Customer Reviews

Fujifilm Finepix V10 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Gun Metal Grey)

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I just got this yesterday from Amazon. I got the orange model because it just looks so stylish (in picture and, indeed, in person). This is to be my backup compact camera, when I don't have my beloved Fujifilm Finepix F30 6MP camera with me. (Compared to the F30, the V10 is taller but thinner and shorter. They weigh about the same, I think.)

Here're my initial impressions:

PICTURE QUALITY: very good outdoors during the day, and average/above-average indoors. Fujifilm (aka Fuji) has produced a line of compact cameras, starting with the F10, renowned for their low-light, high-ISO performance. (ISO refers to the camera's sensitivity to light; the higher the ISO is, the less light the camera requires in order to capture an image with enough brightness and contrast.) The F30, my workhorse, is just superb in low-light conditions, pretty much rivaling (or even besting) my digital SLR, the Nikon D70. The V10 uses a slightly older sensor than the F30 -- in fact, the V10's sensor and "Real Photo" processor are the same as the discontinued F10. This means two things: 1) When there's enough light, the V10 turns in excellent-looking pictures; 2) When the light is dim, the V10 cannot match the image quality of the F30. In fact, it seems to be slightly worse than the F10 in capturing low-light images. But compared to most other compact digital cameras, even those from Canon and Nikon, the V10 does a quite respectable job. For example, if you use the V10 to capture a candlelight moment, the image won't steal your heart, but it'll make a nice memorable photo, provided you have steady hands or use a tripod.

VIDEO QUALITY: 640x320 (VGA) or 320x240 (QVGA) with sound. Recorded in AVI format which is great for mobile playback as almost all mobile video devices can support AVI. You cannot zoom during shooting (reason: zooming produces horrendous-sounding motor noise which could be amplified by the movie mode, hence Fujifilm disabled zooming during movie shooting). Very good video quality when played back on a PC or TV (in the VGA mode).

USABILITY: very fast, very responsive. The V10 also uses the same interface as other Fujifilm compacts, so if you've used a Fuji before, you'll be right at home with this one (except perhaps with the placement of the buttons). People switching from other brands will face an easy learning curve. The buttons are small but responsive. The gigantic 3.0" LCD viewfinder is very bright and high-resolution (230,000 pixels). It's also very fast, meaning you'll see scenes in real-time as you shoot pictuers or video.

GAMES: the only camera on the market to offer games! You get four of them. Quite entertaining, and the graphics of the games looks really great on the 3-inch LCD screen. The controls, however, are a bit awkward due to shape and placement of the four-way controller. If you have nimble fingers you'll get used to the controls fairly quick. I love the games.

BATTERY: don't know yet as I haven't run it through a torture test. Rated at 170 pictures according to the Japanese CIPA standard. My F30 is rated at 550 but I took over 500 shots plus loads of movies on one charge last time.

STYLING: not as thin as those crazy Sony or Casio models. (BTW I love Sony and Casio cameras, too. Canon and Panasonic also make great compact digital cameras - Panasonic ones have great image stabilization. I'm not hot on Nikon or Kodak or Minolta or Pentax, and to me HP cameras are too ugly. Won't even consider any other brands.) The orange color looks delicious. Overall styling is eye-catching, esp. that huge 3" LCD...

In summary, I think I like this Fuji a lot. It won't replace my F30 for important family photos, but it'll make a great tote-in-the-biker bag/handbag camera for everyday photo opportunities.

PS: I should mention this. Fujifilm is a huge sponsor of the conservation of giant pandas and other endangered specifies. I end up buying only Fuji cameras these days both because of their excellent quality and their generosity toward conservation efforts. Thank you, Fujifilm.

PPS: My unit is "made in Japan." When I first turned it on yesterday there was what looked like a green dead pixel on the LCD, but it magically disappeared after an hour or two, so now the LCD looks perfect and defect-free.

I bought this camera on a recent trip to Japan. Its probably the most attractive camera currently available at any price. This is mainly because of its good looks, quality materials (it seems to be all metal) and 3 inch screen.

