Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera

not so waterproof
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camara and i love the quality, but it is not as waterproof as everyone says. I went swimming today and took a picture underwater what it apparently can do, my camara won’t turn on and make horrible noises and it just keeps flashing!

I am so dissapointed and doubting if i want to buy it again.

good underwater camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this product because we were planning to go to a water park and I really wanted a waterproof camera. I did a lot of research and this camera is good for basic users who just needs a simple waterproof camera. It takes good underwater pictures which is why I really liked this camera. The only thing I don’t like is when you take outdoor pictures coz the quality is not that good if you compare it to sony or canon. All in all, this is a good camera if you’re gonna use it mainly in water.

Finepix Z33WP camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for about a week now. Took it out taking pictures of people, flowers, building..and these are my opinions. Pictures has more noise if you take them in “Auto” mode, if you set it according to situations, the resolution will be sharper.

Yes, I would the camera along on vacations where I expect to be near/in the water. In the scale of 10 for quality pictures, I would give this camera an 8. The videos is quite smooth (not jerky either). Good enough to keep for vacation memories. If the camera holds up well to the elements, this probably will be a the camera that I carry with me anywhere. Will let you know in a few more months of using it.

Costco has the best price.

Update: just took this camera to go fishing for Father day with my kids. This camera helped to capture the video of the kids catching there first fish. It was exciting. I would reccomend this camera. Video was clear.

Pictures were good enough for non-professional daily use.

EXCELENTE CAMARA
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
TIENE BUENA RESOLUSION. ES DE PERTENENCIA DE BETHEMIT Y EL ME COMENTO QUE LA IMAGEN ES EXCELENTE. DEBAJO DEL AGUA AHY ES QUE ELLA ES FUERTE, MEJOR QUE MUCHAS DE LAS MARCAS DE RENOMBRE EN EL MERCADO. RECOMIENDO ESTA WATERPROOF.

Don’t let it sit in the sun!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This is the second unit that developped water under the LCD screen. It happened both times when the wet camera was sitting in the sun (and not while in the water. It held up great there!).

Other than that, we really liked the camera, it is great to have it in the water, and my kids really got into taking pictures with it.

I will be returning it, but without replacing it. We have other cameras that take much better pictures than this one. The main attraction was the (now not trustworthy) waterproof feature.

Great small camera!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got this camera a week ago and i love itt!! at first I thought it was pretty small and i may not like that but i love it… it takes great pictures.. i love that it comes with a rechargable battery rather than having to use AA batteries..The only thing I wish it would have come with is a case- but they arent that expensive so i will probably get one in the future…cant wait to use it in the summer for the pool and beach! I would recommend this camera to anyone- unless you do not like small cameras.

Great Camera, Great Price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RTU704YY5FBH To address other reviews:

The cable included is not proprietary, it works with my polaroid i733 AND my Canon Powershot S5 IS. However, it is not standard USB on the camera end. I don’t know what one would call it – I thought it was proprietary at first, but my wife proved me wrong by using it with ALL our cameras.

This camera does not have the best quality, indoors or out. But it has GOOD quality. Just look at customer pictures to get an idea.

However, this thing works GREAT as a childproof/outdoor/beach camera. I dropped it and placed it under water. Still works! I bought this camera with a starter kit for 179.99 – it comes with a rubber sleeve which keeps it from scratching. This camera is slick, too. It’s very thin and few buttons make it easy to operate. The battery is rechargeable li-ion. The bundle I purchased it with also comes with a flotation device to attach to the camera. So now, when we’re at the pool, I just attach the flotation grip and throw it in the water when people want to use it. Then, when they’re done, they just throw it back on the deck – doesn’t matter if I catch it or not!

If you’re looking for a camera to take with you on outdoor adventures, birthday parties, or even to disneyworld, this is the best you can get. The low price is just a bonus! if you’re looking for something to use for your photography classes, you may want to pass.

Lousy photo quality
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Don’t buy this camera. The photo quality is very grainy..even at 10 megapixels. I have an old Cannon 3mp camera that takes a heck of a lot better photos than this.

The expected sharpness of typical digital photos just isn’t there no matter what setting you use.

Even after taking about 50 test shots I just can’t believe a digital camera’s photo quality could be so bad.

If you are looking for a spare camera to take to the beach where you are not too concerned about quality, this one one would be OK I guess. But for an all purpose camera for shooting everyday things, holiday photos or important occasions I’d steer clear of the Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP.

You get what you pay for
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for a trip to Iceland. I was attracted to the waterproof aspect of this camera. The camera is small and easy to carry around. I wanted a camera for sight seeing and didnt want to lug around my slr. Overall an ok camera. HOwever, the picture quality is below average compared to other point and shoots i have had in the past. I wish I spent a little more money and went with the new canon or pentax waterproof.

Good camera at the right price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera (from Amazon) back in June along with the accessories pack (from Beach Camera in NJ ) and have had it in the pool and on the Chattahoochee while tubing with friends. The accessories pack is highly recommended as it comes with the silicone sleeve, floating wrist strap and a useless camera case.

I really don’t have much to complain about the camera itself since it functions exactly as advertised and it is NOT my primary camera. There is no manual view finder on this camera, so you are totally relying on the LCD screen which does not function that great on a really sunny day… Under water… it works fine. Battery life is average… I shot 90+ images wet/dry before I got the warning light.

It does look and feel a bit fragile, but as long as you are not planning to shoot it out of a cannon, or dive down to more than 10ft, then this is a good inexpensive purpose built camera to consider… (Color is another issue on to itself… who came up with puke green?!?!).

Just what I was looking for!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is just what I wanted. A relatively inexpensive little underwater camera that takes very decent photos, is easy to use, easy to carry, and even does great video. I was headed to Tahiti and Bora Bora, and HAD to have something like that for the trip. It easily paid for itself in the savings from my old 35mm underwater camera’s costs for film and development, as well as allowed me to go crazy and snap away like mad. I got some great underwater photos of sharks, rays, and the coral reefs.

Excellent camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After debating between the purchase of a couple of disposable waterproof cameras and this one, I opted to purchase this camera and am very glad that I did . Although I expected to use it only around the pool and beach, it ended up being one of our primary cameras for the trip. We shot all our pics in broad daylight so don’t have much info on the night situation . However, it was so easy to use in the pool and the beach. While in the water, I had it roped around my neck and we could take some fantastic pics which we couldn’t have if we didn’t have a waterproof camera. The underwater videos we took was excellent and I loved the fact that the video can be taken by just pressing a button. No modes to change etc.

A lovely camera.

unusable
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The camera was defective from the outset: it emitted a clicking noise and the image pulsed. Be warned!

Optimized for price, compactness and light underwater use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It has limitations as do all compact cameras, and since this one is optimized for light duty underwater and all-weather use and also for compactness and price, it lags in other areas — indoor, low light, noise in shadow areas, overall operation speed, etc. But it does well what it is supposed to, which is to be a take everywhere underwater capable digicam without the need for expensive underwater housings. One tip — turn off the slideshow transitions, as even the reviewing of photos uses those transitions if they are turned on. No issues with this camera yet after a few underwater uses. Do get the silicone case, as it makes for a much more grippable camera and offers better protection as well of the lens and screen, in the water or out. [...]

gracias
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
gracias, aun me faltan varias cosas q no me an llegado pero este producto muy bueno

Money well spent on stylish little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got the camera because it was small and waterproof. Yes the indoor quality is not great if you don’t play with it for a while but once you learn the camera’s settings it is a decent little camera; over all it does take better outside photos. The size is very small but it has a large screen, easily fits in a pocket. I really wanted a waterproof camera but could not stomach spending over $300, so the price was a big factor. Since I already have a good Olympus camera (it’s bulky) I decided that my older camera can be my indoor formal camera. Since I will be headed down to Disney, I wanted a nice little camera I could carry around and use without fear of it breaking on water rides. Money well spent on a stylish little camera.

This was a gift from my husband, before Italy Trip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this camera as a gift with the kit. Amazon and UPS delivered the camera on time and in one piece. The Fuji Z33WP is compact, lightweight and really cool. The pictures and video and software are great. I love the floating strap and silicon case. And I think the battery charging system is compact and flexible.

