F20 vs. F30 - Is F20 a point and shooter's choice?

[JungleRoom]

I'm buying my first digital camera in November and need a little bit of your help. For months I wrestled with the Panasonics and the Sonys figuring out which cute and small little camera I should buy that'd work great in parties, concerts and in nightlife in general. When I first heard the news that F30 was coming I was excited but then I found out that the size of that cam wasn't exactly that ultracompact. I kept trying to decide between Pana FX07/FX50 and Sony T10/T30 but then I made a decision: I'm going with Fuji because while the size of the F-series might not be really ultracompact and it might not have bells and whistles like OIS or 28mm lens F30 is the smallest camera that works well in my shooting environment.

Then I noticed this:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=fuji_finepixf20%2Cfuji_finepixf30&show=all

My first thoght was: Oh great, Fuji went and made a cheap replica of F30. But then people started saying that F20 is really a great camera and that I should really consider it. At first I thought they ment that I should consider it because it's like a hundred bucks cheaper... Then I understood that many people like that cam because it is a tad smaller (a little wider but a little less thick) and because it has less manual control (a feature which would work for me since I really just want to point and shoot). Fuji lowered the max ISO to ISO2000 which again isn't bad since who really uses ISO3200 all the time.

However, it isn't all good. The battery life has taken a hit: now only 350 pics compared to F30's 500. The flash has taken a hit (although I'm not sure about that) although I think most people don't use flash with this cam. In my opinion, the most serious hit took the lcd: 153,000 pixels compared to F30's 230,000. This is really serious in my opinion because I value a good lcd and everybody seemed to love F30's lcd saying that it's really great and so visible in low light. Having 153,000 pixels inside doesn't make the lcd of F20 terrible but it certainly makes you ask yourself: why would I buy a stripper down version of F30?

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=fuji_finepixf20%2Cfuji_finepixf30&show=all

I really have my mind set on buying Fuji F30 but if F20 is really more for me and F30 is really for those who want to adjust settings and such then I might consider it. Luckily I don't have to stress about the Panas and Sonys anymore as both are expensive, noisy and no match in low light against the Fujis.

Share your thoughts! Please!

[sjseto]

From what I've read of the specs, the F20 is a bit wider than the F30 and 5 grams lighter, but the height and depth are the same. So I think that the size/weight difference between the two is negligable.

The F20 does have a lower resolution LCD, but the one on the F10 (which I own) was even lower, only 115,000 pixels. My experience with it was that it was fine in low light, if that was one of your concerns. It automatically "gains up" in low light which allows you to see what you're shooting. Of course, having a higher resolution LCD allows you to do things like judge whether or not a picture that you just took is in focus. But for the most part I managed just fine with the F10.

The F20's scene modes will probably take care of most shooting situations. And you still have the most important manual controls: exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO.

The battery life, while considerably lower than that of the F30, is still better than that of most of its competitors. But here's where the cost difference between the two cameras might be erased. With the F30, a spare battery is almost unnecessary (I never bothered to buy one). With the F20, you might want one, just in case. I guess it just depends on whether or not you'll often need to use it in situations where you can't recharge regularly (like camping). For most day-to-day shooting, though, I think the 350-shot capability of the F20 is more than enough.

Stephanie

[JungleRoom]

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I think F20 is a bit thinner than F30, but as you said, wider.

Anyway, I've made up my mind and will be getting F30. Cheers!

[bascom]

Now the F31FD is coming:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06092501fujif31fd.asp

[cvicisso]

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I think F20 is a bit thinner than F30, but as you said, wider.From your dpreview link:

F-20: 94 x 57 x 27 mm
F-30: 93 x 57 x 28 mm

And, FWIW, also from dpreview (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06092501fujif31fd.asp):

F-31fd: 92.7 x 56.7 x 27.8 mm

Personally, I don't think I would notice a 1mm difference in camera thickness... even if I was holding them both in my hands! :eek: Plus, who knows how precise those specifications are? So, I would tend to agree with sjseto's 'negligible' size/weight difference statement.

Anyway, enjoy your new camera! :D

[Chuck Norris]

I'm considering the F20 right now as a backup to my DSLR. Problemo is that it uses XD's and my main rig uses SDs.

Im not sure how big an issue the lesser LCD of the FZ20 is though - normally I wouldn't care but then I found out it doesnt have an OVF..

Right now my main concern is the lack of Aperture and Shutter priority modes and the battery life. But with a great price, it just might be worth it.

[gary_hendricks]

I honestly think that you will be very happy with the Fuji F Series. These cameras are really small and compact and yet they are able to take some really great photos. I honestly don’t know how Fuji managed to pack such power into such a small camera. The price that they are charging for this camera is absolutely awesome too. I’m trying to talk my girlfriend into letting me get one as a Christmas present this year but she thinks that I have too many cameras already. Nevertheless, for the small price on this one I honestly think that I’d love to twist her arm and add this beauty to my collection. Another thing that I really like about this camera is that it is so quiet that when I’m out in the woods photographing nature I can take great pictures without disrupting the animals. I haven’t found another camera that I could do this with.

[Chucko]

I was going to get an F30 for my wife, but I stopped at Target and got the F20 instead while we were on vacation. As a serious (as in DSLR) photographer, I personally would miss manual mode and raw files. But my wife is the consummate point'n'shooter and loves the camera. It's a huge step up from her old Fuji A310 in every way, and it meets her personal requirement of being pocketable when the lens is retracted.

The only real negative I can find is the unique battery. As far as I know there is no other camera on the planet that uses it. But my wife is happy with the battery life, and the high ISO capability means you don't use flash as often as with some other cameras, further improving shots per charge.

Two thumbs up from us.

[Jamesw]

I am a very new F20 User and am a bit dissapointed with the consistancy of the pix. They have come out very noisy 50% of the time and skin colors and clairity are a bit questionable. I used to use an HP610 with 4MP and it seemed to give me better pix than the F20. I thought that it was a manufacturing error and am considerating exchanging it for a new one. Also, the LCD display does not seem to change FPS on the display with a setting of 60 FPS until I have the AF locked. Can anyone help me out with this before I trade up? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? For example I have taken a pic on a coudy day on Auto and the ISO ended up being 1600 ( picture is very, very noisy at 100% size.) I have taken a pix on a sunny day at ISO 100 and the pic is very clear. I bought the F20 because I heard of the great quality it has at taking pictures at a high ISO but have yet to see any.