- The image quality seems to be about average for a budget camera. Dont expect too much in this area. From my experience, it seems to take excellent daylight photos. Indoor photos with flash are good to average.
- Movie quality is average but takes huge amounts of memory. Best to avoid using it.
- The screen is clear and displays photos nicely.
- The included games are pretty fun and make use of the big screen.
- The menus are well laid out and easy to navigate.
- It uses XD memory cards. For most people this is a negative because most PDA's and other cameras use SD cards. Most importantly, XD cards are a tad more expensive than SD cards. I bought a 256mb card which quickly filled up. I wish i bought 512mb.

One feature that i have found useful is the voice notes. You can select a photo and attach a 30 second voice note to it. The audio quality is very good too. It takes about 400kb of memory to use this feature.

If your after a reasonably priced camera that is refined and well built then get this one.

PS: One plus about this camera is that its made in Japan. Most budget ones are now made in China and feel cheap by comparison (plasticky and ugly).

PS2: Be prepared for people to compliment your camera wherever you go!

PS3: Yes i really have the orange colour.

For the price of $150 w/ shipping, this thing was a steal like a month ago. While it isn't perfect, you still are getting a pretty good camera for the price. Remember, you're getting a solid point and shoot ultra compact camera, this probably isn't going to win you any artsy awards for best photo, unless they're candid shots. Oh and don't think that the price is an indicator of the build quality, this camera is pretty sturdy, and as an added plus it's made in Japan, or at least mine was.

Note: If you're looking for something with better image quality, go for a F20 or F30. The Fujifilm F20's a tab bit more expensive, a bit bigger and uglier (well it is), but if size and price aren't a problem go for that instead of this, especially where image quality is a must. Back when I got my V10 the F20 was like $50+ more expensive, so I just settled, but now that they're about the same price I might have gone for F20.

Pros:
*It feels strong/sturdy, and looks sweet
*It takes pretty good pictures, at least for 4x6" prints. But, obviously for a compact camera, the pictures aren't going to turn out flawless, technology really hasn't progressed that far, really the biggest changes to todays cameras have been reduction in size and price. Oh, btw, I really don't see that much of a difference between 5 megapixels and 3 so.
*Inexpensive, the price alone tilted my rating positively.
*Responsive, it takes pictures pretty quickly and the controls don't lag. You can take candid pictures of people so easily, with this thing.
*Ultra-compact, and still affordable; sometimes I strap the camera (in a case mind you) to my arm and go running, it's really convenient.
*Adjustable ISO up to 1600, the ISO is the camera's sensitivity to light, the higher you set it the faster the camera will take the picture and the pictures will generally turn out a bit brighter. This is really useful for low light situations or when you're taking a picture of something moving at a decent speed, but keep in mind that the higher the ISO the more noise there is. Regardless, the pictures still print (4x6) alright, despite the very noticeable noise; so it's a trade off. Generally try to keep the ISO levels 400 or below, as you won't get much noticeable noise at those levels, though you might have some issues with blur, depending on the lighting.
*The screen. I love it. It it such an upgrade over my old Sony's 1.25". I can't believe how I managed without it before.
*The video it takes is pretty good. BTW, it comes with sound.
*It's really easy to move pictures off the camera, it's pretty much drag and drop, if that's how you use it.
*the zoom (3.4x which is .4x higher than most other cameras of it's size) is nice, but would be nicer if the camera had image stabilization.

Neutral:
*Battery life is okay, You need to charge it every so often, more so than some other cameras, but it's decent.
*It doesn't have built-in image stabilization, but I'll let it slide since practically no cameras under $200, especially cameras this size, include it.
*Holding it is a little wierd, since the screen takes up the entire back, there's no place else besides the screen to rest your thumb.
*It takes pretty good low light pictures, w/o flash compared to a lot of other cameras; you'll have to hold the camera really still though, which is a bit hard, or get a tripod. The images tend to be a little grainy, but that's pretty normal.
*Noise: On ISO 400+, like it's noticeable, but not glaringly noticeable, until 1600. Also as I said before there's a decent amount for night mode shots. Otherwise, it's pretty good with noise at levels below 400.

