Fuji FinePix S1800 Fits My Hand and My Budget

By: Debbie O’Brien

My husband got me a Nikon Coolpix L20 digital camera. It was a nice little camera with one really big drawback: it was too small for my hands! My hands aren’t unusually large, but I was approaching 50 and they weren’t as nimble as they once were. I had great difficulty holding the camera steady and clicking the shutter.

Just curious, stopped by a camera shop. As soon as I picked up the Fuji FinePix S1800, I knew it was the one for me.

It was a good size, surprisingly light, weighing just under 12 ounces. Easy to hold and to hold steady, I was able to zoom in and out and press the shutter button with no problems at all. The 3.0″ LCD Monitor was easily visible in a variety of different lighting situations. The overall size, 4.3″ by 2.9″ by 3.2″,  was just right for me. I  had only gone  for a look; 40 minutes later, I walked out with a camera.

The manual for it is laid out very methodically. Each subject is taken step-by-step so I never got that “I’m in over my head” feeling. The camera is very multi-faceted; beginners and experienced photographers will have a nice time with it.  I decide what I want to do and how much I want the camera to do for me.

A Fujinon 18x Optical Zoom lets me go from wide to telephoto lens almost instantly. It’s 12.2 megapixel capabilities give my pictures a crisp and clear definition with remarkable detail.  Here is a short list of my favorite options:

• Flash can be disabled with the touch of a button
• Edit pictures as soon as I take them with camera
• Red-eye removal
• Automatic setting lets me point and shoot; the camera adjusts itself for conditions
• Continuous shooting mode from 1.3 fps (frames per second) to 8 fps
• Self-timer gives a 10 second delay
• The menu on the camera is large enough to see easily (and understand!)
• Watches for “closed eyes” on subjects, pausing for them open again
• Make videos with sound
• Choose shooting modes: portrait, landscape, night time, fireworks, sunset, snow, beach, party flower, and more
• Panorama pictures, too!

Besides making the best camera I’ve ever operated, Fuji included software, a USB/AV cord for uploading my pictures to a PC, lens cap and a neck strap.