Fujifilm makes a splash with its first underwater camera

By Leonard Goh
Feb 17, 2009

It seems everyone is going underwater with their these days. Olympus was one of the first companies to offer consumers a variety of rugged shooters. Panasonic announced its own version earlier this year. We also heard rumors that imaging giant Canon will introduce a waterproof camera before the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas next month.

The waterproof FinePix Z33WP is available in a myriad of colors to appeal to the young and trendy.
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Now, Fujifilm is joining the fray with the FinePix Z33WP, a fun-looking shooter designed for those who lead an active lifestyle. The 10-megapixel camera can go underwater up to a depth of 3m, with the slim 20.6mm chassis engineered to be dustproof to protect the internals from foreign objects. The Z33WP also has a clever scene recognition function, as well as the company's proprietary Couple Timer feature. Compared with Olympus' offerings, the Fujifilm's rugged specifications may not seem as tough, but we're sure the trendy look will go well with some shutterbugs.

For those who don't require a waterproof snapper, there is the FinePix Z30. This new shooter has similar specifications as the Z33, which includes a Blog Mode that optimizes images for easy uploading to the Web. Unfortunately, it lacks a hardware-based image stabilizer system which consumers are looking for in compact cameras. It is instead replaced by a Picture Stabilization mode, which ramps up the ISO sensitivity to increase the shutter speed.

The FinePix S1500 has 12x optical zoom and travelers should take a liking to it.
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For the advanced amateurs, Fujifilm is offering the FinePix S1500. This 10-megapixel superzoom features a 12x optical zoom lens and a sensor-shift image stabilizer. It runs off four AA-sized batteries, which makes this shooter suitable for travelers. The S1500 introduces Fujifilm's new Tracking Auto Focus function which adjusts the focus as the subject moves within the frame. There is also a suite of helpful features such as scene recognition and Instant Zoom (which aids in taking pictures of fast-moving objects when zoomed in) to help even beginners take good pictures.

The J-series sees two new additions to the family. The stylish FinePix J250 is an advanced version of its predecessor, the J150W. The new shooter also features a wide-angle 28mm lens with 5x optical zoom, but it has been enhanced with better image-capture functions. Accompanying the J250 is the entry-level model, the J20. Unlike its sibling, the J20 doesn't have sensor-shift or optical image stabilizer, but it still has handy functions such as advanced automatic shooting modes to tackle various picture-taking situations.

Fujifilm told us some of the cameras will be available only in certain countries, but could not provide further details. We will update in due time, so check back with us soon.

Tags: Optical Zoom, 3M Co., Imaging, Camera, Las Vegas

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