Fujifilm Finepix F30, Finepix F650, Finepix A600 Digital Cameras Announced

We're officially in the run up to PMA.  Fujifilm has announced three new cameras.  The Finepix F30 is a follow up to the low-light performing F10, the Finepix F650 features a 3 inch LCD, and the entry level Finepix A600 features the Super CCD imaging sensor.  The F30 will be available in May for $399, the F650 will be available in June for $349, and the A600 will hit the market in June for $249.

Finepix F30

The Fujifilm Finepix F10 garnered quite a following when it really proved its worth with excellent low-light performance (for a Point and Shoot camera).  The F30 hopes to continue this performance, but this time, shooting at sensitivities as high as ISO 3200.  The camera features a 6.3 megapixel Super CCD image sensor and 3x optical zoom lens.   A 2.5 inch LCD with 230K pixels and glare reducing Clear View film are featured as well.

A new innovation with the F30 is i-Flash.  This enhancement to standard flash systems detects subtle lighting differences in the frame and can fire the flash at wider range of intensities.  According to Fujifilm, the benefits of i-Flash are most apparent in portraits - the skin tones are lit more naturally and don't get washed out.

Fujifilm also states that the shutter lag of this camera is down to 0.01 seconds (and start up time of just over a second).

According to the spec sheet, Fujifilm has not added any manual modes in the F30, which was a popular criticism of the F10.

Summary Specs

• 6.3 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom lens
• Can shoot up to ISO 3200
• i-Flash
• xD-Picture Card storage
• Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion (up to 500 shots)

Fujifilm Finepix F30 press release (word doc)

Finepix F650

The things that stand out on the Fujifilm Finepix F650 spec sheet are the 3 inch LCD and a 5x optical zoom.  It can take 6 megapixel images and movies at 640x480, 30 frames per second.  The press release says that the camera will have internal memory, but not how much, so we'll have to see.  One thing on the spec sheet that disappoints me is the esitimated 150 shot battery life - another item that we'll find more about when we get hands on.

Summary Specs

• 6 megapixel
• 5x optical zoom
• 3 inch LCD
• lithium-ion rechargeable battery (good for 150 shots)
• xD-Picture Card storage

Fujifilm Finepix F650 press release (word doc)

Finepix A600

A new camera in their entry level line, the A600 is the inclusion of the Super CCD sensor.  The 6.3 megapixel sensor captures with a 3x optical zoom lens.  Images are stored on an xD-Picture Card with some internal memory for emergencies.  Four scene modes (portrait, landscape, night, and sport) leave the camera simple for entry level users.  The camera is powered by 2 AA-sized batteries.

Fujifilm Finepix A600 press release (Word doc)