Click on the FinePix F30 to take a QuickTime VR tour

The 6.3 MegaPixel FinePix F30 is one of the first point-and-shoot consumer cameras to offer ISO speeds as high as 3200 – a setting previously reserved for advanced consumer and professional digital camera models. Higher light sensitivities allow the FinePix F30 to shoot with faster shutter speeds, which lessen the likelihood of blurry pictures caused by ever-active children, fidgety pets, dim ambient light or camera movement due to an unsteady hand.

Combining higher light sensitivities with faster shutter speeds is a technique used by seasoned photographers to stabilize pictures and reduce blur. But even a novice can succeed at this technique with the FinePix F30. To make it easy for consumers to achieve blur-free results, Fujifilm has added a helpful “Picture Stabilization” mode dial setting to the FinePix F30. This easy-to-identify, automatic setting lets the FinePix F30 choose the correct light sensitivity and best-matching shutter speed for the highest quality digital pictures.

The class-leading performance of the FinePix F30 is due in large part to the second generation of Real Photo Technology, the latest photographic achievement from Fujifilm. Real Photo Technology is a synergetic combination of Fujifilm’s Super CCD sensor, its proprietary RP Processor and a world-class lens from renowned manufacturer, Fujinon. It debuted in Fujifilm cameras in 2005 and models with the Real Photo Technology advantage, like the FinePix F10, starred in hands-on camera reviews.

In the past, ISO equivalencies as high as 3200, or even 1600 and 800, had been off-limits to compact consumer digicams due to image “noise”, a by-product of higher light sensitivities. Noise, which can be likened to radio or television signal static, it reduces a picture’s clarity. With the sixth generation Super CCD sensor producing less noise than its predecessors and the new RP Processor II finely tuned to remove even more noise than last year’s processor, the FinePix F30 produces pictures that are sharp, full of rich color and contain dramatically less image noise than competitive camera models.

Another innovation on the FinePix F30 that works in tandem with Real Photo Technology and the higher ISO speeds is a new Fujifilm flash system called i-Flash. The Fujifilm i-Flash system is more advanced than similar flash systems because it can detect more accurately the subtle lighting differences within a scene, and then light the subject accordingly with a wider range of flash intensities. This is accomplished with an adjustment to the flash’s intensity based on a variety of factors including subject position in the frame, subject size, ambient light and backlight intensity. So, even if the subject is off center and standing under a streetlight, the i-Flash system will expose the subject properly.

FinePix F30 Features:

• 6.3 million pixel 6th Generation Super CCD HR sensor
• 3x optical zoom lens (36-108mm equiv)
• Compact and stylish metal alloy body
• Movie Mode; 640x480 30fps w/sound AVI format
• Auto, Manual, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and 15 Scene modes
• Large 2.5" LCD color monitor with Anti-glare coating and low light Gain-up
• Real Photo Technology for low noise at ISOs as high as 3200
• 1.4-second start-up time; shutter lag down to 1/100th second after AE/AF locked
• High-Speed Shooting mode provides quicker auto exposure and focus lock for even faster operation
• Includes approx. 10MB of internal memory
• Uses removable xD-Picture cards
• Powered by rechargeable Li-ion battery
• USB 2.0 connectivity and PictBridge direct-print

The FinePix F30 is available now with a retail price of US$399.

Physical Views

The FinePix F30 and a standard CD for size comparison.

The FinePix F30 and the Samsung Digimax L60.