What is Anti-Motion Blur?
The most seasoned photographer finds it difficult to control the quality of a picture in low light settings. A certain amount of noise creeps into pictures shot in poor lighting, thus diminishing their overall quality. Thankfully today many digital cameras have an Anti-Motion Blur mode, which offers users a great degree of protection for their pictures against noise and camera shake.

Anti-Motion Blur achieves that by shooting six frames rapidly and then putting those pictures in a stack with each other to give users a single image of superior quality. In many cases the Anti-Motion Blur mode automatically selects High Sensitivity settings for the camera. It does so to choose faster shutter speeds, which try to avoid effects of camera shake to a great extent.

Users have to weigh their options carefully before using this mode; however it’s quite handy for taking pictures in low lighting and handheld camera setups.

Advantages:
It’s a blessing for low light settings and when users are likely to experience camera shake while taking a picture. It reduces noise to an extent and gives users pictures that are a lot cleaner and have well defined edges.

Disadvantages:
Although it’s true that noise is reduced, it will not be completely eliminated. Hence users cannot expect magical results using this mode. Anti-Motion Blur Mode produces pictures that will contain some amount of noise and they lack in saturation as well.

Blur reduction in pictures depends on several factors like the subject’s distance from the camera. If the subject is too close to the camera, blur reduction might not be as effective as one would like it to be. Images with some kind of erratic movement or those with a constant movement like waterfalls for example, might not see the best results of this mode. It might also not work to its optimum in cases of images that have less contrast like beaches, sky etc.

However knowing more about Anti-Motion Blur gives users a shot in the arm when they are faced with particularly tricky situations.

What is AF Illuminator?
Getting the right focus for pictures is crucial; however in some cases that’s easier said than done. Like in case of low lighting where the camera cannot get the focus lock on its own. At times like these, having an Auto Focus (AF) Illuminator is a helpful option for users. When the camera determines that the available light is too little, it presses the shutter half way down. A red light will then shine on the subject to illuminate it and when the shutter is down completely, the flash goes off.

htingIt results in neatly focused pictures despite the poor lig.

An AF Illuminator is thus a red light source of low power that is activated in case of poor surrounding light. It gives sufficient illumination to the subject making it possible for the camera to achieve focus.

Uses:
Low lighting can cause many problems for users; the camera not being able to focus is a significant one of them. It can lead to out of focus shots, which can be quite disappointing. With the help of an AF Illuminator users can get rid of any such restrictions and shoot well focused pictures in low light as well.

What is Background Defocus in Sony Cameras?
Many budding photographers aspire to become professionals; at least they wish their picture had a professional look about them. A similar effect is obtained with the help of Background Defocus, a feature that is encouraging for amateurs as their pictures instantly look quite professional.

With the help of Background Focus, photographers can highlight their subject in a picture rather than the unwanted background. When a user wants to showcase his subject standing in a parking lot, there’s no need to see endless line of cars, which can be blurred using this option.

What does it do?
Background Focus works by taking two pictures and thus identifying the background in a picture. The background can then be blurred to keep the subject in focus and make it the object of viewer’s attention.

When a user activates Background Focus option he needs to pay heed to the recommended distance from the subject, which is about one foot. Users also have the option of setting the extent of blur to low, medium or high, depending on their preference and the result they have in mind.

Benefits
Background Defocus option helps amateur users take professional looking pictures, which can boost their confidence levels. Users can ensure their subjects get desired attention by bringing them in sharp focus and blurring the background to whatever extent they choose to.

Disadvantages
Some might say that the algorithm of the feature might need some tweaking here and there. Also the distance from the subject, recommended to be around one foot, becomes important and can affect the performance.
With the help of Background Defocus amateurs can take professional looking pictures, which can be quite encouraging for starters.

