A lot of ppl including myself are anxiously awaiting the launch of this camera. Details on this camera are quite elusive. There are no sample pics out yet and not much is known about it except for its looks and specs.

For those unfamiliar with this cam, the F30 is the successor to the much acclaimed F10/F11. Both F10/F11 are champion low-light super compacts that can take useable ISO1600 pics. And Fujifilm is going to improve on these models with the F30 which allegedly delivers quality at ISO3200 "similar" to that of F11 at ISO1600!!

Anyways, here's the press release :-



Capture The Moment As Your Eye Sees It With The New Finepix F30 From Fujifilm
ISO Sensitivity Equivalent Peaks at 3200 with Full Resolution; Easy-to-Use Picture Stabilization Mode Initiates Anti-Shake & Anti-Blur Settings

Valhalla, NY, February 14, 2006 - Parents with kids that won't sit still for pictures will be very interested in the FinePix F30 digital camera announced today by Fuji Photo Film U.S.A, Inc.

The 6.3 MegaPixel FinePix F30 is the world's first point-and-shoot digital camera for consumers with full-resolution ISO equivalency speeds as high as 3200 - a setting previously reserved for advanced consumer and professional digital camera models. Higher light sensitivities allow the FinePix F30 to shoot with faster shutter speeds, which lessen the likelihood of blurry pictures caused by ever-active children, fidgety pets, dim ambient light or camera movement due to an unsteady hand.

Picture Stabilization

Combining higher light sensitivities with faster shutter speeds is a technique used by seasoned photographers to stabilize pictures and reduce blur. But even a novice can succeed at this technique with the FinePix F30. To make it easy for consumers to achieve blur-free results, Fujifilm has added a helpful "Picture Stabilization" mode dial setting to the FinePix F30. This easy-to-identify, automatic setting lets the FinePix F30 choose the correct light sensitivity and best-matching shutter speed for the highest quality digital pictures.

Real Photo Technology

The class-leading performance of the FinePix F30 is due in large part to the second generation of Real Photo Technology, the latest photographic achievement from Fujifilm. Real Photo Technology is a synergetic combination of Fujifilm's Super CCD sensor, its proprietary RP Processor and a world-class lens from renowned manufacturer, Fujinon. It debuted in Fujifilm cameras in 2005 and models with the Real Photo Technology advantage, like the FinePix F10, starred in hands-on camera reviews.

In the past, ISO equivalencies as high as 3200, or even 1600 and 800, had been off-limits to compact consumer digicams due to image "noise", a by-product of higher light sensitivities. Noise, which can be likened to radio or television signal static, reduces a picture's clarity. With the sixth generation Super CCD sensor producing less noise than its predecessor and the new RP Processor II finely tuned to remove even more noise than last year's processor, the FinePix F30 produces pictures that are sharp, full of rich color and contain dramatically less image noise than competitive camera models.

i-Flash

Another innovation on the FinePix F30 that works in tandem with Real Photo Technology and higher sensitivities is a new Fujifilm flash system called i-Flash. The Fujifilm i-Flash system is more advanced than similar flash systems because it can detect more accurately the subtle lighting differences within a scene, and then light the subject accordingly with a wider range of flash intensities. This is accomplished with an adjustment to the flash's intensity based on a variety of factors including subject position in the frame, subject size, ambient light and backlight intensity. So, even if the subject is off center and standing under a streetlight, the i-Flash system will expose the subject properly.

i-Flash is a tremendous asset to photographers, particularly when shooting in low light, producing pictures with more natural looking subjects and backgrounds that are full of bright and crisp detail. Portraits is where the i-Flash difference is most apparent, with more realistic facial tones lacking the washed-out look often associated with flash photography.

"Fujifilm is a company with a rich photographic legacy and it is our mission to develop technologies that make it easy for consumers to take the highest quality pictures," observed David Troy, Senior Product Manager, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "With industry leading innovations such as the blur and noise- reducing Real Photo Technology, along with the i-Flash system for more natural looking photos, the FinePix F30 helps users capture the moment just as their eyes see it." In addition to Real Photo Technology, the FinePix F30 has a number of other noteworthy features:


Fast Operation: The days of the slow reacting digital camera are over. The FinePix F30 powers up in a little more than a second and shutter lag, the time it takes the camera to fire after the auto focus and auto exposure locks, is down to 0.01 seconds.

More Power: FinePix F30 users can take approximately 500 pictures on a single battery charge, eliminating worry that the camera might power off before an important shot.

"Natural Light" shooting mode: This mode preserves scene mood and enhances background detail by shooting with faster shutter speeds at higher light sensitivities (if necessary) with a suppressed flash.
Users also can experience the benefits of Natural Light in a one-of-a-kind shooting mode called "Natural Light & With Flash." In this mode the FinePix F30 quickly shoots two images in succession -- one with and one without the flash -- saving both. This convenient function lets the user perform an on-the-spot picture comparison and decide whether the FinePix F30 produced the most pleasing photo either with flash, or without.