Fuji in pink
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Gave this to my granddaughter for Christmas…she likes pink. And the camera performs pretty well. She likes swimming a lot, so having a waterproof camera seemed to be the right solution. I put a 4 Gig SD card in it, and it will take hundreds of pictures before running out of space. It fits her hand, and with a floating strap she can use it in the pool without a worry.

a Little giant!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is small, very nice sitting in your hand, takes nice pictures and goes under water! For as long as you know what to expect from little cam, this Fuji’s baby is super sleek, stylish, very easy to handle, the buttons are very nice to the touch and superbly organized.

Must say the lens is very sharp. I tested it under water and it works great.It also has dedicated movie button that is very convenient. In short it is great little cam that sits in my pocket and instantly available!

great little camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got back from a trip to Belize, I’d purchased this camera and it has more than paid for itself!! You get a really easy to use, nice quality camera for a really good price, and it’s waterproof, you can’t beat that! We had it out snorkeling for 3 separate trips and had no troubles with it at all, we got some pretty awesome pictures. We also took it hiking and river tubing and had absolutely zero problems with it. It’s a great little camera that takes great little pictures. Absolutely worth the buy!!

the pros:

takes good quality pics in and out of the water

easy to use

digital

the cons:

slower shutter speed, but it’s really not an issue, it still worked great for fish pics

VERY Poor Quality Photos
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera this morning on a whim. I had researched a few other cameras, but when I saw this one, I loved the size & color and especially that it was waterproof! While charging the battery, I read several of the reviews here and thought that I could deal with it not taking top-quality pics, in exchange for the waterproof feature as well as it’s compact size. But after I took several pics, all of my excitement was gone, and I immediately put it back in the box & returned it to the store this evening. I took pictures both inside & outside, up close & far away (the zoom is minimal at best), and they were just awful. No other way to describe it. I use my camera mainly to take pics of my 2 year old daughter, and there is no way that I would miss out on preserving these memories by wasting the pics (and money) on this camera. I generally do not write reviews or return merchandise, but this one gets a big thumbs down from me! I will continue to use my 10 year old Kodak for now. If you want a camera just for looks and not performance, well then this may be for you…Otherwise, keep shopping!

the best fishing camera yet
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this Fuji out in the cold fishing bluecats for the last couple months, and it has held up fine and taken some great pics of people with fish. I even printed a 10 X 8. The colors and detail are brilliant. The lady at the digital processing center even commented the pics looked great.

I also added on the silicon skin and floating wrist lanyard (brilliant accessories) to protect it for the long term. I’ve kept it out in 20 degree temps, had it out in the cold rain, dropped it several times, and used it with slimy, scaly hands. I simply slip the skin off, wash it, and you’d think the Fuji was a week old camera again.

I am impressed.

Terribly quality photos!!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am by no means a photographer…I do have 2 toddlers and do enjoy trying to take quality shots of them. I bought this camera to replace my Olympus Stylus 770 which recently died (the waterproof camera suffered water damage…go figure). So I try to put my SDHC memory card in and it won’t work. So I use the internal memory to take a few pictures of non-moving objects (the sleeping cat, kitchen table, bed)…just ‘stuff’ to try out the camera. The shutter speed is SLOW. Like the slowest camera I’ve ever seen. Every single photo I snapped was blurry beyond recognition. I immediately returned this product. I was really dissapointed because the price was good but I guess you get what you pay for.

Luckily I had some gift cards come my way and I have a Canon D10 on order. Hopefully that’s as good as the reviews say

Very nice camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I really like this camera. So far, the pictures are turning out great. I haven’t had the chance to use it in the water yet, but I’m looking forward to that. The only down side is that I wish it had a little more zoom, I didn’t realize I’d miss it. I was confused by the battery a little at first… I thought it didn’t work. It looked like it was in right, but I had to flip it around to get it to work.

Decent Camera
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this Fuji camera after I lost my Canon SD1000 (which I really liked). I didn’t want to spend almost $300 for another one of those. I bought this one while at the PX in Iraq, so I kinda overpaid what it is selling for here but that’s ok. Beggars can’t be choosers. That being said, I am being choosy. This camera is good for outdoor daytime photos. It does not do so well indoors in low lighting or at night. The pictures come out blurry or not as crisp as you would expect from a good megapixel camera. The lag time it takes to get a photo is infuriating. You have to press the shutter and hold the camera still for about 2 seconds before the shot is captured. This is not a good camera for live action shots, like moving kids and pets or sports.

The buttons are simplistic and easy to figure out. I enjoy the fact that the camera is waterproof and rugged. I am going to give it to my husband for his fishing adventures. But I am going to buy a Samsung Dualview TL225 next, it seems much more fun and creates better photos than this camera. So in the end, this camera is great for rugged outdoor watery fun, but it wouldn’t be my first choice in digital cameras if you know the quality of better Canon point and shoots or SLRs. Great camera for beginners.

I really like it
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
If you are looking to take amazing quality pictures, this is not the camera. But if you are looking for saved everyday moments, road trip memories, and some water pics this is the best. Cheap, easy to used and really versatile. You get a nice deal for your money.

Great for underwater pictures
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I just got back from vacation and took tons of pictures in and under the water. They are great! In the outdoor light the pictures are so vivid and clear. Inside they are a little grainy but I did not buy in for indoor use really. It does what it is suppose to do – take great underwater pictures.

A great little camera for “wet” vacations.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This little camera is really quite fun. The 2 most important features are (a) its Waterproof & (b) its very reasonably priced. We were vacationing at a resort this past summer & I knew that quite a lot of time was going to be spent in the wonderful pool complex the resort has. In the past, I could never really take a lot of pics near or in the pool as I didn’t want to risk my very expensive Sony camera. I looked at waterproof housings but they are also $$ and seem to have issues with fogging, hard to use, etc..

I thought I’d try this little camera, in addition to my Sony & it worked great. I was able to give this camera to the kids who took it on water-slides and zip lines and all sorts of activities and it came thru fine. For the price, I have no complaints.

Pros:

Its waterproof! How cool is that?!

Construction is very sturdy, very small and portable. Fits in your pocket easily.

Decent battery life. I did drain it a few times but it was being used a LOT.

You can shoot underwater pics & video with sound! Definitely cool to capture the kids playing in and under water. The video is a blast.

Comes with a very small, portable, wall-unit type battery charger, not a giant brick. Very convenient.

There is an instant video capture button that was quite handy for quick video shooting, very nice!

Underwater pics and vids shot in daylight look amazing.

My kids were amazed at seeing themselves underwater in pics & vids. Very fun!

Cons:

Still image quality can’t compare to the Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.

There is a fair bit of picture noise and the colors are not the best.

Video is 640×480, so sort of low res but really do you expect HD for this price?

The flash throw is pretty weak, at night this camera is not at its best.

No advanced features to speak of. This is a point and shoot camera.

Don’t get me wrong, its a very adequate little camera. To the average “joe” the picture quality probably looks fine. I would never want this to be my only camera, but as a waterproof camera whose job is to take pics in the pool, at the beach, etc I could not be more pleased. It sort of proves the rule that the best camera is the one you have with you – and if you have been wanting to take family pics in and under water – this is a great little camera that won’t break the bank.

Great little camera for your water adventures
Rating:4 out of 5 stars

I purchased this camera for water use on our vacation. The camera is easy to you, handles and shoots well. It went snorkeling, down water slides and in the pool. The photos were a good quality and sound was surprisingly clear on the videos. Even though the intention was to use the camera in the water only, out of the water did well too.

Overall a fun camera at a good price.

Best Camera for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for a snorkeling trip in St. Croix. I looked at every waterproof camera available and narrowed it down to the Cannon D10 and the Fujifilm WP Z33. However, i quickly realized nothing can compare to this Fujifilm and i will tell you why:

First off, the Canon is WAY too big to fit in your pocket, so you could pretty much only use it in the water because you would never carry it around on land. Also, it is MUCH more expensive than the Fujifilm and these days electronics usually don’t last longer than four years anyways so why pay that much?

The Fujifilm did an amazing job on my trip. It took great pictures underwater and on land. I bought it hoping it could be my all around camera and it is doing a great job! It has great picture settings and the video quality is excellent for this little camera. I read some other reviews saying how water got into it but I think people just did not follow the rules. For starters, do NOT go more than 3 meters under no matter what (don’t say “I am sure it can go deeper they are just saying that to be safe.”) Also, make sure you soak it in fresh water for 5 minutes after you use it and wipe it dry afterwards…if you do that then you will be fine.

I am very impressed with this camera…the buttons are easy to use underwater and it is lightweight and easy to transport. The only negative is that the pictures take a little long to switch when you are reviewing them on the camera…but i am just nitpicking here.

