Fujifilm Unleashes New FinePix Digicams for 2010

PMA 2010 may still be a month away, but the landslide of cameras to be exhibited at the annual photo show has already begun. On Tuesday, fujifilm unwrapped more than a dozen models to join its FinePix brand. Nearly all of this year’s cams, right down to the budget models, carry standard features including automatic scene recognition, face detection, and most impressively, 720p HD video capture capabilities.

At the very top of the line, fujifilm’s new HS10 treads the line between point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras with a fujinon 30x optical zoom lens, 24-720mm (35mm equivalent) glass, and a 3.0-inch tilting LCD. fujiflim also boasts of triple image stabilization: a mechanically stabilized CMOS sensor, high ISO sensitivity, and multi-frame image stabilization, which combines high and low ISO exposures to reduce blur without additional noise. It will sell for $500 in April.

The fashionable Z series sees its first touch-screen model this year with the introduction of the FinePix Z700EXR, which sports a 3.5-inch touch screen. The metal chassis houses fujifilm’s high-end 12-megapixel EXR CCD sensor behind a 5x optical zoom lens with both optical and digital image stabilization. It will retail for $280 in March. fujiflim’s new F80EXR – an update to the current F70EXR – uses the same image sensor and stabilization, but adds 10x zoom for $300. For $150, fashionistas can also snag the new Z70, which lacks optical image stabilization and moves to a non-EXR sensor, but still sports a stylish design.

The affordable metal-clad J-series pick up new models all over the place, including the JV100, JX250, JZ300, JZ500 – with features spanning from a 2.7-inch LCD and 3x zoom on the $130 JV100 up to a 14-megapixel CDD, 2.7-inch screen, 10x wide-angle lens and face recognition technology (for actually recognizing individual people) on the $250 JZ500.

Joining the current waterproof Z33WP will be the new XP10, which advertises not just protection from a dip in the drink but more rugged “Four-Proof” functionality: waterproof, freezeproof, shockproof and dustproof. Besides its these tough characteristics, it sports rather vanilla specs including a 2.7-inch LCD, 12-megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom. It will sell for $200 when it launches in February.

For photographers looking to go long, the new S1800 and S2550HD both sport 18x wide-angle lenses coupled with the dual image stabilization, and 3-inch, high-contrast LCDs. Tracking auto focus and auto picture rotation will set the $250 S1800 apart from the $230 S2550HD.

At the very bottom of the price scale, fujifilm’s new AV100 and AX200 bring together the basics, including 12-megapixel sensors, 2.7-inch LCDs, and optical zoom, for reasonable price tags: $100 and $110, respectively. The base model sports 3x zoom, while the extra 10 will buy you 5x.

Check out images of all Fujifilm’s new models.