Film-Camera Reviews

Firstly let me just say, that I'm slightly confused as to all the different 35mm Fuji 'quicksnap' cameras out there. The 2 that I used were like the one shown here, but a slightly different color. Anyway, on to the review:
The Flash indicator took a while to light up, but we got it going after some persistance. The photos were ok, nothing great though. The results produced fairly natural looking colors, but many of the indoor/nightime shots were slightly blurry and grainy. Many photos appeared under-exposed, like the Flash wasn't bright enough. 3/5 stars.

Recently I bought 2 One Time Use Cameras. The Kodak Max HQ Camera and a Fuji Quicksnap Flash Camera. After finishing both Camera's I had the Kodak Camera/Film Developed at a Kodak Express, then the Fuji Camera/Film developed at a Fuji Lab. The Results were very different to each other. The Fuji Quicksnap Flash is clearly the Superior Film/Camera. While the Kodak Prints came back slightly blurry with not much color, the Fuji Prints were Crystal Clear with exceptional Clarity and Bright Colors. The Fuji Camera was also cheaper than the Kodak HQ!

I work in the photo processing world, I am a manager of a high volume photo lab and I must say that Fuji film has taken very large steps to over take Kodak in the film world. From their minilabs, to their digital kiosks, to their one time use 35mm cameras, Fuji film is the way to go. From truer colors, more real film grains, to the obvious less blur, this camera is a wise decision for a one time use camera.

Size:

The most compact for the F series, very thin in thickness and weight around 140 g with battery. It's really the camera that can put in the shirt pocket or hang as a mobile phone.

Outlook:

The material of the case is metallic aluminim, rather cool and futuristic. The lens cover is good for protection. Anyway you can use the viewfinder to get the rough setting first. The start-ups is fast.

Ease of Use:
As for beginner/daily use level, the quick menu buttons on the back is very convenient for you to swicth to movie mode and adjust zoom, flash & modes.

As a bonus, there is also a self-timer.

Comments:
Only 2 valid megapixel (extend to 3m by software) & only digital zoom, I have it for my kids for causual shots. Pic quality is fine for 4" x 6". And the LCD cannot cover all the area. Poor for night shots as predictable. The using of a new XD cards formatt is also why I do not turn back to old models. The main point is the price...if you have (or dunno mind to) Smartmedia, the Finepix 50i , 40i or 30i or Casio Exilim are also good to buy instead, as these can play MP3 music. For better picture quality and more advance setting in such size range the Minolta Dimage Xi is much better.

Accessories:

Come with a cradle ( for connect with PC, TV ), battery (NP-40 which is very small) & an adaptor. You may need to buy an extra battery $25 or a slim case ( i use a PDA case n look smart ) and expensive xD cards as well.

If you plan to buy a camera-phone, take this instead for its size and quality.

This is it, guys, if you can find it in stock anywhere. You won't see it in a store. There's no zoom, but you won't miss it, and the battery lasts through a full day of use. The cradle is a must-have for convenience, charging and downloading just by setting it in the cradle. Get a 256 meg memory card for it and set the quality setting just one step below maximum, and you'll have 339 high quality 8x10 photos without downloading. Great for the techno-phobes.

I wanted a camera without a zoom lens (because I don't find them useful) and something that would fit easily in my shirt pocket. I also wanted a camera that I could carry effortlessly, so that I'd likely carry it. So you'd have it for those moments you'd like a camera-not just the big events. Well, I am so in love with this camera.

Despite its small size the pictures are fantastic. We have even enlarged portions of some shots and printed them 8x11 and had very little pixellation.

But, the best thing is that I now carry the camera nearly al the time - and its no burden. Battery life is good. Best of all, connecting it to the computer and instaling the software was easy for me-and I hate computers. I love this camera!

Yes, it's nice to have a 28 mm lens on an auto-everything camera, but other than that, I don't really understand what the big deal (the raves of other reviewers) is with this camera. The pictures are not any sharper than with my Olympus Stylus Zoom, the exposures are not that great under many conditions, it is very difficult -- if not impossible -- to stop the zoom where you want to in the middle of its range, and -- worst of all for me -- the camera comes pre-set with a printable (wrong) date, that unless you reset or erase it will ruin all of your photos!! I stupidly took this camera on vacation without testing it first and shot eleven rolls of film with it. I sure wish I had taken my Olympus instead.