Ultimately, if you are looking for an underwater camera this is the one to buy. Its so great you can even use it as your normal everyday camera because then you don’t have to worry about spilling water on it! (That’s what I am doing and i love it!)

Oh, and for fun you can pretend to accidentally spill water on it in front of your friends and act like its broken, its a fun joke ha ha.

works underwater, but
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Its not the best quality lens I guess, although it works well underwater. the above water vacation shots are about the quality of a 2 megapixl old camera.

Cute and portable but poor images
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I give this a lower star rating due to the cameras in abilty to take great pictures in any lighty. i tried all various styles of lighting including underwater but style dissatissfied. Altough i loved how small and compact it was as well as the layout of the buttons which were simple and easy to use , a big plus underwater. The price is i say maybe $20 too high for the quality of the pics which really is the end reason why you want a camera. I just ordered the canon d 10 and have read many more favorable reviews on it unlike this camera.

Won’t replace your daily camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m not going to do a technical detailed review here – others have done that well already. My focus is on ease of use. This camera is really fantastic at the task it’s advertised for – taking shots while snorkeling, in the pool, at the beach, all came out great.

The kids enjoyed using it and it gave us some clips and photos we couldn’t put in our year end movie any other way. The colors are great, very strong and vibrant like Fuji film used to deliver. Where the camera falls down is as an indoor everyday unit. My Nikon Coolpix L14 takes much better pictures indoors or in lowlight. The Z33WP gave us grainy, blurred photos with odd texturing. Waiting for the autofocus improved them, but not to the level of my L14 (or an SLR). However, I wouldn’t take any of those to the beach or in the pool. (And really, I had no idea how amusing photos of kids blowing air out of their nose could be) The outdoor shots in full and fading sun were also clean. I got the silicone case because I was concerned about sand. It fit easily and didn’t interfere with button use at all. Overall, really performs for the money. Definitely has a permanent place in the dive bag.

Great underwater (only)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera takes great photos and videos underwater, yet when it comes to any other setting, the photos are far less than satisfactory.

GREAT camera for a lot of things
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have used this camera underwater and on top. Sunsets and sunrises. I really like the way it handles and shoots. Very easy to figure out the settings. The easiest camera I’ve used so far and I’ve been shooting for 40 years. Sometimes I just don’t want to think about settings but know I can get a great photo. I can with this camera.

It’s fun taking a video going down a water slide!

One thing about digital is pushing the card to it’s limit. I got a 4Gig. card and place the settings at the least amount of photos so it has the best quality photo. I can still get over 600 photos to this card! The other important thing is to make sure you hold the shooting button down for a few secs. so the digital camera can auto focus. If you don’t photos will be blured or grainy.

I would recomend this to anyone looking for a great waterproof camera.

poor image quality
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I putchased this camera because I wanted a good pocket camera for vacations, and I figured the waterproof thing would be a nice advantage. The form factor of the camera is good. It seems well designed, is stylish, and is extremely small. However, the picture quality is extremely poor. I tried several shots, both indoors and out, and I was amazed at how poor the picture quality was. The indoor shots were just unusable. The outdoor shots, while better, were still not great. If image quality matters to you at all, I recommend you buy a different camera. I returned mine and got a different brand.

Not so great
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take fishing but after taking hundreds of pictures with it trying to get a decent shot I gave up and sent it back. The pictures were just too grainy. I compared photos taken with this camera and my 8 year old 4MP Cannon Powershot G4 and the old 4MP camera took better pictures every time. I guess these little point and shoots just aren’t for me.

decent quality for the price, but don’t expect too much
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
bought this camera a couple of weeks ago, took it to Hanauma Bay in Hawaii and took some out of the water and underwater pictures. Not the best quality, but they were decent for the price. Out of the water picture quality was pretty good, but the cannon’s definitely takes better quality photos.

use it for a quick zap, don’t expect too much.

No regrets!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for a trip to Hawaii. I knew that I was going to do a lot of snorkeling and wasn’t happy with the quality of the disposables in the past. I was very impressed with how easy this camera was to use while being underwater and the picture quality was good.

I also went on a parasailing trip. They wouldn’t allow my regular digital camera in case it got wet. I pulled out the Fuji underwater and took it up with me. Even out of the water, the pictures turned out great.

For the price point, I fully recommend this camera for anyone wanting a good point and shoot for basic underwater pictures.

If I had to say anything negative thing about this camera, I would recommend something with a better zoom. Also, get an underwater strap that will secure the camera to your wrist.

Great outdoor camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for outdoor use while kayaking. I have no intention of using it underwater, but having lost two cameras to water damage; I opted for something waterproof.

Pluses: 1. The function buttons are tops – easy to find and press.

2. With tapered edges, the camera goes in my pocket easily.

3. Movie audio surprizingly good.

4. Multiple digital pixel settings – as low as 100 KB for

photos at the lowest setting – I e-mail my dad photos, he has

dial-up so short attachments are critical.

5. Photo quality color and resolution is good, including macro.

6. LCD display is good, even in strong sunlight

7. Menu choices are fairly intuitive.

8. Battery life seems good so far.

9. SD card – not that many waterproof cameras allow the use of

the common SD card.

Minuses 1. Indoor shots are have noise.

2. No hardcopy, comprehensive manual, just an unbound, brief

multifolded paper. The comprehensive manual is on a CD.

Then again, if you are around water, FUJI may figure you

aren’t going to take a paper manual with you.

3. Propriety USB cable for downloads – yet another cable to

keep seperate from a dozen other propriety cables me and my

family has.

Summary: The camera exceeds my expectation for outdoor use. Granted, the photos in lower light settings have some noise, but most of my photos are in bright daylight. If I am going to an indoor event with low light, I’ll take my Canon that is not waterproof.

Really nice little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this camera for my girl and she loves it,I do as well,we took it out in our small(wet) boat with our dogs it got soaked she took 150 pictures(with SD card)and they came out great.Nice camera for the price,lots of fun without worry from the elements

Great pocket beach resort/vacation camera for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera right before my vacation in Thailand because I wanted a waterproof camera to take snorkeling pictures. Here are my thoughts:

Pros:

1. Great value for a 10 mp camera that also works under water (up to 10 meters)

2. The float strap that comes with the camera is great (Target sells the camera with the silicon cover and the float strap for $159.99). We would throw the camera to each other in the water to take pictures and the float strap keeps the camera afloat.

3. Pictures turn out nice when lighting is good and when you hold the camera steadily (my Canon PowerShot SD750 takes more consistently crisp pictures)

4. The flash was powerful enough to take great underwater pictures

Cons:

1. The zoom is not powerful enough

2. Pictures turns out blurry when lighting is not good

3. Bad night time pictures with no tripods

4. The lense is not covered. Before taking pictures, you’ll need to make sure the lense is clean or you’ll see streaks or blurry marks on your pictures

5. The camera response is slow between commands/pictures

Overall, this is a great waterproof camera for the purpose of taking pictures under water and for places you would not want to get your regular camera dirty (e.g., beach, water park). This is definitely a great 2nd camera to take with you. I would not recommend this for your primary camera.

*****UPDATE****

We took this camera to our Costa Rica vacation and it’s great for water sports. We took it to our waterfall rappelling excursion and it was great! We were able to take action pictures of each other rappelling off the cliff/waterfalls using our camera while other tourists had to purchase pictures taken by the tour guide. I still stand by the pros and cons I provided in my original review; however, I find myself appreciating this camera more on this vacation. This is still not my primary camera for the vacation.

Blech!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
My husband I bought this camera after our other fujifilm camera stopped focusing. I loved the old one and it took great pictures-so I thought lets stick to fujifilm finepix V10. My husband loved that it was waterproof and green.

I have not only been disappointed with the picture quality, but the focus takes a really long time and switching from video to camera takes a lot longer as well. The camera also does not always focus as well as it should. Even when it is focused the picture may be fuzzy. If someone is moving in the background they will be blurry instead of being in a strange position. I would return it, but my husband still likes that it can be used underwater so I’ll probably buy the same camera we had before for my use.

I wold not recommend especially for the price.

good size, ok pictures, but it broke!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
(I gave it 2 stars to reflect the low price)

I bought this camera for my 14 year old daughter for her birthday. She liked the looks, small size, and it being waterproof. I liked the price and hoped it would be ok. I read reviews here and dpreview . com, and accepted the fact that image quality would not be great, especially indoor/low light. It seemed like a good compromise camera. I never read about the Z33 being fragile.

