Fujifilm Finepix Z10

[mtnbkr]

Has anyone used one?  How's the image quality?  How's the operation in the field?

After months of looking, I can't find anything film based that is compact, of decent quality, and fast in operation.  Most of what I find either lacks in some way or is old and used.   For what I plan on using this for, I can't justify a used Ricoh GR1v, which is what I'd like to have given unlimited funds.

Anyway, I was fondling this one in the store and it seems to work like I want it to.  It's certainly compact and the price isn't bad.  Unfortunately, I can't determine what the final results would be.  The reviews I found are mostly good, with the bad ones apparently due to user error.

I want something small like this to carry while biking, camping, etc.  I won't be printing much, if any shots and then they'll probably be 5x7 or smaller.  It's pretty much only for snapshots of little importance.

Anything else I should look at in the $100-$150 range? I fondled a Canon SD1000, but it is a little too small and seems to have a bit of shutter lag.  I do like the optical viewfinder though.  It means I can turn the LCD off and save battery power.

Chris

[AJ Dual]

If it's from a top tier brand, they're all okay..

The biggest beef I have is many cameras are very slow on the shutter, they take time to "get ready" and capturing fleeting shots of kids, wildlife etc. is nearly impossible.

We have a faux-SLR styled FinePix S5000, and it works well, all except the shutter delay. 

[mtnbkr]

That's what I like about the  Fujifilm Finepix Z10, it's fairly snappy.  It's certainly no worse than most of the film P&S cameras I've used.  There's also not much delay between shots. 

Chris

[Dntsycnt]

I just love the fact that all the lens movement is internal.  I work in a photolab/camera department and one of the most common problems people come in with is that they've somehow bumped (or dropped) the camera and either the gears inside the telescoping lens have broken, or the telescoping cylinders themselves have cracked.  With the z10 there is no worry about such a thing, and the slider lens cover is much more sturdy than traditional lens coverings.

I also like the ability to take SD or XD cards, though I'd obviously stick to SD.

The shutter lag time isn't too bad either.  I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head but I think it's at most .01 seconds.  Not amazing, but not bad for such a compact camera.

I think the Z10 is a nearly perfect pocket camera- if you want compact and affordable I'd go with it.

[mtnbkr]

Good point on the lens, I hadn't thought of that.  With my intended use, that'll be one less thing that could break.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

I found this review, which is more detailed than any other I found: http://www.cameras.co.uk/reviews/fuji-finepix-z10-fd.cfm

He makes some criticisms of the camera's image quality and shows the evidence.  However, I don't see what he's talking about in most cases.  In one of the portraits, I see what he's referring to (by comparing the same pic taken with in other camera tests).  Frankly, his issue in that specific case is misguided.  You don't want max sharpness in a close portrait.  The model used (probably his daughter) has some acne on her forehead that is diminished by the "lack of sharpness" of the Z10, but very evident with other cameras.  Judging by the images in this specific test, you could regain that sharpness by reducing the exposure compensation.  The girl's forehead looks washed out and overexposed and other parts of the picture are a  bit too bright, especially when compared with the examples from other cameras.  Therefore, in this instance, I think his results were more due to user error than camera shortcomings. 

Chris

[mtnbkr]

Well, if anyone is still paying attention, I bought the Z10 at buy.com.  The orange version, with a new Google Checkout account, was only $97 shipped, which makes it the cheapest digitoy that was acceptable to me.

Chris

[Dntsycnt]

Wow, that's awesome.

I won't mention how much we have them for.

[Boomhauer]

What about the Fujifilm 7.1 MP FinePix S700 Digital Camera w/ 10x Optical Zoom & Image Stabilization?

I'm looking for a sub- $200 digital camera. I'd like decent battery life, SD card capability, and decent features. And low shutter lag. Doesn't have to be anything super fancy...