Fujifilm FinePix Z3

Opinion: Very solidly built, sleek camera. Great all-aluminum construction, very durable LCD screen--it has a very hard protective cover that seems bulletproof. I own this camera in Black, and it gets comments anytime I remove it from my pocket.

This is a sleeper of a camera--excellent, but nobody knows about it.

Very quick startup to first shot, among the best I have used. Surprisingly short shutter lag, considering the lack of an optical viewfinder.

Accurate color rendition under varying light conditions. Image quality is not the best among P/S cameras, but it is very good--definitely above average.

Excellent low-light performance, both with and without flash. Flash range is not great, but it is acceptable up to about 8'. Beyond that, it's best to use available light.

The camera has a nice slideshow feature when in the cradle--and the screen is large enough to allow this.

Only a few quibbles:
1. The sliding cover can be somewhat hard to open, since there are no real ridges for your fingers to catch. You must depend on the slight texture of the brushed aluminum finish. The trick is to squeeze the front and back of the camera together slightly as you slide the cover open.
2. There is no optical viewfinder--but the display can be seen decently well even in sunlight.
3. There is no direct USB port--the cradle must be used (or a card-reader) in order to read photos from the camera.
4. The only way to charge the battery is with the cradle.

Opinion: I've got a Fuji 7000 and an E550 (same innards) which are still better than the 9000 range but I wanted a smaller camera to carry around for those convenient shots where I didn't want or need to have "professional" shots.

I tested the Z3 against my E550 and a loan F20 and was very surprised to see extremely comparable shots between them. The 7000 is better at macro and finer detail but of the smaller cameras, the Z3 more than held its own. In fact, in some shots, was better than the F20 with its "real" lens etc.

Low light and normal had excellent detail, colour, white balance and minimal grain.

I can still play with the exposure a bit and the scene shots, which I've never used before, actually work well.

For 99% of requirements, it does an excellent job. See macro problems below.

It's tiny size, convenience and brilliant shots have now placed it in my pocket or man's bag and I look forward to capturing family and general shots with confidence.

Opinion: A great camera for capturing vacations and family get togethers. It's one of the best in its class and price range. It's easy to travel with but not the camera for an avid photographer or someone shooting snowboarders for instance. I would definitely recommend it for world travelers and school field trips as a cost effective way to capture a special memory.

Opinion: Fun, cheap, slim and easy to use with a great battery life. Great snapshot camera, perfect for parties and nights out.

Bad - Noisey as hell, noise reduction kills detail even at low ISO's.