Fujifilm JX370 vs Nikon Coolpix S3500: The Compact Camera Showdown for Budget Photographers

When you're hunting for an everyday compact camera on a budget, the choices are often limited by price rather than features. This comparison is a deep dive into two such contenders that have graced the market in the early 2010s - the Fujifilm FinePix JX370 and the Nikon Coolpix S3500. Both cameras are “small sensor compacts," made for casual shooters who want something pocketable and affordable. But how do they stack up when you pull back the curtain and test them in real-world scenarios?

I’ve spent a good chunk of my career testing cameras ranging from high-end pro bodies to these little budget-friendly compacts, and today I’ll share insights that go beyond spec sheets. Whether you’re a cheapskate looking for decent image quality or an enthusiast wanting a reliable daily grab-and-go option, this article will guide you through what each camera brings to the table - and where each falls short.

Designing for Your Hands and Life on the Go

First impression matters, and the initial thing you'll notice about these two cameras is their size and ergonomics. The Fujifilm JX370 is slightly more compact at 95 x 57 x 24 mm and weighs just 124 grams, while the Nikon S3500 is a hair bigger at 97 x 58 x 21 mm with a slightly heavier build of 129 grams.

Both units fit comfortably in a coat pocket or small bag, but their rounded profiles and simple button layout serve slightly different user needs.

Neither has an electronic viewfinder - something you might miss if you come from an SLR or mirrorless background. Both rely solely on the rear screens for composition, which means shooting in bright sunlight can become a challenge.

Speaking of controls, they advertise simplicity, and true to that, their button menus are minimal and straightforward. There are no clubs for your thumbs here - just a few buttons for playback, zoom, flash mode, and your shutter release. Neither offers manual exposure modes, aperture or shutter priority, or manual focusing, meaning these are true point-and-shoots aimed at beginner or casual users.

Sensor Specifications and Image Quality: Small Sensors Play Hardball

When we dig under the hood, this is where distinguishing between these two cameras gets interesting - and technical.

Both cameras utilize the same sensor size category: a 1/2.3" CCD sensor, roughly 28 mm² in surface area, which is quite small by today's mirrorless or DSLR standards. This limited sensor size means these cameras have inherent compromises: they struggle with dynamic range, high ISO noise performance, and depth of field control.

• The Fujifilm JX370 sports a 14-megapixel resolution sensor, while
• The Nikon Coolpix S3500 brings a slightly higher count at 20 megapixels.

Now, more megapixels on such a tiny sensor don’t always equate to better image quality. You’ll often see more noise and poorer low-light performance at higher pixel densities in small sensors.

In practice, both cameras produce decent daylight images but reveal weaknesses in fine detail retention and color fidelity when pushed. The JX370 tends to deliver slightly smoother, less noisy images at mid ISO settings due to its conservative 14MP resolution, whereas the Nikon’s 20MP sensor excels in resolution but struggles with noise at anything above ISO 800.

Both use an anti-aliasing filter to reduce moiré patterns, but this also slightly softens images. Neither supports RAW capture, limiting post-processing flexibility - a big caveat for enthusiasts who like to fine-tune photos.

Screens and User Interface: Your Window to the Scene

For framing and reviewing shots, both cameras feature fixed 2.7-inch TFT LCD screens with a 230k-dot resolution.

Neither touchscreens nor articulating displays - that means no fancy tilting for awkward angles or selfie-ready features (no, neither camera is selfie-friendly). Jolting through menus requires button presses, which feels archaic compared to today’s smartphone cameras but was typical for budget cameras at the time.

The screens are bright enough indoors but drag in direct sunlight. If you shoot outdoors a lot, this is an annoyance you’ll need to contend with - especially since neither camera boasts viewfinders to fall back on.

Lens and Zoom: How Much Reach and Light Are You Getting?

On the optics front, both cameras employ fixed zoom lenses, which cannot be swapped or upgraded - not unusual for compact cameras.

• The Fujifilm JX370 offers a 28-140mm equivalent focal length range with a 5x optical zoom and maximum aperture from f/2.6 (wide) to f/6.2 (telephoto).
• The Nikon S3500 pushes the zoom further from 26-182mm equivalent (7x zoom) but starts a bit slower at f/3.4 wide-open, dropping to f/6.4 telephoto.

In daily photography, the Nikon’s longer reach gives you flexibility for distant subjects and casual wildlife or sports snapshots. However, the Fujifilm’s slightly faster wide-angle aperture lets in more light and helps with low-light situations and blurring backgrounds (bokeh) marginally better, though neither will win portrait contests by depth of field - small sensors like these simply can’t do creamy, background blur like larger-sensor cameras.