Manual settings, including shutter and aperture priority, for more user control.

A 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD with Fujifilm's glare-reducing Clear View Film for better viewing in direct light. Fujifilm is a leading supplier of anti-glare and low-reflection technologies for flat panel displays and some of the same anti-glare and low-reflection elements found on displays costing thousands of dollars are found on the FinePix F30.

Movie capture enhanced by noise reduction, making it possible to capture clear, sharp moving images even at high ISO sensitivity speeds.

Internal memory. FinePix F30 users will want to take a lot of pictures and memory cards can fill quickly, so having a reserve of on-board storage will come in handy.
The FinePix F30 is available in May 2006 at a retail cost of $399.

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The specs can be found here :-
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/camera/spe.../1194/show.html

A detailed preview can be found here :-
http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/F...ons-Review-.htm

A video clip on the F30 can be found here :-
http://www.imaging-resource.com/EVENTS/PMA...IDEO.HTML#pma05

This post has been edited by Par@dox: Mar 26 2006, 02:17 AM

And so, the wait continues...

is it really to replace F11? or they'll sell both concurrently? great cam btw... i don't why others too slow to develop sensitive sensors like on this cam. sony is coming up but the latest model still far from matching fuji in noise dept

I think they will probably sell both models concurrently. F11 is still new. I don't think they will phase it out so soon.

Yeah, I think this will be king of all compact camera. Everyone should just buy this camera.

don't have sample pics?

where can i find fullsize sample pics of F11?

dpreview? .

f30 i juz got my hands on a sample unit

2 me nothin special though juz that iso 3200

nights pic so so onli not really that remarkable until fuji market it

Not really remarkable? Try taking the same shots under the same conditions with any other camera in the market ...

hmm.. the write up itself is really promising (marketing people... ). I'll wait for real reviews.

You just got yourself on a sample unit? So soon? Pls post some sample pics!! I don't think anyone on the net has posted sample pics yet

This post has been edited by Par@dox: Mar 31 2006, 10:51 PM

i bet the unit u tested was using USB RAM

I'm not exactly hyped up about the F30. I don't know about Fuji's latest CCD's lah, but from what I saw on the Fuji s9500, a shot at ISO1600 has very rough and jagged edges. Not much noticeable noise, but the jaggedness kinda suggest poor image processing quality.

But of course, this is a great turn of events as Fuji has just set the bar higher for many compact 'stylish' digicam makers. I bet Canon and Nikon just got their work cut out for them. [oh, hello A700!]

If ISO is all that matters, I beg to differ. It's got a poor burst mode of 2.2fps, which is good lah, but for only 3 frames. Zoom isn't that impressive either. It's still bound by the common 5cm macro.

Not to mention that I can't attach any accessory conversion lenses or filters to it. It also runs on Li-On, which is a major turn-off for me [in terrms of compacts, that is. prosumers and dSLRs lain cerita]. And lastly, the xD picture card. Less versatility, despite it's high speed. I can't plug it straight into my phone if there's a picture I want to send via MMS.

[Don't even think of suggesting that I use my phone's camera, LOL. Defeats the entire purpose.]

It's only selling point is its ISO 3200. But even so, what's the point if the image quality is poor?

This post has been edited by Silencers: Apr 3 2006, 03:20 PM

well said from a pro

i don't hav wit me anymore juz that i tested it around a nite

if u got nothin else 2 say stay off n stfu pls

Well, slam its poor ISO1600/3200 image quality if you will. You're saying it's poor against a dSLR, obviously - because if you compare against other cameras of about the same size and the same price, you will see that there is nothing else in the market that even comes close. All of its competition fall apart at ISO400 - this is a camera with a usable at ISO800.

This is definitely a good buy for those who like to take pictures with high ISO. Saw the pic and its really good. good for pics with low light.

also do not compare this camera with a dSLR. compare it with a P&S camera within its budget.


what you pay is what you get.

there will definitely be noise at higher ISOs
it is whether the noise is excessive or acceptable.

dude, the F10's ISO800 owned the competition's ISO 400. Sure, the S9000 may not have been quite as good but it was still leaps ahead of the competition. Which would you rather have? Some jagged edges at ISO3200 or no photo at all? As for your supposed 'flaws' of the F30, you just have to consider the target market. The casual shooter who is most likely to buy this mostly couldnt be bothered with a poor burst mode (they are most likely to chimp after every shot anyway) or conversion lenses. Not to mention the fact that most of these ppl wont bother printing bigger than 4x6 anyway which pretty much does away with any of the high ISO shortcomings.

That post you quoted was more troll than pro.

This post has been edited by BurgaFlippinMan: Apr 4 2006, 01:06 AM

LoLz! Hahahahahahaha ... (yes I'm spamming!)

i'd say that fuji's iso800 is even better than iso200 on some cams