I like many features on this camera and it takes very nice pictures. The camera looks very impressive but falls short on performance.

First you have to click the shutter half way to wait for the picture to completely freeze and focus. Although you thought you may have taken a picturee, not yet.... once the picture unfreezes, then you can press the shutter all the way down to take the picture. If you to not press all the way down, it will reset the focus. WHAT A PAIN! If I do not go through this proceedure, the camera will take the picture faster but the picture will not be in focus.

Next, the battery life! After about 15 to 20 indoor shots I need to replace the 4 AA alkalines. I did get a recharable set and now I can get about almost double the shots but I think this is still not acceptable.

Finally, the display. Nice idea to have an electronic view finder but in low light conditions, I can not see a darn thing! I need to look over the camera to see everyone. Pretty bad idea.

I know it does not sound great but minus these few gripes, for the price of 160 or so, it is not a bad deal. I do have many good pictures with excellent quality once you adjust for the shortfalls. Plus on Ebay you can get xd cards very cheap and you may want to upgrade since 16mb is not nearly enough. Hope this helps.

I just got today the camera I bought from a seller through amazon. It looks great. Pix are good and all that. HOWEVER... I decided to buy a refurbished item because it's a pretty big price difference. BIG mistake... Factory sealed refurbished items from Fuji come wwithout many of the standard accessories. Okay, I really didn't expect to find 4 AA alkaline batteries in the box... but I sure expected to find a lens cap, a strap and an adapter ring, that come standard with a new S3000. No such luck. Now I have to spend about $14 for the lens cap so that the lens doesn't get scratched and dusty when I'm not using the camera, plus I don't know how much for the strap, and probably $30+ for the adapter ring if I want to ever get any lens accessories. Adding it all up, it would have been much more worth it to get the camera brand new!

this is a wonderful camera and is ideal for the novice or experienced photographer. all cameras suck up battery life pretty quickly, and this camera is no exception. however, you can compensate by picking up some rechargable bateries (this camera takes 4 AAs). Picture quality is not professional, but it is pretty good. files do not take up tons of space on your computer. the camera comes with an accessory ring, which enables you to buy a wide-angle or telephoto adapter. i got a fantastic deal on this camera at circuit city (it cost me 150$), and i have taken literally hundreds of photos with it. i love it! i also reccomend picking up a bigger memory card ( ihave a 128 MB card, and it works perfectly; you can delete photos on the camera or computer, so a large xD picture card is not neccecary. this is a fantastic camera at a really good price, so go get it!

I have just bought one in Circuit City for $150. Try to beat that price!

I bought this camera about 18 months ago from Amazon. It never give me a clear picture.

I got this camera when my previous one died of simple old age, and it's been spectacular. For a bit of background, I'm a biology student, and I often have problems with other cameras because my subjects are either far away (on account of being skittish or lethally venomous) or quite small (various and sundry invertebrates).

This camera has been the perfect solution to my troubles. The resolution is great, and it works wonderfully for normal, day-to-day pictures. The macro works wonderfully, and I can get some great, hi-res closeups of some very small organisms and objects. On top of that, the zoom is nothing short of spectacular. It's no 10x, but it gets you *impressively* close to distant objects or animals. I knew it was a 6x when I bought it, but I didn't truly appreciate how good its zoom was until I used it.

I bought a 256 MB card for it too, and have not only never regretted it, I've more than made my money back compared to what I'd've paid for film and developing of a normal, non-digital camera.

I've had it for about a year, and it's never malfunctioned or broken. This is one high-quality item.

I have been nothing but happy with this camera, and while I realize I'm writing a review for a camera that is no longer in production, I just hope that if anyone reads the review, and looks at the photos I've posted here, that they are encouraged to look at the FujiFilm line of digital cameras.

This is my first digital camera, and I bought it largely based upon three points: 1) It's made by a camera company (rather than, say, a PC manufacturer); 2) It has good (6X) OPTICAL zoom (digital zoom is a marketing tool, not a photography tool, and you will ALWAYS be disappointed with the results. Make sure you camera has a level of OPTICAL zoom that will meet your needs.); and 3) It uses AA batteries, alkaline or rechargeable.

