These days, Fujifilm gets a pretty bad rap from the film photography community. So it’s easy to forget that from the 1980s to the early 2000s, Fujifilm produced some of the best cameras ever made: medium format, point-and-shoot, exceptional Xpan, and a full bag. other interesting features.
I often wonder what it would be like if Fujifilm restarted their camera production line. Which ones will they bring back? Here are five point-and-shoot cameras that I would love to see remade.
Fuji DL-200
- Price at launch: unknown
- Price in July 2022: $50-100 USD
- Pros: cheap, good lenses
- Cons: get a second version of this camera unless you like soldering
The Fuji DL-200 may not look like much, but it was a revolutionary camera 40 years ago. Released in 1983, it was called Fuji Cardia in Japan. The DL200 doesn’t have one, but two ingenious features that make it great for beginners.
It is said to be the world’s first downloadable camera. So what is drop-in loading? It’s a feature many videographers don’t know they need. In fact, most of us don’t. The rear door of the camera opens just wider than the width of the film roll, allowing you to drop the box in. When you close the door, the camera works its magic and loads the movie for you.
The second feature is even more curious. Like many future Fujifilm cameras, this camera features a pre-recording safety system. This is where, after the movie is loaded, it is wrapped all the way to the last frame, then pre-screened. When you take a photo, your exposed frames are wrapped into the canister. That means if you accidentally open the movie door, your precious memories will be safe.
In terms of power, the DL-200 is powered by two CR123A batteries. There was one hitch, however: the battery was soldered into place inside the camera. Yes, you had to return your camera to a Fujifilm dealer for the battery to be replaced. Hopefully this won’t happen too often, as Fuji estimates that the battery should last for about 1,000 shots or 5 years, whichever comes first.
Fujifilm Natura Black F1.9″
- Price at launch: $350 USD
- Price in July 2022: $400-850 depending on condition
- Pros: compact, light, fast lens, NP . mode
- Cons: no aperture priority mode, no way to manually set movie speed
Natura S line was released in 2001, shortly followed by Natura Black. It quickly became known as the moonlight camera, as it had one of the fastest lenses ever seen on a focal point and shooting: f/1.9. matches the name of the camera.
Unlike other high-end options, the Natura doesn’t have an aperture-priority mode, but it does have a nice trick. If you load a camera with movies at 1600 or higher, the camera will switch to Natural Picture (NP) mode. In this mode, it shoots wide open at f/1.9, and the camera assesses the brightness of the subject in the scene, adding up to two stops of exposure compensation to deliver natural-looking shots.
Another unusual feature of the camera is its wide-angle 24mm Super EBC lens. This, combined with the NP mode, makes it ideal for parties, indoor events and nightclubs. Natura is a domestic-only version, that’s why the controls on the back are all in Japanese. Luckily it’s not too hard to find.
Fuji Tiara
- Price at launch: about $300 USD
- Price in July 2022: $300-400 USD depending on condition
- Pros: lightweight, great lens
- Cons: Out of all the cameras on this list, this one seems to be the most vulnerable
The Fuji Tiara has become a cult classic for many film photographers. The original Fuji Tiara was released in 1994 and was mainly sold in Japan. There was a limited release in Europe, where it was sold as the Fuji DL Super Mini. A few years later, Fuji released the Tiara II, but there wasn’t much to distinguish between them.
There are claims that the Tiaras is as good as any other compact high-end shooter like the Olympus Stylus/MJU series. The comparisons are due to its sharp Fujinon lens, although the focal length is slightly wider at 28mm. Like the MJU I, the maximum aperture of the Tiara series is f/3.5.
Comparisons with the Stylus line of pens go beyond just image sharpness. The Tiara is quite small, and some say that like the MJU II, it is a bit slippery.
Like other Fujifilm cameras of its time, it had preload and roll modes. It also has an unusual feature for a compact camera: there’s a manual focus mode where you can set your subject’s distance.
So far, I’m not tempted to buy one, just because I’ve read several reports about this camera’s reliability. Out of all the cameras on this list, this is the one I’ve heard people have the most problems with.
Fujifilm Klasse S / W
- 2007 launch price: $725 USD
- Price in July 2022: $1,100-1,600 USD depending on condition
- Pros: nice camera with a good range of features, the latest high end scores and shots you can buy
- Cons: high price, not as sexy as Contax T2 / T3
Released in 2007, the Fujifilm Klasse S and W cameras are the latest high-end point-and-shoot cameras you can buy. They originally sold for 89,000 yen, about $725 USD. Again, the Klasse camera was only released in Japan, but fortunately the team at Fujifilm has put the menus and controls in English.
Klasse cameras feature Fujinon Super EBC (electron beam coating) lenses in two types: standard focal length (S) 38mm and wide lens (W) 28mm. As you’d expect with a point-and-shoot, you can shoot in aperture-priority mode and also dial in exposure compensation.
One advantage of Klasse cameras over competitors, like the Contax T3, is that you can easily change settings. Exposure compensation, for example, is handled by a small lever on the front of the camera, which is much better than having to rummage through menus.
Klasse cameras also have the ability to manually set film speed, bulb mode, tripod socket, cable release, and Fujifilm’s Natural Photo Mode.
If you enjoy shooting color transparent film (slides), this is a great camera. Fujifilm has specifically developed Klasse cameras around this capability, as these cameras have excellent metering capabilities.
Fuji Silvi F2.8
- Price at launch: $299
- Price in July 2022: From $150 to $400 depending on model
- Pros: wide-angle zoom, great for selfies
- Cons: mid-range zoom has a lot of competition
Last but not least, a forgotten camera from the early 2000s when digital was being rolled out. The Fujifilm Silvi F2.8 is a mid-range zoom camera released in 2003.
The Silvi has a very handy 24-50mm super EBC zoom lens, which is a bit wider than many other zoom lenses in this class of camera. There’s a good reason for this wider zoom, you’ll find out soon enough.
The cool thing about this camera is that it has dual shutter-release buttons: one on the left and one on the right. Of course, this camera was launched at the dawn of the selfie era, so Fujifilm is trying to make it as easy as possible for you to take pictures of yourself. The camera has a self-portrait mode with an indicator to help you compose and frame selfies.
While f/2.8 is on the front of the camera, that’s perhaps a bit misleading, as f/2.8 can only be achieved at the 24mm end of the range. The black version of the camera is only available in Japan, and like the Natura Black, it has an extra feature: the ability to add exposure compensation up to +/- 2EV.
That’s it for a total of five point-and-shoot cameras that Fujifilm should bring back. Which one did I miss? Let me know in the comments section below.
