A decent camera for some; but definitely not for others

On the surface; there is much to like about this camera.

- 5.1 million pixels
- PictBridge Enabled
- 3x Optical Zoom
- 5.2x Digital Zoom
- 1.8" LCD Screen Size
- Selectable sensitivity up to ISO 400
- 2x AA-size alkaline (included)
- 12mb internal memory
- XD Memory card Type
- Motion picture recording.

In particular it has a compact size, and the added benefit of taking “AA” batteries instead of a custom re-chargeable nicads; meaning if you are on the fly you can always add store bought fresh batteries and not have to wait for the recharge process to complete itself. As a result; I would say this is a camera you would look to consider for traveling; and for anyone looking for a compact; feature laden digital camera.

The downsides. Although it packs features in a compact size; from a user standpoint the camera is lacking in overall function and ease of use. The camera “power on” button is very small and recessed making the camera difficult to turn on and off. In addition it is very, very slow to “write” the image to either the internal memory or optional XD memory card. Thus if you are looking to take “action” related shots; this camera will deliver fewer images than many of it’s rivals. For example both my Olympus and Cannon can take almost 3 pictures for every one that the Fuji takes. My other complaint is that rather than have a multi-directional control to access different features; the Fuji instead uses small buttons; many have duplicate functions so it is difficult to access various features without physically looking over each button before pressed. Only other issues I noted is that the view screen is smaller than many models in this size range; and the supplied Fuji software is far less impressive than what many other manufactures offer.

Upsides. Obviously size is the # 1, and in spite of the wait time required to take pictures; the actual image quality is very, very good. Fujinon optics are well regarded and it is worth noting the this camera offers an actual glass lens and true optical zoom unlike some competitors that offer up only plastic and digital zooms. The CCD image chip is also very good and offers up nice imagery and excellent color contrast.

Summary. Nice size and nice performance at a nice price; but not as good a camera as it could have been. Decide carefully what type of images you are looking to shoot.