Using those simple guidelines, I got so much more than I bargained for (or deserved, given the paucity of my knowledge of photography). This camera is remarkably easy to use. Point. Focus. Shoot. That's all it takes to get great shots. The color reproduction is absolutely unparalleled. The vast majority of my photos are close-ups of flowers at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, and I am always completely impressed at the brightness, clarity and nuance of the photos; the camera makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

The battery life is very good. On a recent trip to Ireland, with a 512MB xD card, I started with partially used batteries, only had to change them once, and got 600 3 megapixel shots over the course of the week, with sufficient charge left over to copy them to my laptop upon returning home.

The camera isn't speedy, but I knew that going in. And it does like a lot of light, though from what I've read that is true of all digital cameras of the era. But the camera delivers on everything the manual says it will, and it delivers well. So well in fact, that rather than giving in to my urge to go with a Digital SLR as my next camera, I've pre-ordered the FujiFilm FinePix S9000 and am anxiously awaiting its arrival!

So if you can find one of these, or the S3100, the S5000, S7000 or S9000, BUY IT. You won't be disappointed.

I purchased this camera for a trip to Yellow Stone, Montana and was very happy with the picture quality. It was a wonderful trip and all of the pictures were really great. Unfortunately at a Halloween party I found that the LCD viewfinder was a real problem. I could not see what I was trying to photograph! The LCD viewfinder was basically useless! I simply had to take a best guess at what I was trying to photograph. (The Flash got me the picture, but frustrating to not see what I was capturing)
I had to replace the camera and stuck with Fuji (didn't want to buy a different Mem Card. Bought the A350 because it is much smaller and real lens viewfinder.
Many digital cameras have LCD viewfinders,
DON'T DO LCD Viewfinder!!!

I HAVE SHOT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PICTURES WITH THIS CAMERA IN TWO YEARS. I AM A REAL ESTATE APPRIASER AND THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS I USE IN MY PROFESSION. I HAVE NOT BEEN REAL EASY ON THIS CAMERA AND IT GETS IT'S SHARE OF ABUSE. IT IS A REAL WORKHORSE AND WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING. I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE PROBLEM WITH THE CAMERA AND IT WAS MY FAULT. I FORGOT TO PUT THE MEMORY CARD BACK INTO IT, WHEN I WAS AT A JOB SITE. LEARNED MY LESSON THAT DAY. I OWN A S602 FUJI FOR MY PERSONAL USE AND AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE PRODUCT LINE.

I bought the Fuji FinePix S3000 about a year ago and have used it at least every week and sometimes everyday when I am on a trip or out on the water. I have been impressed and pleased with the quality of the photos it gives me. I have had 2 other digital cameras and this is fabulous compared to them.
It's a little slow in subdued light, and often I have to use a tripod, but if I know I'll be in dim light, I try to remember to bring one. You can't get a clear shot of the moon reflecting on a lake without something (tripod, monopod, Famous Grouse)to steady your hand.
Also, the view in the viewfinder is not necessarily the picture you will take. Especially if the subject is moving. I have had a problem taking photos of aircraft in flight, which either have flown out of the picture or are out of focus due to the automatic focus not "locking" on the subject.
I have probably taken 4,000 shots-maybe more-and have been very pleased with MOST of them, the disappointing ones are my fault, and I would say I am VERY happy with this camera.

I bought the Fugifilm Finepix S3000 about 18 months ago and wish I had spent a little more on another brand. Thought I was getting a good value from a well known company. Well everytime I want to use the camera I have to change the batterys. Doesn't matter if I took 1 or 100 pics the last time I used it. I have tried all kinds of batterys and it doesn't matter. The camera seems to use up the life of the battery's even if it is turned off. So unless you own a battery factory I would not recommend this camera.

My mom bought this off QVC a few years ago and claimed it was a really great camera (according to them). The first thing I noticed was that it took shaky photos. You have to hold it extremely still (as in...stop breathing, stop your blood pulse, and mimic a stone statue) in order for it to take MARGINALLY good photos with a very low blur. I don't know if mine is just a fluke or what, but one thing that cannot be denied is the high file size.

