Though available in pink alongside blue and silver, Fuji’s 5.1 megapixel, 3x optical zoom revamp of the Z2 (and Z1 before) holds as much appeal for image-conscious guys as girls.

A launch close to the festive season is timely because the Fujifilm Finepix Z3 is very much Fuji’s party animal, featuring low light capture up to a respectable ISO1600, plus a dual shooting mode that takes one image with flash and one without, leaving the user to choose their preference.

If artificial illumination is needed there’s its Intelligent Flash system, which evenly exposes background and faces to avoid bleached out skin tones. As a useful aid to composition, a nine-square grid is displayed on the 2.5in screen. There’s also an anti-blur button that selects a fast shutter speed to avoid camera shake.

However, like its predecessors the Z3 has its operational quirks. The camera is activated by sliding open the lens cover that dominates most of the front – a process taking two to three seconds – while the LCD screen takes up most of the rear. While of sufficient size, it does display ghosting and noise in low light.

We also have to take issue with the positioning of the lens to the far right of the camera (if viewed front on), meaning it’s easy for fingertips to stray into shot when steadying the camera with both hands. Added to that the Z3’s slender dimensions and shiny surface means there’s not much to grip, so you’ll want to attach the strap to avoid it flying out of your grasp when at parties.

More positively there’s scant shutter delay when taking a shot, and the saving of images to the supplied 16MB xD-Picture Card is rapid enough to avoid missing the next photo opportunity.

Like the Z2 though, key controls such as its zoom lever are smaller than ideal, while zoom operation is sound-tracked by a mechanical buzz.

As with other Fuji compacts, image colours err on the side of neutral but can be boosted via the ‘chrome’ colour mode. Anyone looking for a point-and-shoot compact that’s as easy on the wallet as it is to use should take a closer look.

Also Consider
Casio Exilim EX-S770
Overall: Easy to use head turner of a compact that boasts widescreen functionality and 7 megapixel resolution, though image noise problematic above ISO400.
Price: £280
Rating: 4

Canon Digital IXUS 65
Overall: A very stylish 6 megapixel snapshot camera, boasting a large 3in screen and credit-card dimensions.
Rating: 4
Price: £349

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