Cons:
*It only takes xD cards, thankfully, Fujifilm has seen the error in its ways and Fuji's newer cameras will be SD compatible, maybe the V20 will take SD. I really just hate how xD cards can only be used in Fuji and Olympus cameras, and they're like twice the price of SD cards.
*The screen's a fingerprint magnet.
*There's no hold switch, I know that like no camera has an actual hold switch, but it would be nice to have that so the lens doesn't accidentally extend if you were to have it in some enclosed area, pockets or bags.
*The USB cable isn't a standard mini-USB, I'm not sure what it is, but it just means I have to carry around one more cord, when I travel.

I just bought this amazing camera today, played with it WHOLE day and the result was SUPERB! It has a large 3 inch LCD that is bright and clear! Picture quality is the most impressive part that the Fuji has improved their color in general but especially on skin tones. Addition to their "Real Photo Technology", it has a function that takes two pictures at once, one with natural light, one with flash! This is quiet useful! This camera IS easy to use, has fun games, nice design! You won't be disappointed!

I bought this camera for an upcoming vacation, and I'm very pleased with it so far. The price was a little more than what I wanted to spend ($320), but for a 3" LCD there's no better deal on the market right now.

Pros:

--Attractive camera that's slim enough to fit in a big pocket or small purse.
--3" LCD is stylish and will impress all your friends. Seems pretty strach-resistant.
--Super fast start-up time. Its literally about a second.
--Pictures are clear and beautiful!
--Rechargable Li-ion battery means you won't fly through expensive AA batteries.
--Menu options for flash, picture quality, ISO, self-timer are very intuitive.
--In particular, there is a great flash setting takes two consecutive images for each picture; one is the pic with flash, the other is without. You can go back later to decide which picture looks better

Cons:

--When you're using the LCD viewfinder the picture always looks grainy, but the pictures are perfect on playback so it don't really matter.
--If you're comfortable using only the optical viewfinder, like I was, using the LCD alone can be an adjustment.
--Menu options for more advanced manual features like white balance are not as clear and accessible as they could be
--3.4x optical zoom is good, but not great

Summary:

This is the camera I love to keep in my purse for those moments I never anticiapate needing a camera for. You can whip it out, turn it on in a second, use the huge LCD to find the image you want to take and snap. At the most you might spend a few extra seconds changing the settings.

While this camera is perfect for me, its not for everyone. If your priorities are an optical viewfinder, powerful zoom, or great manual controls consider something else.

I did exhaustive--almost excessive--research before settling on the Fuji Finepix V10 and so far it has paid off. This may be the best priced, ultra-compact camera with a 3-inch screen on the market at this time! That's because the price has dropped as the camera's been out for a while now. That shouldn't deter you. I got mine at B&H. Beginners, you don't need more than 5 megapixels unless you're printing 11x14--or larger prints. Higher and higher megapixel cameras are merely a marketing ploy that misdirects unknowing customers. A 5.1 mp (as this model is) is more than enough for 8x10's--and even the shots I took with this camera where I reduced the megapixels to 3 produced lovely 4x6 prints. (I reduced the pixel size to get more images on that 16mb memory card it came with before installing my larger 256mb XD card.) I've had the camera for about a month and am extremely pleased. Some of my research involved comparing images on photography websites using test still-lifes and set-ups pitting this model against those of the top-rated and similar Canon models and I found negligible differences. This one had, at that time, a better price and I preferred it to Canon because of its design and larger screen. The only main Canon advantage I found was their closer Macro setting. I disagree with the reviewer who said it produced grainy shots. If you hold the camera steady and know how to focus with a digital camera it produces beautiful sharp prints, especially if you have enough light. You'll see the sharpness when you look at your prints. The camera's LCD screen can look a little pixelated and at times a little dim in the brightest outdoor sunlight. Then all you need to do is hold it at another angle to see the image you snapped. You will probably not find a better deal for such a large screen with a known brand at this price. Solid, uniquely retro, yet futuristic at the same time, this is an easy-to-use, chic, stylish little camera as well as a quality one with it's metal frame. This camera's price has really dropped down in the past month so it's a great deal and a good time to buy.