What is Embedded GPS in Photos?
Sometimes when on a holiday users might take pictures that might mean something to them at that point. On their return after the holiday it might be difficult to keep a track of all those pictures and their significance might fade out of one’s memory. But there’s help in the form of Embedded GPS, which can help jog memories of users about why a picture was taken and where.

Embedded GPS has the ability to record locations of images and store them with the picture itself. It works a bit like the date stamp on the picture, which would remind users when a particular picture was taken. With Embedded GPS, users don’t have to scratch their brains about where a picture was taken on their holiday or which café that evening was spent in company of close friends.

With this function available in a camera, a geo tag gets embedded with each picture and users can easily see the location via a map. Moreover users don’t only get co-ordinates for these places but readable actual locations too.

How is it useful?
It gives handy location information about pictures without users having to feed it themselves. Thus significance of a particular shot will not be lost. Users might also need to sort out hundreds of pictures after a holiday. Embedded GPS makes it easier for users to do so as they can quickly find images according to their location. Users might not have the time of the day to label pictures themselves but with Embedded GPS the job is automatically done for them.

Every picture taken by users probably means something to them at the time it was taken. Embedded GPS can ensure that the memory of the picture keeps flooding back and brings a smile back to the user’s face.

What is Intelligent Auto?
Users often forget to change the setting of their cameras according to different surrounding conditions. It can result in pictures not being up to the mark and users ruing a wasted opportunity. But now with the help of Intelligent Auto mode, users don’t have to remember to change these settings as the camera does it on its own.
Intelligent Auto mode lets users shoot without having to think about the settings, ambience etc as it eliminates the guesswork in taking pictures to a great extent. There are latest models introduced in digital cameras that make the task of users much simpler. They can set the Intelligent Auto mode and get fantastic pictures in hugely varying conditions and still manage to win accolades for their skills.

What does it do?
What Intelligent Auto mode does is it detects the scene when a user is taking the picture. Based on this detection the camera automatically adjusts its settings to give users good quality pictures even in difficult situations like scenes with low light.
Intelligent Auto mode can be used handsomely with face-recognition technology in certain cameras, which gives natural skin tones in pictures and can detect when a subject’s eyes are closed in a picture. The blink detection mode where two images are shot by the camera and the one where eyes are least shut is saved can also be used to great effect in combination with the Intelligent Auto mode.

With the help of Intelligent Auto mode cameras today are able to detect and distinguish between eight different scenes and choose an appropriate setting accordingly. Cameras can also detect up to eight faces, which is of great advantage to users.

Intelligent Auto mode not only takes the guesswork out of taking pictures but caters towards users’ convenience as well.

What is Optical SteadyShot in Sony Cameras?
Users might try their best to avoid camera shake when they click a picture but it’s not always possible. Some amount of camera shake creeps into pictures and it can hamper their quality. Optical SteadyShot gives users sharper and cleaner images by reducing the effects of camera shake.

Optical SteadyShot works on a smart mechanism where the camera detects small movements and compensates for them by shifting elements in the lens. It’s certainly a lot more effective than several digital methods used for the same purpose.

For steady pictures with minimum camera shake users are advised to lean against strong support like a wall or a tree and keep their elbows close to each other to keep the camera stabilized. In case of shots that are lower down, users can rest their arm on a support. And in case of long exposure it’s best to keep the camera rested on a support like a wooden frame, etc.

Uses:
Dim lighting can lead to pictures that aren’t sharp. It is annoying for photographers who might have captured a fantastic Sunset shot or one in Twilight conditions but the result is less than satisfactory. That’s when Optical SteadyShot option comes in handy as it’s particularly effective in low lit shots.

Optical SteadyShot can be used to take portrait shots, which can otherwise be blurry when there is an element of camera shake. With the help of this option, users can get sharp portrait pictures.
When shooting landscape pictures in dim light any camera shake can be seen in the form of light trails all through the dark areas. Optical SteadyShot is effective in avoiding this unwanted effect on pictures of one’s choice.