[updated 9-2-09: for some reason over half of my review was truncated]

The short story is the camera fell out of my daughter’s pants pocket and broke. From this 2 1/2 foot drop the battery cover had a small crack and there was even a smaller crack in the bolt hole where the 2 halves of the case bolt together. Unfortunately, no one noticed these cracks until too late. She took the camera underwater and after a few minutes it stopped working.

I called Fujifilm US support and they said it was not warranted against dropping at all, and their site makes no such claim. They told me that for approx $80-$100 plus postage I could mail the one week old camera to them and they would try to repair it, but no guarantee it could be fixed. I declined this offer and now wish that I had purchased the more expensive Pentax W-60, which is on sale these days for a great price. My youngest daughter has that model and it has survived almost a year now!

Photo images: with strong contrast post adjustments you can get acceptable underwater photos.

[update: 17 Nov. 2009]

I am sure impressed with Amazon and will continue to buy from them! My daughter sent an email to Amazon telling them what happened, the camera broke, Fujifilm won’t replace it, etc. Amazon replied in a few days telling us that we could return it for a full refund. Fortunately I saved the original shipping box, but we got really busy for a month+ and forgot about it. A few weeks ago we sent the camera back with a note apologizing for being so late in returning it, and in less than 1 week we received in the mail a full refund credit at Amazon. Thanks!

Now what do folks think of the new Pentax WS80? (I won’t be buying the Fujifilm Z33 again.)

Very Disappointing
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
My wife and I were very much looking forward to using this camera. The features seemed to be amazing and the previous reviews were mostly excellent, so we were stoked…until it arrived.

Our biggest problem with this camera is that it does not take good pictures at all. We took several photos with it out of the box and every one came out slightly blurry. The first night we blamed the less than perfect indoor lighting conditions and kept our hopes up. That didn’t last.

The following day we took several outside shots with optimal sunlight and still the pictures were not crisp and sharp. I was a film and photography major in college, so I adjusted several of the manual settings, but we still could not get 1 clear picture. And to answer the lingering question, yes I did hold down the shutter button until the subject was in focus and I got the ever loving go ahead and take your picture “beep”.

The video quality was average, but definetely not good enough to keep the camera. We ultimately sent it back and got the Kodak Easy Share M-1033 which is not an underwater camera, but takes far better pictures. I guess it is possible that the camera I received may have been defective, but I did not want to risk having to ship back another camera. I actually hope I did receive a defective one and the rest of you have better luck, but proceed with caution. I wanted to ignore the other bad review that this camera got, but unfortunately I am in the same boat with her.

ALOHA!

hopeless,next to useless
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
bought this product to go snorkling with my daughter and sharks at camden aquarium for her birthday gift.she took pictures,i took pictures,not one good shot out of 98.thank goodness the aquarium took pictures of us there,otherwise we would have nothing to show but ticket stubs. My daughter was so disapointed.Pictures were blury,out of focus,slow to take,Do not buy this product!!!!Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)

Purchased twice and both failed to be water proof after 1 use each.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera twice from two seperate supliers for a vacation in Hawaii were I didn’t want to take my expensive camera and lenses. I did not expect it to do what my high end kodak does. I did want to be able to take quick easy snap shots and some snorkeling pics. The first camera I bought before leaving and the day after I tested it out snorkeling in sharks coves tidal pools only chest deep it craped out. It would work off and on but would get a purple tinged screen and seeze up after a few shots even when it did choose to work. Now it just gets a white screen and does nothing.I still have to return it. It didn’t leak into the battery and card space so those were fine. It just ruined the view finder. I figured it was a freak thing so I went to walmart which I hate but had no other option and bought the same camera again. Used it the next day in Hanuama bay, over my head but only used at serfice level. Got some ok fish shots and some great turtle shots of a friendly and curious guy who had no intention of moving. It was like he was posing! On the way back to our condo we took shots of us together with the timer along the windward coast and they are not bad for a cheap point and shoot. The next day exactly the same thing happened, purple screen worked off and on then seezed up and nothing! It did take grainy green and purpleish shots again once we hit Walmart to return it. Again my card was fine. I have no clue why they broke but I feel twice duped! Please don’t buy it for use in water if you need it to be reliable like for a irreplaceable vacation!

Complete Disappointment
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera as a secondary camera to take on vacation to Hawaii, basically I wanted a camera that could withstand the water and beach so I didn’t have to risk damage to my main camera and also to take underwater snorkeling.

Initially I was impressed with the camera, the ergonomics were good, size was right and the texture of the body seemed like it would be easy to grip wet. I also liked the buttons on the back, large and like a cell-phone touchpad, again, seemed much easier to use in the water. I was not excited to give up a viewfinder but it seems that they are a relic of the past in the point and shoot world; too bad. I liked the camera enough to buy it. I bought it with enough time to try it out before traveling, I’m glad did.

I took the camera on a day trip to the west side of Michigan on a cloudy and sprinkling afternoon. Right away one aspect of the camera began to mildly frustrate me, the shutter release button. The button is very stiff, so much so that I was constantly worried that pressing the button with enough force to actually take the picture would cause the image to be blurry. I suppose it may be good to prevent mistaken images but I found it frustrating. Another issue with the camera is that the lens is covered by glass however the glass is only slightly recessed from the front of the camera meaning that the glass is highly prone to smudges and fingerprints, annoying, much worse that other cameras. While using it I felt like I got the hang of it and didn’t panic when a wave came crashing in, soaking me and the camera. I was starting to overlook the shutter button and the lens smudging issues;

Until

When I got home I loaded the images into Photoshop Elements and right away noticed that the images were quite washed out, not a lot of contrast and exposures were definitely off. No matter, I went to work editing but immediately noticed that the corners of the images were extremely blurry, and quite a bit darker, almost like a circular soft focus filter was in place, not what I was hoping for. I then started to look more closely at the images and it wasn’t just the corners that were distorted, objects in the image were surrounded with blue lines! Yes, it was like each object in the image had been traced with a thin neon blue pen! At first I thought this was on just pictures taken in lower light but then realized that it was in all the pictures in varying degrees; this combined with the out of focus corners and poor exposure were only made worse by visible graininess across any image where the zoom was at its full length. Basically, despite some compositions that I really liked, every picture is unsuitable for printing.

Sure, if I want to only look at the pictures as thumb nails or very small, definitely not larger than 2″x3″ then the images could almost be considered passable, anything larger, say your normal 4″x6″ print, yo will be greatly disappointed! Needless to say the camera was boxed up and returned for an exchange, now I’ve got an Olympus that I’m going to try out and see, my expectations are low, but I’m hoping just the same. I’m just glad I found out now rather than after my vacation.

Bottom line is this; this is without a doubt an awful camera. I am shocked that Fuji would actually sell this camera, my first digital point and soot (bought in 2000 with 4 megapixels) takes better pictures than this. Seriously, Fuji should be ashamed, this from a long fan of their film, do not buy this camera!

Versatile, well-built point and shoot
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for a 10 year old, but I often use it myself because it’s actually a very good point and shoot camera. The build quality and tactile feel is very good. We’ve taken it to the beach (in the surf), water parks and have used it underwater in the pool. It does not look like the typical underwater camera, but it is amazingly water tight. I highly recommend the clear neoprene cover that comes with the kit, as well as the float wrist strap. The cover does a good job of protecting it from bumps and the float strap keeps it above water in case it slips out of your hand. This camera can go places most other camera’s can’t.

Image quality is very good, but not on the level of a quality DSLR like my other camera, a Nikon D40 – you clearly notice the differences. The video feature of the camera is fantastic. It’s great for capturing those spontaneous moments. I find myself reaching for this camera before I grab my mini DV camcorder. The videos upload right to my computer along with the photos.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was the less than perfect picture quality. If you’re looking for a well built, versatile camera that can handle the elements quite well, this is certainly worth considering.

great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is easy to use; small and compact. Did not realize that the video had sound. Have not tried it in the water yet. Great little camera for the price. Also bought one for a gift.

Kids’ new toy
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased this for one of the kids for Christmas. This has become one of their favorite toys. They love going to the pool and taking pictures of themselves underwater. They can’t wait until summer to try it at the lake & the beach. Pictures turn out well. The only drawback so far is the shutter delay. Your subjects can move before the picture is taken.

