Fujifilm has announced the upcoming release of a new 16 megapixel compact with a multi-touch display, a new sensor and the ability to shoot full high definition video. Taking over from the FinePix Z800EXR, features include more dynamic range, improved battery life and full resolution continuous shooting of three frames per second.
The FinePix Z900EXR is a good 2mm thinner than its predecessor at 18.2mm (0.7-inches). There's a major change in the sensor department too. The 12 megapixel EXR CCD sensor has been replaced by a new EXR CMOS sensor with a resolution boost up to 16 megapixel plus backside illumination (BSI) technology.
In conventional sensors, light has to pass through a layer of wiring before it reaches the photo diodes and so reduces the amount of light captured. BSI puts the photo sensors in front of the wires, which improves sensitivity. The ISO sensitivity has been upped to ISO6400 and the camera's dual-CPU EXR processor is said to help reduce the purple fringing that can sometimes occur – especially when dark subjects are placed against a light background – and sharpen the corners of an image for more uniform results.
Fujifilm has made some changes in the lens department too, with the Z900EXR coming with a 5x wide-angle, 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) Fujinon zoom lens.
The camera can automatically detect up to 27 different scenes – including blue sky, green leaves, and sunsets – and there's a 360 degree panorama mode and the dynamic range has been increased to 1600 percent.
The 3.5-inch, 460,000 dot resolution touchscreen LCD display now has multi-touch capabilities and the menus have been given a bit of a spruce up. There's an improved in-camera image search and vector-based fonts and graphics replacing the pixelated offerings of old.
The Z900EXR is capable of recording full 1080p high definition movies at 30 frames per second in the H.264 format. A high speed video function which offers capture at up to 320 frames per second.
Still and movies can be stored to SD/SDHC/SDXC media, the battery is said to be good for 220 shots between charges and the camera comes in black, red, white, pink or blue color options.
The FinePix Z900EXR will be available from May for US$279.95.