Fujifilm Finepix Z35

Photo answers review

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This FinePix Z35 from Fujifilm falls into the budget compact category, costing a respectable £95. Designed to be popular with the younger generation in its attractive range of colours, the Z35 features a 10Mp sensor with a 3x optical zoom lens. This is a similar lens to that of the one found in the slimline Fujifilm Finepix Z20fd. At the wide end this zoom lens is equivalent to 35mm and like the Z20fd the zoom is capable of reaching 105mm.

There is a good range of exposure modes including Fujifilm’s Scene Recognition technology. Also known as SR AUTO mode, it’s designed to detect the scene you’re photographing, leaving you to concentrate on the composition of the subject you’re photographing. Face detection is also featured and can be switched on and off easily inside the main shooting menu.

Turn the Z35 round and the 2.5in LCD screen is neatly positioned alongside 10 rubberized buttons. Instead of incorporating a traditional D-Pad at the rear, Fujifilm has saved space and gone for two rows of buttons. These are quite small but they work well and they’re in black, which complements the screen when it’s switched off. To turn the compact on, slide the front cover from left to right and you’re ready to start shooting within 2 seconds. This sliding cover not only powers this compact on and off, it gives the lens and flash extra protection when it’s in your pocket.

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is a small compact. You’ll be able to slip it into your pocket effortlessly or equally find a space for it in your handbag. In the average sized hand it feels comfortable for its size and is relatively easy to operate with one hand if the other is in use. In a larger hand it could be fiddly to use, so we’d recommend that you pick it up and give it a try first to check that it’s suitable.

The 3x zoom lens operated at a fair speed on test and worked smoothly throughout the range. Testing the Z35’s ISO performance showed that you will be able to work capably at ISO 800 and there’s the option of increasing it to ISO 1600 if there’s a real lack of light. The results from lower ISOs were good, so you’ll be able to produce sharp A4 prints of your favourite subjects.

If you’re after a small, well priced budget camera that performs as well as it looks, the Z35 is definitely a compact to go for. It’s constructed from plastic yet feels strong. Provided you take good care of it, there’s no reason to suggest it won’t last a very long time. To keep it safe and secure you might want to invest in the Z35 accessory kit. This includes a case, 2GB memory card and a screen protector. It can be purchased for £35 from the Fujifilm website. Click here to visit the accessory page for the Z35.

Technical Specification:

Resolution: 10 million pixels
Sensor type: CCD
Lens: 3X Optical Zoom
Focus range: 35-105mm (f/3.7-f/4.2)
ISO range: 100-1600
File Formats: Still Image : JPEG Movie: AVI
Shutter Speed: 3sec- 1/1000
Memory card: SD/SDHC
Monitor: 2.5in 230k
Power supply: NP-45A Li-ion battery
Weight: 115g
Dimensions: 89 x 57.9 x 23.9 mm
Website: www.fujifilm.co.uk