Benefits:
Optical SteadyShot reduces the annoying effects of camera shake, which can ruin perfectly good pictures. It helps users take good quality pictures even in dim lighting, which is a definite advantage. Picture quality isn’t compromised when users zoom in close as well.

Disadvantages:
The effectiveness of this option can be a bit limited.
However for situations where camera shake is inevitable, Optical SteadyShot works as a charm for users.

What is Smile Shutter?
When a user intends to take a portrait snapshot for the album a lot of factors have to fall into place. But few of these factors are more important than the subject and their smiles. People look their best when they are smiling however capturing those smiles on camera can be tricky, which is why users often have to settle for stiff and formal portrait shots. But with Smile Shutter options users can capture warm, welcoming smiles on camera and take pictures that will be remembered for a long time to come.

When Smile Shutter option is activated in a digital camera, it will automatically take pictures of people when they smile. Thus users can capture relaxed, casual moments filled with spontaneity that will be cherished by all.

The Smile Shutter option has some features that are meant for the convenience of users. It’s extremely easy to use as photographers only have to set the camera to Smile Shutter mode and direct it towards the subject. It will automatically press the shutter when the subject smiles.

Many cameras allow users the option of adjusting the smile threshold and they also have smile level display on the screen for the benefit of users.
Smile Shutter is the simple secret to many happy faces in photographs.

What Is Sweet Panorama?
When a photographer is traveling or happens to be close to Nature, he often comes across expansive landscapes that are difficult to fit in a frame. Thankfully, there are digital cameras that ensure users can get 224-degree panorama shots, without much difficulty with the help of the Sweep Panorama mode. Press of a button and a sweeping motion is all it takes to get a stunning panoramic view captured in a frame.
Earlier users had to rely on wide-angle lenses to shoot subjects like Church spires, tall buildings, city overviews and vast landscapes. But such traditional means are now passé with the latest Sweep Panorama mode.

The Sweep Panorama mode has wide and ultra wide settings and can be used in both vertical and horizontal directions to great effect. The Sweep Panorama mode can take 224 degree horizontal shots and around 154 degrees vertically, giving users huge options to shoot in.

Digital cameras often use CMOS image sensors for the purpose as it lets the user click several high resolution pictures continuously at a very high speed. Then the camera uses an image processor depending on its make and brand, to put these pictures together. The result is a stunning panoramic picture.

The Sweep Panorama mode is extremely easy to use and eliminates any guesswork involved in taking such shots. All users have to do is point the camera at the subject, press the button and get a sweeping view of the landscape from one direction to another. Many cameras are equipped to let users know when they are in the degree range and how wide they can actually shoot. The pictures are stitched together automatically and there is no need for any extra software.

For photographers into Nature and landscape photography, it is a feature that holds the key to breathtaking panoramic shots.

FinePix Z90 is the latest in the range of Fujifilm’s stylish Z-series of cameras that are known for their compact size and for being extremely user friendly. FinePix Z90’s 3 inch LCD touch screen is a testimony to that. It has a 14.0 megapixel CCD sensor and FUJINON 5x wide angle refractive optical zoom that gives users a shot in the arm when it comes to flexibility it offers them while shooting pictures.

For users who pay attention to design and style of their digital cameras, Fujifilm FinePix Z90 fits the bill perfectly. It has a thin metal chassis and a trendy sliding lens barrier, which makes the camera easy to carry wherever one goes. FinePix Z90 comes in five elegant colors; red, blue, pink, purple and matte black. Users can pick one according to their tastes and personality.

Today’s user needs easy options to upload pictures and videos they shoot on social networking sites so that they can be shared with friends and family. FinePix Z90 has Facebook/You Tube automatic upload feature that makes the task very convenient for users. Users can now identify pictures that they want to upload on these networking sites and tag them as well. MyFinePix Software lets users upload pictures and videos on sites like Facebook and You Tube with a single press of a button.