I needed a small camera with a 28 mm lens. The other choice was an Olympus stylus epic, fixed 28 mm. But for travel the zoom is great. I also took photos with my 5 megapixel camera. there is no comparison. used Fuji superia 200 film, amazing colors, detail, even the kodak photo cd blew away the Dig. And the batteries never die (unlike a dig). destined to be a clasic like its previous incarnataion.

I've gone through around ten rolls of film, and the results are really clear. rarely have I seen this camera on the street I would guess most purchases today are digital cameras. I own both. but after the many request for copies of the clear photos from the t-4. I now use it all the time. I really enjoy the remote control,with a tripod.\ get close to subject when shooting, and you will look like a pro.its a good camera, and its easy to use. and for 200 dollars you will be very happy.

The camera is great and has great features for the price. 20 second no audio digital video capture is definitely a bonus. If you have any experience with digital photography you might find this model a little boring, you get what you pay for. The xd picture cards are very small and a little more expensive than the smart media cards. The digital zoom is ok. Battery life is ok if you set the camera on powersave. On the included 16mb xd card you can fit about 30 mid quality photos and about 18-20 high quality photos(2Mpixels). If you're in the market for a good, inexpensive, digital camera this is a great buy.

This is a great picture card. It's about 1" by 1", and it holds way more than a floppy disk. Plus, it doesn't take up half the camera. But the only thing that matters is that it holds pictures for new fujifilm finepix cameras, which is all I care about.

For those APS users who love to shoot panoramic format snapshots - here's the film for you. Noticeably sharper and less grain than the 200 and 400 speed offerings from Fuji and Kodak. Fuji's film also tend to have a bit punchier color than Kodak's, which is nice for those vacation landscape shots.

The trade-off is reduced flash range. With 400 speed film, many APS camera's built-in flash will be adequate to 16 feet. With 100 sped film, that range is only half as far. You'll either need to use your mid-roll change (MRC) feature, or be willing to get close and friendly.

Finally, some copywriter at Amazon goofed on the description: the three 3-roll packages I've bought thus far contained 3 rolls of 25-exposure film. By my count, that come to 75 shots - not 90. Still, at this price, a bargain.

I love Fugi film for all my vacation photos. The three pack is great because you get 2/ 25exp and 1 /40exp. The 40exp is great for hikes no need to carry multiple containers of flim.

I purchased one for my friend some time back and it gives excellent results. Its got a timer; which is very handy. Its looks are superb. The problem is the lack of warranty on this particular model. Overall you get Value For Money with this Fuji camera. ...

I got this camera as a gift for my low-tech parents. If you need a no hassle camera to take quality snap shots with--that is it! Easy to operate, to load and unload film and change batteries, the camera makes excellent pictures. My parents love it and use it without having experiencing any frustration. In addition, the camera is light weight and easy to carry around. Its affordable price make it a great companion for trips, where you will not be afraid of droping it, losing it, etc.

The

When Polaroid introduced the SX-70 in 1972, its self-processing "integral" film represented a major backwards step for instant color-print materials. The need for the dyes to migrate through a titanium dioxide layer before reaching the receptor sheet caused a significant loss of sharpness, as well as a creamy "bloom" in areas of fine detail against a light background (eg, bare branches against the sky).

Polaroid has not been able to make an integral film that matches the overall quality of their peel-apart materials. The latter have detail and a vivid edge sharpness the integral films will probably never achieve. But the current Platinum film is unquestionably the best of its type.

Color rendition is noticeably improved. Platinum film can tolerate direct comparison with the Macbeth color chart without suffering acute embarrasment. The tonal scale has been lengthened without a loss of saturation. (The 150-speed Time-Zero material has a noticeably shorter scale, often producing excessively contrasty prints.) Sharpness is better than any previous integral film (including the 150-speed), and the "bloom" is lower than ever.

