The Fujifilm S2500HD is a megazoom camera with an 18x optical zoom lens and HD movie recording. The Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD offers full compatibility with HDTV television systems for both still pictures and movies.
Jump to:
- Product Information
- Reviews
- Videos
- Specifications
The S2500HD introduces high-definition video for the first time to the Fujifilm S-series, capturing 1280 x 720 pixel footage at 30fps with mono sound, full use of the 18x zoom and a maximum recording time of 15 minutes per clip. Alternatively there are also 640 x 480 pixels and 320 x 240 pixels modes, also at 30 fps. As with all other cameras with HDMI ports, there’s no HDMI cable included in the box. You could use Fujifilm’s optional HD Player Kit instead, which includes an HD card reader that connects the camera to your HDTV, and even a wireless remote control.
Its front looks much the same as any bridge model; that’s to say it’s dominated by the lens barrel, the tip of which extends 1.5cms past the grip when the camera is inactive, and then extends by a further 3cms when zoomed to full telephoto. Above the lens sits the forward sloping ridge housing the integral pop-up flash. A dedicated button for activating this spring-loaded mechanism sits to its right, three pin prick-sized holes for the built-in microphone just below.
At the rear of the S2500HD we find the rest of the operational controls. Like the top plate, these are well laid out and their functions ably illustrated. Starting top right of the 3-inch, 230k-dot LCD screen, there’s an EVF/LCD button for alternating between the two features, although, with the larger screen literally staring you in the face when you pick the camera up.
The Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD boasts an impressive 18x optical zoom covering a versatile 28-504 mm (equivalent to a 35mm camera) range from wide-angle to ultra telephoto. From landscapes, interiors and large group shots to distant sports or wildlife action, the Fujifilm S2500HD is ready for all-round photography. The Fujifilm S2500HD’s Dual Image Stabilisation mode combines a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor with high ISO sensitivities for anti-blur protection. The combination of these technologies reduces the blurring effect of both hand-shake and subject movement to provide sharp results.
The Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD offers Face Detection that operates by identifying and prioritizing up to 10 faces in a frame and then adjusting the focus and exposure accordingly to ensure the sharpness and clarity of human subjects in the picture, regardless of background. After the shot is captured the automatic red-eye removal feature instantly checks each detected face for red-eye and if found, corrects it in the camera automatically.
The Fuji S2500HD bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor, the S1500 model. This is a bridge or ‘super zoom’ camera that, despite resembling a digital SLR that’s been shrunk in the wash, shouldn’t scare off those more used to operating pocket-sized point and shoots – which happens to be exactly the main audience that Fujifilm are targeting.
The Finepix S2500HD features a high speed-capture capability – up to 20 pictures sequentially at 8 frames per second – albeit with, as perhaps expected, resolution dropping to three megapixels to achieve its headline-grabbing numbers. A compromise would be 10 sequential photographs at 3.3fps at a reduced resolution of 6 megapixels – at least that way a level of quality might be achieved that you would actually want to produce a print from.
Reviews
Cameras.co.uk reviews writes:
“Picture quality roughly matched my expectations when taking the price tag into account. It takes good quality outdoor shots and can cope with most photo situations.“
Rating: ★★★★☆
Steves-digicams.com reviews writes:
“The camera can capture decent 12-megapixel images that are sure to make pleasing prints from 4×6-inch on up, and offers some blazing fast Burst mode options. However, it’s overall image quality, ISO performance, and shot-to-shot times are not up to par with the rest of the competition.”
Rating: N/A
Photographyblog.com reviews writes:
“Image quality, although not the best in class, is also up to scratch, with a usable ISO range of 64-400 with 800 as a backup, commendably little sign of purple-fringing, an effective image stabilisation system, and good exposures in most situations.’
Rating: N/A
ePhotozine reviews writes:
“For the price, Fuji’s S2500HD is a very well featured camera indeed. The 18x zoom lens, creative manual and easy to use automatic features should suit a wide range of people.“
Rating: ★★★½☆
trustedreviews.com writes:
“The Panorama mode isn’t quite as successful as the likes of Sony’s, as it requires the user to match up the edges and tries to stitch them together. More often than not this was unsuccessful and lead to multiple attempts. The instant zoom feature simply crops a portion of the screen without the need to zoom in, and the continuous mode offers an impressive burst rate at a reduced resolution, albeit without a change in focal depth resulting in some blurry images. The most significant feature is, of course, the huge zoom and although it takes a second to react to the lever being used, reaching optimum magnification only takes seconds.”
Rating: N/A
Our Rating 
(4/5)
Good: Nice wide zoom range covers 28 – 504mm in 35mm equivalence; Improved image quality and performance over past models; Captures decent photos outdoors; Accurate SR Auto exposure mode; Excellent build quality
Bad: Image quality not up to par with competition; Weak flash; Poor HD video results; Excessive noise above ISO 400 makes the higher options almost useless; Tiny EVF eye piece; LCD is reflective; Sporadic white balance results when using Auto setting; Lack of Aperture value control in the specified A position on the mode dial makes it difficult to control DOF (either wide open or closed down, nothing in between)
Specifications :
Model : FinePix S2500HD / S2600HD
Number of effective pixels* : 12.2 megapixels
CCD sensor : 1/2.3-inch CCD
Storage media : Internal memory (Approx. 23MB) / SD memory card / SDHC memory card*
Lens : Fujinon 18x optical zoom lens, F3.1 (Wide) – F5.6 (Telephoto)
Lens focal length : f=5.0 – 90.0mm, equivalent to 28 – 504mm on a 35mm camera
Digital zoom : Approx. 6.3x up to 113.4x with optical zoom
Aperture : Wide: F3.1 / F6.4, Telephoto: F5.6 / F11.0 with ND filter
Sensitivity : Auto / Equivalent to ISO 64 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200* / 6400* (Standard Output Sensitivity)
Exposure control : TTL 256-zones metering, spot, multi
Exposure mode : Programmed AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual Shooting modes
Mode Dial: SR AUTO, Auto, P, S, A, M, Custom, Movie, Panorama, SP
Image Stabilizer : CCD-shift type
Shutter speed : (Auto mode) 1/4sec. to 1/2000sec.
Focus : Single AF, Continuous AF
White balance : Automatic scene recognition
Self-timer : Approx. 10sec. / 2sec. delay
Flash : Auto flash
Effective range (ISO AUTO):
Electronic viewfinder (EVF) : 0.2-in., Approx. 200,000 dots color LCD viewfinder Approx. 99% (shooting), 100% (playback)
LCD monitor : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots, color LCD monitor, Approx. 97% coverage for shooting, and 100% coverage for playback
Movie recording : 1,280 x 720 pixels (30 frames/sec.) / 640 x 480 pixels / 320 x 240 pixels (30 frames/sec.) with monaural sound
Photography functions : Instant zoom, Intelligent Face Detection with red-eye removal, High-speed shooting, Best framing, Frame number memory, Histogram display, Silent mode
Playback functions : Intelligent Face Detection, Red-eye removal, Micro thumbnail, Multi-frame playback, Sort-by-date, Cropping, Resize, Slideshow, Image Rotation, Voice memo, Histogram display, Exposure warning
