Fujifilm FinePix E900

NINE Megapixels - wow.....but what a disappointment!

As a Professional photographer, I'm coming at this camera maybe from a different perspective that a normal consumer. I'd been looking for a carry anywhere type camera and one that was easy to use for my wife as well as myself.

I've got thousands of pounds worth of photographic equipment, 3 Digital SLR bodies, lenses, flashes etc when going on a job. But for holidays, family events and just to slip into a pocket 'just in case', I really thought this Fuji E900 would fit my bill.

But oh how disappointing...

I bought it for around £240 at Jessops back in December 2005. Used it outdoors and thought it was quite good. Then came Christmas and the opportunity to snap the grandkids opening their pressies and other typical family type shots.

Using either the viewfinder - which I'm used to - or the LCD Screen to frame the pictures I found straightway that the ACTUAL image did not correspond to the ACTUAL shot taken. Some clipping on the edge of the frame, obviously more noticeable if shooting 'tight' ie with the subject filling the frame. But more importantly and to me, the MOST important fact was that when I uploaded the images to my PC and looked at them, full size, they did not look SHARP. In fact they looked almost like 'watercolours', no sharp defination around the edge of the picture.

Now, remember I'm a professional and when working at a Red Carpet event, Sports job or any kind of local press, PR Shoot, my pictures have to be good. I KNOW if an image is sharp or 'off focus'.

With this 9 megapixel imager, the Fuji E900 should give excellent quality prints. I did try to get a couple of 7" x 5" prints from the best of my photos with this camera and they looked very 'wishy-washy'. Yes not a technical term, but I guess you know what I mean.

My Canon EOS ID Mk2 bodies attached to a quality lens are only 8 megapixel. I often get people come up to me and say "How many megapixels is your camera, mate", I tell them...."I've got one that does 8, 9, 10 megapixel and I bet it only costs a fraction of your gear"

Well yes and to be honest this Fuji E900 is the classic case of 'more is less'. 9 megapixels in this camera produces - in my opinion - sib par results and in fact I have an old Canon Ixus 400 (4 megapixel) that produces sharper, crisper images each time.

I was disappointed in this camera. It cost at the time - as I said - £250. It still has a very good specification - 9 mp, 4 x optical zoom, right up there 15 months later, with some of the newer models.

But I would assume it is not just me that has found this item highly unsatisfactory otherwise the price would not be nearer the £120 mark that you can pick this model up for today.

I honestly could not recommend this camera to anyone. It's not the smallest to put in your pocket, its not the cheapest and certainly its far short of the best in its class in terms of image quality.

Sorry Fuji - I loved your films, but this camera is not up to scratch.