Digital camera features full resolution ISO equivalency speeds as high as 3200 for great low-light and motion shots
Features a 3.0x optical zoom Fujinon lens; combined with 6.2x digital zoom, camera offers 18.6x total zoom
Large, 2.5-inch LCD monitor features Auto Brightness and an anti-glare, low-reflection CV (Clear View) film
Picture Stabilization mode and Real Photo Technology combine to produce less noisy and less grainy photos in dim light
i-Flash system accurately detects subtle light differences within a scene
This review is from: Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical ZoomI've been a Canon guy for several years and throught that they lead the pack in photographic innovation. My family has several Canon SLR's, assorted lenses and digital Elph pocket cameras (SD 400, SD450 and SD550). Pocket cameras trade performance and features for small size and ease of use. In bright light without flash the Canon Elphs usually provide image quality which is ok for 8 x 10" photos if one is not too critical about sharpness, especially near the edges and corners. This resolution limit has more to due with the lackluster optics being used than with the number of megapixels. Basically, the tiny lenses are the limiting factor and not the sensor.The Fuji F30 is about the same size and weight as the Canon SD550 (or SD700). I bought it based on the rave reviews it got in the high-ISO, low light category. So, when I tested it against my 7.1MP Canon SD550 I was greatly surprised by the vastly superior image quality of the 6.3MP Fuji at ALL ISO settings. The Fujicon lens used provides much sharper pictures than the Canon from edge to edge. Sure, the Canon will make ok 8 x 10's but those from the Fuji will be much sharper and crisper, especially away from the center where the Canon image gets softer. The difference is even more striking in lower light, such as indoors or outside when the sun is low or under heavy clouds. The Fuji provides much sharper AND lower noise images at ISO 800 than the Canon does at ISO 200. Essentially, the Fuji can use the same shutter speed (to freeze action and mitigate hand-shake) in one-fourth the light while still producing superior pictures!!! The Fuji could also provide a shutter speed four-times faster in the same light and give sharper pictures and less noisy pictures. Another advantage of the Fuji F30 is the option to have full manual control over aperture, metering, etc, just like an SLR (no manual focus however). The LCD on the Fuji is also much brighter and clearer (many more pixels and less reflective) than the Canon. One more advantage is battery life. The Fuji battery is about twice as large as that used in the Canon SD550. It is rated at 580 shots while the Canon is rated at about 150 shots. There's not nearly as much need to buy and carry a spare battery for the Fuji.OK, the Fuji does have a few disadvantages over the Canon. The worst of these to me is the use of tiny xD memory cards. Not only do you need to buy yet another type of card but large 1GB xD cards require much longer times (about 5-10 times as long) to transfer images to your computer through a card reader than do 1GB SD cards. The reason for this is that the small sized xD card require special hardware compression to allow 1GB to be stored. In reading the card the pictures have to be uncompressed into normal jpeg format. This slows down the transfer. The xD card compression seems to have no effect on how fast the camera can take pictures. The Fuji is at least as fast as the Canon in starting up and taking pictures. Another lessor complaint IMO is the supplied Fuji battery charger. It charges the battery only while in the camera and has a cord to plug into the camera and another long cord to plug into the wall. In contrast, Canon provides a very tiny battery charger with folding outlet prongs. This packs easily and charges the battery directly with NO cords. Fuji could provide a similar charger but, instead, offers to sell you their version of the Canon cordless charger for an extra $60-90 as an accessory. You can also buy a non-Fuji version of the cordless charger for about $28, so it's not a big issue, but is an irritation. It is also worth noting that the Fuji has no peephole viewfinder. I rarely use this but some folks may think this an omission. On the other hand, the Fuji LCD is much brighter and less reflective than the Canon screen so it can actually be used in bright sunlight when the peephole would be the only option with the Canon.In summary, aside from the issues of the xD card and supplied charger, the Fuji F30 represents a significant breakthrough in image quality, low-light performance and optional manual controls for small pocket cameras.
This review is from: Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical ZoomThe F30 continues in the F10 tradition. After years of trying to hype up interest in their cameras with...
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