Ok, I guess I have to start by confessing to being a Fujifilm fan. This is my fifth digicam, the previous four being a Fujifilm FinePix 1300, a Fujifilm FinePix 2800, a Fujifilm F410, and a Fujifilm F420.What a tiny gadget this is, and it still manages to fit in 5 megapixels, and 3x optical zoom. Very fast start up time too. As an architect, I love to be able to whip out and shoot any scenery, sunset or building that catches my fancy at anytime and this serves just fine. This leads me to mention the one gripe some people might have with it, people with large hands/fingers might have problems accessing the tiny buttons, but not me.
And what a stunning looking gadget it is! It comes in 2 colors; silver (the one I went for) and black. Very slim, slimmer than Kate moss, LOL! Never fails to grab attention when I whip it out. Excellent design! To switch on, you slide back the front panel.
It is very simple to use (you literally snap away once you have set up, which is very easy to do) and shortcut buttons eliminate the need to twiddle in the menu section in search of most options such as different flash settings, different resolution settings, Macro mode (amazing close ups), and many others. There are also some pop ups to guide you, reducing your dependence on the manual (which, like all Fujifilm manuals I have seen, is very detailed and easy to use) except for really major issues.
Like I mentioned, the camera has 3x optical zoom. The zoom lens does not project out of the camera. It instead uses a system where it zooms vertically inside the camera and images are reflected to it. Image quality is not compromised at all.
Images viewed in the large 2.5" LCD display are really clear and bright when it is used as a viewfinder, especially for indoor shots. Depending on the light condition of the environment, the LCD automatically adjusts to compensate, enabling you to view in almost any condition, a very good feature, especially as there is no optical viewfinder. This can also be adjusted manually. Oh, and the LCD is extra toughened to resist scratches/breakage. I unwittingly tested this when I accidentally dropped mine LCD face down on some cobbled street. I picked it up with my heart in my mouth and besides a few scratches on the case, no scratch on the LCD. There is also a new feature that enables you to view past photos taken while taking a new one. Cool!
The AF/AE lock is a breeze to use and takes exceptional shots every time. Photo quality is really amazing. You can pick out fine details in the background of the subject. Colours and contrasts are good and sharp. Flash modes are easy to access and dark indoor shots taken using suppressed flash yielded amazing results. Pictures taken without the flash come out amazingly natural looking, thanks to some new low light feature. Outdoor shots on a bright day are unbelievable in their clarity.
A very useful addition is the introduction of a short cut button to get to the timer; previously, one had to go through the menu which involved quite a number of steps.
The Movie clips with audio are very simple to make, and it is very easy to switch between resolutions (320x240 or 160x120). Results are very good as the movies are shot at 30 frames per second which gives TV quality movies. Best results are obtained where there is a lot of light, e.g. outdoors on a sunny day. However, it is amazing to see how the camera adapts rapidly to changes in light conditions while shooting. Length of clips is restricted only by size of memory card.
The video out function enables you to connect the camera to a TV to view images/movie clips. Very good.
Battery life is very good but it's always best to have a spare. The battery charges rather quickly.
The cradle is stylish looking too. I have mine permanently hooked to my PC and just place the camera on it, switch it on, and the software launches and downloads everything quite fast. The cradle also doubles as a tripod stand receiver.
The FinePixViewer software is very good. It is very easy to view folder contents at a glance, set up a slide show, etc. You get lots of print options from full photo, Index 1x2 (2 photos on a sheet), 2x2, through to 7x5.
Print results are simply breathtaking, whatever the size of paper, up to A3. Colours are rich and images very realistic looking.
This is a camera I would recommend without hesitation. It blows away any other camera in its class or price range. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, compact, high resolution camera, look no further. The perfect camera for people like me who don't want to do too much adjusting/setting etc. I hope this review helps you.
I have owned Olympus, Sony and Fuji Digital cameras. This camera by far, as the easiest menus to navigate and are easy to navigate quickly without reading the instructions. The back display is huge and bright, glass reinforced, which a lot of competitors do not have. This keeps away scratches and smashes. The casing is real metal, so you do not have to baby it, and finally, the size and shape of this camera make it very convenient to carry in the front pocket of jeans with no problems. This is the RAZR of digital cameras, in my opinion. It is ready to take pictures very quickly from when you open the lens cover.
The rechargable battery has never died on me before I ran out a 1 GB memory card.
The flash is adequate but a bit slow to recharge. This is not a problem for me however, because I chose this camera for two unique features, First-"Natural Light Mode"-a "flash off" mode that enhances pictures with natural light. I take most of my pictures, even indoors, with no flash, because I like the look of natural light. This camera is great at capturing under those conditions.
The second feature I like about the camera is called "PhotoChrome" mode-it richens colors and makes pictures sort of a "technicolor" look. Print worthy in many cases. I use this in conjunction with the Natural Light Mode.