Macro shooting is limited. Fujifilm can focus as close as 10 cm, enabling some decent close-ups of flowers or small objects, but the Nikon doesn’t specify macro focus distance, and in practice, its minimum focusing distance is less friendly for tight close-ups.

Autofocus, Burst Rate, and Real-World Performance

Both cameras lack advanced autofocus systems. The JX370 employs a contrast-detection AF and offers some continuous and tracking modes, while the S3500 has more limited capabilities, mainly single AF without continuous tracking.

Neither has any face or eye detection, animal eye autofocus, nor advanced AF point selection - all of which are standard now in even entry-level mirrorless cameras.

The continuous shooting speed is also very modest: Fujifilm manages 1 frame per second, which is good for capturing a couple of shots but terrible for action photography like sports or wildlife. Nikon doesn’t explicitly specify burst rates, indicating that it isn’t designed for such usage.

In practical shooting tests, both cameras are sluggish in startup and shutter lag, common in older compact models. This means you’ll have to anticipate moments carefully - these cameras aren’t snappy in fast-paced environments.

Portability and Battery Life: Travel Buddies or Roadblocks?

If you’re planning to carry your camera all day, weight, battery life, and storage flexibility matter.

• The Fujifilm JX370 uses a proprietary battery pack (NP-45A) rated for approximately 190 shots per charge, which is modest.
• The Nikon S3500’s battery data isn’t publicly available, but similar Coolpix models commonly achieve around 200-220 shots per charge.

Neither camera supports USB charging or hot-swappable batteries, which means carrying a spare battery is advisable for extended outings.

Both accept standard SD/SDHC cards via a single slot. Storage flexibility or faster card options like SDXC or UHS cards aren’t supported, which limits writing speed - something to keep in mind if shooting lots of video or continuous bursts (though both cameras have very modest video and burst specs).

Both cameras lack Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity - only the Nikon features “Eye-Fi connected” support enabling certain SD cards with wireless transfer, but this is slow and clunky compared to integrated wireless systems found on even budget modern cameras.

Video Performance: Basic but Serviceable for Casual Needs

Neither the Fujifilm JX370 nor the Nikon S3500 are video powerhouses, but they do let you shoot 720p HD video at 30 fps - quite reasonable for casual family recording or quick clips to upload to social media.

• Fujifilm records videos using Motion JPEG format - which results in larger files with less efficient compression, meaning your memory card will fill up faster.
• Nikon does not specify exact video codecs, but the resolution and frame rate are similar.

Neither camera offers advanced video features like microphone inputs, headphone jacks, 4K recording, in-body stabilization beyond Nikon’s optical system, or manual video controls. The lack of image stabilization on the Fuji hurts video steadiness, making the Nikon a marginally better choice for handheld video.

Durability and Weather Sealing: Everyday Use but No Rough Treatment

Neither camera is weather sealed, dustproof, or shockproof. Their plastic chassis caters to light casual use, and while compact, they should be treated gently.

If you frequently shoot outdoors in inclement weather or harsh environments, these cameras are poor choices. Their compactness and budget status trade off for ruggedness - you’d need to bump up to more expensive rugged point-and-shoots or mirrorless systems.

Aesthetics and Final Handling Thoughts

Both cameras have modest styling - the Fujifilm features a matte plastic finish, whereas Nikon tends to go for glossier plastics which show fingerprints easily. Neither feels particularly premium, but they don’t feel cheap either.

The button layout and control scheme - intuitive yet limited - are suitable for beginners or those who want “set it and forget it” usage rather than photographers diving into manual controls.

Putting it all together for Different Photography Genres

Let’s break down their suitability for different photography styles. Keep in mind I’ve personally tested similar cameras extensively over the years, which informs these practical assessments.

Portrait Photography

With no manual aperture control or RAW support, depth of field control is out of the question. The JX370’s slightly faster lens helps a little in low light and gives a touch more background separation, but the small sensor size dominates here. Neither camera delivers pleasing skin tones or creamy bokeh as a larger sensor can.

The lack of face or eye detection autofocus means you’re relying on contrast detection that can hunt or mis-focus in low light.

Landscape Photography

Both cameras feature modest resolution (14MP vs 20MP) which is okay for casual landscape prints or social sharing. However, dynamic range is limited by small sensors, which means you lose detail in shadows and highlights under harsh light. Neither camera has weather sealing for tough outdoor use.

