Performance, Image Quality and Verdict

Fujifilm FinePix Z1000EXR – Performance and Image Quality

Despite the large touchscreen appealing on an aesthetic level, unfortunately it’s hardly a success when it comes to performance. Unfortunately, and no doubt in some small part owing to the fact that touchscreen performance is now so good on smartphones, expectations have been raised and the Z1000EXR doesn’t meet these. The general function buttons lack responsiveness and often have to be pressed several times to be accessed. This lack of responsiveness isn’t aided by the fact that the menu system isn’t particularly well designed, with functionality buried below several options, and thus several presses of the unresponsive screen.

There are several other areas in which the Z1000EXR disappoints regarding performance – the camera’s focus system is generally fairly problematic, with both its accuracy and speed diminishing even further in difficult lighting conditions. The model does have a range of focus options that go a long way to improving performance, such as face detection and recognition modes, but it’s a shame that the focus system isn’t more generally reliable.

As mentioned previously, there are problems with the Z1000EXR’s LCD screen regarding how responsive it is to its touch functionality, and unfortunately that’s not the only issue. The LCD screen also struggles with colour depiction and accuracy, making images appear warmer than they actually are in some instances. The screen is also in the 16:9 aspect ratio – this is fine for shooting HD movies, although if you’re to utilise the full area of the screen for stills photographer you’ll have to compromise by losing some of the resolution of the sensor.

Although there are clearly a lot of issues with the Z1000EXR’s performance, there are areas in which it performs well. For example, the model’s scene select mode is generally accurate, while the EXR Auto mode also performs well and generally selects the scene correct setting to suit a scene.

The aforementioned issues with performance aren’t particularly helpful when it comes to image quality, although having said that when the Z1000EXR manages to lock focus correctly and the like, image quality is respectable, although not without flaws. The camera’s dynamic range is generally impressive when shooting in EXR mode, although this does mean that certain elements of fine detail are lost.

Sharpness is generally respectable throughout the frame at the wide end of the zoom, although at the tele end softening does become apparent towards the corners of the frame. Fringing is also noticeable in bright lighting conditions, although not to a massive extent.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1000 EXR – Verdict

There’s no denying that the Z1000EXR is an eye-catching compact, and for that reason is sure to gain admirers. The combination of sleek fashionable looks and a range of bright colours will have fans, while the promise of strong performance is also appealing.

However while it’s capable of occasional good results, on the whole there are too many issues for it to merit a firm recommendation. The touchscreen LCD both suffers with regards to performance of its touch functionality and rendition of colours, while it’s also sluggish in use.

So while it’s a respectable compact, there are many others in this market that are preferable.