Sample shots
Click for full-size images

You can’t change lens, but the zoom offers an equivalent to 28-400mm on a 35mm camera

Left-to-right, top-to-bottom, ISO 100, 400, 6400 and 10,000

Picture noise didn’t become too much of issue until around ISO 800. The 6400 and 10,000 ISO settings are a gimmick because the results are really bad – unless you like looking at grainy images. Likewise, the film modes produce some interesting effects, but we’re not sure how useful they are in practice.

We also noticed some fringing on a number of frames, due to chromatic aberration, but all-in-all, the FinePix S100 FS is capable of impressive results.

Verdict

Compact cameras offer portability and simplicity and the option of a super zoom. DSLRs offer performance, functionality and – if you want it – plenty of automation. The FinePix S100 FS is much closer to a DSLR than a compact, but without the full functionality offered by the former. But the biggest issue is the price. It isn’t a bad camera, but it we suspect most people will want to leap straight from compact to a DSLR rather than opt for this model.

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