Fujifilm FinePix Z35 review

Fun, fashionable and cool! The Finepix Z35 is the ultimate party camera.

For young and fashionable party people than the Fujifilm Finepix Z35 is the first choice point and shoot compact. The model can be purchased in a range of different colours with two designs incorporating a two-tone effect, one in black and grey and one white and pink. The slim and lightweight casing measures a slender 23.9mm meaning it will fit into a handbag or pocket with ease so can be taken almost anywhere.

Image quality varied greatly and results depended on circumstances however for a camera of this price this is to be expected. The Z35 direct competition on the market is the Nikon COOLPIX S220 that is a great budget camera, and after comparing the image results of the Z35 to the S220 they are both on par with each other. 

The Finepix Z35 struggled when it came to metering and more often than not the main problem with image quality would be overexposure and highlight blowouts. The colour balance was fairly even across the spectrum however some of the images tended to lean towards the warmer end of the scales. This is not a major problem as it is only a slight magenta cast and does not interfere with the overall impression of the image. The 10 megapixel sensor is more than adequate resolution for a camera of this calibre and images can be enlarged to a decent size.  

To activate the Finepix Z35 the front slider has to be shifted horizontally to reveal a very small lens. This could be one of the problems as to why the Z35 struggles with metering as there is minimal light going through to the sensor. The Z35 also boasts a 3x optical zoom that is slow to react to the small and fiddly controls at the rear.

When it comes to functionality than the Finepix Z35 is incredibly simple to use, as one would expect from a camera of this level. The controls on the back are too close to the body and for the consumer with larger fingers the buttons could prove to be awkward as they are rather small. The buttons cannot increase in size due to the small body so unless Fujifilm decreased the size of the LCD screen this is one sacrifice that has to be made.

The LCD measures a small 2.5” and one problem regularly encountered in bright sunlight was an un-viewable screen. The brightness can be adjusted to correct this issue however this can be irritating if you just want to take a quick shot and you have to hunt around the menu options. 

When it comes to features than the Finepix Z35 is not overflowing, however for £150 point and shoot model this is to be expected. The top selling feature is the SR Auto mode that automatically changes settings to adjust itself to the scene. After thoroughly testing this mode it was quick to modify however sometimes the camera could not handle the conditions and image results were not always accurate.  

Other features included on the Z35 for the younger generation and social networker is a Blog mode that resizes images in the camera to ensure an easy and direct upload to the internet. For those who want to make videos than the Z35 comes with a one touch video button that automatically starts recording and although the Z35 does not come with HD video the quality is still decent.     

In terms of value for money at £150 there is not much to complain about. The Finepix Z35 is a budget camera and will not break the bank. The camera has been designed for the young generation and for those who have no interest in increasing their photography skills but simply wants to take snapshot photographs. For this usage the Z35 achieves it’s aim, offering some basic features to insure images make the transition from memory card to internet as rapidly as possible and with the minimum of resizing involved. The Z35 looks fantastic and is fun to use however this compact is not going to deliver high quality results but for a budget camera or a first camera it delivers enough.