The only drawbacks I could think of with this camera is that because of the screen size/vs megapixel, sometimes you think a photo has come out clearly by looking at the screen, but if you didn't use flash and moved (which obviously makes pictures blurry) it will show up blurry at full size when you download it to the PC.
The only reason I rated 4 stars instead of 5 is because in super low light situations the fact that a picture is 5 megapixels but you view it on the LCD tricks you to thinking the picture was captured clearly when you might have a slight blur at full size. This may be true of all cameras, I don't know.
This is an auto focus camera. You will get incredibly clear pictures of close ups and regular photos, but you have to let it focus. This is not a "wail your arms around while on a dance floor and snap pictures" camera. Many people detract from the camera because they want it to be a fixed focus camera for situations like described above. Tempting because it is so portable and stylish, but this camera fills the needs of much more than a fixed focus.
I have a 4 megapixel Fuji S3100 for situations where I need mega zoom, but, who wants to lug around a camera bag on the trip to the mall or walmart or work? I also own a Sony DSC-P72 which is not bad at anything, but isn't great at anything either, and is too big and hogs batteries. Previously I owned Olympus digital cameras. I've found the 5 megapixels of the Z1 more than adequate, and I often shoot in 2 or 3. I have the black edition. It does show finger prints. If I had it to do again I'd choose the silver only for that reason.
I carry this camera often because its so convenient, and often those pictures I'd have missed by only owning a larger camera and not lugging it along are captured because of how convenient it is to carry this camera along. Its no burden at all to travel with, produces great results, battery lasts long, and is durable.
Buy Fujifilm Finepix Z1 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) Now
Positives:I just bought the Fujifilm FinePix Z1. Took it on a weekend at a beachfront spa on Tampa Bay. Took great pics. Very good lowlight shots. It was a cloudy and rainy day but the color was great. Zoom is 3x and you can digitally zoom in on the pic on screen. BTW, the screen display in back is larger and sharper than I've seen on other cameras. Video and stills are sharp and bright in the display. You can zoom the stills while viewing them.
Easily fits in a pocket. Lens is protected and automatically powers down when you close the sliding cover.
Directions were simple. Transferring pics and movies is easy via USB cable or removing the card and plugging it into my pc card reader.
Negatives:
The supplied card is only 16 megs. Not enough to store one video but good enough to store stills. I recommend buying a larger card. I purchased a 256 meg card and found it easy to store movies.
Speaker is tiny but then, this camera is so small it is understandable.
No case. You'll have to find one that fits. (I'd have rated it 5 stars if the case was included.)
Read Best Reviews of Fujifilm Finepix Z1 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) Here
I bought this camera after being tired of my current Fuji Finepix A340. The A340 is a great camera, but the time btw pix was painfully slow for me. Plus, I needed an excuse to buy a new camera!The Z1 actually was bought by mistake. I was after a different camera, and hastily bought this one and I am extremely glad I did. At first I was wary of a rechargeable battery and was going to take it back, but I opted to toy with it for a few days first.
The rechargeable battery really is no issue. You get about 200px per charge and there's always the option of buying a backup off ebay for about $40. (Don't fall for the extended warranty crap at some appliance stores. They told me it was $60 and if the battery goes I can get a new one, well since I can get 1.5 batteries for that warranty cost, I opted to take my chances and save my money)
I love the metal case and the practically instant on when sliding the cover. The size is smaller than a deck of cards but it doesn't feel fragile. There is no view finder, which is fine by me, I never use it since I went digital anyway. There a lot of settings and I found that for dark environments, this camera is slick!!! Easily the best dark environment camera I've ever owned.
I'm not a photo expert, I take a lot of pictures, and as long as they are clear, crisp enough to print if I choose, I'm happy. I am sure there are other cameras that others will say are better for this or that but for a casual photo taking endeavor, this Fuji is perfect.
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I bought Z1 about a month ago and gave it to a good friend as a great present a few weeks ago..
I just bought another one for me, again.
Before that I had a Fuji F10. I loved it too and gave it to my father in the summer.
I love digital cameras and have tried so many in the last two years, including the Canon Rebel XT which I bought, used, and gave it as a present for a wedding in the family.
I tried many other digital cameras, but the new compact Fuji's beat them all in quality of result. The Z1 also beats most others in compactness, style and feel.
Both Z1 and F10 have automatic sensitivity (ASA) mechanism which is under rated. It is a huge advantage, in my mind.
Don't know why Fuji stopped selling through Ritz Camera. Perhaps because their prices are too low for Ritz to make a nice profit.
Anyway, their prices is low enough to allow you not to think too much and just by it.
There's not much different in quality between Z1 and F10, so I'd recommend the Z1 over the F10. The F10 has a strong green light that helps in focusing in the dark, but the Z1 is doing a good job even without any light.
Gadi
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