The FujiFilm FinePix Z300 is the culmination of the company’s efforts in producing a touchscreen device. While this technology isn’t rare, the Z300 is FujiFilm’s first-ever touchscreen offering – and one of the company’s most svelte offerings.
Possessing a rather cube-like design, with rounded ends and a lens flap which echoes its styling, the Z300 is available in a variety of colors apart from the smart red on black scheme here. It is a handsome device, and build quality is solid too, despite being mostly covered in plastic. Unlike other Fujifilm cameras, the rear is devoid of buttons, boasting only a 3” resistive touchscreen that is slightly offset to the left to accommodate one’s thumb.
Only three buttons are present on the camera, and they all reside on the top of the unit. No fancy outputs are offered too, just a TV-out plug on the right for connection via the supplied video cable. For the uniniated, activating the unit means sliding down the lens covers. In doing so, the camera’s flap’s will slide in a diagonal manner, revealing a large-looking lens and a flash unit. The action itself is smooth and is resistant to forces from other directions besides its diagonal pathway, so the camera should stay deactivated even when packed in a tight compartment.
The Z300 camera has a dedicated shooting mode called Touch & Shoot. This mode makes focusing on the right things a hassle-free affair, allowing users to tap an area on the screen and wait (mere milliseconds) until the shutter has fired. Apart from this ingenious mode which automates every other setting on the camera, it also offers manual settings, which can be a tad more tedious especially when there are layers of menus to navigate.
The camera offers simple touchscreen menus with large virtual buttons that makes selections easier. Navigating through settings or a folder full of images, the UI only hesitates for a moment after every button press. There are quite a number of features on this camera, some of them brimming with ingenuity, such as the capability to automatically determine the distance to a subject and applying an appropriate amount of flash power, if it is needed. Except for DSLRs with flashguns, it is rare to see a mere compact digital with such ‘intelligence’.
Given the wealth of features on the Z300, one might expect it images to be stunning as well, and although the majority of shots we took throughout its review are acceptable, it inherently has restricted image quality. For instance, one is able to see a noticeable amount of distortion at the widest angle of 36mm, an angle which can be barely wide enough for taking a group of friends or landscapes. Flaring is easy to detect, especially under a bright sky, and when night falls the automatic settings tend to favour high ISO speeds with noise instead of lowering the shutter speed. However, if one is a casual shooter of his or her social life, this camera’s good looks will definitely fit into the fold.
FUJIFILM FinePix Z300 Specifications :
Mega-pixels : 10
Focal Length : 36-180mm
Zoom (Optical / Digital ) : 5x / 5.4x
Imager : 1/2.3” CCD
Aperture Range : f/3.9 (W) – f/6.4(T)
Focus Range : Normal: 60cm ~ infinity; Macro: 9-10cm
Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 100/200/400/800/1600
Shutter Speed : 4 – 1/1000 sec
White Balance : Auto, Fine, Shade, Florescent Light (1,2,3), Incandescent
Display : 3” (230K pixels)
Batteries : NP-45 740mAh
Dimensions/Weight : 92 x 57 x 19 mm / Approx. 155g w/o battery
Popularity: 8% [?]
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