Fujifilm FinePix Z100fd

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Features

The 8-megapixel Z100fd is not long on features. Its manual mode lets you tune only three extra options over other modes (exposure compensation, white balance and focusing) and doesn't let you tweak the more important aperture and shutter speed.

Light sensitivity goes up from a low ISO 64 to a high of ISO 1,600 though our traditional advice still stand--keep firing below ISO 800 to avoid grain. For metering, the Z100fd has selections for just two, center and multi. While it works for most situations, we miss the flexibility of a spot metering option.

Pretty in pink; auction template; cute thing for sale.

There are 13 scene modes to pick from, with the Fireworks mode surprisingly being the only point in the camera where the shutter speed can be minimally adjusted (4 - 0.5 seconds). To make up for the fact that you can't make adjustments, there are two more capture modes that automatically fine tunes settings without you getting your hands on it.

The first is "natural and flash" (two shots are taken, one with flash, the other without) and the other is "natural light" (light sensitivity is racked up). There's one more called the auction mode which features an intuitive image-stitching tool--pick a template, snap the pictures, and the Z100fd will put it all together in an attractive image for eBay upload.

The Z100fd's 35mm equivalent lens is tight, but it does have an internal 5x optical zoom (pretty decent), though the use of it is enabled only in still capture and not video. There's also a single memory card slot that supports both xD Picture Card and SD/SDHC.

This camera is part of the new series of Fujifilms that incorporates a CCD-shift image stabilization instead of the Japanese firm's previous reliance on high ISO to compensate for hand motion.

The Z100fd has the standard Face Detection feature. But oddly, for something that merely requires an activation command, it has a dedicated button, whereas more vital stuff like scene mode and exposure settings doesn't.

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