The first ever digital camera I ever used was a Fujiflim F601 back in high school. I knew at the very moment that picked that camera up that the future of photography will be digital. And wow… 3.3 megapixels were just amazing!

Fast forward six years, and in my hand I have an 8.0MP and an 10.1MP cameras. Fuji has come a long way (along with everyone) in developing and marketing these still-life creators effectively. Fuji’s cameras have been made famous for their SuperCCD technology - basically taking pictures in low light conditions and have them made usable.

The Z100fd and the Z20fd are the newest entries to reach the masses. They both have the same old feel and functions as their predecessors, but they’re heavily beefed up.

Quick Specs
Full Specs: Z100fd, Z20fd

Z100fd:
Note: The Z100fd is available exclusively to BestBuy and FutureShop

• 8MP, 5X Zoom, 2.7″ LCD
• Face detection with Auto Red-Eye Removal
• Dual Image Stabilization
• ISO up to 1600
• Blog Resizing Mode
• Accepts xD & SD/SDHC flash memory
• 2 Year Warranty
• MSRP: $279.99

Z20fd:

• 10MP, 3X Zoom, 2.5″ LCD
• Face detection with Auto Red-Eye Removal with “stamps”
• Movie Editor
• Blog Resizing Mode
• Accepts xD & SD/SDHC flash memory
• 2 Year Warranty
• MSRP: $199.99

Aesthetics

Both cameras were very easy to hold and to use. Both cameras have cleans lines, and felt extremely sturdy in your hand. Selection/mode buttons were intuitive on the Z100, but on the Z20, you had to go into 2 submenus before selecting another mode.

Since most users of point-and shoots don’t use the viewfinder, Fuji decided to remove it for a cleaner look.

Z100df	Z20df

Usability

Overview / General Usage

The two cameras were very simple to operate. Many of the features of your standard point-and-shoot features are in here, along with a few new ones including auction mode and text.

The Z100 was very easy to navigate, and very intuitive. Menus appeared instantly, and simply rolling the selection wheel cycled through the different options. This camera has a unique slide feature: to turn on the camera, you have to slide the lens cover to the right diagonally to expose the flash and lens. Although this is a neat feature, it seems more like a gimmick then something functional. There were times when I almost broke the mechanism when I accidentally wanted to open it horizontally like the Z20.

The Z20 was also very easy to navigate, but as opposed to the Z100, you had to go through another submenu when you wanted to change to the different modes. This extra step annoyed this reviewer, as it wasn’t as clean as the Z100 or other models that just had a radial mode selection button.

Both cameras had a very smooth metal finish to it that gave it enough grip so the user can hold on to it properly; this being said, the camera could have had some rubberized grips or the like (albeit detracting from the overall lines). I highly recommend owners loop the handstrap around their wrists every time he camera is in use as to prevent it from being destroyed by asphalt

Battery

Powering these two cameras are 3.7, 740mAh batteries. Throughout the camera’s review of three weeks, neither camera’s battery power dropped a notch. Full charge on the battery takes ~2.5 hours.

Flash

Both of the cameras have excellent flashes. The flash has all the standard modes: automatic, manual, red-eye reduction. It lit up pitch dark rooms with ease, and focuses subjects in poor lighting conditions.

The Z20’s flash seemed to has more brightness then the Z100, as the Z20 lit up dark rooms better then the Z100.

Picture Quality

The quality of the pictures were pretty impressive. Both cameras did very well in outdoor, indoor and night conditions.

Overall, I found the Z100 to be better than the Z20 in this category. The Z100 has better quality in terms of grain, colours and focus. When zoomed in, the Z20 has more grain to it compared to the Z100. Colours pop out more on the Z100, and when focusing on objects, the Z100 is clearer. That being said though, the Z100 also took a second more to focus out and focus in, in order to get the best focal length.

Macro test shots were a bit grainy with both handhelds, but this also made the win for the Z100. The pictures were more focused and clearer.

Sample Images

Canon A540	Fujifilm Z100df	Fujifilm Z20df
Macro - A
Zoom Test (i)
Zoom Test (ii)
Macro - B
Macro - C
Macro - D
Macro - E
Low Light A (No Flash)
Low Light B (with Flash)
Low Light C (No Flash)
Low Light D (with Flash)
Black and White
Shake Reduction - A
Shake Reduction - B
Auction Mode
Z20 Stamps - A
Z20 Stamps - B
Z20 Stamps - C

Conclusion

Fuji did an impressive job delivering the successors to their already impressive line of digicams. Both cameras are worth their money, and they deliver impressive picture quality. If you’re looking at these cameras as your next purchase, keep in mind that the Z100 is more professional in terms of functions and features, while the Z20 is more geared for the average consumer that wants the better shake reduction, the stamp features and the movie editor.

I recommend the Z100 over the Z20 if you’re in the market; the pictures are clearer, it focuses better, and many of the features on the Z100 are more functional.

Pros

Z100fd:
+ Great picture quality
+ Very functional features and add-ons
+ Trackwheel/4-way button navigation extremely easy to traverse menu systems

Z20fd:
+ Great price for a 10MP
+ Fantastic shake reduction
+ Fun stamp and movie editor features

Cons

Z100fd:
- Shake reduction is mediocre
- Diagonal lens cover seems gimmicky
- Big LCD can attract lots of fingerprints and dust

Z20fd:
- Pictures are usually noisy (grain)
- Submenu system makes it hard to quickly switch modes
- Two 4-way button navigation pads can confuse

Posted by: Gibbs [E-Mail Me]