Fujifilm FinePix S1500 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom by Fuji

In the tradition of the popular and well-received FinePix S1000, Fujifilm presents its successor, the FinePix S1500. This 10-megapixel long zoom digital camera offers great range and flexibility with a Fujinon 12x optical zoom (33mm-396mm equivalent) and like all FinePix S-series digital cameras, includes Fujifilm's Dual Image Stabilization and SR AUTO Automatic Scene Recognition mode to easily provide the best quality picture with increased clarity and sharpness, even in low light conditions. The FinePix S1500 also sports enhanced features like Panoramic mode, a Zoom Bracketing feature and full manual controls insuring the S1500 will keep up as your photographic skills develop.

Automatic Scene Recognition
SR Auto (Automatic Scene Recognition) enables the FinePix S1500 to intelligently recognize six types of scenes automatically. For each picture taken in this mode, the S1500 will optimize the ideal exposure, focus, white balance and ISO for the scene to ensure the best quality picture is captured with ease.

Dual Image Stabilization
Dual Image Stabilization is a marriage of mechanical sensor shift stabilization, to steady the photographer's hand, and Fujifilm's Picture Stabilization Technology, which uses fast shutter speeds with ISO high sensitivity, to prevent virtually all types of image blur. As a result, an increase in clarity and sharpness is achieved, even in low lighting conditions.

Rounding out the FinePix S1500's powerful feature set is a large 2.7-inch high-resolution (230k dots) LCD, electronic viewfinder (EVF) and ISO levels of up to ISO 1600 at full resolution.

Fujifilm's FinePix S1500 also offers the following useful features:

Full Manual Photographic Control: Photo enthusiasts and advanced photographers have total control with manual adjustment options for various camera settings including resolution, ISO, aperture, shutter speed and more.
Face Detection with Automatic Red Eye Removal: Face Detection operates by identifying and prioritizing faces in a framed scene, and then adjusting the focus and exposure accordingly to ensure the sharpness and clarity of human subjects in the picture, regardless of background. After a shot is captured, each detected face is instantly checked for red eye. If it is found, it is corrected automatically, saving the time-consuming process of fixing it later.
Instant Zoom: Instant Zoom makes it easy to frame and compose shots with moving subjects at high zoom settings. A selectable frame on the LCD screen lets you bracket and track the subject in standard wide view. When the shutter is released, Instant Zoom boosts the zoom ratio and captures only the enlarged area as a full-sized image, keeping the subject in the frame.
Continuous High Speed Shooting mode: This mode allows moving subjects to be captured by shooting high-speed shots of up to 15 frames at 7.5 fps at 2MP and six frames at 3.3 fps at 5MP.
Panoramic Shooting mode: Users can capture, combine and save a maximum of three consecutive shots at 3MP resolution each as a panoramic picture.
Movie Recording: VGA quality at 30 frames per second with sound.
14 Pre-programmed Scene Modes: The FinePix S1500 features 14 pre-programmed scene modes that offer a one-touch setting for almost any situation.
SD / SD-HC Compatible slot: A single media slot that accepts SD/SD-HC media cards.
Operates on 4xAA Batteries: The ultimate in convenience and accessibility, using AA batteries means in a pinch, more batteries are just moments away. Four x AA alkaline battery power delivers 300 shots and up to 700 shots using lithium AA battery.

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
First, I did not buy mine from Amazon, instead electing to get it instantly at Wal-Mart. I am also far from a camera expert. With that said, I was quite pleased with this camera, which was a huge upgrade over my old Kodak DC340. First, I REALLY like the generous 12x zoom with this camera, which enabled me to get excellent quality photos with good detail of two particular wary birds, a Bob White quail, and an Eastern Bluebird. I also found the imagine stabilization feature useful for my less than completely still hands, and I need to reiterate that image stabilization has NOTHING to do with capturing a fast moving object, as Spacejockey seemed to believe. Also, far from being annoyed by the flash having a button to pop it up, I really like being able to manually disable flash by leaving the flash physically latched down instead of having to mess around with menu controls to do it. I fail to see how this is a negative, Spacejockey. Likewise, I quite liked the intelligent face detection feature, which seemed to be particularly useful for the excellent automatic red eye removal feature. Again, Spacejockey, why the grumbling about this feature? Another point of contention is the gripe about the "double clicking" when taking photos. Well, you can override that by pressing the shutter button completely without pause, but the first click is to allow you ensure your lens is fully focused on your target before committing to taking the shot. You can press halfway, see if the focus indicator is on your target, then squeeze the rest of the way to take the shot. Again, why the complaint about that? Regarding the yellowish cast to photos taken indoors without flash, that is easily overcome by using the basic manual controls, which allow you to set the exposure appropriate to the lighting, which includes the "Tungsten" setting that is indicated for use indoors under incandescent lighting. Problem solved, and I have to wonder why Spacejockey couldn't trouble himself to look into that before grumbling about that. One point where I must agree with Spacejockey is the idiotic choice of micro USB connector instead of the far more common and useful mini USB connector used on most other portable electronic devices. It's not as if this large camera had a space constraint to require that. Was Fuji simply out to make its customers carry an extra cable instead of the mini-USB they already have for their other devices? One related complaint of my own, since I find myself instead electing to pop out the SD card to insert into an external card reader, is that it was a poor choice indeed to put the SD card slot inside the battery compartment, thus requiring the camera be powered off and having a fragile battery door undergo a finite open/close cycle that will accelerate it breaking and reducing the camera to an expense block of plastic. Also, Spacejockey, macro mode should NEVER use zoom. You want more detail for a close object, I suggest you GET CLOSER. Sheesh! Again, I have to disagree about the menu system, which I found easy to figure out, without really having to resort to the manual. I also really like how large the LCD display is. I tend to agree with the complaint about the lack of a printed manual, but this is a sad trend among electronic manufacturers these days. Witness the utter lack of printed documentation AT ALL when you open up that stylish box your iPod comes in. Regarding the inability to read the documenation found on the CD, I would suggest you contact Fuji to let them know that your disk was scratched and unreadable on a number of different computersm, and request they send you a free undamaged CD. Regarding the panorama mode, I would not even consider using that in the field, unless I had a tripod and carefully positioned each shot to make the overlap as seamless as possible. Failing that, I would do it up right on my computer with an image editor, so I have to wonder again at what seems a gratuitous gripe about a feature that Spacejockey probably never intended to use anyway. Speaking of gripes, why the grumbling about lack of filters or lens accessories on a camera that is NOT an SLR? This is a mid to high end point-and-shoot camera, and a motorized lens that moves in and out can get easily damaged by a filter or other such appliance attached to it. Spacejockey, have you really thought that complaint through? Sorry to sound as if I have some kind of axe to grind with Spacejockey, but I am a firm believer that a critical review really should focus upon being both fair and factual, and too many of the gripes leveled at this low to mid range camera seemed really lacking in both departments. Anyone who has used the pocket sized point-and-shoot cameras, such as my old Kodak, will immediately see the improvement of this camera over those, but anyone wanting all the features demanded by Spacejockey would be better served with one of the better digital SLR cameras instead. However, those SLR cameras are also targeted more at the experienced photographer, thus requiring far more manual control over the camera. Again, there is nothing wrong with a critical review, but I have to be critical of SJ's review itself. Nothing personal.