Fujifilm as a brand is known to offer good value for money products as far as digital cameras go. Like other major Camera manufacturers, Fujifilm too has a wide range of product offerings, everything from simple point and shoot, to bridge digital cameras and digital SLRs under their FinePix range. The Fujifilm FinePix S3300 belongs to their S series of cameras and the main feature of this camera is the super-zoom which is 26x. Read on to know more about the S3300 and see other aspects besides its incredible zoom capabilities.
Deployable flash and an AF assist
Design and Build Quality
The Fujifilm FinePix S3300 is a super zoom camera that features a large 26x lens on the front neatly tucked in. At first sight, this camera may be mistaken for a DSLR. The camera has a rugged feel to it with its all black design and crackle hard plastic finish on the body. The handgrip is rubberized and it does not look like a separate piece. Fujifilm has done well with the design of this handgrip to make it blend well with the rest of the body. The lens of this camera has a rubber finish which aids in gripping the lens while looking through the EVF.
The S3300 has a 3-inch LCD screen, alongside it on the right are the regular camera buttons which are in black and the four way navigational pad which has a silver finish. All the buttons on the camera are made of plastic and they do not seem sturdy enough. At the back of the camera is also an EVF button for shifting between the LCD display and the electronic viewfinder for viewing images. The EVF has a rubberized padding to help in the cushioning while viewing through it.
A bit bulky in design
On the top of the camera is a mode selection dial for different camera functions which are aperture level, shutter speed, manual mode, a custom mode, panorama scene mode, scene recognition and an auto mode. Next to the mode dial button is an F button which directs to the F-mode menu. There is a button for clicking pictures in a continuous mode as well as a face detection button. The shutter release button is located along with the zoom trigger. There is a slider button for turning the camera on or off and all these buttons are well spaced out and have a smooth texture. The flash on the top is concealed under a hood and can be easily deployed by pressing a button located next to it. There is also an auto focus which aids in clicking images.
The camera has ports for a mini-HDMI and a proprietary USB port which is concealed by a plastic flap. The battery bay is of the push pull mechanism where there is a grip for opening it. The Fujifilm FinePix S3300 uses four AA batteries.
Mini HDMI and USB port at the side
Overall the build quality of the camera is sturdy but has a cheap feel to it. The camera due to its shape and size can be held easily with your right hand and while using it like that one can click pictures without any constraints. The camera is quite large though and it weighs in at 540g.
Features
The FinePix S3300 is an ultrazoom type of camera and it features a large 26x optical zoom. It has a 14 MP CCD sensor, an EVF and a large 3-inch LCD screen. The camera also offers a dual image stabilization feature which should help in reducing blur. With an optical zoom this size, blur due to hand movement is very likely.
3-inch LCD screen and the EVF for viewing content
The interface of the camera is similar to those seen on other Fujifilm cameras with a red bar highlighting options as you scroll through while the other options remain on a white background. The scene can be viewed in the background as the options do not occupy the entire screen. This gave it a minimalistic approach as well. Navigation through the different settings is easy and one can get used to it within a matter of minutes. We found the ease of use to also be one of the strong points of this prosumer camera.
Rubberized handgrip helps while viewing through the EVF
FujiFilm FinePix S3300 14 Megapixel Digital Camera with Wide Angle 26X Optical Zoom Accessory Saver 4GB NiMH Battery/Rapid Charger Bundle
