Fujifilm FinePix S8600 Review

If you’re browsing cameras, aiming to find ones that are the best vlogging cameras under $300, allow us to turn your attention to the Fujifilm FinePix S8600 for consideration. It’s built with good image and video quality, which is improved by making use of image stabilization technology so your shots have as few disturbances as possible. If you need a great YouTube camera, then you need to read our best vlogging camera reviews.

Fujifilm FinePix S8600

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Why We Like It – Fujifilm FinePix S8600

Taking photos from a distance or up close was Fujifilm FinePix S8600’s strong point, thanks to a variety of stabilization technology and advanced sensor.

Performance

Where the Fujifilm FinePix S8600 shines most is image quality. And its technology is built around supporting it. With a 16 megapixels CCD sensor and wide angle, the S8600 can take some great pictures.

Related: Visit our DJI Osmo Pocket review for a pocket-sized vlogging camera

What we loved most was Super Macro Mode, which allowed us to shoot highly detailed images on objects very close, as close as 1cm away from the lens. With the Optical Image Stabilization, blurring was basically non-existent, nor did it seem to affect shutter speed.

We weren’t very impressed by the S8600’s 720p HD video. The standard is 1080p, as you’d find on the Fujifilm FinePix XP130, Fujifilm XQ2, and the Nikon Coolpix S9900. Plenty of content creators still use 720p, however (more than you’d think). It’s shot at 30 frames per second, with a 16:9 ratio. As a bonus, the 10 artistic effects came in handy for unique vlogging projects.

Design

The Fujifilm FinePix S8600 is rather large in comparison to the other vlogging-capable cameras on our list. The Panasonic Lumix ZS50, for example, is slim and narrow, and the lens doesn’t jut out very far. The S8600 looks and feels like a professional camera, however. Fujifilm’s decision to design a handle-like hump on the right is what many compact cameras lack. To the right of its 3-inch LCD screen are the various settings to fiddle with, accompanied by a rather large wheel at the top to switch modes. The S8600 takes AA batteries, and has a memory card slot for storage. It does not have internal storage.

Related: Check out our GoPro Hero4 Silver camera review

Value

After considering what the Fujifilm S8600 is capable of, both in terms of photos and video, we’ve determined it as being a good digital camera. But for vlogging? Not so much. The S8600 Fujifilm is more concerned with photos than video. It can still be a vlogging camera; 720p video resolution is still used by many vloggers on YouTube, more than you’d think. It’s still HD and uploads to YouTube, for example, much faster than 1080p does.

For the same price, you could purchase a Canon PowerShot SX610 HS. Like the S8600, it’s too concerned with images, but it has a dedicated video button, 1080p FHD, more megapixels, and is much smaller in size. Its digital zoom is only half of what the S8600 Digital Camera offers, but is still an overall better camera. For action shots, consider the GoPro Hero5 Session.

Fujifilm FinePix S8600 Wrap Up

Regardless of the Fujifilm FinePix S8600’s shortcomings when placed in the hands of a vlogger, we still liked the S8600. It’s a nice, little camera with good image quality. Its sub-par 720p video resolution can be overlooked as it’s still used today—and better on a budget. Its optical zoom can reach far and wide, while stabilization technology keeps the image from being too blurry.