Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP reviews

Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP

Overall rating:

- 3

You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP Camera. Here are the reviewers:

PCMag	- 03 September 2009 -	- 2
DigitalCameraReview	- 21 August 2009 -	- 0
Pocket-lint	- 12 August 2009 -	- 3
CNET	- 11 August 2009 -	- 3
Imaging Resource	- 15 July 2009 -	- 0
CNET UK	- 12 June 2009 -	- 3.5
DPInterface	- 28 May 2009 -	- 0
Photoxels	- 01 April 2009 -	- 0

“ With dismal still-image quality, poor video quality, an LCD you can't see in the sun, and a lens that fogs up when it hits the water, the Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP isn't a good choice for a beach camera. If you need a waterproof shooter, and you can afford it, check out the $330 Canon PowerShot D10, which features a high-quality LCD and lens, and takes beautiful images and decent SD video. If you're simply looking for a great, inexpensive pocket camera to use on dry land, check out our Editors' Choice for budget cameras, the multi-talented Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS... ”

PCMag's rating:

- 2

Complete review here

“ There's no doubt about it, this camera takes fun seriously. It's ready for a pool party and it wants to steal the limelight when it arrives. However, some of the problems I ran into while shooting with the FinePix Z33WP should be taken into account.

The camera struggles in difficult lighting conditions, and finding the right balance in shooting settings is sometimes tricky. Shooting in Auto and Scene Recognition mode will take some of these decisions out of the hands of the user, but it's a far from perfect overall shooting experience.

Don't count it out, though. It took some good quality images in and out of the water, it withstood our underwater testing, and it was generally a fun camera to use. For under $200, it's not a bad option at all, assuming you want all the attention that goes along with a flashy pink camera. And if you do, then flaunt it, baby, flaunt it... ”

DigitalCameraReview's rating:

- 0

Complete review here

“ There's no doubting that the Z33WP is an impressively built camera, offering moisture protection (be it from the sea or a wayward glass of wine) in a bundle you can easily slip into your pocket.

If image quality is important, if want the most out of your images, than perhaps moving to a weatherproofed model this small isn't the smartest move for you. However, the Z33WP does offer that waterproofing at a relatively affordable price so might appeal if you are prone to destroying cameras in the pub, although better image quality can be had at a lower price elsewhere.

But when all is said and done, the Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP is an easy to use and fun camera that can be easily thrown into a bag heading down to the beach, without worrying about it getting wet or filled with sand. It looks great, but doesn't quite offer the performance to match... ”

Pocket-lint's rating:

- 3

Complete review here

“ The Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP is an inexpensive waterproof point-and-shoot ultracompact camera. And by inexpensive I mean that it's considerably less than other waterproof cameras. However, the pictures and performance aren't the greatest, so while the Z33WP on paper looks like a good deal for an everyday pocket camera, you're better using it as a secondary camera specifically for shooting in rain and snow, or at the beach and pool... ”

CNET's rating:

- 3

Complete review here

“ The Fujifilm Z33WP and Olympus 550WP are in almost a dead heat for the title of least-expensive underwater-rated digital camera, but each has its own particular set of strengths and weaknesses. As you'd expect, there are some significant tradeoffs in optical and image quality that come from combining the words "least-expensive" and "waterproof" in a single product description, but frankly, there are times when having any pictures of a special event is more important than the absolute quality of the images. (Read Dave's article Good Photos or No Photos? for his perspective this.) When it comes to choosing between the two cameras, the Fuji Z33PWP wins on style and shutter response, but the Olympus 550WP wins on optical and image quality. (As we said above, the Z33WP should really be considered a camera for makng 4x6 inch snapshot prints or web photos.) Which you go for may depend on who you are and what you want from the camera. The Fuji Z33WP would be a hands-down winner for kids, who'll appreciate its sleek lines, cute-as-a-button styling and who'll be more likely to need its faster shutter response... ”

Imaging Resource's rating:

- 0

Complete review here

“ The Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP's definition isn't great and its operation is rather sluggish, but, despite all that, this camera is so neat and pretty that you've got to cut it some slack. Perhaps its biggest problem is that it doesn't look like a £160 camera, so it's disappointing when it starts behaving like one... ”

CNET UK's rating:

- 3.5

Complete review here

“ The FinePix Z33 is a waterproof (and dustproof) 10 megapixel compact camera from Fujifilm. The FinePix Z33 costs a good $100 to $150 less than its ‘true’ rugged competitors but obviously isn’t freeze or shockproof like those cameras. Its closest nemesis is probably the Olympus Stylus 550WP, similar price and feature set.

