Cameras
| FujiFilm FinePix A500 | Panasonic Lumix FZ8 | |
| Do I own it? | Yes | No, but I'd like to. :( |
| Number of Megapixels | 5.1MP | 7.2MP |
| Will I be biased here? | No | Maybe |
| Optical Zoom Length | 3x | 12x |
| Screen Size | 1.8" | 2.5" |
| Memory Card Used | xD | SD |
| Price | £140-ish | £190-ish |
| Is the FZ8 better? | ---> | Aye. |
FujiFilm Finepix A500 - A Review of Sorts
I've had this camera for about a year (a rather unexpected Christmas present by my sneaky girlfriend who said she had no money), and I've been quite pleased with it.
The FujiFilm Finepix A500, technically speaking is a perfectly acceptable point-and-click camera, sporting a 3x optical zoom, a 1.8" screen and 5.1 megapixels for your photographical tinkering. It has a macro mode and a timer mode and all the bells and whistles most digital cameras should come with nowadays. It is powered by 2 AA batteries and connects to your computer via a USB A-B cable. Supporting the PictBridge service, the camera can be connected directly to a photo printer (providing it supports PictBridge and has a USB connection) for instant prints, without having to flap about taking the memory card out, plugging it into the computer and wandering around various Photo Printing Wizards. Data is stored on the camera by way of FujiFilm's proprietary xD-Picture Card. These can be expensive though, a 1GB card would set you back around ~£20 while an SD card of similar size can be found for under half the price.
I'm not a photography expert by any standard, so writing a review for a digital camera with no understanding of technical data like ISO settings or aperture thingamajigs seems a touch... pointless. So I can just give any basic camera user like myself an insight how it is, how well it does its job as a point-and-click and how images look using various settings.
The camera fares quite nicely in open environments, particularly outdoors. In the daytime. With the flash on. For me,
I have to ensure the flash is on if I want a sharp picture. I don't know if it's because of my earthquake-like hands (exaggeration)
or something to do with the camera, but it only comes out looking good with the flash. Without it, shots look shaken, (and not stirred,
to my surprise), lifeless and more than often find themselves tumbling into the dark, cold abyss of the Delete function. Having very recently invested in a tripod
(or, to be precise, a Gorillapod), non-flash shots are a touch sharper, and it's safe to use the Macro again. Maybe it wasn't an exaggeration after all. Though resulting in a
decent-quality shot, a picture taken with the flash has a bit of a disadvantage, as the camera will take a couple of seconds to 'recharge' (not the term
I'm after, but it'll do) before it can take another shot again. This can result in 'lost opportunities', as I've noticed all too many times at family birthday parties,
staring disappointedly at my camera's blank screen while I hear the candles being blown out (and the accompanying cheers). There's also that 'artificial light' feeling that can ruin the proper mood of the shot.
Want some pictures?
From this point, clicking an image will take you to it's corresponding Flickr page, so you can see it in its full resolution. Enjoy.
The macro function can focus in on objects about 3 inches from the lens, and can produce some variable results. To illustrate this, shown before you is the traitorous USB pen drive which caused me much inconvienience recently, exposed as the backstabbing heretic it truly is.
Scum. Focused, detailed scum.
Get too close, however, and this happens. Auugh, my eyes!
The Jaffa Cake Man kindly agreed to have his hair photographed for the purposes of this macro 'showcase'.
You can see with the third picture the distance it takes for the camera to focus correctly.
The A500 has a video recording mode, and can record in 320x240 and 160x120 resolutions. The main disadvantage with the mode is that it does not record audio, so there is a fairly flat feeling to playing back your media. To test how the videos turn out, I chose to record a fluid, smooth motion. And what better smooth motion can you get than your average domestic goldfish? Everyone loves fish, right?
For quality purposes, I have used the 320x240 resolution, then put through the YouTube Pixel-O-Vision Machine. Perhaps YouTube isn't the best measure of quality. Nevermind!
Instead of doing what most reviewers do and vomiting out an endless list of pros and cons, I'll put up the four advantages and disadvantages I feel the strongest about. The A500 is an ace starter camera, it does its job very very well, but after a year or so of use, as you get more adept at handling a camera, you may develop some 'annoyances' and might find yourself wanting a bit more.
FujiFilm FinePix A500: My Main Pros
- Easy to use.
- Impressive results in the right conditions.
- Macro function works well.
- I'd recommend it to those just starting out in photography.
FujiFilm FinePix A500: My Main Cons
- Proprietary storage medium can be expensive.
- Unclear/blurry shots frequently occur when the flash is off.
- Takes a while for the camera to 'recover' after taking a flash-shot.
- No audio recording capabilities.
Final Rating:
