Fujifilm Finepix Z3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Picture Stabilization (Silver)

by Fuji

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.2 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches ; 4.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000G6VFNE
• Item model number: 15638761
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,886 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 6, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Expanding on the slim and stylish Z-Series, the Fujifilm FinePix Z3 is the symbol for innovation in digital camera design and performance. With the clean, geometric all-metal mono-body design, the FinePix Z3 ultra-portable digital camera looks as good as the pictures it takes. And with a fresh second color--metallic blue--to go along with the traditional silver, the FinePix Z3 appeals to the most fashion-conscious consumer.

Z3 showcases 5.1-megapixel quality, a 3x non-extending refractive optical zoom, and ultra-fast processing speeds so you never miss a photo opportunity. Press the power button and you're ready to shoot in a blazing 0.6-second start-up. Simply frame your shot with the 2.5-inch scratch-resistant reinforced protective LCD, press the shutter release, and capture your photo opportunity with only 1/100 second shutter lag. The extra-large LCD makes it easy to playback and share your special moments with family and friends. And, with the Li-ion battery power, your camera is always ready to go.

The small but mighty FinePix Z3 incorporates Fujifilm's proprietary technological advances such as Real Photo Technology, Picture Stabilization, and the newly introduced Intelligent Flash (I-Flash) system, raising the bar once again for capturing blur-less pictures with every nuance of light and vivid, rich color. Even in low-light situations, you get all the picture perfect details.

With Fujifilm's exclusive Picture Stabilization, picture blur--the most common frustration for digital still camera users today--is virtually eliminated. With a quick and easy touch of the PS button, the FinePix Z3 will automate professional photographic techniques. No longer do you have to worry about blurry pictures caused by camera shake or subject movement. And, even low-light background details are improved. The FinePix Z3 utilizes an ultra-high sensitivity of ISO 1600, with incredibly high signal-to-noise ratio, and faster shutter and operational speeds, to deliver virtually blur-free images where conventional digital cameras cannot.

And, the Z3 has incorporated Fujifilm's Intelligent Flash System or i-Flash. i-Flash fine-tunes flash output for shooting with high-sensitivity settings. Now, your camera will recognize scene conditions and determines the optimum flash output to ensure superb results. Subjects in the foreground appear natural, and background detail is bright and clear. The difference is especially noticeable in the natural facial tones of people in your pictures, in close-ups and group photos alike.

The FinePix Z3 will excite your sense of aesthetics and deliver the photographic power to make you and your photos look amazing.

Features:

• 5.1 megapixels with 5th Generation Super CCD-HR Technology
• 3x non-extending refractive optical zoom, plus 5.7x digital zoom
• 2.5-inch LCD with scratch-resistant, reinforced acrylic protective shield
• Easy one-touch Picture Stabilization button for virtually blur-free pictures
• New i-Flash Intelligent Flash System exposure level for truer tonality and finer detail
• New Natural Light + Flash mode
• High sensitivity up to ISO 1600 with low noise for superior-quality images
• Ultra-compact, all metal mono-body design in silver and blue
• Real Photo Technology = quality + sensitivity + faster speed

Product Description

The Fujifilm FinePix Z3 digital camera is the 3rd generation of the iconic Z series design and its re-designed body will appeal to the most fashion conscious photographers. The Fujifilm FinePix Z3 captures beautiful images under a broad range of shooting conditions even under low light conditions when many ultra-compact digital cameras have difficulty. The Intelligent Flash system ingeniously captures both a clear, well-exposed background and natural skin tones on subjects in the foreground. Unlike a conventional zoom lens which extends from the body, all of the zoom element movements occurs internally. Real Photo Technology is the synergy of three key elements, the Fujinon lens, the 6th-generation Super CCD HR and the RP II (Real Photo) Processor. With just one touch, the PS mode automatically sets the camera sensitivity to ISO 1600 and the optimum shutter speed to beautifully freeze the moment forever in sharp detail. Self Timer - 2 seconds or 10 seconds Image Sensor - 1/2.5 inch CCD Scene Modes - Natural Light, Natural & Flash, Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Museum, Party, Flower, Text Shutter Speed - 4 - 1/1000 second Battery Type - NP-40 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (3.6V, 750 mAh) System Requirements - 200 MHz Pentium or better (800 MHz Pentium III or better for Windows XP), Windows 98/98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Power Mac or PowerBook with G3, G4, or G5, iMac, iBook, Mac OS X (10.2.8 to 10.3.7), 192MB RAM, 200MB Hard disk space (400MB available for operation), 800 x 600 Pixels & 16-bit Color Display Dimensions - Height 1.6 x Width 3.9 x Depth 0.9 inch (41 x 99 x 23mm) Weight - 4.6 ounces (130 grams) without battery Color - Metallic Blue

