Although meant as a fashion statement, this camera comes off looking a bit too much like a toy, especially in the bright colors. Although the camera is nicely compact, that compactness seems to have adversely affected the camera’s everyday functionality. Poor design plagues the camera in several different areas including a difficult-to-access USB port and no place to properly hold the camera.

Even though the camera takes fair photos, pictures from FujiFilm’s other point-and-shoot camera, the A150, shine in comparison. The Z30 is meant to be a real point-and-shoot camera but the lack of manual controls may frustrate some users. Unless you are enamored of the bright colors, you will want to stick to the similarly priced A150.

Pros:

• Compact size
• Good manual on CD
• Numerous continuous shooting, self-timer and flash modes

Cons:

• Poor lens placement
• Body feels flimsy
• Control buttons too small and close together
• Poorly placed USB port
• No place to grip
• 4-way directional control is difficult to use
• Not many manual controls
• Nested menus that can be difficult to navigate