Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd First Impressions Review

Viewfinder
Users of the Fuji Z5fd don’t have to smash their noses against a viewfinder to see what will be captured in the frame. Like many other compact digital cameras, the Z5fd omitted an optical viewfinder and incorporated the live view into the LCD screen. This FinePix has a 2.5-inch screen with plenty of resolution for a smooth view and good contrast to see what’s going on. The refresh rate on the pre-production model’s LCD screen was stuck at about 30 fps that still blurs when moved quickly. It does have an option in the setup menu, though, to change the refresh rate to 60 fps; this option was listed, but disabled on the floor model. The new F40fd renamed the refresh rate option “power management” and placed it in the more accessible “F” menu, but it is the same feature that’s on the Z5fd. The screen has a wide view from side to side, but it can’t be seen when held above or below the head. The live view can be added to with the Disp./Back button; it can add basic info or basic info with a rule-of-thirds grid. Overall, the live view is great unless you’re holding it above your head for a shot of Elvis walking by which happens a lot in Vegas.

LCD Screen
As stated in the previous section, the 2.5-inch LCD screen has great resolution at 230,000 pixels. The viewing angle is great from side to side but not above or below eye level. The LCD screen can be brightened with one touch by pushing the top of the multi-selector while looking at the live view. To have more control over its brightness, there is an LCD Brightness function in the setup menu that adjusts +/- 5 with its own live view. Overall, the LCD screen makes a great interface for the live view as well as the playback mode.

Flash
The front of the Fuji Z5fd doesn’t have the traditional layout. The lens is crammed up in the top right corner of the front, while the flash is centered in the middle of the camera. The flash unit itself is quite small but more powerful than it looks. It is effective from 1-11.5 ft when the lens is zoomed out and 2-9.2 ft when the lens is zoomed in. While this isn’t incredible at all and may just barely meet the needs of a group photo, it is more than what other cameras’ with this size of flash offer. The lighting looked fairly even and didn’t blow out my forehead when I snapped a self-portrait, this is something that can’t be said of all flash units. Fuji’s i-Flash has several modes available from the right side of the multi-selector: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, On, Off, Slow Synchro, and Red-Eye Reducton + Slow Synchro. The flash is also used in the Natural Light & With Flash mode. The Z5fd’s dual shot mode snaps two pictures with and without the flash and then displays them side-by-side. Overall, the flash is a decent component, but it isn’t going to really wow anyone.

Zoom Lens
The Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens does not extend from the camera body even when it is turned on. The camera is turned on by sliding the metal lens cover to the side, revealing the tiny dime-sized window of glass in the top right corner of the front. The placement of the lens is certainly a stylistic decision since its function can be impaired by the left fingers that grip the camera in that area. The lens measures from 6.1-18.3mm that is equivalent to 36-108mm. This range is not impressive, and its apertures are even worse. The lens has max apertures of f/3.5 and f/4.2 in wide and telephoto, respectively. The average digital camera offers a f/2.8 aperture, so these f-stops fall behind the competition. Because the aperture is smaller, less light enters the lens and hits the sensor. Fujifilm does have a nice flash system and high ISO sensitivity, but this still isn’t a replacement for a decent aperture.

The zoom control has a shape that looks like a pair of chunky sunglasses with “W” on the left and “T” on the right. It isn’t incredibly comfortable, but it could be worse. The control is at least sensitive. It doesn’t breathe or backfire, and when lightly tapped, it can stop at 9 different focal lengths. When the zoom control is pushed, a horizontal bar appears across the top of the screen. There is no numerical indication of the zoom level (eg. 2.4x), but there is a little square that moves inside the bar to give users a foggy idea of when the zoom will run out.

As for the quality of the lens, it isn’t anything to get too excited about. There is a tiny amount of barrel distortion seen in the macro mode but even more disturbing is the lack of sharpness when zoomed in on subjects. It doesn’t help that the auto focus takes a moment to catch up with the zoom too. When recording video, the optical zoom is disabled. Overall, the Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd’s lens is compact, but it seems to take a few too many shortcuts too.