Fujifilm FinePix Z100fd Review

The FinePix Z100fd is very trim, measuring a mere 0.8-inches thick, thanks to a non-extending, refractive Fujinon 5x optical zoom lens. This is an all-glass lens with a 35mm equivalent focal range of 36 to 180mm. The maximum aperture range is f3.8 to f6.4. The lens is covered by a sliding protective front that also serves as the main power switch.

The focus system is a TTL contrast-type auto focus, with selectable AF center or AF multi modes. The focus range is:

Normal - 60cm/2.0 ft to infinity (Wide), 1m /3.3 ft to infinity (Telephoto)
Macro - 9cm/3.5 in to 80cm/2.6ft (Wide), 30cm/1.0ft. to 80cm/2.6ft (Telephoto)

The built-in flash has 4 Modes with Red-eye reduction On or Off: Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro. Flash effective range is at ISO Auto: Wide Angle: approx. 0.7m - 3.6m / 2.3ft - 11.8ft Telephoto: approx. 0.7m - 2.9m / 2.3ft - 9.5ft Macro: approx. 0.3m - 0.8m / 1.0ft - 2.6ft.

The large 2.7-inch color TFT LCD monitor is used as the live viewfinder with 97% frame coverage. The surface of this LCD is covered with reinforced glass to provide extra scratch resistance. The LCD has an adjustable brightness control for shooting in daylight or bright locations.

Controls on the back are minimal: At the top are the Zoom controls, which act as the Magnify and Index options in Playback mode. Next we have the 4-way controller. In record mode, pressing "up turns Dual IS mode on or off (delete in playback), "right" changes the flash mode, "down" enables the self-timer (or enters IR menu in playback), and "left" turns Macro focus on or off. In the center is the MENU/OK button which pulls up the onscreen menu system as well as accepts selections. The 4-way controller can also be rotated like a wheel, which allows you to quickly change the Favorites folder and navigate the menus in record mode or quickly search through your stored images/movies in playback mode.

Lastly we have the DISPlay/BACK button, which controls the amount of info displayed on the LCD and acts as the "go back" option when browsing the menu system, and the Playback mode button.

On top of the Z100fd you'll find the Face detection mode button (On w/red-eye removal enabled, On w/red-eye removal disabled, Off) as well as the large shutter release button and built-in microphone.

On the right-hand side of the camera is a small door, which is hiding a special multi-purpose connector. It handles both the Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL) as well as the USB 2.0 (full-speed) connectivity for transferring images to your PC or Mac.

The Z100fd is equipped with 54MB of internal memory and a Card slot that is compatible with xD/SD/SDHC memory cards. The battery is also located in the same compartment.

Approximate Storage Capacities

Power is supplied by a proprietary NP-45 Li-ion 3.6v 740mAh rechargeable battery or the optional AC Power Adapter AC-5VX. The NP-45 pack is charged in the included BC-45 charger. FujiFilm claims the included battery provided has sufficient power to capture 170 shots per charge.