Nevertheless, Polaroid's integral materials do not match the overall quality of modern color-negative films. The latter have multiple layers and complex chemical interactions among the layers that allow both a wide tonal scale and high saturation. It's unlikely Polaroid films will ever be able to perform these chemical feats, so the gap between conventional and instant-picture quality will continue to widen.

On the other hand, Polacolor (both peel-apart and integral) has a quality rarely seen in negative films -- it looks almost three-dimensional. There's depth -- an almost-palpable "roundness" -- you don't get from Kodacolor or Fujicolor. The latter look flat by comparison.

A note about processing... Although Polaroid integral films give good results over a wide temperature range, the highest saturation and cleanest colors occur in the high 70s or low 80s. (I discovered this when I threw several developing prints on top of a warm amplifier in a cool room. The pattern of the amplifier's vent holes appeared in the print, with the areas over the holes noticeably more vivid.) A warm Spring or not-too-hot Summer day gives the brightest colors.

If you haven't taken Polaroid pictures in a long time, try the Platinum film. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Polaroid Spectra Platinum is the best Instant Film I've ever used.

I use this film for my Polaroid Colorshot USB Digital Printer. What I see on the screen is what I get on the film. It is the most perfect transfer of digital imaging I have ever seen.

Printing digitally on this film has it's advantages. No need to worry about running out of ink. The film is instant. The film is resistant to water because of it's built-in protective coating of plastic. The image reproduces very quickly. Whereas a ink jet printer would take minutes...

I also use the film for my Polaroid Spectra 1200si which I love as well. The photo is just as sharp as on regular film. The color is perfectly balanced and the image quality is extremely sharp.

This is a great film by the great company Polaroid for either instant traditional of instant digital photography. I would recommend it to anyone on the planet.

This camera was my second digital camera The reason I bought the Fuji 2800 was its small size and it's rather extraordinary 6X optical zoom. I have taken both cameras with me on trips and have found that they perfectly compliment each other. The Fuji is available for those quick shots and can be used as a point and shoot
The Fuji 2800 is a great camera that is simple to operate and has the ability to take a picture that will print out sharply at 8 x 10. It has a very good autofocus and the 6X zoom will let you get in close. The flash has 6 different modes and there is also a white balance feature. You can choose from a variety of resolutions but I normally keep it on the highest 2 megapixel setting (with a 64 mb card I can shoot about 80 pictures).
On the down side, the view finder is poor in low light conditions; the autofocus still works ok, you just can't compose your shot with the view finder. Action shots are also a bit tricky due to the electronic viewfinders quirk of freezing the view during autofocusing.
Other than that, this is an extemely competent camera that takes great pictures, is simple to use, and offers great features at an affordible price.

This is my first digicam and I spent a great deal of time researching this camera along with others. I was looking for a camera...I finally settled on the Fuji 2800Z. To date, I am extremely please with my purchase, as I have found this camera to be an excellent value for the money.

Some of the positives of this camera include, a killer 6x Optical Zoom, Sharp and Crisp Pictures, extremely easy to use menu system, 60 second video with audio, and it can double as a webcam. This camera is pretty much a point and shoot camera so if you are looking for a digital camera that has a wide selection of manual settings, look elsewhere as this camera is not for you. You do, however, have control over the white balance, exposure, and flash settings. Other than that, the rest is automatic.

As I mentioned, this is a great little camera, however it is not without a few "flaws". As well noted, this camera has trouble in low light situations, specifically the EVF and LCD. In the few weeks that I have had the camera and the several hundred pictures that I have taken, I have only run into 1 situation where the EVF and LCD were useless. This issue can be worked around and should not be a sticking point for those looking to purchase this camera. I personally like using the EVF as, unlike an optical viewfinder, it shows you "exactly" what is being photographed without distortion. Finally, if you decide to pick up this camera, make sure that you get some rechargeable batteries and a 128mb Smart Media card. You will be set.

In summary, if you are looking for a simple to use, point and shoot camera, with a great zoom, sharp pictures, and a few additional nice features, get this camera. You will be hard pressed to find a better camera for the money!

