Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP

Viewfinder

There is no viewfinder on the FZ33WP; photos are framed and shot using the LCD screen.

LCD

The LCD screen of the FZ33WP is a 2.7-inch LCD screen with 230,000-pixel resolution. That's pretty standard for cameras at this price point. We were only able to take a brief look at the LCD screen on the pre-production model, but it looked acceptably sharp and bright.

The LCD screen of the FZ33WP takes up most of the rear of the camera body

Flash

The small flash of the FZ33WP is located to the left of the lens on the front of the camera. We were not able to test this at the PMA show, but Fujifilm claims that it will illuminate subjects up to 12.7 feet out. This does seem a little optimistic; we don't usually see flashes of this size being much use beyond 5 or 6 feet.

The small flash of the FZ33WP

Lens

The lens of the FZ33WP is completely internal; none of the lens mechanism projects beyond the camera body. This means that it is a relatively short 3x zoom lens, so you should not expect to be able to zoom in on subjects from great distances with this camera. The lens is equivalent to a 35mm to 105mm zoom range on a 35mm film camera, which is an acceptable range for general use. It doesn't go particularly wide, though; you won't be able to shoot large groups of people without backing up. The aperture range is also rather limited; the lens has a range of f/3.7 to f/8 at the widest zoom setting and f/4.0 to f/9 at the telephoto end. That is rather limited; the lack of a wider aperture means that the camera can't gather a lot of light, so it won't be great for low light shots. The lens is behind a clear plastic panel; there is no sliding lens cover or other protection.

The lens of the FZ33WP is concealed behind a protective panel

Jacks, Ports & Plugs

There aren't a huge number of ports on the FZ33WP; the camera's sole connection to the outside world is a single combination USB and video port next to the memory card socket. This supports USB 2.0 for transferring photos to a PC, and also outputs analog video and audio. Because this camera shoots just standard-definition video, it's no surprise that there are no digital video outputs on this camera. One thing to note here is that this is a non-standard port; if you lose the included cable, you'll have to buy another from Fuji; you can't use a generic cable. We aren't a big fan of this; we prefer standard ports that can use the more commonly available generic cables.

Battery

The FZ33WP is powered by a small battery that sits alongside the memory card. Fujifilm didn't specify either a capacity for this, or an expected battery life.

The small battery of the FZ33WP is located next to the memory card

Memory

About 50MB of internal memory is built into the FZ33WP, but the main place for storing photos is the memory card slot. This supports SDHC cards, which come in capacities of up to 32GB. An 8GB card would have enough space to hold about 1600 images at the highest resolution and quality setting, so you are unlikely to run out of space unless you are a serious shutterbug.

Other Features

Water resistant - The FZ33WP is dust and water resistant, up to a depth of about 3 meters (around 10 feet), so it should be fine for splashing around in the water at the beach or in the bathtub. It won't hold up to anything deeper than 10 feet though, so don't take it deep sea diving.