Fujifilm's 2006 slide-open slim compact — 5.1MP Super CCD HR, 3x zoom, xD storage, US-market Z1/Z2 successor
The FinePix Z3 was a slim fashion-oriented compact announced by Fujifilm on 30 May 2006 as the replacement for the FinePix Z1. Europe and Asia had received the intermediate FinePix Z2, which was never offered in the US; the Z3 added an Intelligent Flash mode and a higher-resolution screen over that model, so the three are distinct despite the shared design.
It uses a 5.1-megapixel 1/2.5-inch Super CCD HR sensor with a Fujinon 3x optical zoom folded behind a sliding front cover, processed by the Real Photo Processor II. Sensitivity reaches ISO 1600, metering is 256-zone TTL, and it offers fourteen scene modes, VGA movie recording, 10MB of internal memory and xD-Picture Card storage, all reviewed on a 2.5-inch 230k-dot LCD.
The sliding-cover styling, 130g weight and pocketable 20mm-thick body made it a night-out and everyday-carry camera, and the relatively high ISO ceiling for 2006 helped indoors. There are no manual controls, so it suits snapshot shooters and collectors of mid-2000s slim compacts.
It depends on the obsolete xD-Picture Card format, so a working card is essential and worth confirming before purchase, along with the proprietary battery and charger. Check the sliding lens cover switches the camera on cleanly and that the LCD, the only framing aid, is free of cracks or bleed.