The biggest news is probably the FinePix SL1000's new 50x zoom lens, which covers an eye-popping range from 24mm to 1200mm (in 35mm equivalent terms) and boasts a reasonably bright maximum aperture of f/2.9-f/6.5. It's also equipped with optical image stabilization, and it features a mix of aspherical and ED lens elements for improved image quality. In Super Macro mode it can focus as close as .39 inches (1cm).

Equally interesting is the Fujifilm FinePix SL1000's newly developed 16-megapixel back-side illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor; it permits Fujifilm to boost the SL1000's top ISO by one EV, letting you record images at up to ISO 3,200 at full resolution

Fujifilm says the FinePix SL1000 can startup in .9 seconds and autofocus in .2 seconds, using test methods based on CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association) guidelines, and it can capture full-resolution images at 10 frames per second.