Fujifilm FinePix F20 Zoom review

Billed as the little brother to Fujifilm's excellent FinePix F30, the F20 is a classy point-and-shoot camera that specialises in low-light photography.

It lacks the F30's priority modes and ISO 3200 setting, and its battery life isn't quite as impressive. ISO 1600 is available, though, while the Anti-Blur and Natural Light scene presets use ISO 2000 to capture dimly lit scenes while keeping the shutter speed fast enough for handheld shots. The Flash and Natural Light preset takes two pictures, with and without the flash, allowing you to choose your favourite.

Performance is up to scratch, with two seconds between shots at the highest quality setting. The menus are fast to navigate and the auto-focus quickly locks on to its subject. Continuous shooting is a little slow, though, capturing a shot every 1.5 seconds.

Image quality was indiscernible from that of the F30, which means it produced the most pleasing colours we've seen from a compact digital camera. Exposure was perfect, while the automatic white balance produced natural-looking shots regardless of the light source. Photos of brightly lit subjects were sharp, while in darker conditions the camera produced excellent results up to ISO 400.

At ISO 800 and above the results were more varied. Some pictures looked excellent but others had a spattered, paint-like appearance when viewed at high magnification, which is the result of noise-reduction processing. However, an Auto (400) mode limits the ISO speed to 400 and lower, giving excellent results, while an onscreen icon warns of blur-inducing long shutter speeds.

The F20 has much in common with Sony's DSC-W30. It's not quite as fast or as compact, but image quality is even better, making it thoroughly deserving of a Best Buy award.

Author: Ben Pitt