Upload them to your computer and even at the lowest bit setting you're still looking at about 400kb. Most digital cameras only use 100kb or so, and seeing as how this takes very blurry photos - what's the point of the extra file size?

I try to stand as still as I can when taking photos. Someone exclaimed once "you shouldn't jump up and down when taking photos" - and that's pretty close to how bad the photo quality is. I plan to get a new camera (with my mom's discression - i am her tech guy...like a typical son who knows technology and a mother who just gets by).

I am very dissatisfied with this piece of equipment!

Please don't listen to reviewers who say they can't take a good shot with this camera. Learn how to use the auto focus "half-press!" It's a great camera if it can auto-focus. If it can't auto-fucus, such as in low-light conditions, the results are less than stellar but still useable. We haven't had any trouble with battery life, even with our cheap digicam batteries. Depending on the amount of use, they need charging every month or so.

Our daughter turned one a couple months ago and we have used the camera ever since she was born. We have taken hundreds and hundred of pics with it and have gotten lots of compliments (maybe it's just the baby!). :) We are looking to upgrade around Christmas to get a smaller camera with more megapixals and image stabilization and hopefully quicker/better auto-focus. We did have one pixel go bad on the camera, which you can notice as a tiny white dot in some dark settings and can easily be "cloned" out by any software package if it shows up. A friend's Olympus did the same thing after 6 months. Using the 6x zoom is great, even if it produces some noise during indoor shots.

There are obviously newer models out there which offer more features and better quality, but overall the S3000 is a great value (we paid under $200 for it) and has documented our family well for almost a year and a half now.

The S3000 is intended for the novice, everyday user up to the lower middle level photographer. I have owned mine for about four years now and plan to upgrade soon and give my Fuji S3000 to my daughter, now that I have learned a little. Don't expect the instant response you get from a traditional 35 mm camera. Most digitals that are lower priced have a delay in processing the picture you just snapped and then another delay before they are ready to take another picture. With the more expensive SLRs, that's not the case.

Problems I have with the S3000:
-Short battery life - Buy some (8 or more) rechargeable AAs
-Small 16 MB memory comes with the camera - Buy a 128 MB xD-Picture Card. It can store over 100 photos at 3 mega pixels.
-Cloudy days or thick forests are considered low light and you can get blurry images. I'm still trying to figure a work around for this. Indoor with flash works okay, but your battery life suffers.

Things I like about the S3000:
-6x Zoom - Lets you get in pretty close. I've had some great shots using the zoom.
-Inexpensive - Mine was less than $200 (back then, cheaper now)
-8x10 in. & smaller size prints turn out very nice
-4 plus years and still working great
-The automatic setting works well for most situations
-You can take it off of automatic and experiment a little

This has been a great camera for me. It has consistently taken very good pics of anything I point it at. The zoom is quick. I have used other 3 and 4 megapix cameras that did not come close to matching this camera in regard to pic quality, auto features, and flash range.
Only one negative...it takes 4 AA batteries, and if you don't use higher quality rechargable batteries you will go through batteries quickly. I use a set of 2000 mAh batteries and have rarely had them give out on me.

When I received this camera as a christmas present I was a little disappointed. It runs on four AA batteries, and since I had asked for a camera take pictures of local rock bands, I quickly discovered one set of four batteries would not get me through one three hour show!

When we brought it back to Circuit City, they (rudely, never again) informed us that this camera was outdated (it was less than a month in my possession) and they wouldn't return it. We called Fuji directly and they recommended rechargeable batteries. We bought some good ones, and now I can get through whole day festivals. I have had the camera for a year and a half now, and although I have to turn the flash on and and cover it with my hand to get good lowlight pictures, I am really happy with it's performance. If you are looking for a great "day at the beach with friends" camera, this is it. For serious forrays into nighttime photography, you will need to spend a little more money.
My vacation shots are perfect, my band shots are hit or miss.
It is/was the perfect starter camera.