If broke, replaced with used
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera used it once. The second time I used it, it had water in the digital screen, I turned it off and turned it on a day later to find a black spot covering the entire screen with several black lines, and unable to see anything else or take pictures. A note in the box states to not to bring back to store of purchase to call Fuji, which I did. They directed me to a repair form, which I had to fill out, send back and pay for the shipping and oh they would either repair it or send me a re-furbished one. My camera was not even a month old, had only been used twice, I paid $179 + tax for it and I could only get a refurbished camera. The pictures from the first time were ok, but at the risk of spending that much to have it break down so quickly and only get a refurbished camera in return, I would not take again.

Not so great…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I love this little cameras package. The color, the functionality, it’s waterproof (which was the main reason I wanted it) and it’s just too darn cute. However, all that aside, the picture quality is horrible. I was so disappointed. I actually returned it because of this fact. For 10mp it should have had great picture quality. My Nikon Coolpix 5mp has way better picture quality so I’ll stick with it now. For the Fuji Z33WP though, I could not believe how grainy the pictures were. I even used multiple settings and megapixels to see if I could be satisfied but it didn’t work. Keep this in mind if you plan on purchasing this camera.

4 Stars for a “Water-Proof” Digital Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I want to start by saying that I am giving this camera 4 stars for a “waterproof camera”; with that in mind comparing this with other similarly priced non-water cameras I would probably rate this camera with a 2 1/2 to 3 star rating.

This is actually my mom’s camera, but I borrowed it over July 4th for a trip to amusement/water park. For the purpose of using it under water/around water I was impressed. The pictures came out surprisingly well. Other than that, though, I actually switched to my camera (Cannon Powershot SX100) for the non-water parts of the trip because the picture quality is much superior.

Pros:

*Underwater use is great, especially for a lower-priced digital camera

*The automatic flash is very quick, unlike some cameras that automatically do the “three-flash” thing … you don’t miss any actions shots

*Large display screen

*Compact

Cons:

*For having 10MP the out-of-water-pictures are very unimpressive (my camera is 8MP and takes exceedingly better pictures in all light settings)

*The buttons are crammed into the right side (to afford more display screen room) but makes the buttons a little complicated. Further, the layout of the buttons do not feel very well thought out

*In the playback mode, scrolling through pictures has a slideshow effect, which is annoying because there is a noticeable lag between each picture

*This camera does not adjust well to light settings. My mom just went to the beach this weekend on a very sunny day and all the pictures appeared blown out.

*Videos are even more grainy than the pictures

Overall, if you need a cheap, waterproof digital camera this may be a good buy. But, if you’re just looking for a digital camera that you will occasionally use for water, I would sugest buying a better regular digital camera and investing in the disposable digital under-water cameras the once or twice you want water pictures. The picture quality is too poor if you plan on using this mostly for non-water pictures.

Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this camera! The size is handy, and the features are awesome. Took some underwater pix that turned out great. I have made some mistakes in selecting settings but am learning. Do wish the display was easier to see in bright light. Overall it’s an extremely good value.

only lasted 3 days
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought one of these brand new for a family vacation to St. John. Took great above & below water pictures for 3 days then it just died. Would not turn on. We’ve had digital cameras in the family for many years with no similar DOA experiences, so we know how to handle them & don’t think it was caused by mis-handling. NO water got inside the camera. Thank goodness we had a backup Nikon with us. Unfortunately we missed pictures of sea turtles and starfish (our favorites) because the Nikon was above water only. We plan to return this Fuji to the retailer for refund, NOT replacement. Would not buy this camera again.

Love It
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this camera to take on vacations to play at the beach and such without worrying about it. I took it on a cruise and the pictures turned out great! The colors were amazing. For the price and not to worry about if it gets wet or something this is a great camera for the price. I also took one of the pictures and blew it up to an 8×10 and put it in a frame in my house and I get more wow that is a great piture! I could go on and on about the camera but I just wanted to give my 2cents… (I have the blue one)

great little water camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take on a cruise because I wanted something that I could take to the beach and snorkling etc. It was perfect – the size is great and the pictures are actually better than I even expected them to be. For the size it is a great value I would highly recommend it.

Green Waterproof Digital Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my trip to Hawaii. It worked as well as I expected. It was a difficult see the screen underwater to see what I was about to take a picture of and then to know if it was focused. If your are swimming for a while with it, you may want a strap to keep it around your neck or shoulder. The wrist strap is not the easiest to swim with.

Great Waterproof Camera for the Money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I Bought this camera for a 8 day backpacking trip to the High Sierras East of Fresno, CA. The Camera worked great in both dry and wet, in fact it shot good pictures and Video during several thunder storms. I had not intended to test the camera’s waterproofness in this way but I had the camera in my pocket when I had to swim about 200 yrds in a extremely cold mountain lake. The camera worked great only had to clean the lense off since even little water droplets show up on the pictures or video…

Doesn’t deliver on what it promises.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m an easy grader and love to give positive reviews of products that perform well. So please think seriously about what I say before buying this product. I am a photography and graphics professional, but I’m really only judging this camera against my expectations for similar products in this class. [The most recent point and shoot camera that I've owned was a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8 5MP, purchased in 2006.]

Cons:

1)Poor image quality. Not worthy of the name/reputation that Fuji has earned through years of superior film products. Images are grainy in nearly all but perfectly bright outdoor settings. For digital photo professionals, I’m referring to chromatic noise in excess of anything I’ve seen in the last 5 years or so. I’m almost baffled that the sensor could be so poor. Indoor shots are terrible. It’s almost impossible to get this camera to shoot a focused picture in anything other than midday sun or with a harsh flash that washes out the image. All shooting conditions being equal, I would prefer to have a 5 megapixel image from my Lumix rather than a 10 megapixel image from the Fuji FinePix.

2)Waterproofing fails. I read a review right after I bought this camera that said that the user had experienced a problem with moisture behind the LCD display. I hoped that her experience was atypical. Unfortunately, I had the same experience. On day 9 of a 10 day trip to Mexico, the camera developed a moisture problem that affected both the LCD display and the lens. Images were completely fogged and unacceptable. I had to fully dry the camera (try that in 100% tropical humidity) in order to get it to de-fog.

3)Long time (few seconds) to display image after shutter press. Can be a bit frustrating when action happens.

4)Not enough manual control for iso/shutter speed/flash in difficult lighting conditions, which for this camera are most lighting conditions. I had better fine controls on my Lumix, three years ago. And better indoor/party photos on my Nikon Coolpix 880 back in the late ’90s.

5)LCD is difficult to read in most daylight and underwater lighting conditions. You’ll find yourself trying to create a dark shadow with your other hand in order to see what you’re doing, and even then it’s hard to read.

Pros:

1)Flotation strap really works.

2)Fun, easy and convenient.

3)Interesting advances features like face recognition that I didn’t get a chance to fully test because of Con #2 above.

4)Video.

I purchased this camera just before our trip to Mexico, because of the waterproof feature and because I wanted a fast/fun/easy backup to my professional grade Canon 5D mkII. I returned it immediately after the trip because of the internal moisture issue. The camera was never subjected to conditions outside of its stated range. It wasn’t dropped, crushed or shocked. The deepest that camera was ever in the water was about 5 feet. We went snorkeling with it about 5 times and shot some fairly good underwater photos. Never exceeded the camera’s rated depth.

In conclusion, this was a camera that I really wanted to love and rave about, but the main purpose of a camera is not all the fluff and jazzy features. It’s taking pictures. This camera just takes lousy pictures. The sensor creates images that are high in megapixels but otherwise more like a cell phone camera than a nice point and shoot. And its one hallmark feature, being waterproof, failed after about a week of what I would consider normal use by responsible, careful adults. I returned mine and am looking for another point-and-shoot to replace it. This could have been an AMAZING product if the sensor was better and the waterproofing didn’t fail. It’s a fun little camera with a really convenient form factor and easy controls, this pics just aren’t good.

Great little camera for snorkeling and the beach!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This made life so much easier on my trip to Hawaii, where we spent a lot of time on the beach or snorkeling. It was easy to use in the water, buttons etc. I recommend buying the floating strap though, as it does not float on it’s own.

We got much better pictures than we ever have with the disposable underwater cameras, and using a 4gb memory card in it totally allowed us to go nuts and take as many pictures as we wanted. And battery life was surprisingly good. I liked the pictures even more when I loaded them onto the computer from the camera. They look grainier on the little view screen.

It’s great in and out of water, just remember to wipe off the water from the lens when you leave underwater shooting, or you’ll get blurry spots in your out of water photos. Just common sense, I know.

