What you just heard was the sound of five new FinePix cameras popping out of Fujifilm’s doors. Yippie! If all goes well, we’ll be seeing these SDHC-loving / xD-hating babies from late August. Let’s start working through the list: the 12 megapixel, 720p-video (24fps) F300EXR boasts auto-focus speeds that are “as good as” DSLRs, all thanks to the camera’s hybrid auto-focus system — a combination of Contrast AF (as used on most compacts) and Phase Detection AF (as found on most DSLRs). Other goodies include a wide 15x (24-360mm equivalent) “low noise” zoom lens, 3-inch high contrast 460k-dot LCD on the back, ISO settings up to a staggering 12,800, 360˚ panorama shooting mode, face detection, face recognition (to let you store optimum exposure and focus settings for up to eight faces), HDMI output, and image stabilization on the second-gen Super CCD EXR sensor. The price? You’ll have to cough up $329.95 for this bad boy.
Read on for the rest of the family.
Next up is the smaller, funky-looking Z800EXR compact that shares many identical features with the F300EXR: 12 megapixel second-gen EXR sensor, hybrid auto focus system, 720p (24fps) video recording, sensor-shift stabilization, face recognition, face detection, and 360˚ panorama shooting mode. As a bonus, the 3.5-inch 460k-dot LCD also serves as a touchscreen that supports tap-focusing, and we also dig the MyFinePix Studio desktop suite that can automatically upload marked clips and shots upon docking. The trade-off is obviously with the smaller lens — 5x optical zoom (35-175mm equivalent) — as well as the lack of HDMI output and fewer ISO settings (up to 3,200), but you’ll save $100 (making it $229.95) when compared to the F300EXR.
Moving swiftly along, here we have the Z80 for the budget market — it sports a 14.2 megapixel sensor (sans EXR branding), 5x optical zoom (36-180mm equivalent), digital image stabilization, 720p (30fps) video recording, regular panorama shooting mode, face detection, and a 2.7-inch 230k-dot LCD. Nothing too thrilling here, but then again Fujifilm currently has no plans to release this model in the US.
To cater those looking for a (presumably) similarly-priced compact with a wider lens, Fujifilm’s also got this 14.1 megapixel JX280. That’s a 28-140mm equivalent 5x optical zoom lens you’re looking at there, but otherwise everything else — including the LCD — appear to be exactly the same as the Z80. All yours for $149.95.
Last but not least, we have this beast-like S2800HD, which Fujifilm actually claims to be the world’s smallest 18x zoom (28-504mm equivalent) camera. For $259.95 you get a 14 megapixel sensor, 3-inch 230k-dot LCD, 720p (24fps) video mode, ISO settings up to 1600 only (or 3200 and 6400 for small pictures), image stabilization on the sensor, HDMI output, face and blink detection, smile and shoot mode, and full manual controls. As impressive as it looks, the lack of stereo mic (for video mode) on this large body does intrigue us.
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