For the money this camera is an excellent value. My first digital was a FujiFilm FinePix A201, with only a 2.5 digital zoom and 2 mp, great for starters but I really didn't like any of the pictures taken with it. I guess the magic is in the zoom, because the 2800 takes crystal clear, super sharp pics that I thought were only possible with either a 35 mm or a ridiculously-overpriced camera with 3 times the megapixels. I like the 35 mm-style casing, it makes it look like a much more expensive camera, and of course FujiFilm's very simple to use menus. The interface with my computer is quick and painless and I had a beautiful shot, from shutter to printed copy, in less than 5 minutes. My only complaint so far has been the delayed shutter speed, not very good for taking pics of animals that don't stay still long, but I can live with this. Others complain about the viewfinder being too dim indoors, and this is also true, but like another review pointed out, the film is cheap while you experiment.

For beginners who want professional-looking prints, this is the camera to use.

When I first bought this camera (2 years ago) I used the 'Auto' and
'Portrait' settings. I found myself taking average quality pictures
then proceeded with the manual setting and the whole perspective on
this camera changed, all I can say is WOW.

The camera consumes a lot of battery so make sure you are carrying
a fast charger and at least 3 sets (2 each) of fresh batteries.

I often have problems with the selector changing the picture mode
from auto to manual or portrait without me turning it. I often
lose shots while previewing them.

Would've I buy Fuji again ? Maybe, the competition is a lot
better than 2 years ago and unbelieveable prices ...

I reviewed the spec's on this and other cameras for about a month before making my decision. My biggest concern was support under NT 2000. None of the product info or reviews mentioned support for the NT OS, but it works like a champ. NT2000 usb drivers were even included in on the cdrom! I had the camera up and running in <5min and was transferring outstanding pictures to my NT2000 laptop in <10min. A brief reading of the manual unlocked all of the camera's secrets. The camera provides for control over both pixel count (640x480 to 2400x1800) and image quality (basic-normal-fine). With the included 16MB chip you get ~49 images at 1200x960 using normal quality -which look great! However, image count drops to 8 at highest settings. Definitely thinking about a 32 or 64 MB chip. Red-eye reduction flash is a little sketchy, still some residual effect. Only real disappointment is poor battery life when using alkaline batteries -REALLY BAD.. I barely was able to run the set up and have enough power for 4 or 5 flash pictures. Good thing they included 2 sets of Ni-MH batteries (80-230 shots depending on flash and LCD usage). My 'old' camera is a Nikon 35mm FM2 and although you could argue that it's comparing apples and oranges, I have no regrets over transitioning to this Fuji digital!

I did alot of research before buying this camera. I was looking for a camera that had three specific qualities. 1)Easy to use for the beginner. 2) Produce quality 8' x 10" photos. 3) Movie mode. This little Fuji fits the bill in all three categories and on top of that the price is very reasonable compared to other cameras and I definitely like its distinct, compact look. To me, it has an oldtime European look to it. This camera produces very high quality photos using its highest setting. I would prefer a stronger flash for indoor shots but for outdoor shots its perfect. The colors on outdoor shots are just amazing. This little camera only uses (2) AA batteries instead of the typical 4. The batteries do last surprisingly long. I was able to click off 36 high resolution shots with flash and LCD screen on and power lasted over an hour. The batteries that come with it are excellent at 1600 mah. I also picked up some rechargeable Monster Cable AA's from 800.com, they are 1800mah and are very long lasting. NOTE: I couldnt wait to for the batteries to charge when i got the camera so I used some duracells. I went through a 4 pack in 10 minutes. Only use these batteries in dire emergency situations. They are not meant to be used for digital camera no matter how much they claim to be. At first the controls on this camera seem complex, but once you actually get into using it you find out how logical the placement of the controls are. Just spend one hour with the manual and camera and you will be an expert on this camera. Also, you can hook this camera up to your TV and play the movie back and do a slide show of all the pictures. I did this for family members at a get together, took orders of who wanted which picture and then printed them out so they would have instant photos of only the ones they wanted. Big WOW factor there! I am sure there are better digital cameras out there, but if you are looking for the criteria that I listed and want get it at a great price this is the one.