Also, when you use the forced flash underwater, if the water is a little bubbly, you might get some bright dots that look pixelated. So turning off the flash may help.

One thing I did read about a lot that I will confirm. Low light photos are a little grainy, so if you’re going to use this indoors, don’t expect it to be a replacement of your regular everyday camera that you love.

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the purchase. I’ll be using this a lot for vacations and beach jaunts. It was even fun to use in the pool, and great for a day that was a little rainy. I didn’t have to worry about keeping my electronics covered!

Great, durable waterproof camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased this prior to our trip to Hawaii and was not disappointed. Worked great underwater in fresh and saltwater. Fairly durable, we dropped it around 4 ft a couple times onto pavement and no scratches or damage noted. The video quality (640×480 max) is surprisingly good above and below water (pleasantly surprised by audio capability and quality underwater). Buttons on the back seem pretty durable but takes some getting used to. One of the onscreen menus has a large variety shooting modes that seemed to work well for their purpose (underwater, fireworks, beach, etc…). Main drawback as noted by other reviewers is the poor image quality in low and medium light shooting. If using a flash, be sure to have the subject within 10ft or so. We have a Sony point-and-shoot purchased for a comparable price that does much better in low light. If you’re looking for a durable underwater camera with great video with a choice of cool colors, this is it!

She loves it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We bought this for our daughter as a Christmans gift ~ she wanted an underwater camera ~ so far so good. She and her friends have taken a lot of fun pictures with it. Quality is good.

Stopped working the first day of our trip
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera 3 days before a Girl Scout trip. The kids spilled milk on it right out of the box so I was glad that it was water proof-I just rinsed it off. On the first day of our trip the girls were in a 6 ft deep pool, so I let them take it for a few pictures. After the second shot the camera went dead. I thought maybe it was the battery so I recharged it and tried the next day, but it was dead-no sign of water in the main housing, so I’m guessing there was some small leak near the switches. I spent the rest of the trip borrowing other girls cameras. Very disappointed.. The reason I rate it as high as a 3 is because the few pictures it took came out very well. It just wasn’t sturdy enough for me. Rather than go through the repair process I just returned it to Walmart. The Canon waterproof camera is more expensive, but looks like a sturdier camera-that will probably be my next purchase.

Great product at a great price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas which will include some snorkeling. I have a very nice camera but it is very large and not waterproof. Figured I would give this one a chance for the price and would be great just to have in my purse whenever wanted. We used the camera this weekend at a pool party and plesantly surprised at the quality of both water and non water photos. Everyone at the party now wants to buy one and was very impressed. Great value and great product for the price.

It works well underwater
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
My 12 year old bought this and she loves it. Works great in water conditions and under water. It’s a bit slow on the shutter so there are absolute trade-of’s from other digital cameras. This is a great UNDERWATER camera but only a so-so DRY camera. But the kids love it at the pool and beach.

great camera for the field
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps and I needed a camera to take to the field. I needed something that was durable, waterproof, and small. This camera was a perfect choice! The only qualm I have is with the battery life. However, the picture quality makes up for this. All in all, this is a great camera.

Don’t waste your money
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to replace a fuji waterproof camera that I take fly fishing regularly. I purchased it based on reviews that said it was a good camera for the price and solid. I was SO disappointed in the quality of the pictures – very grainy and fuzzy no matter what settings I tried. I returned it after 1 week of trying to take pics on my vacation but coming home with lousy shots.

Too bad – I liked everything else about it.

Buy for the waterproof/ruggedness, not photo quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Like my title says, I wouldn’t buy this for the photo quality. But for those environments that kill other cameras, this is great. I am a fulltime firefighter, and originally bought this to keep in my bunker gear. But, it’s small enough I actually keep it in my uniform pocket all the time. We have an expression in our academy – “If you didn’t want to get wet, you should have been a librarian.” I figured that my environment would thoroughly test this camera. Then last night I accidentally left in my pocket and it went through the washer and tumble dry/high heat. Came through with some flecks of paint transfer from the dryer, but fired right up, no problems.

I bought this knowing the picture wouldn’t be the best, but figuring it’d at least be functional when others weren’t. The photos were better than I expected; they are a bit grainy if zoomed in upon, but still not as bad as I thought. I wouldn’t put them up against those from my D-SLR, but I darn sure wouldn’t take my D-SLR where this baby goes. Even still I probably would have given this just 4 1/2 stars because of the quality. I now give this a full 5 stars after putting through the wash; it saw more abuse than it ever would have in my pocket.

DUD
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We received the camera promptly, charged the battery and put it in the camera and it would not turn on.We talked to Fuji, they said to send it in, they explained that if it was covered under warranty we would get a refurbished camera. We have sent it back to Fuji and have been waiting for a reply. It seems the best outcome at this time is a used camera for a new one.

GREAT WATERPROOF CAMERA
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
GREAT GREAT GREAT CAMERA. Waterproof to depths that it advertises. Fast shooting, fast flash recharge, good battery life, and great pics under water. Also the videos under water turned out great. For the price I would recommend this camera to anyone. I have owned 2 sonys, 3 cannons, and 2 fujis, and for the price, this camera really competes.

An amazing and outstanding camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’re a novice at photography and want to take pictures either out of or under water, you couldn’t ask for a bettter camera. Especially for the price. Either the people who gave this camera a bad review didn’t know how to use it, they have too high a expectation, or are expert photographers who may need a more expensive camera. Or perhaps their camera just didn’t work properly.

I wasn’t expecting a lot from this camera based on the price and some reviews, but because of some of the shared photos, I decided to give it a try. If it didn’t work, I at least didn’t spend a whole lot. What I got was an amazing camera for a great price. I’m an extremely picky person and it takes a lot to impress me, but that is exactly what this camera did. Since I was snorkeling and floating on top of the water bobbing up and down, fighting against the current and using mostly the zoom feature my expectation was a lot of blurred pictures. So much so, that I wasn’t even eager to get back to the ship to load the pictures onto my laptop to see what I got. When I finally was mentally set for a big disappointment I loaded my pictures onto my laptop. What I saw couldn’t have surprised or excited me more. The pictures were beautiful and the movies I took were phenomenal. If you are a novice or a intermediate photographer, I highly, highly recommend this camera especially if you want to take underwater photos. I think it does great out of the water too. I have uploaded a few of the pictures I took so you can check those out. My two disappointments were that it was overcast (Fugifilm has no control over that)and I think some of the photos would have been better had the sun been out showing off all the colors of the fish and coral. And that the camera is only good for 3 meters under water. So I wasn’t able to swim to the bottom of the ocean with it to take pictures. I had to stay on the surface. Regardless, it had the zoom that worked perfectly. One other nice thing was that I didn’t have to worry about it if it rained or got wet while out on the ocean.

Image noise
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The physical characteristics of this camera do not disappoint, but so far I am unhappy with the image quality.

For comparison purposes I own an Olympus E-520 D-SLR and my previous point-and-shoot camera was a Casio EX-S500 from around three years ago. I was very happy with the Casio, but someone accidentally dropped it hard and it broke, so I intend to replace it with this camera.

The tiny size and lightweightness of the Fuji Z33 WP are perfect for pocket portability. Its shape also has a much higher coolness factor than many of the standard boxy designs. It definitely feels smaller than I imagined it would. The interface is simple and easy to use. The buttons remind me of car stereo head units I had in the mid-90s. They are kind of rubbery and very pleasant to use, but they feel as if after a few years you might wear them out and accidentally poke a hole in the rubbery surface that covers the underlying button mechanisms. I imagine that this would leave the camera with an area vulnerable to water. The battery/memory card door seems well-constructed and you must open a latch, slide the door, and then swing it open to access the innards. The waterproof gasket appears secure and I feel that the door design is well-engineered. Under the door is a port which appears to be proprietary and uses a supplied cable to connect to a USB port on your computer. This port is used to transfer pictures and videos to a different location immediately without installing any software.

Also under the door is the battery which must be removed for charging. I must say that I really like the battery charger. It is a platform about 2×3.5×0.5″ and it does not require a cord. Prongs swing out from the back and you plug the charging platform directly into the wall. It might not be convenient on a power strip because it would take up extra room, but I really like that there is not another extra cord for the charger. It is very sleek and easy to pack.

