Fujifilm Finepix SL300 14MP Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom (Matte Red) (OLD MODEL)

I was very lucky to be able to buy this on a lightening deal on Thanksgiving day. My camera arrived Monday afternoon in perfect condition.I wanted a camera with a really good, sharp optical zoom and a great macro too. I took photos yesterday and today both zoomed and in the macro mode. Learning the camera takes a little getting used to so be sure to read the manual.The LCD shows an up close view of the item you were taking the photo of after you take the photo, if what you wanted in focus isn't just right, click to move the part you wanted in focus onto the center of the LCD screen and take another photo. Somehow, the cameras is able to sense from this action the area to focus on.Haven't needed the flash, video or panorama yet so I cannot comment on these.I added a 32GB flash card (be sure it is class 10) and bought two more batteries on Amazon. The camera includes a nice neck strap as well as a lens cover. The camera reminds me very much of my 35mm Pentax from 30 years ago. Seems between a true digital SLR and a point and shot digital.I recommend this only to people who really love photography that cannot afford a higher end DSLR. Not a camera for those who only know how to point and shoot.I can tell this is going to be my favorite of all my digital cameras! Can't wait to go to the zoo or nature area.

This camera takes beautiful photos very simply. As an amateur photographer and not having the time or funds to explore the fancy cameras, I find this camera to be perfect for my needs. I can quickly and easily photograph my daughter or scenery on vacation. This is the best money can buy if your price range is $150-200.The only thing I dislike about this camera is that it is a tad too automatic. I wish that on the rare day I have the time to customize the settings that I would have more options. But for the price, it is a wonderful camera.UPDATE:I was able to use this camera over the weekend in D.C. (Two moths after purchase.) This is the first trip I've taken it on and the first time I've had the opportunity to really see what it can do.I set it on automatic and took several pictures as we walked. If I didn't stop completely, the photos turned out blurry. I did get some beautiful photos of the Washington and Lincoln Memorial at sunset. The color wasn't as vivid in the photos, but that is an easy editing fix.When we were at Ford's Theatre, I had the most difficult time trying to get a decent photo in low lighting. I ended up snapping a few with my iPhone - which much to my surprise turned out quite crisp and clear.I still must say, for the price, I am quite pleased with this purchase.

