Bookmark & Share
Expert Recommendation
.
Overview
Though it’s not quite as feature-packed as the higher-end ultrazooms from Canon, Panasonic, and Sony, Fujifilm’s budget-level S2000HD is just as versatile a camera, featuring a huge 28-414mm (15x) zoom lens that can cover just about any situation imaginable.
My Best In Class Pick
Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
With its huge 27.6-414mm (15x) zoom lens, Fujifilm’s S2000HD can cover just about any photographic situation that comes to mind, from panoramic landscapes to close-ups of far-away wildlife. The Fuji S2000 also boasts a 720p HD video recording mode, as well.
Performance-wise, the S2000HD is a little above average; while the camera isn’t blazingly fast at locking onto a subject and snapping away, it should be sufficiently responsive for most situations. The S2000HD can shoot burst of shots at a nearly useless 1.1 fps speed, but also has higher-speed modes that can shoot at extremely fast 6.8 and 13.5 fps, although both operate at lower resolution.
Low-light performance is about average - while the S2000HD does feature an image stabilization system to reduce camera shake, its high-ISO performance is middle of the pack, producing moderately blotchy photos when trying to freeze fast motion.
Comparison with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
The S2000HD just edges out Panasonic’s TZ4 in a number of areas, with slightly better high-ISO image quality, 720p HD video mode, and a longer telephoto range (though this isn’t nearly as important as the wide-angle, which is about the same 28mm for both cameras). The TZ4 does trounce the S2000HD in a handful areas, such as faster shutter lag/autofocus performance, much, much faster continuous shooting, and perhaps most importantly, a more travel-friendly size. For versatility and image quality, the S2000HD is a better overall camera by a hair, although the TZ4 is a worthy alternative if you’re looking to shoot quick or unpredictable subjects (children, animals, fast action), or if you’re simply looking for something more portable.
Comparison with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
While the SX110 has the superior image quality, it’s an otherwise very no-frills camera that simply doesn’t have the same versatility that the Fuji S2000HD does. The biggest limitation for the SX110 is its 38-380mm lens, which simply isn’t as useful as the S2000HD’s much wider 27.6-414mm range.
Pros
- +27.6mm wide-angle
- +15x zoom
- +720p HD video
Cons
- -Slow 1.1 fps continuous shooting
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
-
Best Price:
$279
See It »
- $279 - $296 Compare Prices »
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
| Product |
 |
2
 |
3
 |
| Customer Rating |
 
(from 61 reviews)
|
(from 138 reviews)
|
(from 348 reviews)
|
| Price | $279 - $296 | $219 - $258 | $499 - $699 |
| Size (W x H x D) | 4.4 x 3.1 x 3.0 in. | 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.4 in. | 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.8 in. |
| Weight (without batteries) | 13.6 oz | 7.3 oz | 8.6 oz |
| Max Shooting Speed (burst) | 1.1 frames/sec | 3 frames/sec | 1.3 frames/sec |
| Max Consecutive Burst Frames | 3 frames | 4 frames | Unlimited |
|
?
Close
Min Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. On any 35 mm film camera, a 30 mm or less lens is considered a wide-angle lens.
|
27.6mm | 28 mm | 36 mm |
|
?
Close
Max Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. Larger max focal lengths make distant objects appear more magnified.
|
414mm | 280 mm | 360 mm |
| Optical Zoom | 15x | 10.0x | 10.0x |
|
?
Close
Image Stabilization Available
Image stabilization features are designed to reduce the blur that results from normal, minute shaking of a lens due to hand-held shooting. However, image stabilization does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera.
|
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
?
Close
Max Aperture (wide-angle)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (wide-angle) is the largest possible size at the wide-angle limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
|
f/3.5 | f/3.3 | f/2.8 |
|
?
Close
Max Aperture (tele-photo)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (tele-photo) is the largest possible size at the tele-photo limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
|
f/5.4 | f/4.9 | f/4.3 |
| Battery Life | 400 shots | 300 shots | 400 shots |
| High ISO quality | Average | Poor | Average |
| Shutter lag | Average | Good | Average |
| Travel Rating | Superb | Superb | Good |
| Fast Action Rating | Good | Good | Good |
| People/Pets Portrait Rating | Good | Average | Good |
| Low-light Rating | Average | Average | Good |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
With a 28-280mm (10x) zoom lens, the TZ4 can cover just about any situation. It has the reach to zoom in for close-ups on faraway subjects, such as in sports or wildlife photography. And on the other end, it’s also got the 28mm wide-angle that will let you take in all of a scenic landscape or the large landmarks often encountered on travel. There just isn’t any other camera on the market either as cheap as the TZ4 or as small as the TZ4 that offers this wide-ranging versatility.
For speed situations, the TZ4 is also one of the fastest-performing cameras around. Shutter lag and autofocus are both above-average, making it a bit easier to precisely time shots as well as track around moving subjects, which is important for unpredictable subjects like kids or pets or sports players. The TZ4 can also shoot at a speedy 3 frames per second, allowing you to fire off a burst of shots and then choose the best one later, which can significantly improve your keeper rate.
The TZ4 does have a weak point though, and that’s low-light performance. The TZ4 does feature an image-stabilized lens to help combat camera shake blur, but its high-ISO quality is just below-average, producing noisy/blotchy images if you want to freeze moving subjects in low-light situations.
At 1.4 in. thin, the TZ4 is a pocketable camera that can be taken just about anywhere.
Comparison with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Panasonic’s TZ4 and Canon’s SX110 are both cameras in the same compact ultrazoom class - both fit in versatile 10x zooms into fairly compact and easy-to-carry bodies. Feature-wise, the TZ4 offers up a lot more, with a bit faster speed and responsiveness, as well as much more versatility in its 28mm wide-angle lens, all in a significantly smaller package. The SX110, however, performs significantly better in low-light situations, featuring both a larger aperture and better high-ISO performance.
Pros
- +28mm wide-angle
- +10x zoom
- +1.4 in. thick
- +3fps burst mode
Cons
- -Below-average high-ISO
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
-
Best Price:
$219
See It »
- $219 - $258 Compare Prices »
Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
The Canon SX110 is Canon’s entry in the compact ultrazoom market. The SX110 features a 10x 36-360mm zoom lens that can cover most everyday situations. It’s got the long-range zoom to capture close-ups of faraway fast action subjects or building details that you might encounter on travel, and it easily covers the midrange zoom that’s ideal for portraits as well. The SX110’s 36mm wide-angle doesn’t stretch that wide, however, so it’s not the ideal camera for capturing sweeping panoramas or large landmarks from a cramped city street corner.
Speed-wise, the SX110 has about average shutter lag and autofocus, so precisely timing shots or tracking fast subjects may be difficult. The SX110 shoots at 1.2 frames per second, which isn’t really fast enough to cover moments of action with a burst of shots.
Low-light ability on the SX110 is above-average. The SX110’s image-stabilized lens helps to reduce camera shake, and high-ISO quality is decent - good enough to freeze motion in low-light situations without producing unusably noisy photos.
At 1.8 in., the SX110 isn’t quite thin but should still be easy enough to carry around in just about any bag or large pocket.
Pros
- +10x zoom
- +Above-average high-ISO
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
-
Best Price:
$499
See It »
- $499 - $699 Compare Prices »
- Highly Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
How It Works
You tell us your budget, intended uses, and desired features. We show you personalized recommendations from unbiased experts to quickly identify the best digital camera for you.
Advertisement
How to Pick Digital Cameras
- For Travel Photos
- For Photos of Children or Pets
- For Action or Sports Photos
- For Photos in Low Light