The majority of the camera is plastic which makes it so lightweight, but it seems relatively sturdy short of drop-testing it. I would say that I have medium-sized male hands and this camera is pretty small to hold. I personally prefer this characteristic because I’m looking for a camera that I can take everywhere with me. I have my D-SLR for camera-specific outings, but I want something small and light to take with me everywhere from bars and parties to outdoor activities like snowboarding and mountain biking. The size of the camera definitly meets my requirements, but I can see that it might be hard to hold for someone with larger hands. Also, until you get used to it, you must be careful not to cover the lens with a finger, but I understand that this is normal for this camera category. The On/Off button is recessed so that it isn’t pressed accidentally and the shutter feels natural and requires a standard amount of pressure to activate.

The menu system gives the basic options and doesn’t waste space with convoluted choices. It also gives clear explanations of the scene modes to help you decide which one to use. The auto-scene-recognition can be engaged if you don’t want to keep the picture-taking process as simple as possible. Overall, the menu was very easy to navigate and nothing seemed confusing.

I have not evaluated the underwater capabilities of this camera. I was only interested in getting a waterproof camera so that I could go out in the rain or take it snowboarding and not worry about moisture. I do not plan to use it underwater on purpose.

So far, I have only taken indoor shots in medium light. It appears that many cameras can take decent outdoor shots due to the better lighting, so my personal test is indoor shots. Also, I intend to use the camera frequently in party and bar settings, so this becomes even more important. The Z33 WP claims to have scene-recognition and should be a very automatic camera for beginner users. With and without a flash, my pictures show excessive image noise. I thought it might be the typical ISO-boost, so I manually forced the ISO lower. There is still so much noise when I display the pictures full-size on a computer screen that I am very disappointed. The videos are smooth and have very impressive sound, but they also appear to be filled with the same image noise. I will try to post pictures on an update, but I feel bad that I can’t produce anything decent to look at. I’m hoping that it is simply my fault and I will keep trying for now, but a fully automatic point-and-shoot should make the process of taking a clear picture simple, right? I know that better lighting will help, but this is too poor for my needs. I am considering exchanging the camera for a different one. I am considering the Olympus 550WP or one of the Olympus Tough series. I know that Oly waterproof cameras aren’t known for great image quality, but I’m hoping they have to be better than this Fuji.

In conclusion, my 5MP Casio P&S took much, much clearer pictures than this camera and I would be embarrassed to show these indoor pictures I have taken to anyone. I will be looking for a different camera.

terrible picture quality
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this as an alternative to the olympus stylus because I wanted a small underwater digital camera. However, after having an olympus for 3 years, this camera was a major letdown. Out of 20 pictures I take, maybe one or two would turn out nicely. There was an incredible amount of image noise. The flash made almost everything washed out, but if I turned the flash off, the images would ALWAYS be blurry – even on the no blur mode – and a bit green-tinted.

This is probably one of the most inexpensive waterproof cameras, but with the amount of wasted shots it takes, it’s really worth a few extra dollars to get a camera that produces pictures worth looking at.

Good but not great!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It does what it suppose to do, but Picture quality of Canon or Lumix is better.

I dig this camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one of the best buys in cameras. I will not take a big camera on a trip..I just know that about myself but alot of smaller cameras don’t take great pictures or they are cumbersome to use. Not this one! Takes great pictures and the buttons are really user friendly. I would recommend this camera to anyone who likes to just be able to slip their camera in their pocket but yet not compromise the quality of the shots AND its waterproof to 13 feet! How can you beat that?

Buy it for vacation, but use it for every day
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take with me snorkeling in Hawai’i, and to use as a backup camera to my Olympus 20x zoom camera. When i first took it out in Kahalu’u Bay on the Big Island, I was amazed at what this little camera could do. It’s so easy to operate underwater and takes great movies and pics. Seals are watertight and body is very sturdy. Good battery life considering how much I used it every day of my trip. I took it to a manta ray night snorkel and got some once-in-a-lifetime videos (see my youtube vid at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VNaSHoBViE) and was glad the small size made it a great still shot backup when I ran out of batteries in my Olympus. The cool green color and nice quality vids and photos got noticed by quite a few tourists and locals on my trip. The camera’s still photo quality is just fine for everyday shooting. Snap one of these beauties up now and never leave home without it.

Had it for 5 days
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am a long distance trail runner and very often carry my Canon 8MP Digital ELPH camera with me. Unfortunately, with sweat and rain, I can’t always take my camera to capture the gorgeous scenery, wildlife, etc. that I encounter on the trails. My wife purchased this camera for me for Christmas because it was affordable, rated well at the local big box electronic retailer, and waterproof.

Please keep in mind that I am comparing it to nearly any current Canon product as I have been and am still using Canon, for years now.

10MP?: you’d never know it. On the LCD, it looks extremely grainy. For an average size of 4 megabytes, you’d like crisp and clear…and it wasn’t. When loaded onto the computer for editing, it was average at best with no cropping or enhancement. Any brightening would greatly distort picture and any zooming made the pic look absolutely horrible with pixels everywhere.

Battery Life: within TEN pictures on the initial use, the red battery indicator came on. Keep in mind that I fully charged the battery before initial use as directed. To put this in comparison, my SD1100 by Canon lasted through 200 pictures and a 5 hour trail marathon in November without even warning me of a low battery. 200 pictures! That’s a lot of turning on and turning off…thus lots of mechanical motion by the camera without dying. Unacceptable, FUJI!!!

Moving people/objects: often, I take pictures of fellow runners while they are…running! I tried this and they were all blurry. I quickly realized I couldn’t be moving (like I could with the Canon) but even when I froze and tried to capture fellow runners on the run, they were blurry. The ability for my Canon to capture moving objects or even things like waterfalls is far superior to the FUJI.

Delay between pictures: Again, with Canon it is very quick. With this camera, there is a long delay between pictures. Enough said.

Powering on the camera: In the winter, I wear gloves. The super tiny, recessed power button on this FUJI is nearly impossible to push with anything but a pointy finger. Very frustrating especially when you consider the delay in powering up. Bad when I see something I want to capture (like wildlife) and I only have moments to do so before they run off.

All in all, I am now without a waterproof camera because this FUJI went back very quickly. There is simply no comparison with Canon. I recommend any of the ELPH cameras. They basically have the same features/technology. Pick any one of them from 8MP to 12MP and I think you’ll be very happy. For me, I just need to avoid the moisture on my runs!

Perfect for water loving teenager
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The biggest appeal of this camera is its waterproof capabilities. The green color is also very awesome and is as bright in person. This camera was bought for a teenager because of the low price and so that it can be used at the waterpark or could be accidentally left out in the rain (you know how kids can be). It isnt shockproof so clumsy kids beware!

Testing the unit lead me to see that the best pictures were taken when outside but indoor pictures were not too bad. The pictures came out better on my computer than the LCD showed. The buttons feel really cool to the touch. The battery door is a little tricky to figure out but it does have to be waterproof. The video function is pretty good and catches good sound.

Overall, the camera is a lot of fun for what it is. Just keep in mind that you will need a nicer digital camera (read: non-waterproof and a little more expensive) if you want the best photos to frame on the wall.

Poor Indoor/Flash and Low Light Pictures
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I was impressed with the overall design and waterproof feature of this camera. The outdor pictures I took were acceptable to darn good. The disappointment came from trying to take a simple snapshot with the flash in Automatic mode. The results are unusable and the moments are gone. I tried working with Juji support who suggested going to manual mode and changing the ISO setting. I did not see much improvement and the process is way too complicated for a point and shoot camera. If you can afford a “beach” camera only this may be a good choice. If you also need it to take a picture of the Birthday Party – look elsewhere. I returned the camera.

Fits nicely in hands, takes great pictures and video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I waited to write a review until I felt I had taken enough pictures and video to have a solid opinion. My first thoughts when I got this camera were how comfortably it fit in my hands, and how easy the buttons are to push. I do have smaller hands though. Now that I’ve taken it on a vacation to Florida, I can also say it takes great pictures in any setting and the videos turn out bright and clear as well. I love that you can watch the video on the camera itself, as it does have a speaker so you can hear the sound. Printed pictures have also turned out beautifully. It is so convenient to be able to use just one camera for both water and land pictures, whether indoor or outdoor. I would definitely recommend this camera, especially for someone who travels often to places that a waterproof/underwater camera would be convenient. I am looking forward to using it on more vacations as well in every day life and am glad I won’t have to buy a new disposable waterproof camera every time I go on vacation. In the long run, this camera is definitely a great value for me.

Amazing Pictures
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What an amazing camera! It takes the most breathtaking underwater shots- the clearest most true to color shots i have ever seen come from an underwater camera. Its lightweight and durable and the battery cahrger is extremely convienet. I would reccomend this product to anyone.