When I first recieved this camera 2 1/2 years ago as a birthday gift, I was excited! I thought it was the best thing ever! That was until I purchased a Cannon digital camera recently. OH....WHAT A DIFFERENCE! This camera(the S3000) eats up batter life like NO tomorrow! In the middle of a concert I would have to change the batteries and that did not make me very happy after a while. I bought a Cannon digital camera a month ago and have only needed to change the batteries ONCE(and I use the camera a lot since I have kids, pets, nephews and nieces). I also do not like the fact that the S3000 only records silent video(very short video I must add). My new Cannon powershot camera records video with sound and it's VERY clear...NO need for a seperate video recorder now!
This camera is good for a beginner when it comes to digital cameras(just might hand the S3000 off to my Mom), but if you are familiar with digital cameras...don't buy this camera!

I have used this camera on a semi-professional basis (I shoot for the local paper and have done some product shots for magazines, though I am not a full-time photographer) and I have won photography awards with it. This camera is easy to use, versatile, gets good results, and is reasonably priced.

To see some photos taken with this camera, go to BetterPhoto.com. Click on "photos" at the top, scroll down to "by camera" and enter Fuji Finepix S3000 in the search. It will bring up some links. Click on the name of the camera under "reviews". You will see a product detail and a thumbnail photo to the right of the page. Under it will say, "view photos created with this camera." Click on that to see pix taken with it. (I am not sure if I am allowed to put a direct link here).

What I love about this camera:
1. Its size. I can stick it in my purse and I can hold it comfortably with one hand. It's not too heavy or awkward to grab quickly or to carry around.
2. The macro setting. This has allowed me to get some detailed close-up shots of insects, frogs, toads and other small critters -- even those who aren't always likely to stand still.
3. The optical zoom. I have also used that to get good shots of critters. It's not a super powerful zoom but it is decent. And if you are willing to move around, too, you can get close enough to butterflies or frogs to get a nice photo.
4. In general, this photo does excellent "still life" type photos. I've done some really neat studio-type stuff with it.
5. Less shutter lag than any other point-and-shoot digital camera I have used. Shutter lag is a fact of life for any point-and-shoot digital camera. If you can't work around shutter lag, you need a film camera or a digital SLR, which will cost you at least 3 times as much as this model.
6. It's pretty darned good in low light. It will capture photos without the flash that my film SLR will not. With ANY camera -- even a digital SLR or 35mm -- if you are shooting in low light without flash, you want to use a tripod, brace yourself against a wall or something (and take multiple shots of the same thing), or set the camera down on a table or stack of books. Few cameras have the capability of taking night shots without some camera shake caused by the photographer's movement while the camera takes the picture. See the review by "an electronics fan."

If you buy this camera (or the newer model which is an S700, I think), here are my recommendations:
1. Shoot a lot of frames. I bought the 2 GB memory card and it holds 1300 photos on the highest resolution setting. I have never filled the card! And my family teases me by spoofing the song "500 Miles" as "500 Frames" so it's not that I don't try. :-) I got my butterfly shots through patience and a lot of frames. I did end up with a couple nice shots of just flowers (because the butterfly left before I could get the shot). I just accept that.
2. Get rechargeable batteries. It's about a $30 investment for the battery charger and two sets of AA rechargeable batteries. But it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
3. Experiment. Try different settings for the same subject and see how they turn out. You will get a lot more from this point-and-shoot than any other one on the market, IMHO.

Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful!

I really like this camera, I came across it by chance. This camera is small and compact considering all the features, I did not buy mines new, I bought it online though via eBay and I paid 41 dollars for it plus an elevated shipping amount of 12 dollars. I can say I am pleased at getting a camera that works for a good price.

Note price was my main consideration, it does not have ISO but I will wait and get a Panasonic which has ISO. For now I just invested in a tripod and the camera shoot fine. I don't know why Amazon has this camera for so much I found this camera new on ebay for 75 dollars. Just a FYI for you. I mainly use my camera for taking picture of still object for product listing and auction and I like it a lot.