Excellent image quality - at low ISOs, comparable to many DSLRs
Very sharp, flare-free lens superior to most DSLR kit lenses
High ISOs very good to 800, usable at 1600
Excellent auto white balance
Despite annoying implementation, good manual controls
Fast autofocus except close up
Great as a macro camera for still subjects
Good flash exposures
Can replace a DSLR for many uses without giving up image quality.

No histogram display.
Slow close-up AF
Fumbly manual controls, and no true manual shutter AND aperture control
Some tweaking required for best results

Best Point & Shoot I have used so far! I picked up an F30 in 2006 as a way to ease into digital after 20+ years using 35mm. Initially a skeptic, I have been won over by its excellent image quality and responsiveness. It's compact enough to carry anywhere, and with its high capacity battery, you can keep shooting without worrying about running out of juice.

I recently compared its image quality with my Nikon D80 DSLR and was amazed at how well the F30 kept up. In fact, at lower ISOs, it displayed sharper images than the D80 with the Nikon 18-70mm lens. With the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens the DSLR pulled ahead but the difference was still fairly small. Obviously the D80 sensor itself captures higher resolution than the F30 sensor, but my point is that the F30 lens is so good across the field that the F30 can outperform the average DSLR with kit lens in terms of sharpness at low ISOs. The F30 also has superior auto white balance in incandescent light compared to the D80.

Much has been said about the excellent high ISO image quality of the F30, and it's definitely true up to ISO 800, even 1600 sometimes. No small feat for a P&S, and from what I have seen in a league of its own compared to the current competition. No surprise this camera is selling for twice its original price now (early 2008)...if you can find it, that is. Such a pity that Fuji decided to go the high megapixel high noise route with the F50.

Over the past 14 months or so I have shot several thousands of images on the F30 on three continents. It has been on "M" mode and Auto ISO (400 or 1600) 90% of the time. It has been my go-anywhere camera and thanks to its fast AF, high image quality, compactness, tweakable settings and long battery life, it has allowed me to get the kind of images I envisioned even in difficult conditions. It has far exceeded my expectations.

A few gripes. The evaluative meter tends to overexpose, so I always use centerweighted (or occasionally spot). For sunny days outdoors I keep it at -2/3 EV exposure compensation and that works beautifully to preserve highlights. The rest of the time no compensation required. The default brightness of the LCD is misleadingly bright so I set it to -2 to make it more comparable to the actual exposure . Close-up AF is very slow. And my biggest criticism is that the manual controls are not very easy to change on-the-fly (though thankfully they are there). With a better user interface, a live histogram, a slightly wider lens and optical image stabilization, this could be my ultimate camera. Alas, I am left to lament again the direction Fuji took with the F50.

Similar Products Used:

Canon SD550, Canon SD700IS, Panasonic FX01, Fuji F20

* Portability - Very compact, good grip and ergonomics.

* Noise - This is a tossup, in my opinion. Fuji's noise, as defined by the industry, is much lower than most compact cameras, including the G7, especially at ISO 400 and above. However, the F30 still suffers from what I call "artifacts" or "dots" that make the image not nearly as "clean" as those seen from a dSLR. Still, F30 is still considered "best in class"

* Speed - This is one of the fastest compact cameras that I have ever tried. Fast focus and low shutter lag, even with LCD and flash on. Does NOT compare to the speed of a dslr, but I've never found myself cursing the camera because I missed a shot.

*Not enough manual controls and not accessible enough- it is MUCH easier to get to and change camera settings and parameters for a camera like a Canon G7 than the F30. F30 is much more menu dependent; G7 has more accessible, useful buttons and dials.

*Not enough "creative" controls or features - Things like manual focus, histogram, etc. would have been nice to. Also, I'm a big panorama fan, and the photo-stitching capabilities of other compacts are a real treat. You can still do it without the feature or PhotoStitch software, but it can be more difficult.

* Lens/Shutter Capability - Other cameras like G7 have IS, which helps when trying to shoot in the 1/10 to 1/30 shutter speed range. F30 also only has a 3x lens. Also, the F30 tends to lock focus even though the object you're shooting may be too close. Unless you realize you are too close and switch it to macro mode, the focus will lock but the image will be blurry. Other camera like the G7 seem to not struggle as much in these situations; it seems to do better at short distances in focusing before needing to switch over to macro mode.

In general I think the F30 is one of the best compact digital cameras out there when it comes to low noise and portability. It is NOT a replacement for a dSLR, speed-wise nor image-quality-wise. I also lacks enough manual controls to try more creative types of photography. Still, if you want something convenient and portable that will give you a few "keepers", this is just the ticket.

