This digital camera is another in Fuji`sfine lineage. But I`m confused as to why other manufacturers aren`t offering any competition!
No competition? It`s true, there is no competition in the sub-£500 digital camera market for a model with the equivalent of a 570mm zoom. What`s even more amazing is that I managed to pick mine up for just £269 brand spanking new.
The full zoom option is only available in VGA resolution mode, the lowest available, and this is perfectly reasonable for website publishing.
Even in high-resolution (2 megapixel - the highest) mode, you still have access to the 6x optical zoom, which equates to approximately 228mm. In between you also have access to the 2x digital zoom. At 1 megapixel resolution, when combined with the optical zoom, it can achieve a maximum zoom equivalence of approximately 285mm.
The camera has two display options. The main rear display, a 2.7 inch square CCD, and a 0.55 inch square LCD through the lens
viewfinder, SLR style.
The 2.7 inch CCD display is useless outdoors, and is only useable indoors, but the viewfinder works very well, unless you wear glasses.
Because I find it easier to use my right eye, I put my left hand over the top of the camera to block the external light between my spectacles and my eye so that I can see the viewfinder properly. People with normal vision won`t be bothered so much, but there is no correction available for short/long-sighted eyes, so you need your glasses! But I don`t know of any camera that sports this option, and the fix is to get contact lenses, I suppose.
To cut down the cost of using the camera, I recommend you get at least 8 AA NiMH 1700, or better, rechargeable batteries. Standard alkaline batteries last for just a few shots, and you`ll need the equivalent of Duracell Ultra`s to get any life at all. I found that 4 Ultra`s will fill up a 64mb Smart Media card (something else you`ll need to get - at about £28) and upload the results to my laptop, but not much more.
Focusing is accurate, but you cannot focus manually. Because I take a lot of photographs of aircraft, often moving at high speed, at airshows, this is a problem.
If you simply depress the trigger you’ll get excellent results, but it takes a few seconds to take a picture, so if you photograph anything moving you’ll find the subject has moved out of shot. As the viewfinder goes blank the moment you press the trigger, following your target is virtually impossible.
But you can focus first. By pressing the trigger down halfway the viewfinder stays on and sets the focus, then follow the target until the moment is right and complete the depression. It still takes a fraction of a second to take the shot, so you won’t always get what you expect, but your target should still be there, at least!
If you see some fat fool waving his head around, stuck to a 2800Zoom, with his left hand stuck to the right side of his face, at an airshow – that’s probably me! I’m quite affable, so say hello. I have some results available for viewing at http://www.ramms.co.uk/RobAnt/airshows.htm.
There is a macro zoom feature, which works quite well. I have taken a few shots using the macro feature and the results were very good.
The camera will automatically fire the flash if lighting levels are too low. There is no warning of this when in automatic mode, but you do have some control in the menu.
One feature I like is the movie mode. The camera can take short 60sec movies at 10 fps with sound. Resolution is limited (320x240 pixels), and because the focus is fixed at 80cm to infinity, only the digital zoom is available, giving a 35mm camera equivalence of 38-95mm, which you can use while filming if you wish.
Movie results are quite pleasing, but don’t expect anything like broadcast video quality, it cannot compare with results you might expect from a proper DV camera. But if you have a collection of pictures, the inclusion of a short video can add a great deal of joy to your memories. Format is Motion JPEG, resulting in .avi files.
The manual is clear, well written and up to date enough to include Windows XP information.
The camera is webcam capable and fully useable with services such as Microsoft Messenger.
I am less pleased with the software included. While it is perfectly functional, it has an advertising banner down the right hand side, which continually prompts you to register the software. I won’t register. Why? Because the terms and conditions contain the following statement “You also consent to us passing that data to any company or business that is associated with us and for them to process that data in respect of the marketing and sale of their goods and services.” It does not appear to give you a way to opt-out of this, and I find it unacceptable.
But if you have a recent version of Windows, you won’t miss Finepix Viewer at all. Finepix Viewer and its associated picture editor have virtually indistinguishable functionality from Windows Picture & Fax viewer, Photo Editor & Media Player. In fact I would go so far as to say the Microsoft offerings are better. And Photoshop is, of course, better still.
Some other useful features of the camera include: -
Voice annotations. You can append a short audio message to each picture.
Audio confirmation. The camera can be set to beep as you navigate the menu or take photographs.
Framing Guidelines. An OXO board type frame can be displayed to help you compose your shot.
If you get one of these fine cameras you won’t be disappointed. It’s a great product, with a few silly, but surmountable, issues rather than problems.
Rob Anthony
Addendum: I have been out today, using the camera at the Exeter Airport Aviation Enthusiasts day (I'll post extra piccies later - see above link).
Just a short note on using with NiMH rechargeable batteries. Flip me, they last longer than Duracell Ultra's. I took loads of pictures, about 100 in various resolutions, and a couple of 1 minute movies, and the batteries are still okay. Believe me, I didn't spare the Zoom, either - in and out like Flynn all day!!
Another thing on colour saturation. Reds can be just a tiny little bit over-saturated. Not so that it becomes a problem, but it's the quality difference between a £300 and a £600 camera, I suppose.
Rob
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Ultra-compact dimensions, fun automatic tools, good performance for the asking price (-) Cluttered menu layout, camera buttons are scarce, specs are almost identical to the Samsung ES15
A great op on the camera. I am after a digital camera with zoom and really hope to get one of these. Thanks.
stegg 10.07.2003 11:29
I have had my camera since Christmas 2002 - guess how I got it. I use it profesionally and for pleasure, althought former becomes the latter. I have to agree withjust about everything Rob says, it is a brilliant camera in its price range.
I only use the bundles FinePix software to transfer pictures from the camera to hard disk. It will automatically rename each file and open up a date-named folder. This I find very useful, as I take, on average 100-150 pictures a week.
I can't say that the advertising within the software really bothers me, although I can imagine that it could annoy some. Maybe I'm just too laid back.
Very good camera, brilliant opinion.
Stegg
Jul 28th, 2002
(Jul 31st, 2002)
very helpful by (92%):
helpful by (8%):