As mentioned in other reviews, after about six months, the auto focus feature stopped working. At first, we thought the battery was low or we needed a new card. After purchasing a new battery & new card, still the auto focus will not work! Very frustrating! I feel like we've just thrown our money away & we're stuck with a useless camera.

y wife and I decided to get a digital camera...

Because I'm a techno-head Art Director, not just any camera would do and the price had to be right. Plus, it had to be loaded with enough features to justify the purchase. I really wanted at least a 4.0 mega pixel but after discussing it over with my wife, we figured a 2.0 would do exactly what we wanted:

1. Instant digital gratification.
2. Excellent for e-mail shots and iPhoto.
3. The possibility of printing higher res shots.

It takes great color shots right out of the box. Extremely intuitive. The optical zoom eliminates bitmapping (jaggies) when close-up. And the auto-focus mode is idiot proof. It has 5 flash modes for lots of shooting customization. Macro (close-up 3.9" to 2.6') and self-timer photography add to the host of features. White Balance (for light sources), Exposure Compensation and Movie (no sound video) mode round off this great little camera.

Check out the fujifilm.com sight for a great interactive preview. It's what really sold me. The purchase is up to you from there. The only other option in the same category was an Olympus, but the memory card was only 8mb, as was the Sony which only had its body-style going for it.

Good luck!

Fuji FinePix 2650 is my third digital camera. The first one was KB JamCam (that is sold for [$$$] today) and the second one was Kyocera KZ (that I bought for [$$$] or so). Although I had to pay slightly more this time, the improvement is obvious.

The pictures are crisp and sharp with colors that are smooth and bright. Unlike the previous cameras, I do not need to adjust the brightness or the contrast of each picture using photoshop software. They look beautiful as soon as I upload them into my computer (and even on the camera's LCD display). The flash does not "wash out" the faces; the pictures taken at night look fine, too. The camera has automatic detection of the lighting and also a manual mode that allows one to adjust the "weather" and other parameters. There are also several settings for the flash (on/off/auto/red-eye-remove/night-scene).

Fuji did a great job with power conservation. Two alkaline AA batteries (included) were sufficient to take about 150 pictures (including 50 shots with flash) and several short videos before the "battery low" icon appeared. The power saving features are better than they used to be even though the lens is moving constantly especially when the camera is turned off and on. This motion looks sexy and the sliding cover protecting lens is useful.

Aside from the power switch attached on spring, trigger and the switch between three modes stillpix/view/video, the camera is controlled by three buttons next to display - which I would call "display on/off/grid", "enter" and "escape" - and four arrow keys to browse the menus on the LCD display. The up/down arrow key is put on the same button which is also used to zoom in/out. FinePix 2650 can zoom up to 3 times optically (which is the case that keeps the maximal resolution) and the LCD display shows where the digital zoom - up to 2.5 times - takes over. FinePix 2650 has furthermore the 3-position trigger with the AF/AE lock that allows one to focus on the object which won't be in the center of the picture at the end.

The totally new feature of FinePix 2650 - compared to its predecessor 2600 - is its tiny and cute Fuji XD memory card. The default 16 MB card (included) can be replaced by cards with up to 128 MB (the biggest one costs about 70 dollars). I am afraid that it is such a big memory that the (alkaline) batteries would be gone before I could fill the memory. With 16 MB I can take about 45 pictures at my favorite 1280 x 960 resolution, about 30 pictures at the maximal resolution 1600 x 1200, or about 130 small 640 x 480 images.

The camera has the logo "designed for Windows XP" (which is my OS) and it works without any problems (I believe it also works with all older systems). FinePix 2650 immediately connects to the PC as a "removable disk FinePix E:" in my case. The package contains a manual as well as some extra new photoshop software. The camera can be also connected as a PC camera for videoconferencing.

Generally the videos from FinePix 2650 are sharper than those made with Logitech QuickCam, for example, however I am not satisfied with the behavior of videos in darker environments. The videos (and probably also the image from the "webcam 2650") are too dim and I found even QuickCam better in these situations. The camera also does not focus very well in the dark which makes the pictures a bit fuzzy especially if the flash is not used. There is a lot of space for improvement. However, night video is not the main reason why I bought this camera and therefore I can unequivocably recommend this camera.