For users who are not sated with clicking images alone, FinePix Z90 offers 720p HD movie capture with a simple one-button touch. Now beginners with no experience in shooting videos can make movie clips with sequential capture option without any difficulty. Moreover, these movies are of the highest quality so that when they are played, users will definitely win applause for them from their friends and family members. There is a helpful Movie Edit feature, which lets users add their own special touch to these movies, which can then be watched on HD television with the whole family.

FinePix Z90 has a Tap and Shoot feature, which makes optimal photo shooting in varied scenes and conditions possible with just one touch. Other performance enhancing features like Digital Image Stabilization helps eliminate the nuisance of blurry images to a great extent. Face Detection and Automatic Red Eye Reduction features help users focus on the face of their subjects, which is crucial for portrait pictures and reduces red eye, which can ruin perfectly good pictures.

Nature and Landscape photography lovers can make the most of Motion Panorama Mode, which puts together up to three pictures to create a fantastic panoramic view. With FinePix Z90 users don’t have to lose sleep over hideous washed out pictures where the subject is under intense light and the background is hardly exposed and rather dim.

The camera’s Intelligent Flash is equipped to control the extent of flash depending on the exposure for any picture ensuring beautiful and well balanced results.
Add to it FinePix Z90’s playback abilities and users have a winner on their hands.

What Do I Get?

FinePix Z90 Pros:
It looks sleek and classy, scoring very high on style quotient. Users who look for fashionable, trendy models are bound to lap it up. It’s easily portable and its touch screen makes it extremely convenient for beginners. Features like Digital Image Stabilization that can get rid of blurry images give FinePix Z90 the edge.

Cons:
While FinePix Z90 might work wonders for outdoor shots results have been found wanting when it comes to indoor photographs. It is ideal for starters but for those who are seriously into photography; especially users who prefer taking family pictures at home ever so often might not be satisfied with results. Some users might find the need for accessories to view images and videos on TV annoying while others might have a bone to pick about the requisite program to upload pictures on social networking sites like Facebook.

Fujifilm FinePix Z90 Product Features

• 14-megapixel CCD sensor; 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens
• 3-inch resistive touch-screen LCD; Dual Direction GUI
• 720p HD video capture; one-touch movie button
• Easy Web upload to Facebook and YouTube
• Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
• 14 million effective pixels; 1/2.3 inch CCD with primary color filter; 5x optical zoom lens plus approx 6.8x digital zoom
• 3.0 inch wide touch panel LCD; Auto rotation to portrait or landscape view; HD movie 720p with sound
• 6 scene SR auto; Motion Panorama mode with auto stitch; Touch and shoot; Touch and track; Multi Frame Playback; Image search
• Approx. 38MB internal memory; USB 2.0 High-speed; Video output NTSC / PAL selectable; SD/SDHC/SDXC card compatible (card NOT included)
• Digital image stabilization; Tracking auto focus

Fujifilm FinePix Z90 Technical Details

• Brand Name: Fuji
• Model: 16125723
• Optical Sensor Resolution: 14 MP
• Optical Sensor Technology: CCD
• Optical zoom: 5 x
• Maximum Aperture Range: F/3.9-4.9
• Minimum focal length: 5 millimeters
• Maximum focal length: 25 millimeters
• Lens Type: Zoom lens
• Optical Sensor Size: 1/2.3″
• Included Flash Type: Built-in flash
• Display Size: 3.0
• Light Sensitivity: ISO 100, ISO 800, ISO 400, ISO 200, ISO auto, ISO 1600, ISO 3200
• Image types: JPEG
• Shooting Modes: Frame movie mode
• Exposure Control Type: Beach, Night (tripod), Natural light, Snow, Natural light & with flash, Landscape, Portrait mode, Night mode, Portrait enhancer, Motion panorama, Text, Party/indoor, Flower, Sports mode, Sunset
• Viewfinder Type: None
• Width: 2.2 inches
• Height: 0.8 inches
• Weight: 0.29 pounds