This is my third digital camera, the previous 2 being a Fujifilm FinePix 1300, and a Fujifilm FinePix 2800. My first comment is that I miss the 6x optical zoom of the 2800 which was really powerful.
The camera is beautifully designed, cool looking in a style that will not look out of date in a hurry, and also very compact and thus easy to carry about, say in a shirt pocket. As an architect, I love to be able to whip out and shoot any scenery, sunset or building that catches my fancy at anytime and this serves just fine. To enable me to take lots of photos at a go, I got a 128Mb card which stores 86 images at the 6 mega pixel resolution.
It is very simple to use (you literally snap away once you have set up, which is very easy to do) and shortcut buttons eliminate the need to twiddle in the menu section in search of most options such as different flash settings, different resolution settings, Macro mode (amazing close ups), and many others. There are also some pop ups to guide you, reducing your dependence on the manual (which, like all Fujifilm manuals I have seen, is very detailed and easy to use) except for really major issues.
Images viewed in the LCD display are really clear and bright when it is used as a viewfinder, especially for indoor shots (was dark for my 2 previous cameras). Viewing of images stored on the card is very easy. You can zoom into images (in playback mode), as well as pan around to see hidden bits (at the sides, top and bottom, which are usually hidden the larger the zoomed image is) which I find a very helpful feature. You can also crop images. The welcome LCD display (and accompanying star trek like bleeps) adds a nice touch.
The AF/AE lock is a breeze to use and takes exceptional shots every time. Photo quality is really amazing. You can pick out fine details in the background of the subject. Colours and contrasts are good and sharp. Flash modes are easy to access and dark indoor shots taken using suppressed flash yielded amazing results. However, the darker it is, the more noise in the picture. Outdoor shots on a bright day are unbelievable in their clarity.
The Movie clips with audio are very simple to make, and it is very easy to switch between resolutions (320x240 for 120sec clips, 160x120 for 480sec clips). Results are quite good, though best results are obtained where there is a lot of light, e.g. outdoors on a sunny day.
Battery life is very good but it's always best to have a spare. The battery charges in just under two and a half hours which also is helpful if you don't have all day.
The cradle is stylish looking too. I have mine permanently hooked to my PC and just place the camera on it, switch it on, and the software launches and downloads everything quite fast.
The FinePixViewer software is very good. It is very easy to view folder contents at a glance, set up a slide show, etc. You get lots of print options from full photo, Index 1x2 (2 photos on a sheet), 2x2, through to 7x5.
Print results are simply breathtaking, whatever the size of paper, up to A3. Colours are rich and images very realistic looking.
This is a camera I would recommend without hesitation. It blows away any other camera in its class or price range. I have had it for just 7 months. Friends of mine (one of whom owns a Canon Powershot A70 but wishes he got this) who have handled it are impressed. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, compact, high resolution camera, look no further. I hope this review helps you.
