Review on Fujifilm FinePix Z900EXR Digital Camera Black - 16MP CMOS Sensor, 5x Optical Zoom, Touchscreen by Darius Early

The Z900 was the 5th or 6th digital camera in this class I've had in the last 10 years and 14,000 shots (good enough to keep). It turned out to be one of the most disappointing cameras. I always carry a camera with me and my years of experience have improved my requirements for this type of camera. It should be (1) small, easy to fit in your pocket, (2) fast and ready to shoot in about a second, (3) have at least a 5x optical zoom that can be used during video recording (no noise artifacts) . ), (4) with a non-protruding lens (to avoid the damage I experienced with my first Canon), (5) for decent low-light performance and flash output, (6) with a sliding lens cover for strength and protection to prevent accidental activation of the camera when you put it in your pocket, and (7) have separate buttons for taking photos and videos, since there's usually no time to fiddle with the touchscreen to capture fleeting moments. On paper, the Z900 ticked all of those boxes. In practice not so much. After 6 months my experience with the Z900 was mostly disappointing: lots of shaky photos (generally thanks to 'extended' EXR auto modes), lots of missed indoor shots (due to the flash running for so long). charged and still too weak), a touchscreen that is not visible in bright streetlights and therefore unusable (touchscreens on cameras are a solution to the problem, IMHO), and after a few months the camera kept failing. Do not turn on. This problem gradually got worse until the camera wouldn't activate at all, and then I came across Fuji's apology for product support and repair services (btw just try "warranty" or "repair" on either the FujiFilm website or can be found in the manual). ). Turns out, Fuji says the issue isn't covered under warranty and can be fixed for just $170 (no parts needed). I don't think so (a refurbished Z900 can be bought here at Revain for just $102). What really annoyed me was that my wife's iPhone often took better pictures than the Z900, indoors or outdoors! I haven't figured out what my next camera will be yet, but I'm sure it won't be FujiFilm.