Fuji's update procedure for the S2000HD and S1000FD digital cameras assumes the user is running either Windows or Mac OSX.

It is also needlessly complex, requiring the installation of the FinePix software, a separate transfer program, a blank SD card, the USB cable, and several unnecessary steps.

 

This article outlines a method to upgrade the firmware on the S2000HD and S1000FD, without USB cable, FinePix software, or the unnecessarry steps.  It will probably also work on the S1500FD, although Fuji doesn't seem to have released a firmware update for this camera as of yet.

 

NOTE: This method is not supported by Fuji. It has been used successfully on an S2000HD to upgrade from 1.00 to 1.01, but be aware of any oddities during the update procedure that could indicate problems.

 

The only download needed for this procedure is the firmware itself.  For the S2000HD, this is available on the S2000HD download page. A quick Google search will find downloads for the other cameras in this series.

 

What's needed:

  1. The firmware download.  This is the file called "FPUPDATE.DAT"
  2. An SD or SDHC memory card.
  3. An SD card reader.  Most laptops, and a lot of desktop machines have these built in, nowadays.  If not, you can buy an external USB one for a few dollars.
  4. A computer running an operating system that supports the card reader. (Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7, Linux 2.4 kernel or newer, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, OpenSolaris, and probably a bunch more.)
  5. The camera, obviously.

 

If your SD card has files on it, it's probably best to move them to your computer, so the card is blank.  This includes all folders that may be on the card.

Download the firmware update for your camera from Fuji's website, and copy it to the root of the card.

 

You'll now have an SD card with X:\FPUPDATE.DAT if you're running Windows, where X: is the drive letter of the card reader.

If you're running Linux, you'll have something like /mnt/sda/FPUPDATE.DAT, depending on the distribution and automounter settings.

 

Now, you can follow step 4 of Fuji's update instructions, to do the actual update.

I'll paraphrase them here, without pictures, for simplicity's sake.

 

  • Turn the camera off, if it isn't already.
  • If you have the optional AC adapter, connect it, or make sure you have a reasonably well charged set of batteries.  The firmware update only takes 10-15 seconds, so you should be fine as long as the low battery indicator isn't showing.  They shouldn't need to be fully charged like Fuji recommends, although it's better to be safe than sorry, as losing power during the upgrade will render the camera inoperable.
  • Insert the SD card into the camera, then turn the camera on while holding down the DISP/BACK button.
  • Press OK to start the update procedure, and follow the on screen prompts.
  • When the update procedure is complete, turn off the camera.
  • Check the status of the upgrade by turning on the camera with the DISP/BACK button held down.  It should show the new firmware version.

 

When you're finished, make sure you delete the firmware file from the card, or you risk trying to update again when you use this card with the camera in future.

 

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