Impressive
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for my 13 year old daughter. I figured waterproof was one less worry for her to ruin it. The camera has proven to be very durable and tons of fun. She went away this summer for vacation and came back with wonderful video of her and her cousins jumping off rocks and into the lake. The picture quality is the also great, and I would definately recomend this as an inexpensive waterproof camera. In fact, I’m thinking of getting one in a different color for myself.

Great!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera because I wanted something for the outdoors, so far I already took this camera to two water parks and take great pictures and video too. No complaints at all, I love it!!

Great for beach/pool snapshots.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for a trip to the beach because I did not want to bring my Nikon D90 in the sand and surf. The photo quality does not compare to the D90 but I did not expect it to. It provided me with fun snapshots at the beach without the worry. It is a great little camera.

Nice little camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I fell in love with the camera the first time I used it. The pictures came out crisp and clean. The shutter speed is something I was looking for. Its fast and quick and you don’t miss a shot because you have to wait for the shutter to finally click. The camera is small and easy to take with any where and to just drop it in your purse or pocket. I love that it comes in colors, I have the green one. Up loading your pictures to your computer is also fast and quick. Good Camera for the price. I haven’t gotten a chance to see how the waterproof part of the camera works yet. If it protects my pictures that will be worth it.

Very cheap plastic cover.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I believe the intentions were good for this camera. It does do well in its own realm, which is the outdoors with lots of light. The video does really well also. Indoors with little light creates terrible pictures. Only use this for outdoors. I gave it two stars because the lid for the battery compartment is plastic (unlike the rest of the camera) and it broke on me in my pocket rendering it useless in the water. Could they have spent a few more dollars to make it all metal and a lot more durable? I think so…

Love it.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got it for my 6 yr old. She takes wonderful pictures with this camera.

Very easy to use. Good quality pictures. Most importantly, it’s pink!

Best camera ever!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is not only adorable but easy to use, takes great photos. The best photos are actually taken in the ocean! A must for any vacation lover!

love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my niece for her graduation.. and i find myself stealing it from her so that i can use it! i love it! the pic quality is amazing! I’m definitely buying one for myself soon!

great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
this is a strong camera.. i dropped it within the first 24 hours i had it. still worked.. took it on vacation to florida with me .. i had the camera in the pool and the ocean with no problems at all. the quality of some of the pictures differ from one setting to another. the camera for the price is way worth it.. if you take a lot of pictures you are bound to get a bunch that are fantastic..

AMAZING camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to take with us to Disneyworld. I used it the whole time for regular pictures and water pics. Its rounded edges slid in and out of my pocket easily. The picture quality is awesome and since the zoom lens in behind a shield I could wipe it with a wet one and not worry about scratching the lens or no fingerprints. I love that I can still do vidoes too AND play them back and hear them! I took video of me and my son going down a waterslide and its a great memory I will always cherish. VERY please with this camera and I have recommended it to ALL of my friends!

Good (not great) outdoor camera
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The professional reviews for this were quite promising (I bought this when it first came out), but I have been mostly disappointed in the image quality. Don’t even think of taking indoor pics unless it is very well lit. Focus takes longer than my older Olympus, recovery time is a tad long too (and doesn’t improve a lot when on lower quality).

Outdoor shots are a mixed bag. . . some are good, some are bad but none are great. . . about as good as a disposable 35 mm. I haven’t used any other waterproof camera, so I can’t compare. I do wish it were crisper at least under full sunlight. . . it would make the purchase a little less painful.

Great little under water camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Z33WP is great for any vacations involving WATER!!! Just the right price and can do what my DSLR can never do — Going anywhere I go and snapping picture just for fun.

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The camera is very easy to use, small easy to carry, and the pictures are great. I spend a lot of time on the river and wanted a camera that could get wet. I don’t think you could find a better waterproof camera for the money. I recommend the accessory kit that goes with it.Fujifilm Z33WP Accessory Kit

great outdoor camera!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera is great for outdoor use because it is waterproof. My only complaint is the fact that sometimes you have to press pretty hard to get it to take pictures, and if you don’t give it time to focus you get a very blurry picture. Other than that I love it and would recommend it to others! Love the green!

I still haven’t figured out all of the features or the software. I don’t know if you can edit pictures with the software like Kodak (previous digital camera). Not quite as user friendly, but better camera with a better battery life.

Great camera for snorkelers!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Saw some snorkelers with these (and similar sized Olympus) waterproof cameras while on vacation in Maui and decided to pick one up on a whim.

I managed to find one of these for very close to the Amazon price at a Long’s Drugstore in Lahaina.

I’ve not been as happy with a purchase in a long time! The camera worked absolutely fantastic for my purposes. I wanted to capture some images of the wonderful underwater residents at Honolua Bay. I’ve uploaded a few example shots, but have many dozens of similar quality images.

If you are a snorkeler and want to snap some pictures, this is the ticket!

cute small camera but…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I did not know when I bought the camera from QVC that you need to replace the waterproof sealing on the camera once a year to maintain the camera’s water resistant. You can download the manual on QVC’s website or Fuji’s. It doesn’t tell you this in the booklets you get with the camera. I’ve called Fuji and they told me its $35.00 to have the sealing on the camera; not including shipping it to the company and back to you. I will be returning this camera this week. I’m very disappointed with Fuji doing this to their customers.

Compact underwater camera with realistic results
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Let me start by saying that I did not expect professional high res images from this little camera. I expected good underwater digital pictures that are better than the ones in a disposable underwater camera (also $$$ to get developed).

I used it on vacation in Hawaii for snorkeling in the ocean, swimming in pools, on whale watching boats, catamarans, in waterfalls and it held up very well!

Some pictures come out slightly blurry if you move while taking them, but most of the images were great. Also, with some minimal photoshop editing any lighting/color issues can be fixed easily.

As others mentioned the stiff picture button makes it is hard to tell if the picture was taken underwater sometimes. It was not a big deal and it was portable enough to bring everywhere.

I bought this Pentax floating wrist strap and it was much smaller and easier to use than the one meant for this camera. Pentax Floating Wrist Strap

Everyone kept asking where they could get one! I’d definitely recommend it for any water activities, especially on vacation.

Nice Digital Camera for Underwater
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I couldn’t believe I was buying another Fuji camera after the troubles my old own gave me. That one will not work in hot temperatures. But since we were going on a cruise and we kayak a lot, I knew an underwater model would be best.

The Fuji FinePix Z33WP worked well. The menus are easy to use, although I saw a woman use a camera with much easier to use controls at a concert. I was fumbling around with the Fuji in the dark while she was manipulating her camera’s controls with ease. I should have asked her what brand hers was.

My cruise photos turned out pretty well. The picture quality is quite good for almost all my outdoor shots. Indoor shots varied greatly. Some are fine quality, some I had to tweak in Photoshop, and some are beyond help. The best ones tend to be close up shots. The underwater shots also vary in quality. Some of the problem may be my inexperience in using the camera while snorkeling. I managed to take some great shots underwater, however, and am pleased with the camera’s performance.

The small size makes this camera easy to slip into a pocket. Battery life has not been an issue. I ordered a spare to keep with me. The video works well.

Best little camera ever
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little guy packs a big punch. I bought this with the accessory kit and with an extra battery. I highly recommend this as an underwater camera. We recently took some awesome shots in Hawaii. the video underwater is an added bonus. Shots came out pretty clear and there was no motion blur. I used this camera mainly for underwater purposes, but it takes decent, not the greatest everyday pics. The ease of use and speed that this can shoot is why I gave it 5 stars. Would recommend the floating strap and an extra battery for warmer climates. Also would only get a green or pink in case you drop under water for easily seeing it.

Absolutely Amazing
Rating:5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely love this camera. I have gone through 6 cameras in the past 3 years and this is the one. Its waterproof which is perfect because I go on a dozen cruises a year so i wont have to worry about water damage. Its easy to use..lots of different options. You dont have to worry about red eye or anything and it even has a mode where it takes two pictures each time..one with a flash and one without. ITS AMAZING! /I recomend this camera for all ages. =]Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)

Sweet deal!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera with the intention of taking pictures and video while surfing. On its first trial it performed really good!. I must say that I feel like my Canon SD600 has better picture quality at only 6MP, but can’t go underwater without a housing, which it would be too bulky to snug under my wetsuit. So if you want the most bang for your buck, this is the right camera for you.