Fujifilm's 2012 pocket travel zoom — 16MP CCD, stabilised 8x 25-200mm lens, 3in LCD, 720p video, SD storage.
The FinePix JZ250 was announced in January 2012 with the JZ100 as the follow-up generation to Fujifilm's JZ300/JZ500 travel-zoom compacts. Reaching shops in March 2012 at $149.95 in black, it packed a longer-than-average zoom into a pocketable body at a budget price, competing with Panasonic's entry TZ models.
It combines a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD with a Fujinon 8x zoom equivalent to 25-200mm, backed by optical image stabilisation - important at the telephoto end. The 3.0-inch LCD was brightened over the previous generation, video records at 720p, and sensitivity reaches ISO 3200. Fujifilm's face detection tracks up to ten faces, tracking autofocus follows moving subjects, and storage is SD/SDHC/SDXC with an NP-45A-type lithium-ion battery.
The JZ250 makes sense as a cheap travel companion: the 25mm-equivalent wide end is genuinely useful for interiors and landscapes, and the stabilised 200mm reach covers distant detail. Image quality is typical small-CCD fare - good in daylight, noisy past ISO 400 - and controls are automatic-only, which suits beginners more than tinkerers.
When buying used, confirm the stabilisation works by comparing telephoto shots with it on and off, and check the zoom runs its full 8x travel without sticking. The NP-45 battery family is still cheap and easy to find, and SD storage poses no obsolescence problems. Inspect the 3-inch screen for wear, as it is the only means of composition.