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The F30 uses its 2.5-inch LCD screen as a viewfinder, which is what most users prefer now anyway. The screen, at 230,000 pixels, has twice the resolution of the F10, and the view itself is good too. It has 100 percent accuracy, so what appears in the frame is exactly what the recorded image captures. The refresh rate of the screen can be set to 30 or 60 frames per second in the setup menu. There is also a Power Save option that uses a 30 fps rate and darkens the screen after 10 seconds of inactivity; this conserves battery power. The 30 fps option looks blurry when viewing moving subjects, but the 60 fps looks smooth. When enjoying the live view, users can jog through different display modes using the Disp/Back button. They can view shooting information, info with grid lines, a smaller live view with three thumbnails of previously shot pictures on the left, or a view completely free of all those distractions. Overall, the Fujifilm FinePix F30 has a great view, with the LCD’s excellent resolution, 60 fps refresh rate, and 100 percent accuracy. However, it can still be difficult to view in bright sunlight; more on that in the next section.
LCD Screen (7.5)
As previously mentioned, the F30’s LCD screen has great features, such as 230,000-pixel resolution, a selectable 60 or 30 fps refresh rate, a power save mode, and 100 percent accuracy  when using it as a viewfinder. The 2.5-inch LCD screen is the same size as the F10’s screen, and has twice the resolution.
Its viewing angle, however, is a little finicky, despite Fujifilm’s Clear View anti-glare coating. If held above the head or below eye level, the screen solarizes and looks like a film negative. When held to the right and left of the head, though, the view is much clearer and properly colored and contrasted. Viewing the LCD screen in direct sunlight is still tough. The F30 has a few features to help: the top of the multi-selector acts as a sort of “gain up” mode that increases brightness and contrast on the screen. This is much easier to access than the +/- 5 brightness levels in the setup menu. When the view is enhanced, it is still tough to see small details in the image.
Flash (8.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix F30 is equipped with unique i-Flash technology, which is the manufacturer’s nickname for the Intelligent Flash. The system measures the distance of the subject from the lens and assesses the background light, then uses that information to know how much light to fire: it’s much like automatic flash compensation that takes background lighting into account. This is a new feature that is currently not available on any other digital cameras.
 For those who want to really experiment with the flash, a Natural Light & With Flash mode snaps two consecutive pictures – one with flash and the other without. The screen shows the pictures side by side and saves both so users can choose later. This is a nice way to check out the effectiveness of the i-Flash without having to twist the mode dial and scroll through the flash modes over and over again.
Pressing the right side of the multi-selector brings up the flash modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, On, Off, Slow Synchro, and Red-Eye Reduction + Slow Synchro. The red-eye reduction modes send out about two pre-flashes, while the slow synchro adds another fire before the final flash. The intensity and number of flashes affects how long it takes to grab the next shot, though. With the Forced Flash activated, the camera takes about four seconds between shots. It only gets slower when red-eye reduction and slow synchro are added. Surprisingly, there were a few times when the camera took pictures without the flash in the Red-Eye Reduction mode. The flash’s position is unfortunate: left fingers can easily wander into its path and turn a perfect picture into a red-tinted mess.
The F30’s i-Flash can reach from 2-21.3 ft in wide and 2-11.5 ft in telephoto when the ISO is set to auto. The flash is also effective in the macro mode, but only from 1-2.6 ft. Any closer and the lens casts a harsh shadow that looks quite ugly.
All in all, the i-Flash system performed well. It has a decent range and didn’t produce any red eyes in pictures or blow out portraits: it even preserved background detail. Still, the flash has its quirks: poor positioning and a slow recycle time plague its otherwise desirable specs.
Zoom Lens (7.0)
 The Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens is nestled into the camera body and surrounded by a slightly raised beveled decoration. The barrel extends from the camera body in two segments, and the cover snaps open when the F30 is powered up—most of the time, anyway. Twice, the double-doored lens cover opened only halfway when I turned it on. It was almost like the doors were caught on something, but I couldn’t see anything. This phenomenon happened twice in a row, then never again while I test drove it for a week (and I turned it on many a time).
The 3x optical zoom lens has the same focal lengths--8-24 mm, which is equivalent to 36-108 mm in the more familiar 35 mm format--and the same f/2.8-f/8.0 aperture range. The lens moves somewhat smoothly and quickly through its zoom range, but keeps zooming after a split second of removing the thumb from the zoom toggle. The camera accesses about six focal lengths in the zoom range; this is typical in a compact 3x optical zoom lens.
Last year’s Fujifilm FinePix F10 produced scary sounds from its lens. While the F30 reduces the amount of actual motor noise, there are still some frightening sounds that come with the auto focus system. Overall, the Fujinon zoom lens is remarkably sharp, but photographers will wish they had more than 3x when their subjects are afar off.
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