A super zoom snapper, useful in a wide variety of situations and for different types of users, is also associated with high cost. So when we saw the price tag on this Fuji we thought, could this be a typo?' Boy, how wrong were we!

The 10-megger is eqUipped with 12x zoom optics, and despite its sweet street price, it does have a few aces up its sleeve. To begin with, the build quality is quite nice. The Sensor-shift image stabilization is on offer, along with new features like a tracking autofocus and an idiot-proof automatic scene recognition mode. The latter selects the best from six different scene modes depending upon the situation. Non-idiots, pardon the pun, also get a full range of semi-automatic and full manual modes to milk their creativity.

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Several high-speed shooting options are available, including a Top 15 at 2 MP, Top 6 at 5 MP and even an unlimited continuous mode. Features like face detection, auto red-eye removal and a panoramic shooting mode do sweeten the deal. Corners, however, have been cut by leaving out HD video recording. But then you cannot get everything at a price like this, can you?

The controls are well-placed and the menu navigation is simple too - especially if you've used a Fuji before. Performance is a mixed bag, but overall image quality is peachy when shot in good light. There is a bit of barrel distortion at wide angle, and it's a tad sluggish to operate at times, but the S1500 works great as an affordable super zoom. Worth a look? Certainly, we say.