I own several digital cameras including a Nikon digital SLR, but I wanted something that I could carry with me to have available for the photos I constantly miss since I don't want to carry a large camera around with me. But there's no point in having a portable camera if it doesn't perform. Here's a list of some of the features that were important to me. Surprisingly, this camera met most of them.

SIZE
This camera is tiny and easily fits unnoticably into a pocket. Very portable. CHECK.

CONSTRUCTION
Mostly metal, feels solid in my hand and weighs more than you would expect for such a small package. Normal Fujifilm quality. CHECK.

LCD
Wow, oh wow. The huge screen dwarfs anything I've seen on other cameras. Clear and bright in all light levels and my wife can even see it without her glasses! In just the 10 days I've owned this camera, several complete strangers have commented on the screen and have asked for a better look. Also, there is a one-button-push image brightening function for bright light conditions. Simple and effective. CHECK.

EASE OF USE
Sometimes you just want a point and shoot camera, no fuss, no drama and be prepared to live with the limitations. Everything about my new camera had to be simple - my wife was tired of not being able to use any of our other cameras! The V10 couldn't be simpler - power on, wait about 1.2 seconds, point, shoot. There's some more advanced features buried in the menu system but if you're buying this camera, you probably won't need them or use them. CHECK.

IMAGE QUALITY
Take a look at the sample photo I uploaded to the image gallery. I am absolutely delighted with the results produced by this camera - with one caveat - the scene must be well lit with available light. For vacation photos, this camera will excel. Quality can be superb with low noise levels, sharp images and vibrant (but exaggerated) color rendition which is slightly blue biased. Forget about the flash - it's almost useless except for shots at no more than 6' distance and it WILL produce red-eye (easily corrected in most photo editing packages). CHECK.

ZOOM CAPABILITY
The 3.4x zoom is more than adequate for most needs. When you handle this little gem, you will wonder how the heck Fuji managed to fit all this into such a small package. A miracle of engineering. CHECK.

FEATURES
Easy playback was important. On this camera it's the press of one button and half a second later the image is displayed on the LCD. A half press of the shutter button and you're back to picture-taking mode.

Video was not so important to me but it's actually very good. The only limitation is that you can't zoom once you've started recording but if you want video, buy a video camera!

Games. Yes, you read that right. I have absolutely no need of games on my camera but the V10 has 4 built in. They seem like late 1980's style games but why would you need them? Well, have you ever traveled with a grumpy child who is 'bored' every 5 minutes. Hand them your camera so they can play the games and although initially they'll probably laugh at the quality, I bet they'll play them and make your trip a lot more enjoyable!

Other features include an easy macro mode, easy deletion of images oh, and a sensible length 'lanyard' style strap. For a point and shoot, I'd say this camera is very well featured. CHECK

CAPACITY
There's nothing more annoying than running out of either battery or memory card space. For day to day use, I have found the rechargeable Fuji battery lasts longer than I need. Unfortunately the camera must be plugged in to recharge the battery and it's a pretty slow process (3 hours plus) but if you remember to charge it overnight, you'll be fine. I have already bought a spare battery and will charge it up for use as a spare if I ever do use up the first battery in one day.

Here's my first complaint about this camera - what on earth are Fujifilm thinking shipping it with a 16mb XD card? Save yourself time and order a 1GB card with the camera - that's large enough for 820+ photos at normal resolution. Yeah, the XD card is not as popular as some other formats, but it is VERY fast - much faster than SD cards.

My only other complaint is the charger is far too big - why not just have a small device into which the battery slots? The 'power-brick' and cable approach is so 1990's.

So, overall, I give the Fuji Finepix V10 an enthusiastic thumbs-up. At this price point, you will not be disappointed.