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picture Perfect!!!, August 7, 2006

By 

Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Fujifilm Finepix Z3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Picture Stabilization (Blue) (Electronics)

The Fujifilm Z3 is an upgrade of the Z2, which in turn was an upgrade of the Z1, the latter which I owned. With that in mind, I'll be referring to the Z1 quite a bit.

All three look alike; sleek, extra svelte, slide the front back to reveal the non extending, refracting 3X optical zoom lens, with a 2.5 inch LCD which adapts to changes in light condition of the surroundings, enabling one to see (almost always) no matter what, from bright light to darker interiors. The LCD is made of toughened glass, which I unwittingly tested when I accidentally dropped my Z1 LCD face down on a cobbled road and it survived (apart from a few nicks in the steel casing, not even a scratch on the LCD). I won't be testing this though, I'll take Fujifilm's word for it!

The Z3 comes with 10mb internal memory. However, you'll need a lot more than that if you are to fully utilize all those 5 megapixels; at least 256mb for starters.

Very fast start up, and like all Fujifilm cameras I have used (I've owned 6), very easy and intuitive to use. The AF/AE lock is a breeze to use and takes exceptional shots every time. Photo's dazzle with breath taking clarity! You can pick out fine details in the background of the subject. Colours and contrasts are good and sharp. Flash modes are easy to access and dark indoor shots taken using suppressed flash yielded amazing results. Pictures taken without the flash come out amazingly natural looking, thanks to some new low light feature. Outdoor shots on a bright day are unbelievable in their clarity. Lots of the time, I found indoor shots taken without the flash and using the low light settings to be much better than those taken with the flash. There's also a new anti-shake button, useful for taking photos without flash.

The flash is a whole lot more powerful than that of the Z1, so photos are sharper and closer to natural tones. A real neat thing the Z3 does is take two shots near simultaneously, dual mode it's called; one using the flash, the other using natural lighting. You can then decide which to keep.

There is also a rapid burst mode, which was lacking in the Z1.

Movies are excellent; shot at 30 frames per second which is TV quality, giving smooth, jerk free clips, lengths restricted only by the amount of memory available. The lens also rapidly adapts to changes in lighting, e.g. a clip moving from the sunny outdoors to the dimmer indoors, with amazing results.

For those more technically inclined, the Z3 has a wider ISO range; from 64 to 1600, the better for shooting in low light conditions which the Z range cameras excel at.

Battery life is excellent! I keep forgetting I have to recharge it, and the battery charges very quickly too; under an hour.

The video out function enables you to connect the camera to a TV to view images/movie clips.

The camera has a nice cradle needed for downloading, and for charging the camera. The Finepix software is very easy to use, and you can get prints of up to A3 which look very good.

In summary, a very good compact camera, made even better. For those who aren't too hot about fiddling about with adjustments and settings (like me!!!), this is an excellent camera. I've had this for just a few days now and I'm loving it!

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Myspace addicts & narcissists: This is the camera for you, October 29, 2006

By 

nycgirl "nycgirl" (new york city) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fujifilm Finepix Z3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Picture Stabilization (Silver) (Electronics)

If you're like me, you love to take pictures over and over of yourself and your friends till you get that shot juuuuust right. Crazy nightlife antics, perfecto outfits, superb hair & makeup, and let's not forget those studied, careful poses from disaffected to delicious--you want every detail captured. Well, after a trip to Asia and consulting with a bunch of Japanese digicam geeks for the average consumer who is not a professional photog, The Fuji Finepix Z3 turned out to be The One. It's practically tailor-made to people like Us.

