Fuji F30 Review Online At DPReview

[dcsang]

"To sum up, the F30 is far and away the best low light compact camera on the market today, bar none. It's the perfect 'social' camera for the DSLR owner who doesn't want to lug all his or her gear to parties, and it is - in expert hands - capable of superb results in any light. I would even go as far as to suggest - funds permitting - getting one for low light work even if you already own a camera you use for daylight shooting... So then, Highly Recommended unless you rarely shoot indoors or at night."

So says Simon Joinson in his review found here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/FujifilmF30/

Now I know this is not a Rangefinder; I know this is "heracy" because it's digital but what it is seems to be a great low light/available light digital that is POCKETABLE.

As someone who owns a 5D and 20D; I can tell you, they ain't pocketable by a long shot 😀

And in light of IGMeanwell's recent post regarding the F30: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26140

I thought those of you who are considering this camera (I know I have been for a while) may want to look into this review 🙂

Cheers
Dave

 

[IGMeanwell]

I have been waiting patiently for this review ... its nice to see he likes the camera

BTW: just emailed Fuji this morning as to any talk of a Natura S inspired digital in the horizon? Using spirited talk of competition with the Ricoh GR-D and words like "stealth" "silent" and "superb low-light capabilities" and super EBC lens.

If Fuji sends me a back a message that says no to all those questions the F30 might be in my future ... but I will be patient

especially since Fuji also released the F20, the little-brother to the F30... doesn't have as high of iso settings (only to ISO 1000)

 

[dcsang]

I have been waiting patiently for this review ... its nice to see he likes the camera

BTW: just emailed Fuji this morning as to any talk of a Natura S inspired digital in the horizon? Using spirited talk of competition with the Ricoh GR-D and words like "stealth" "silent" and "superb low-light capabilities" and super EBC lens.

If Fuji sends me a back a message that says no to all those questions the F30 might be in my future ... but I will be patient

especially since Fuji also released the F20, the little-brother to the F30... doesn't have as high of iso settings (only to ISO 1000)

That's a good idea.

A Natura S digital would be awesome imho. Especially with this particular Fuji sensor.

I think the F30 is on my shopping list.. not that I need another camera 🙂

Dave

 

[Nachkebia]

F30 looks very sexy indeed, though I can not choose between LX2 and F30, other has amazing wide angle stuff. though F30 is great allarounder... anyhow, dream would be Zeiss ikon with Fuji sensor 🙂

 

[Chuck A]

Actually, I am a bit disappointed in this camera. After looking at a few reviews and image samples. It appears to have some problems that are deal-breakers for me.

1) No RAW.
2) No contrast or sharpening adjustment.
3) The higher contrast setting means lower DR and blown highlights.
4) Purple fringing is high.
5) No viewfinder.

To be fair some of these problems exist is all of the small sensor digitals. While the high ISO performance is excellent, I am still looking for a small digital that doesn't have some fatal flaws. While the Pan LX1 was pretty close, the Pan LX2 is the next place to look. Still no viefinder though. IMHO.

 

[jano]

Don't care too much about no viewfinder. You get used to it -- besides, the viewfinders, when present on those P&S digicams, are often horrible.

Don't like the inability to adjust various settings affecting outcome. Not good.

Would like body to have a little sealing or possibly bump-proof, while maintaining size, ala new ricoh 500g 🙂 In my dreams, I guess.

 

[JoeFriday]

I was seriously thinking of getting a F10/F11 six months back.. there were some closeout deals on the F10 for about $180.. but the image quality wasn't acceptable.. sure, the high ISO was great, but I wasn't impressed with the Fuji lens

I wonder if the F20/F30 is any better.. I would also like a pocketable digital for unexpected photo ops

 

[dcsang]

I was seriously thinking of getting a F10/F11 six months back.. there were some closeout deals on the F10 for about $180.. but the image quality wasn't acceptable.. sure, the high ISO was great, but I wasn't impressed with the Fuji lens

I wonder if the F20/F30 is any better.. I would also like a pocketable digital for unexpected photo ops

Read the review Brett.. you nutty Wisconsinite you 😀

To me, the images look good - sure there's no RAW but really.. RAW in a P&S is, imho, a waste of time without any ability to totally handle the manual settings or have interchangeable lenses etc.

High ISO performance is something that, again, to me, matters a great deal - as it's been noted in the review, there have been umpteen times that I've been "blinded" by P&S flash at various events - so much so that you know when the photo-op is going to occur. Same goes with using a DSLR for the most part but at least with the two I own, plus 1.2 and 1.4 lenses I can get away without using flash a lot of the time.

