Fujifilm FinePix Z3

Opinion: The FinePix Z3 is a very nice and relatively slim and sleek looking camera (it uses a
3x Fujinon folded optivcs type lens) and comes with a PictureCradle (a dock for
connexting to a PC and can also be used for in-camera battery charging).

The design is quite stylish and pratical -a sliding lens cover protectys the Fujinon
zoom lens with a mode switvh at the top, battery and xD card compartment on the
bottom, and most controls are on the back.

Some unusuak buttons on the back include:FinePix menu (used for selecting ISO,
image quality and access to 3 special "FinePix Color" effects :STD, F-Chrome and
B&W) and a anti-blur button-more on this later.

Other buttons:
-playback
-wide/tele zoom control
-4 way navigator
-display/back

The menu system is easy to navigate.

Scene modes are plentiful and include:
-manual
-natural light
-natural light & flash (takes 2 photos-one without flash and one with flash)
-portrait
-landscape
-sport
-night
=fireworks
-sunset
-snow
-beach
-museum
-party

Other options include various continuous shooting functions, exposure
compensation, selectable white balance and AF mode.

ISO ranges from 64-1600

Anti-blur mode increases the ISO to counteract camera shake.

The image quality is very good.

I was really impressed with the FinePix Z3.

Opinion: Bought this very cheaply on Ebay - July '08, (Brand New Old Stock at approx $90) and have taken it on holiday and run it through it's paces fairly intensively over a 2 week period.

Based on a good mixture of scenic, family shots, outdoor and indoor(dark) conditions, I'm glad to say that the results have been nothing short of excellent for a basic point and shoot. The lens is excellent for a compact and the images it makes is sharp with lot's of detail and resolution.

I have no reservations about it being 'dated' in terms of it having only 5mp. On the contrary, the images lack any of that awful 'smearing, watery colour effect' now endemic in a lot of these new digicams that have a much higher pixel counted. Overkill I feel.

Construction-wise, it's superbly built all metal construction is a gem to handle and look at. Compared to the latest models on the market that are becoming more plasticky and less robustly made then previously with comparatively poorer pic performance( more smearing, less detail), I know which one I would go for!

Opinion: I bought the Z3 as a present for someone who decided they didn't want it. The reasons I selected it were that it was dead simple to use, was very small and had a great LCD.

I decided to keep it for a while as a second camera to my Sony DSC-V3. The Fujifilm Z3 is an excellent little camera.

I have found that battery life is better than expected. Image quality is very good provided you shoot at 5mp and fine quality (camera defaults to normal out of the box), and image noise is very good to ISO 400. In the right conditions, ISO 800 and ISO 1600 will give reasonable 6x4 prints.

The shutter response is very good especially if set to the high speed mode and focus and exposure very good although you do have to remember to half press the shutter to wait for exposure comenstation (like on my Sony).

This camera has very few weaknesses and represents great value for money. The newly released Z5fd overcomes a few of the minor niggles with this camera, e.g. the tripod socket not being on the camera body being the main one.

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.

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: 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: 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.