I wouldn’t call the FinePix Z33 stylish but its design surely breaks out of the normal square camera, round lens designs – I’d call it eye-catching (Especially once you pick either pink or green). The camera is easy to hold with a raised front ‘grip’ and nice buttons but the camera does suffer from two main issues: weird directional pad operation and no lens protection. That said, you had better pick up the optional silicone case or pouch to hold the camera if you value that 3X lens.

The FinePix Z33 has plenty of up’s as well as down’s. Bad news first: there’s below average battery life, lack of image stabilization and no manual controls. On the positive note, the Z33 spots several unique features – Couple Timer and Group Timer are the two new ones while we’ve already seen Natural Light mode and Intelligent Flash on previous Fujifilm cameras. There’s also a whole bunch of playback bells and whistles, including two very basic movie editing tools and functions to make pictures more attractive and blog-friendly.

Just by observing its feature set, it’s obvious that the Fujifilm FinePix Z33 is aimed at sociable, outgoing people and the youth crowd – go out and take some people pictures, maybe attend some beach and poolside parties (and of course the camera can survive dips and splashes). Unfortunately, Fujifilm thinks lightning fast performance isn’t one of the things that its target market will be looking for, apparently… the FinePix Z33’s speed is bearable but its continuous shooting modes are all below average.

Drawing a conclusion about the Fujifilm FinePix Z33 is tough – on one hand, it has some fairly fancy features, a unique design and very good lens image quality characteristics. But on the other hand, the FinePix Z33 has its flaws; particularly high chroma noise levels which limit you to using low ISO values in good light or else, you’ll be forced to run noise reduction software on high ISO shots later.

If you’re into taking outdoor photos, in situations that may get your camera wet sometimes, then the FinePix Z33 is a low-cost option you MAY want to consider. But I would also strongly recommend that you take a look at the competition (waterproof or not) as well... ”

DPInterface's rating:

- 0

Complete review here

“ The Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP claims to be the World's smallest and lightest 10MP waterproof digital camera with 3x optical zoom (35-105mm equiv.). It's slim and durable, waterproof down to 3m, meant for an active lifestyle (Waterproof / Dustproof: IP68* compliant).

Face Detection technology detects up to 10 faces and adds automatic Red-Eye Removal. Face Detection Comple Timer waits until two faces are close together before snapping the picture. Face Detection Group Timer gives you time to get into position before snapping a shot; no need to rush back!

A large 2.7-in. LCD has a high 230K pixels resolution and makes composing and viewing images easy. Movie recording is 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames/sec with monaural sound. Underwater movie is just one touch away. You can crop a movie in camera. Successive Movie mode allows you to add to a prerecorded clip to create a movie up to 60 seconds long.

Blog Mode allows you to apply special effects to any recorded image: Aspect Ratio, Illustration, Sepia, Miniature Effect, Contrast, Diagonal Crop. Auction Mode stitches multiple photos into a single image for easy uploading to your favorite auction site.

Set the camera to Scene Recognition Auto mode and the camera automatically recognizes the scene (selects the appropriate Scene Mode): Portrait, Landscape, Night, Macro, Night Portrait, and Backlit Portrait. For more manual control, select Manual mode.

Picture Stabilization / Anti-blur Mode automatically corrects for camera shake and subject blur, helping to capture moving subjects in crisp stop-action with background detail intact.

The Fujifilm Z33WP is perfect for locations such as sandy beaches, poolside, in the rain or snow, and the outdoor wilderness. In Canada, it is available in Black, Blue, Green or Pink (also Yellow exclusively at Wal-Mart); in the US, in Black, Green or Pink... ”