Having seen 4x6 prints from the ISO 3200 shots on the F30, I can say that it's a decent little camera that does the job it was meant to do .. shoot in available/low light when other digital p&s's blind you with harsh flash 😀

Dave

 

[JoeFriday]

I'm reading the article right now, and checking out the sample photos (why did they make us have to click through every photo to get to a specific one??)

there are certainly some good images in there.. and I can see where non-flash low light capabilities is what they're going after.. I guess I haven't decided that high ISO trumps the Leica/Panasonic image quality that I'm used to with my Lumix FZ20

if only Fuji would team up with Zeiss and bring out an F40 with a CZ lens!

 

[sherm]

Now Brett... I'm not going to "pile on" here but seriously do you really think that the Zeiss lenses are of the same caliber as those produced by Cosina for Zeiss?

I would tend to think that the name was a liscensing ploy by the like of Sony for the digicam market.

This may be a bit cynical on my part, but Fuji has made some great strides with the Super CCD technology.

RAW in a point and shoot is like a screen door on a submarine.... not useful.

BTW, Breatt I'm originally from Beloit so I've got your back if it gets too rough around here😛

Scott

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Looks like a cool camera but I've high hopes for the Pannasonic LX2: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0607/06071904panasoniclx2.asp.

Hopefully the noise issues will be solved in this model, with a 28mm lens and 16:9 wide CCD, this one should rock!

Todd

 

[JoeFriday]

see, now I agree with Todd.. the LX2 would definitely be my weapon of choice

 

[IGMeanwell]

I'm reading the article right now, and checking out the sample photos (why did they make us have to click through every photo to get to a specific one??)

there are certainly some good images in there.. and I can see where non-flash low light capabilities is what they're going after.. I guess I haven't decided that high ISO trumps the Leica/Panasonic image quality that I'm used to with my Lumix FZ20

if only Fuji would team up with Zeiss and bring out an F40 with a CZ lens!

I was just hoping at least they would put a super ebc lens on the F30 ... of course it could be one without the tag

At the rate Fuji is popping out P&S... lagging on the S4

I am thinking that Fuji is really working towards getting the rangefinder crowd to look their way

they have already made more progress on low-light shooting than any other company so far

even the new canon with IS has been reviews with very negative low-light ability ... the new Lumix goes to ISO 3200 but crops the image in order to cut down on noise which also in turn lowers resolution and sharpness

The F30 is the ONLY P&S that can do ISO 3200 at its full sensor resolution and judging by the DPreview samples is very useable at ISO3200 (add noise ninja it will be excellent)

 

[Chuck A]

Don't care too much about no viewfinder. You get used to it -- besides, the viewfinders, when present on those P&S digicams, are often horrible.

As hard as I try I can't seem to get used to not having a viewfinder. I just don't feel like I am taking pictures. I feel completely disconnected from the process. I have found a workaround, I use the Xtend-a-view on my C7000 and it works like having an EVF. Not great but I can see some detail and have my eye to the camera.

 

[IGMeanwell]

Here I ran DPreview's ISO 3200 shot through Noise Ninja ... didn't do a whole lot to change the default noise reduction settings

This is what I got ... still some noise but with a little more PP work I think you can get some nice 4x6s or even 5x7s out of this guy

keep in mind I sized it down and lowered the dpi to be able to post

 

[VinceC]

It seems that lack of any sort of eyelevel viewfinder pretty much robs you of a couple of stops on the low-light end. It's much harder to hold the camera steady out in front of you than hold it to your eye, braced against your face. My Canon G1 has a pretty uninspiring finder, but I find it pretty easy to handhold down around 1/5th of a second.

 

[dcsang]

Here I ran DPreview's ISO 3200 shot through Noise Ninja ... didn't do a whole lot to change the default noise reduction settings

This is what I got ... still some noise but with a little more PP work I think you can get some nice 4x6s or even 5x7s out of this guy

keep in mind I sized it down and lowered the dpi to be able to post

I've seen 4x6's without Noise Ninja (or any other noise reduction program) and they're just fine imho.

I don't want a smooth 3200 - I want a grainy bumpy 3200.. because that's what film is like.

Digital has made everyone persue the holy grail of an "extremely sharp, grain free world" 😀 Grain makes me think the thing is "real" .. ya know? 🙂

Cheers,
Dave

 

[JoeFriday]

kinda like that grain alcohol you drink, Dave? 😉

 

[Solinar]

As hard as I try I can't seem to get used to not having a viewfinder.

Me, neither. My big quibble on the LCD screen versus a true VF is the lack of a real time display. I call it image lag.

One other quibble, an image stabilized sensor is the way to go with these pocket cams. I want both, IS and a good ISO 800 image.

 

[dcsang]

kinda like that grain alcohol you drink, Dave? 😉

I prefer to think of it as "nectar" Brett.. nectar.. not alcohol 😀

Dave