Fuji FinePix F30 Digital Camera [6.0MP, 3xOptical Zoom]
From FUJIFILM

Following the success of the FinePix F10, FUJI brings you its successor, the FinePix F30! Voted the "Best Compact Digital Camera 2006" by TIPA (Technical Image Press Association), the FinePix F30 uses the latest image technology to produce stunning results, with a sixth generation 1/1.7-inch Super CCD with 6.3 megapixels of resolution. Defying all competition, the F30 has an even higher ISO 3200 rating, which makes it possible to take pictures in low light conditions without having to use a flash. It also prevents blurring and other problems encountered in low-level lighting shots. Fast and responsive, the F30 turns on in just 1.4s, takes 10ms to capture a shot, and you need wait only 1.5s between shots, meaning you won't miss a thing! The 2.5" (diagonal measurement), anti-reflective and anti-scratch Clear View screen means it is much easier to monitor your pictures and videos while you are shooting them. Thanks to its integrated li-ion battery the F30 has an incredible autonomy for 580 photos, allowing the photographer to take many pictures in one go. A real little gem of a camera, the FinePix F30 makes it much easier for you to capture those special moments on film!

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Fuji
• Model: FinePix F30
• Released on: 2006-06-06
• Dimensions: 5.51" h x 4.17" w x 6.97" l, 1.76 pounds

Features

• 6x Megapixels Super CCD 100 - 3200 ISO range 580 shot battery life 2.5" LCD - 230K @ 60fps 3x optical zoom Image stabilisation iFlash 15 pre-programmed modes WxDxH: 93x28x57 mm Weight: 155g...

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Editorial Reviews

Manufacturer's Description
Fujifilms revolutionary compact works in light conditions that other cameras hate. After almost a decade of obsession with pixel count the F30 zoom is a camera which confirms a new stage in the evolution of digital camera technology. The FinePix F30 Zoom is the world's first digital compact camera to deliver ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution. Fujifilm has identified sensitivity as one of the major photographic benchmarks for the digital age and this camera makes it possible to capture images of unrivalled quality even in very dark conditions. The product of many years of accumulated expertise in sensor technology this is the closest that any digital compact camera has come to approximating the remarkable sensitivity of the human eye. It is a breakthrough in delivering crisp images, even at night-time, or with fast moving subjects. Its 580 shot battery life also makes it indispensable when out and about to make sure you never miss out on the action. In addition the F30 show cases a new 'intelligent flash' system which uses the camera's exceptional sensitivity to determine flash output for superb results, bringing your after-hours photography to life.

Box Contents

• NP-95 Li-ion battery
  
• AC Power adapter AC-5VC
  
• Hand strap
  
• A/V cable
  
• USB cable
  
• Owner's manual
  
• CD-ROM FinePix Viewer + ImageMixer + VCD2 for FinePix

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Customer Reviews

excellent first impressions

I bought this camera, which is my first digital, based on good amazon reviews. Just after placing my order, I was concerned to see a new review which criticised the battery life. Well I have had my camera for 2 weeks now and have just transferred the first photos to the PC using the Fuji software. I am really pleased with them. I have had absolutely no problem with the batteries which do not yet need recharging. I tried out the snow feature last week and the pictures are really lovely. I hope to experiment with more features very soon.

As the previous review said, it is a bit fiddly connecting the USB and power adaptor. I thought the cover might snap off

Just superb
I have spent over 1 year waiting to buy the right camera. In that Time I have switched between a Canon and Panasonic as my brand of choice. I finally plumped on the F30 for three reasons;

1. Battery life, it is fantastic, I have filled a 1GB card twice and it is still on full charge from its first charge.

2. Low light capability, ever since I saw some test photos from the F10, I have been convinced about the value os high ISO. At 3200 it is way ahead of others in the sub £200 range. Most of my photos are indoors, birtdays, Christmas, parties etc. It is great for these scenarios. It also has a neat feature that takes 2 photos in quick succession, first at a high ISO with no flash and then at an average ISO with the flash. You compare the photos and choose to keep or delete both etc.

3. Video capability. I have a Canon MV650i camcorder, which is great. However it is usually only taken out on holidays, etc. For everyday video clips the F30 is great. 640x480 30fps is fine. My main use is to convert to .SWF and quicktime files for the net. It has given great results so far, both inside and out. Of course the quality is not as sharp as a my Canon MV650i, but perfectly suitable.

Pros:
Battery life
Low light capability
Picture quality, crisp and clear.
Very compact, good build quality
Clear screen 2.5" is great
Lots of options to fiddle with
Good options to preview shots on a TV with some simple transitions


A few minor gripes:

1. XD Cards!!! It seems that Fujifilm have seen sense and newer models have SD cards. I managed to get a 1GB xd card for £17 from Amazon, which is OK but not as competative as SD cards. Overall this is not a major issue.
2. Colour can be a little flat, I have iPhoto and nearly every shot needs a little colour correction, nothing too serious. The camera does have a solour enhanced mode which boosts the colour, however it goes a little too far. Again not a big problem.
3.USB charger flap is a bit fiddly, I have scratched the metal around it as the lid is stiff and unpredicatable...

Over all these are minor gripes, it is still a great camera and well worth 5 stars. Amazon were spot on, as ever on deliver and cost.

Brilliant camera
I did quite a lot of research into what would be the best camera I could buy with a budget of £xxx, and everywhere I looked (camera review magazines, online reviews etc), the Fuji FinePix F30 came out on top. You can't go wrong with Amazon's price either - looking in the window of my local Jessop's, I saw that their SALE price for this camera was 200 quid!

The F30 is comfortable to use, without fiddly buttons, and very intuitive. I already feel more at home with it than my old Olympus. I thought I might miss an optical viewfinder, but the clarity of the screen, particularly impressive in low light, more than makes up for it. The shutter lag time is good and the picture quality in various conditions is excellent.

One thing to note, make sure you order an xD picture card at the same time because you don't get one with the camera (although you can store a certain number of pics using the internal memory). I got a Fuji 1gig card for about 17 quid (including p&p) from Amazon Marketplace, which again is much cheaper than you'd find on the High Street. And it's worth remembering you don't have to buy batteries as it comes with its own battery and charger.

All in all, very highly recommended.