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I must admit I didn’t really know what to expect from the S6000fd (having used some of its predecessors), and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a well designed, well executed and surprisingly versatile photographic tool. It’s probably not the best ‘point and shoot’ model in its class (you’ll get better results if you know what you’re doing), but the combination of features, output and unusually able high ISO performance means that - whilst far from perfect - it can easily hold its own against some of it’s more ‘high profile’ competitors. 

Fujifilm continues its tradition of building digital cameras that look as stunning as the pictures they take with the 6.3 MegaPixel FinePix Z5fd. This is the first digital camera in the company’s slim and stylish Z-Series category to feature hardware-based Face Detection Technology along with a new Blog Mode, making it the perfect accessory for style-conscious digital photographers. 

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Based on the fact that it has an SLR-like design, and is equipped with a 10.7X zoom that has a focal length range that starts at an excellent wide angle equivalent to a 28 mm, and which extends to a big telephoto equivalent to a 300 mm, the S6000fd would appear to be a good fit into a group of cameras that are defined as Bridge cameras. Yet, it lacks one important feature to be pigeon-holed as a Bridge camera: a true optical stabilization system. 

Though the camera’s 6.3 megapixel imaging chip might not impress when stacked up against the sensors from some competing models which boast up to 10 megapixels of resolution, images I got out of this camera were rich in color and impressively sharp, even in a range of difficult shooting conditions. Or in other words, I’d take the Fujifilm S6000fd over many higher-resolution competing superzoom models, and even over some digital SLRs. The camera definitely deserves a Dave’s Pick.

So while the F30 may not be the slimmest or sexiest compact, nor offer anything as glamorous as a touch-sensitive or flip-out screen, it does deliver great-looking photos under the kind of conditions most rivals would struggle. Its low light capabilities still lead the market whether you’re shooting with or without the flash, and there’s sufficient quality and creative control to keep most enthusiasts happy. We can confidently recommend it to anyone…