Just the other day on our Twitter, we were doing a bit of complaining that there haven't been many new camera announcements lately. That sure has changed in the past few days, though. The latest batch of new compacts comes in the form of a quartet from Fujifilm. Here's a rundown of the new line-up.

 
Powered by 14-megapixel, 1/2.3" CCD sensor and an 18x (28mm-504mm equivalent) Fujinon lens, the S2800HD is a logical step forward for Fujifilm's S-series. It's equipped with a 3-inch (230k dots), high-contrast LCD and 720p HD movie mode with Mini HDMI out. It also comes with a familiar suite of shooting options, including face-detection, tracking focus, motion panorama mode (similar to Sony's Sweep Panorama mode) and SR Auto Mode, which automatically selects the proper scene mode for your shooting situation. The press material also claims that it uses "Dual Image Stablization." While the mechanically-stablized CCD sensor fits that category nicely, they're also counting a 6,400 ISO as the other method of IS. 

 
The revamped EXR sensor is the story here, achieving faster AF speeds by intelligently switching between Phase Detection AF and Contrast AF depending on the shooting situation. The claimed autofocus speeds are as fast as 0.158 seconds. To compliment the 15x (24-360mm equivalent) Fujinon lens, Fujifilm has included Intelligent Image Stablization, including an enhanced gyro sensor and CCD Sensor Shift Stablization. The display is a 3-inch LCD with 460,000 pixels and its video capture tops out at 720p. Most of the shooting modes mentioned for the S2800HD are present here, but they have also added a Super Intelligent Flash, which adjusts its light output to cut down on blown out foregrounds and black backgrounds.

FinePix Z800EXR $229 (Late August) 

 
Despite checking in at $100 cheaper than the F300EXR, this style-oriented camera also employs the new EXR sensor, which allows for High Speed Autofocus. Aside from the new sensor, just about all of the other features have been from its more expensive predecessor, the FinePix Z700 EXR. The back is plastered with a 460,000 dot 3.5-inch touchscreen that handles operations and the lens is a 5x (36-180mm equivalent) Fujinon affair. As you have probably guessed by now, you also get the grip of shooting modes as well as 720p HD movie capture.

FinePix JX280 $149.95 (Late August)

 
As you'd expect from a value-oriented camera, the JX280 isn't lucky enough to get the EXR sensor. Its 14-megapixel CCD is complimented by a 5x (28mm-140mm) Fujinon lens and a 2.7-inch LCD display. Though, they did manage to keep the 720p HD video capture in the picture, which is nice at this price point.