Overview
The Fuji Finepix Z35 is a fun camera. It comes in a variety of bright colours and is very easy to use. The Finepix Z35 is a point and shoot digital camera. When it comes to features this is about as basic as a digital camera gets towards the end of 2009, but as well as keeping the camera simple it also helps to keep the price down.
Reading through the Fuji press release that accompanied the launch of the camera they are targeting teenagers and twenty somethings who like to party with this camera.
Standard features include 10 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. There is a 2.5 inch LCD screen and a standard definition movie mode.
Why Buy The Fuji Finepix Z35
This is a fun camera and it is also very easy to use.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
3
3x
2.5 inches
89 x 57.9 x 23.9mm
115g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
8cm
No
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
As long as you do not get over adventurous with print sizes the Finepix Z35 can take an o.k. snapshot. There are a few issues with this camera and some of them can be seen in my first test shot. To start with darkness is inclined to creep into the corners of the photos. Next up the sky can take on a grainy look. This can be kept in check by smaller print sizes.
Sharpness is not up to that produced by most digital cameras. On top of that areas of this photo are quite dark and lacking in detail.
This is another shot were areas are darker than I would like to see. Again there is a grainy look to the sky and darkness creeps into the corners of the photo.
The Finepix Z35 rounds of my outdoor scenic shot with another photo that is on the dark side. Detail levels are similar to my previous test shots.
Portraits
All of my portrait shots are better than the more distant scenic shots. In this example the face lacks a bit of colour, but otherwise there are no problems.
A lot of digital cameras find it difficult to produce enough light to penetrate the darker areas of the hair. That is what happens here. There burst of light illuminates the face, but it appears to be concentrated in that area rather than being evenly spread.
This is not a bad effort. There is some noise showing in the shot, but the Finepix Z35 does a reasonable job in the conditions.
Macro and Colours
My macro shot is the surprise photo of the group. It is of quite a high quality, so if you like the idea of the occasional close up then the Finepix Z35 should be able to cope.
The colours work well enough for me. I have more of a problem with the darkness of some of the photos.
Summary
If you are looking for a camera based purely on picture quality it is best to look elsewhere. The emphasis for this camera is on fun and simplicity and picture quality is likely to be of less relevance than if you were shopping for a more advanced camera.
Style
The front of the camera has a sliding lens cover and a slightly sculpted look. Fuji has also rounded off the corners.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.26 seconds
6.72 seconds
0.3 seconds
10 seconds
2.36 seconds
Ease of Use
Excellent. I had no problems at all operating this camera.
Points I Like
Ease of use - shutter lag times
Where it Could Improve
Dark LCD screen - picture quality
Verdict
As you would expect picture quality is not great, but this camera just about gets away with it. My guess is that picture quality is unlikely to be the main driver for anyone buying this camera. As a fun camera there are not too many alternatives, especially at this price. The Fuji Finepix Z35 fills a gap in the market and does it reasonably well.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Fuji Finepix Z35 Review Fuji Finepix Z35 Specification Fuji Finepix Z35 Sample Images Fuji Finepix Z35 Features
Review Date
November 2009
