Fuji FinePix Z200fd arrives in shops

The FinePix Z200fd was unveiled for the first time by Fujifilm in the middle of last month, and it's now available in shops.

Like its predecessor, the Z100fd, it has a periscopic zoom to save space.  The zoom offered is up to 5x, but, unfortunately, doesn't include a real panoramic option and very limited exposure: by only opening from f/3.8, it loses almost a whole exposure value compared with telescopic zooms, which usually begin around f/2.8

The sensor is a 10 Megapixel CCD as Fujifilm reserve the more advanced Super-CCD for other models. 

Given that its technical specification is unlikely to wow you, the Z200fd has to rely instead on its physical beauty. 

Like the Z100, it's ultra-compact, with a diagonally closing shutter and a choice of four colors.  Like everybody else, you can opt for silver or black, but Fujifilm have also thought a little harder, offering a brushed pink case as well as the two-tone model shown here in red and black.

This really is a camera aimed at people who enjoy stylish objects rather than real photography fans.  The latter are likely to regret the lack of a bigger, better screen. 

While Fujifilm have not included a substandard component, many of their competitors have already moved on to larger screens with higher resolutions. 

The same is true of video, which is good, but not as good as it could be.

It has two or three currentl fashionable features, including stabilization, intelligent flash and face detection with couple and group mode.

In short, this is a perfect camera for people who are happy to just take photos without worrying about the technical details and would like a beautiful object to do it with.

> Our ongoing survey: digital compact cameras

Specification
Sensor:	CCD 1/2,3", 10 Mpx mechanical stabilization 64-1600 ISO
Lens:	33-165 mm periscopic f/3,8-4,8 macro at 9 cm
Video:	M-jpeg, 640x480 px at 30 fps
White Balancing:	Automatic with 6 Presets
Screen:	2.7", 230 000 pixels
Storage:	xD-Picture or SD/SDHC memory card
Dimensions:	9.2 x 5.6 x 2 cm
Weight:	135 g