DS-330 User Review

The Fujix (FujiFilm) DS-330 is a semi-professional 1.3 megapixel digital camera that uses the same 2/3-inch VT (Vacancy Transfer) CCD imager found in Fuji's DS-560/565 pro-SLR digicams.  It delivers 1280 x 1000 pixel images in the high resolution mode or 640 x 480 in low resolution. Images can be recorded as Exif-JPEG with three different compression settings or in uncompressed TIF format.

The DS-330's image resolution may be somewhat "dated" but its real camera features certainly aren't.   It has true shutter speed (1/4 to 1/1000 sec) or aperture (F3.5, 5.6, 8, 11) priority, a manual mode, programmed AE and a fully automatic mode.

The all-glass, Fujinon 9-27mm (35-105mm equiv.) zoom lens is a F3.5 (F5.6T) - F11 (F19T), and consists of nine elements in nine groups. Focus range is 1.3ft to infinity with macro mode coverage of 0.7 to 1.3ft (20-40cm). The builtin flash is a zooming flash and is linked to the focal length setting of the lens.

The DS-330's autofocus mechanism uses both active (triangulation using infrared beams) and passive (phase detection) systems.   Both active and passive systems are supported by CCD AF.  You can manually focus by dialing in the distance to the subject on the LCD.  This is useful for minimizing the shutter lag time and also makes continuous shooting possible.

This camera is BIG (6" x 3.8" x 3.1" WxHxD), it isn't going to fit in your pocket and you'll definitely know when it's hanging from your neck (21.9 oz without the battery.)  But a big camera is easier to hold steady and of course there's also plenty of room for BIG knobs and buttons.

The body is high impact plastic and more than capable of taking the kind of daily beating that most professional field cameras receive.

Here's the "fully-outfitted" DS-330 complete with the LV-D3 color LCD display and the optional EU-D3A external unit.  The LV-D3 uses two AA-size batteries as its power source, the EU-D3A is powered directly from the camera.

The large and bright optical viewfinder is coupled to the non-removeable 3x optical zoom lens and gives the user visual feedback about focus, exposure and flash conditions.

The external LCD monitor is essential for in-field preview and review as the DS-330 does not have a built-in LCD display. When the LCD monitor is mounted on the hot shoe you can still plug a strobe into the standard PC type flash sync connector on the side.

From the top the DS-330 very much resembles a conventional film camera, the knobs and dials are very similar.  The zoom lens extends out from the camera when powered up and is threaded for 40.5mm filters.

There's a hot shoe flash mount that accomodates the Fuji Strobe GA automatic flash unit.

The EU-D3A extension unit can be compared to a 35mm camera's motor drive unit.  It lets the DS-330 operate at a blazing 4.5 frames a second.  It also allows the camera to be operated while tethered to a PC and download image data via a high-speed SCSI interface and direct printing to Fuji NC-300D, NC-500 and PG-3000 printers.

And speaking of 35mm cameras ... here's the main command dial. Note the "Auto"  "P"  "A"  "S"  and  "M"  positions on the dial. That's automatic, programmed AE, aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual mode.

These features seperate this camera from most of the rest of today's megapixel digicams.  They may have more image resolution but only the Sony D770 offers the array of camera controls found on the DS-330.

Next to the command dial is the selector dial which is used in conjunction with the Set button located on the back of the camera. You hold in the Set button and rotate the selector dial to change options as they are displayed on the data LCD.

Here's a closeup view of the top-mounted data LCD display and the only control buttons on the camera.  Most camera features and settings are changed using the rotary dial located next to the main command dial on the other side.

The DS-330 uses PC ATA Type II cards for memory storage so any CompactFlash card in the PCMCIA adapter will work.   Sadly, the IBM microdrive does not work but then it wasn't even available when the DS-330 was designed.

Power is supplied by a Sony (Fuji-labeled) NP-F510 lithium rechargable battery.  It's the same 7.2v 1300mAh battery found in the Mavica still cameras.   The DS-330 comes with a combination rapid charger and AC power supply which is really handy if you're using it in tethered mode.

The exposed connector on the right is for the attaching to the EU-D3A unit and is normally covered over by a plastic protector cap.