. You can't fine tune the 4 'scene' modes to suit a particular need. For example, you can adjust brightness of the flash in manual mode, but it won't carry over to other modes. So if you need full manual control, this camera isn't for you.
But then, if my wife had to do all that, she'd never take a picture!

I really needed a new digital camera, . My Olympus 560 had been dropped on cement while I was working my eBay business, plus I do web development. My camera was about eight years old. My partner's camera only cost him $150.00. But it really was not a camera like my Olympus. I liked the zoom feature, also being able to look through the view finder and to see is what you were getting.. I had to look at the LCD screen and image what the picture would look like. I owned an Pentex 35 mm camera, I am an amateur photographer. I consider some of this new digital camera's an insult. I hate my partner's camera, even though it had 3 times the pixel image than my camera. The new camera would be using much larger memory cards. The maximum memory card I could get for my old Olympus was an eight Meg.

So I went shopping. First I went on the web and looked at recommendations and reviews. Then I went to several local stores. Some of this digital camera was so small I considered them a Kodak throw away. Then I saw the camera of my dreams. I read about it but never saw one. It was a Fujifilm S3100, it had all the features I was looking for. Not only could you look through the view finder but it gave you the option of seeing the pictured object in the LCD. It had a video option, it had zoom, it had capability of 128 meg cards. It fit in my hand well. I got so exited about this camera that I stopped another shopper from buying another camera and told him about all these camera features. So I sold the camera basically to this person. The price was the same if a little higher than Amazon. Yet the accessories in all these stores were twice the price than amazon. I needed a charger, a carrying case and memory, I got them at amazon for ½ the price than the stores, plus no SALES TAX.

Someone wrote in on Amazon, about downloading with batteries is a problem. No problemo, all camera's used up batteries, big deal, that is the life of a digital camera user, but that is why you have rechargeable batteries, dah. Plus the Fuji offers a 5v transformer option, a video output option. My camera is a 6X zoom, 4 .0 Mega Pixels. The camera internal software is child's' play. The software is ok, but I am an experienced Photoshop user, so I just download from the camera acting like a drive. All in all I give this camera 9 stars (9 out of ten). I would give it a ten but I had to pay for it, it was not free.

I have had this camera for 5 months now, and I love it.

The things I love:
1. The clarity of the pictures is awesome. The colors are so vibrant.

2. The camera is very flexible with some manual settings, yet the autofocus works so well I haven't had much use for the manual settings.

3. I love that I can just plug it into my laptop with the included usb cable and see my pictures in an instant without having to use their software.

4. I like how it fits in my hand - very comfortable.

5. The menus are easy to navigate and smart in that whatever menu you were on last when you go back to the menu it is still on that item. For example if I was setting the white balance, and I chose a setting then took a picture and didn't like that setting, i just push the menu button and without navigating again through the menu it is at the white balance options already.

The thing I would change:

The viewfinders accuracy.

I can't tell if the object is fully focused or not. This may be something I need to learn. This object looks perfectly focused but then when you download the picture onto your pc you notice it was slightly out of focus. not super blurry but slightly and that is annoying to me because if I knew I wasn't focused perfectly I would just refocus. This happens to me about 10-25% of the time.

The accuracy is a little off also in that you take a picture and think, "that was nice :)" and you are happy. then when you actually download it you are amazed at how beautiful it is. So *if* you get the focus right you will be thrilled with your picture.

Excellent camera for the price. Would definately buy it again. I've had so much fun with it these past 5 months. :)

This camera is a great entry level digital camera for those interested in taking pictures that are more than just "general" pictures. It is easy to use and fun to experiment with and with a little time and patience, you can shoot pics that will impress.
I have had this camera for a little over a year and I am still amazed at what it can do. I have taken pictures and framed them for gifts and for my home, the response is still the same, "you must have spent a fortune on your camera!" Not true.
There are some drawbacks; the shutter lag time is on the slow side and can be quite challenging when trying to take action shots and the video mode has no sound. However, for overall price, ease of use, and end product, you can't beat this camera!