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Fujifilm announces FinePix S9600/S9100
Fujifilm has joined the pre-Photokina madness to announce a minor update to its alternately-named FinePix S9000/S9500, bumping each iteration a couple of digits to 9100 and 9600. You'll need the numbers to spot the difference, since the cam retains the same body and the same main specs, with 10.7x optical zoom and 9.0 megapixels. The improvements should become apparent once you start shooting with it, however, with a promised quicker operation, better low light performance, increased image sharpness, and a slightly larger 2-inch LCD (up from 1.8-inches on the previous model). Look for it to launch this October (in the U.K. at least) at a yet-to-be-announced price.[Via Digital Photography Review]
Fujifilm's face-finding FinePix: the S6000fd
With some extreme ISO action, and a flashy face-recognizing auto focus feature, Fujifilm has quite an alluring offering in their new FinePix S6000fd (known as the S6500fd globally). The 2.5-inch LCD and 6.3 megapixel CCD shouldn't turn too many heads, but the wide-angle manual control 10.7x zoom lens and the 100-3200 ISO sensitivity is nothing to sneeze at. Fujiflim's hardware-based Face Detection tech allows the camera to zero in on the sentient humans in frame -- instead of that wall behind them -- and does its focusing mojo in a mere 0.04 seconds. This, combined with other automatic enhancements, allows Joe Hobbyist to take advantage of the camera's advanced optics without having to fiddle with manual controls, promising better lighting and less blurring in more situations. Unfortunately, "Picture Stabilization," which merely bumps the ISO automatically is a lame substitute for actual optical image stabilization, but there aren't many other cut corners, and Fujifilm has managed to get the price pretty low. The S6000fd should be out in September for around $500.
Fujifilm FinePix V10 reviewed
We first peeped Fujifilm's compact FinePix V10 at CES earlier this year, but if you've been wondering how it actually performs, the folks at Lets Go Digital have got your fix in the form of an in-depth review. The camera itself is a 5 megapixel number, with a 3.4x optical zoom, and a large 3-inch LCD taking up pretty much all of the real estate on the rear side of the device. Also notable is the high ISO settings (up to 1600), which is rarely seen in a camera of this class. Lets Go Digital really didn't find much negative to say about the camera, giving it high marks for its great lens, fast start-up speed, good color rendition, and general user-friendliness -- they even dug the camera's built-in games. Sticker price is still $349, but it looks like most retailers are selling it for closer to the $300 mark -- although the orange model here seems a bit harder to come by. Why, we don't exactly know; we're assuming it's probably not due to demand.[Via DP Blog]
Fujifilm FinePix F30 reviewed
The folks at CNET have been spending some quality time with Fujifilm's new FinePix F30 low-light 6 megapixel shooter and they're generally pleased. With a 3x optical zoom, 6 megapixel CCD, and the increasingly common 2.5-inch screen, there isn't a whole lot that stands out about this camera -- except for that outlandish ISO range. Starting at ISO 100 and ranging all the way to ISO 3,200 (previously only available for incredibly grainy black and white film shots), the camera can manage in low-light situations previously resigned to lots of flash or lots of black. CNET found the noise very low in general, espescially with ISO 100 and 200. They found ISO 1,600 to have quite obvious noise, but worthy of an 8.5 x 11 print all the same. The ISO 3,200 should obviously be kept to extreme situations, with a significant loss of image detail, but the shots were better than no shot at all, which is the general point. Otherwise the camera was just average, with a homely yet functional design, decent shooting speed, and a pretty nice LCD. There's no optical image stabilisation, but we're thinking the ISO is a pretty good trade-off. You should be able to get your very own F30 now for under $400.
FujiFilm's FinePix Z3 Zoom, for the ladies
Ok grrrls, FujiFilm has gone all pearls-in-the-kitchen with their new FinePix Z3 Zoom camera, calling it the ideal "handbag companion" for the ladies. The Z3 is nothing more than the Z2 (or Z1 for that matter) dolled-up in pink of course, with the addition of a picture stabilization mode, intelligent flash, and a new flash mode which snaps both a natural light and flash shot with a single press of the shutter. So like the Z2, you get a 5.1-megapixel, 1/2.5-inch CCD, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, an xD Picture card slot, and 640 x 480 videos recorded at 30fps. Oh, and it's available in blue and silver too in case your man-bag is looking for a little action.[Via Let'sGoDigital]