For a comparison to another favorite compact of mine, the Canon G7, go to:
http://www.60hzproductions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=1

Extremely good in low (natural light) shots.
Easy to become familiar with, if you take the time to READ THE MANUAL and TRY various functions. (you do get real manual, not basic text manual & instructional CD).
Love the manual mode (which s/b called "manual auto"). You can set ISO range or select ISO from 100 to 800. Can use manual for shots with extremely slow shutter
w/o tripod and still get good results without going to ISO 1600 or 3200. Major strength that I had not counted on.
Add selective exposure compensation to above makes great versatility.
2.5" LCD screen w/anti glare coating and bright gain-up setting when needed.
Great battery life. Metal body.
Price (190.00 after $50 rebate).
Both aperture & shutter priority.
Flash w/AutoFocus assist lamp for shot in complete darkness.
Choice of 3 auto focus modes
13 scene modes including "natural light/flash dual mode" which is nice.
Quick power up

Flimsy USB/power port cover
Only 3x optical zoom
Lack of optical viewfinder
Vari-angle LCD would have been nice
XD versus SD picture cards
Dedicated ISO button would be plus

Being new to digital cameras, but very familiar with 35mm film cameras, I spent days/weeks researching which compact to purchase. I read numerous reviews, both pro and consumer. I learned quickly, there is no perfect compact camera. At least I couldn't find one.
Research became frustrating. So, I went to purchase 101 and listed the Top 10 points that were most important to me. No camera had all 10, quite a few had 7-8 points, and two had 9. My choices came down to Canon A630 and Fuji F30.
After using the F30 for 500+ shots, I'm more than pleased.
I recommend for beginner or any type casual/intermediate user that wants relatively small pocket point and shoot camera. Although its much more versatile than standard P & S camera.
Do your research and see where it checks out on your on your Top 10 list.

Customer Service

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Similar Products Used:

Canon A630
Nikon Coolpix
Canon A70

Effectively high ISO, quick shutter response, decent menu, manual control over shutter speed and aperture, generally well constructed, excellent for macro and 640X480 movie use, very good optics, quick focus for single shots, very impressive low light capabilities, equally impressive for action shots.

loss of sharp resolution at larger aperture openings (typical), small for a large person (also typical of its kind).

As an aside, after taking hundreds of photos in many of its modes, I do not see the purple fringing spoken of in the CNet review

With that said, I was initially reluctant to use any of the many small cameras with dimensions similar to the F30. I'm 6'2" with large hands and couldn't wrap my mind around using something so small as an "always take along" contraption.

Happily, I was wrong. Manual control over apeture and shutter speed works well, although I'm finding that the "action" and other settings usually preclude the need.

The large and very clear screen (set to a 60 per second refresh rate) is excellent. You can view your subject in almost total darkness.

Auto Focus is excellent and color rendition is impressive. When set to "fine" mode, the photos are razor sharp. As with any camera, there is noticable softening with the apeture wide open. That's why you'll love the high ISO capabilities.

Don't be fooled into thinking that cameras with lower ISO capabilities equipped with stabalization devices can do the same job. These systems use inferior and fragile moving sensors or lenses which ONLY reduce camera shake. They do nothing for capturing action shots in reduced light situations. These devices are great for movie cameras, but for fast moving still photography, you need a usable high ISO.

With the F30, you can do some very nice work right through ISO 1600. You can use the ISO 3200 mode in a pinch, but for blow-ups, you should be prepared for some creative lab work.

This is a very superior and responsive piece of technology. Fuji even gives you a decently thought out menuing system which from my observation, is a first for them. I might also add that the macro capabilities are very impressive as is the ability to produce very credible 640X480 movies.

My rating is a spectacular for this kind of camera. Five stars for its kind.

Customer Service

n/r

Similar Products Used:

Several but forgotten small digital cameras.

Small, Well Designed, High ISO 3200 capable, Fast Autofocus and Start Up Time.

No RAW and Synchro function.

As a pro Fashion/Advertising and Beauty photographer for over twenty years, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most advanced photographic materials available. I wanted a small camera that I could carry in my pocket that could be used whenever I would take walks in Paris or perhaps for vacations. I use Canon products professionally and was sponsored by Canon France last year. I purchased the new Casio FZ600 after playing with it at the store. It was so compact and visually pleasing. Unfortunately after using it for one day, I returned it. The noise levels were just to high compared to what I was accustomed to using Canons Digital SLR's. I decided to purchase the Fuji Finepix F30. Although not nearly as good as digital large sensor camera's, the Fuji F30 is the first compact digital camera I have ever used with acceptable noise levels at 800 ISO. There are artifacts but nothing compared to other compacts competing in this very crowded field. Shooting at 100 ISO is incredible with only very slight noise showing if applying unsharpen mask in PS. You have to be very discerning in this area as sharpening has already been applied and you must use sparingly. I find that 0.3 to 0.4 pixels at around 100 percent is as strong as one can go. The auto focus is very fast compared to many compacts I have tried and especially appreciate the continuous focus mode. The screen is very bright and clear and can be boosted with just one press of a button. I also appreciate the fact that there is an aperture and shutter priority option. I tend to stay in that mode at all times. I would only wish that they provided a synchro flash input on the camera as well as the possibility of recording images in RAW. If that were the case I might be inclined to give the F30 a perfect score. One more point. The macro mode is marvelous. I was amazed at the quality and resolution that came off of this fine little camera.

Customer Service

None Needed

Similar Products Used:

Casio FZ600
Canon G5
Minolta 700