If you travel alot, just like to take pictures, the families designated photographer and cameraman, or just even some one with an artistic eye like myself this camera is definately for you.

This is a very solid buy for anyone looking for a good mid-level camera. Perfect for people who take lots of photos, ranging from snap shots to high quality memories and everything in between. More than enough for an average guy like myself, but not quite everything an avid photographer would need.

I bought the Fujifilm FinePix v10 in mid October of '06. I put it through 3 months and 4 holidays worth of use, paces and light abuse, and now I feel confident enough to write a review about it. I'm so satisfied it's hard not to be bias, but I will say that this is the first Fujifilm product I've ever owned, so keep that in mind.

With a little bit of camera expirience I was able to use this camera out of the box and after it's first charge. Like all gadgets it takes a little while to really run through it's abilities and figure out what it can do. The instructions are nice and easy to follow for begginers, but if you have the slightest expirience with digital cameras, you won't even need them.

This camera is pretty small, very light and easily kept on your person, in any pocket. Think, just bigger and heavier and thicker than a deck of playing cards. THe LCD screen is AMAZING. I thought I would feel the need for the old school eye-piece for close ups or landscape shots, but so far this screen hasn't failed to impress me. Likewise with the camera's push button play back feature, i feel like i'm carrying a photo-album in my pocket as much as a camera. not only do i like showing my friends some of my favorite shots with it, but the camera itself tends to attract more attention.

The other thing I'd like to point out is just how quick this little guy is. Very little start-up time. With out a stop watch, I make it a 2 count and it's on and ready to fire. Play-back mode is 1 button away, and instantly pops up, you can't miss a photo-op, press the shutter once and you're instantly ready to take another picture. I tend to leave lots and lots of pictures on it, as I went ahead and upgraded to a 512mb memory stick, but even with the stock memory card, plugging into your PC has never been easier, and I would Imagine the same on a Mac. Fujifilm provides software that's almost too simplified for myself, but allows to auto upload your photos. Don't want the software? No problem, Fuji built this little devil with Drag-n-drop abilities to sort, delete or copy your pictures. (you could even use it as a flash drive and bring your work home, it won't play mp3's but i've used it to transport those as well... any files really as long as they fit) This feature, on modern gadgets and media devices is priceless.

The only bad things I can say about the camera: It's zoom could be a little bit better for landscape and scenery shots. But as is, it does just fine for almost everything I use it for. Also, it's amazingly cool LCD screen is also it's Achilles' Heel. If you scratch or crack this screen, it's game over, especially with out a back up view finder. So be sure to register and fill out that warrany card, just in case. and that's that. I've got nothing bad to say about this camera.

I will wrap up by saying. If you're an avid photographer, this is a good camera but you might want to aim for something that will let you custom adjust all your settings to take the quality of photo you need. But on the otherside, if you just use a camera for quick snap shots, this baby will do it, but it's overkill, you'll get you're money's worth in the long run, but cheaper, smaller cameras will do for you.

However, for everyone in-between, If you're in the market, I can't say enough good things about this camera. Period.

I love this camera. I ordered this camera from amazon and so far it has exceeded my expectations. I even tried using this camera in total darkness. I wasn't able to get a clear picture of what I was photographing on the display screen, yet the picture came out perfect. This is my first time using a digital camera (outside of the one on my phone) and after glancing through the book, I feel I can hold my own with this camera. I would suggest getting a memory card if you plan on storing a lot of photos on the camera since it only comes with 16mb. But it does come with its own usb cable and software for downloading the photos to a computer or printer. For the amount of money invested in this camera, you receive amazing quality photos.

I bought this camera for a my wife for Christmas this year,she loves it especially the extra large lcd screen. It takes good pics too!The only setback was the 16mb card, didn't hold many snaps. Upgraded now to 1gb nd all is right with the world!Nice compact design fits small hands well too.It is also relatively simple to use, she is no techie, but is able to work it just fine. Got it for a GREAT PRICE TOO!