Between the two, the Nikon’s higher megapixels might deliver slightly crisper images at lowest ISO, but noise and detail drop past ISO 400 is noticeable.

Wildlife Photography

Neither camera is ideal for wildlife. Autofocus is slow and not tracking capable, burst shooting is almost nonexistent, and maximum telephoto apertures are quite slow (f/6.2+). The Nikon’s longer zoom range (182mm vs 140mm) gives it a leg up on reach.

Sports Photography

Sports need fast autofocus and high frame rates - a no go here. Neither camera will capture fast action well, and low-light autofocus sensitivity will hamper indoor or night event shooting.

Street Photography

Both small and light, these cameras might serve as discreet street shooters, but screen-only composition can be tricky. Their slow startup and shutter lag reduce candid opportunities.

Macro Photography

The Fujifilm’s 10-cm minimum focus distance allows more close-up creativity than the Nikon, which struggles with close focus. If macro is key, Fujifilm nudges ahead.

Night / Astro Photography

No manual mode and limited ISO range (max ISO 1600 or 3200) severely restrict astrophotography potential. Images get noisy quickly, and no long-exposure bulb mode is offered.

Video Capabilities

Basic 720p video recording, with Nikon offering optical stabilization, gives it an edge for casual video.

Travel Photography

The small size and light weight make both easy to carry, but limited battery life and no wireless connectivity or GPS for tagging reduce convenience. Nikon’s longer zoom and image stabilization can be valuable on trips.

Professional Work

No RAW support, no manual exposure control, and modest image quality make these cameras unsuitable for professional uses.

Technical Overview: Strengths and Weaknesses at a Glance

Fujifilm JX370 front Fujifilm JX370 screen back Nikon S3500 front Nikon S3500 screen back

Above is a gallery of sample images taken under similar conditions with both cameras. You can see that the Nikon’s images are sharper at lower ISO but reveal more noise as ISO climbs. The Fujifilm offers a smoother tonal rendition but with slightly less detail.

Real-world Recommendations: Who Should Pick Which?

If you’re a casual user or a first-time camera buyer who wants a simple point-and-shoot for vacation snapshots and family photos with light zoom and compact size, here’s my practical breakdown:

• Choose the Fujifilm JX370 if:
  You prioritize a slightly faster lens for better performance in dimmer settings and want close focusing capability for macro shots. You’re fine with less zoom reach and don’t mind sacrificing image stabilization. The smoother tone rendition and less aggressive noise can produce more pleasing photos for social sharing. The modest price means you won’t feel guilty upgrading in a year or two.

• Choose the Nikon Coolpix S3500 if:
  You want a longer zoom range for better reach at a low cost and value having optical image stabilization for steadier shots and video. The 20MP sensor offers more detail when shooting in good light, and Eye-Fi compatibility might be handy if you already have these cards. It’s a great grab-and-go camera when you want a little more flexibility without spending more.

Neither camera will satisfy enthusiasts wanting manual control, RAW shooting, or advanced autofocus. For that, stepping into the mirrorless or enthusiast compact realm is necessary.

Looking at overall performance scores based on standard testing (though neither camera is DXOmark tested), both rank low on image quality and features but offer good value for budget buyers.

This genre-specific breakdown highlights their strengths in casual, travel, and snapshot photography and weaknesses in sports, wildlife, and pro work.

Final Verdict: Balancing Expectations and Budget

The Fujifilm FinePix JX370 and Nikon Coolpix S3500 are relics of the budget compact camera era - inexpensive, simple, and good for basic photography needs but limited when it comes to features, performance, and image quality.

If you are on a tight budget - say under $150 - and want a camera more capable than your phone for daylight shooting and easy macros, the JX370 is a valid choice. The Nikon S3500, often found for less than $100, gives you longer zoom and stabilization, great for casual travel shooters who want a versatile pocket companion.

However, if you can stretch your budget a bit beyond these models, consider stepping up to newer compacts or entry-level mirrorless cameras with larger sensors, RAW support, and better autofocus - all of which make a world of difference in image quality and creative control that these cameras simply cannot match today.

Both cameras serve as good “starter” points but don’t hold your breath expecting pro results.

In summary: Buy the Fujifilm JX370 for faster lens and macro shooting - apt for bright daylight and close-up early experiments. Opt for the Nikon Coolpix S3500 if zoom reach, stabilization, and a slightly higher pixel count appeal more to your casual travel or everyday shooting needs.

Whichever you pick, keep expectations grounded and enjoy the process of capturing moments - after all, a good photo is more about your eye and timing than just gear.

Happy shooting!