-PORTRAIT MODE: Softens skintone for beautiful skin. 'Nuff said!

-NATURAL LIGHT AND FLASH: Takes TWO pictures at the same time, one in natural light, and one with flash. Both outcomes have varying nuances. You choose which one you like and pick the better one! Great for us indecisive perfectionists.

-CONTINUOUS LONG PERIOD MODE: Takes rapid-fire continuous shots of you for as long as you hold the shutter. Look back and choose which ones you want to keep (I swear, at 1/8 of a second my face doesn't do that "thing" versus at 2/8ths). Now i can take a zillion shots of myself and "evaluate the proofs" in one sitting instead of having to check back, delete, and re-shoot over and over.

-NIGHT MODE: This model is *renowned* for its nighttime capabilities (over the Casio Exilim, Sony Cybershot, and Canon non-pro models) where you can capture not only the foreground but everything in the background too. Useful for all us creatures of the night and our nocturnal activities. Overexposure is a thing of the past. Cobra Snake, be damned!

-ANTI-BLUR BUTTON: This handy button is prominently featured on the back of the camera for easy access (instead of going thru a complicated menu). Just hit it and shoot. When your friends are wildly gyrating about in various stages of debauchery, you wanna be able to capture that action without blur.

-PLAYBACK MODE: Show off to your friends by playing back your photos in fade-in, fade-out slideshow fashion. Even does a multiple frame slideshow with up to 3 photos at once on screen.

-REFLECTIVE BLUE SURFACE: it ACTS AS A BUILT-IN MIRROR, folks! hold that baby up and check your reflection while you get your self-portrait on for Myspace! Make that kissy face! It's not a real mirror but works well enough, and this is why i bought the Blue version over the Pink or Silver (brushed matte finish, non-reflective). Originally i was looking for a screen that swiveled around so you could see yourself, but those models and brands were hefty and crappy according to my asian digicam jocks. This blue is so pretty, and has an iridescent purple-y sheen to it. Narcissists, you'll love it.

-TRIMMING: Crop your photos right on your camera. Eliminate that ugly dude who was standing next to you.

-LARGE LCD SCREEN

-VERY USER-FRIENDLY (Finepix is known for this, and for good reason)

see examples of features and sample shots at:
[...]

Of course it's got video, voice memo, red-eye reduction, lots of flash options, and a bunch of other typical camera features, but the strength of this cam is that it's great for the average user with enough options to make us self-portraiting peeps happy.

One caveat: I bought mine elsewhere, but not all models are Made In Japan. Apparently this Blue one is. The Pink one is Made In China. check the bottom of the camera to be sure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Z1, February 8, 2007

By 

Richard L. Steiner (OREGON United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fujifilm Finepix Z3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Picture Stabilization (Blue) (Electronics)

I bought this camera as an upgrade to the Fuji Z1 I have been using and like a lot. I felt the Z3 had enough new features to merit giving it a look. In doing my research for this camera I discovered that Fuji has an even newer Z camera they call the Z5 (no camera with a Z4 badge because the number 4 is considered unlucky in Japan). The Z5 is significantly more expensive, larger and really not all that much different than the Z3 I just purchased.

The Z3 has more understandable shooting and viewing menus that refer to several new features the Z1 does not have. The lens cover opens much more easily than the one on the Z1 and the new blue color is very attractive. Fufi sells a pink Z3 that is cheaper than the other versions, but it is made in China for some reason. This camera is an excellent choice for travel photography because it will easily fit into a shirt pocket and is ready for shooting a snapshot almost instantly. I suppose it has some photo quality warts that the pros can see, but as an "advanced amature" I find the pictures it makes to be great for the family album and sending in e-mail.

The Z3 has what is supposed to be an anti-blur feature with a new external button for activating it. I have not found this anti-blur addition to be all that great, but I use it occasionally just in case it helps. I shake a lot.

I would recommend the Z3 even knowing that it is likely to be phased out in the near future as the new Z5 comes to market.

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