First of all, I am not a professional photographer, nor do I expect professional photos from this camera. I am an artist however. One reason in which I needed a camera is for occasional reference photos in which I will make paintings from. As I do not do photo-realism, great photos with perfect detail retention are not necessary for this purpose. The 24 mm wide angle of the lens is nice when I need a photo of the bigger picture. And the panorama feature provides an even wider view...at an extremely easy to use method. It practically does it for you if you keep it set on auto panorama. And the 30x zoom is wonderful to bring distant objects closer. Like I said, they only are required to be used as a reference, so the quality doesn't need to be great. The "dual image stabilization" feature is a bit of a farce. "Dual" means sensor shift, coupled with high ISO, so that the shutter speed can be faster, thus less blur. So with the high ISO, it produces quite grainy pictures. It would be nicer if the camera had the option to separate the "dual" into "just sensor shift," "just high ISO," or "both," so that you wouldn't be forced to get a grainy picture. But that is not an option, so I question its effectiveness.The other reason why I needed a camera was to take photos of my artwork. For this purpose, I set the camera to P "Programmed Auto" so I can chose the ISO, and set it to 64 or 100 ISO. I set the painting in an outdoor courtyard on a bright sunny day...in the shade. I use a tripod (this camera has a tripod mount) to get it framed just so, and use the 10 second delay to avoid shake when pushing the shutter button. One problem I had was there was sometimes a bit of pincushion distortion on a few shots. But at other times it was perfectly square with no such distortion. So I think that it depends on how much you zoom, for such distortion is apparently avoidable. I have a large format printer that prints 13 x 19 size paper, and the quality of the prints of my paintings is acceptable after photo editing (cropping etc.) and minor color correcting. It seemed that emeralds and teals were a bit cool and washed out. But that may just require me finding the proper settings for white balance and saturation, for which the camera is adjustable. But photo editing and color correcting is almost always necessary even with a much more expensive camera, so this is not a big deal. I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 to manually color correct and crop. This program also lets you eliminate any pincushion or barrel distortion that such a camera may impart. So for such a procedure, this camera produces quite acceptable results...although I do intend to upgrade to a DSLR for this purpose in the distant future. But for now, this camera suits its intended purposes.There is a product video on Amazon which does outright state some incorrect information. It says that this camera has manual focus...it does not. It says it has 60 X intelligent zoom...it does not. It does have a regular digital zoom however, and it is up to 201 X digital zoom...I just don't recommend using it. The video also says that the camera has a back-side illuminated EXR Cmos sensor...it does not. It is a CCD sensor. It also shows that the camera has "advanced anti-blur mode," which takes several pictures at once and merges them together. This is also not true. It also claims that you can take 360 degree panorama pictures both side to side and up and down. It can only do up and down panorama pictures if you hold the camera sideways. And either way, it is definitely not 360 degrees...maybe 180. And one huge misleading bit of information that the video shows is that the 3" LCD screen tilts. This is also not true, as it is completely fixed. As I researched for a camera for some time, I already knew that these misleading claims were not true and actually apply to the higher end Fuji models HS25EXR and HS30EXR cameras. Since I wasn't expecting these features, I wasn't fooled or disappointed. But for the price, I wasn't expecting everything, even if these features were stated to be on this camera according to the video.So for the price, and for my needs, I believe that this camera does just fine. If I expected to sell landscape or birding photography, I would be disappointed. But that is not what I expected or required from this camera. The pictures of grass and leaves are a bit "watercolory" looking (Is that a word?) when looked at closely. But even those photos will look just fine printed on 8x10 paper. The lithium ion battery works well and really lasts a pretty long time. It would be nice if I could put on a UV filter to protect the lens, or a polarizer filter to make skies blue and to adjust reflections...but there is no filter thread. One part that bugs me is the lens cap...it jams if you turn on the camera and attempt to zoom if you forget to take it off. But I think I will learn to get used to that. I looked at other cameras that just had the LCD screen, but I like the fact that this camera can use either the 3" LCD screed or the electronic viewfinder, for there are times when the viewfinder just works better...such as in bright light. I will not comment on the video feature, as this is not something that I use or need. It also has other features that I probably will not use, such as smile and blink detection. But they are nice features to have if your camera is meant as a Facebook tool. I also do not like the fact that the full manual is on CD only. Before I received the camera, I went on the Fuji website and downloaded and printed the manual for this camera so I could read up on it...but I did kind of expect a nice printed book with the camera, but there was just the CD.But for a capable camera at an affordable price, I give this camera four stars. High ISO pictures are pretty grainy, but low ISO pictures in good light still takes quality pictures of my artwork. So for what I use it for, and for my budget, I think I made a good choice.

Its a camera that people notice, Its style and the look of a high end camera make it a sweet deal This is my 4th Fuji FinePix and one of the main attractions is the battery, its a single battery, so along with the ZIP-NP85 Kit its so much better to change out one battery than 4 AA's You need to learn all the settings as at night your pictures will need the flash, but with practice I believe you can get more control. Its nice on the weight, it has a shoe horn for a flasher I can not wait to buy. I love the sound and feel of the turn knob on top as you know you are in the next setting, Video is sweet, Camera sounds it clear,color-red is an attention getter.. Wait ,I almost forgot, I wear glasses but when I'm out in the sun I wear Gradient Lens sun glasses '''' so when you use the look thru, there is a roll knob on the left side by the eye viewer that rolls, so it's like having your eye glasses on, I mean you roll until you can see clear," without having to put your glasses on". I even took a Moon picture in the evening holding the camera in my hands and it was a great picture. The nose of the man on the moon is a flat top mountain ridge, maybe about the size of Texas. its that good...........