Fuji Finepix S304 Review

Overall Rating

I was very pleased with my S304 at the start, it took great pictures and was easy to use, although a bit bulky compared to some digital cameras it suited me fine.

After a few months the camera developed a fault whereby it would switch itself off when I was about to take a picture. The fault got worse after a period of a few weeks and the retailer exchanged it. After only about 3 months the same fault developed and the replacement camera is now being repaired. The technician has said that it maybe due to the humidity (I live in Cyprus)but I have the same problem whether it be winter or summer. Do Fuji cameras only work well in certain countries :-) Hopefully this repair will work but if not I will have to look at another make.

The Fuji Finepix S304 is a great Digital Camera which initially I was very pleased with, it took great pictures, but now I am now on my third replacement within a year due to the fault of it switching off and on at random, so I now have to question the reliability of this model.
Sorry Fuji this is your last chance, sort the problem out or I exchange it for a different make. Please don't tell me to move from Cyprus because I love living here!

Members' Comments onbobrowell's Review

• rollerdoor on 8th May 2004

  I dont think the humidity is the problem, I live in South Australia and my S304 has exactly the same problem.

• bobrowell on 29th May 2004

  Hello Rollerdoor. Thanks for your comment on the S304. I have been assured by my local Fuji dealer that I am the only person to have this problem and they are not willing to honour the camera guarantee. I'd be grateful if you would email to let me know of your problem and how Fuji overcame it. My Fuji dealer here in Cyprus has offered me the S5000 as a replacement providing I pay 200 CY Pounds towards it!! Any help would be appreciated to bobrf@yahoo.com

• bob 1 on 16th Jul 2004

  G'Day,
  My S304 has started displaying the same problem. I noticed it first when the camera was about 10 months old but thought it was just batteries not fully charged.Unfortunately the problem has persisted. I have contacted the local distributor and they have authorised an extended waranty claim. I'll keep you posted on the result!
  I would comment that the camera takes brilliant photo's (when I get it right),and I have been extremely happy to this time.
  regards
  Bob

• rollerdoor on 2nd Aug 2004

  My camera was sent off to Fuji for repairs under an extended warranty I had purchased with it (fortunately). Six weeks later it was returned to me with a note saying it was now OK.
  Unfortunately it still has the problem so it is back to Fuji again, hopefully not for six weeks.
  Definately the last Fuji I will buy.

• SK631217 on 7th Nov 2004

  I purchased my S304 after a good recommendation from my German friend but after 10 months it's picture got blurred, when gave for repairing under warranty I was told that internal screws are missing and lens unit has to be replaced and asked me $162 but after several complaint only difference was the repair charge was reduced to $115. I had no option than to get it repaired with $115 although under warranty period. The camera is not good, had lens problem with utmost careful usage, and the sale after service is worst. I am staying in Dubai and the service centre is Grand Store.

• bobrowell on 9th Nov 2004

  In reply to SK631217 - I had very bad problems with service for my S304 and after several months I decided to write to the MD of Fujifilm in Japan.
  Within a couple of weeks my S304 was replaced with a brand new S5000 as I had requested. Try writing to Fuji direct, why should you have to pay for a repair when the camera is still under warranty. good luck

• SK631217 on 10th Nov 2004

  In reply to bobrowell, Thank you for your advise but I have already written to Fuji Japan and from that the repairing charges was reduced from $162 to $115 and then I realised that either I should pay this amount and use it or loose what ever I had invested before. Hence my comment is that the service after sales from Grant Store is worse than the camera itself.

• bob 1 on 11th Nov 2004

  No problem from Australia, extended warranty service great, camera good as new !
  Bob

• Keith Lello on 5th Mar 2005

  I purchased my Fuji on eBay and thought I had a real bargain except that the camera would switch itself off within a short period of time. I thought it was because of the rechargable batteries the previous owner had supplied.
  
  After a time. The "switch-off" period began to get shorter and shorter and became a problem. I recently had to do some serious photography so took some alkaline cells with me. It was worse and the camera became unusable during the session through not allowing sufficient time to compose a shot.
  
  I am a qualified electronic serviceman and possibly could fix such a fault myself if I had the appropriate information. Any help out there?
  
  My assessment: Great camera with a serious design fault the manufacturer is reluctant to either acknowledge, let alone correct. This attitude leads to a loss of confidence in that brand name.
  
  Keith Lello

• bobrowell on 7th Mar 2005

  Hello Keith,
  My S304 gave exactly the same problems and my dealer tried to repair the fault and even exchanged the camera, but still the same thing happened. The dealer kept insisting I was the only person with this problem.
  Eventually I was so fed up I wrote to Fuji in Japan and they contacted my dealer here in Cyprus and told them to replace it free of charge for the S5000 which they did and so far I'm pleaased with it.
  We are not the only ones who have experienced the problem with the S304, so why don't Fuji own up and admit they have a problem with this model?
  Recall it and do whatever they have to do to sort out the problem - don't let the dealers fob you off with excuses and give an otherwise reputable company a bad name.
  Would I buy another Fuji product? - No way would I risk going through all that hassle again.

• iheartyouryan on 1st Feb 2008

  Its definetly not the country that's the problem, because I live in Montreal, Canada. I purchased a Fujifilm A820, and I have the same problem. I've had the camera for less than two months now, and it shuts off randomly all the time, and won't turn on the majority of the time, even with brand new batteries. Should I send it in to be repaired?

• WILLARCH on 29th Sep 2009

  I found this review somewhat helpful because...I have a similar problem. I have found that the battery cover catch wears or distorts in some way causing one or more of the batteries to come out of contact thus switching of or losing settings. To prove the point I have bound Selotape over the cover and around the camera body. No more problems but it is not easy to do without overlapping controls, it doesn't last forever and it doesn't look pretty.