No Regrets on Buying this Camera
Written: Mar 08 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Battery Life: |
 |
|
| Photo Quality: |
|
|
| Shutter Lag |
|
|
|
Pros: Sturdy Housing, Very Versatile, Uses SmartMedia cards, Great Value!
Cons: Menus are small.
The Bottom Line: This camera does everything, is very compact, well-made and a joy to use!
|
|
|
| excise's Full Review: FUJIFILM FinePix F601 Zoom Digital Camera |
First, I'll assume if you are reading this review that you have become overwhelmed by the sheer choices of cameras out there. I'll also assume you have set aside a certain but limited amount of money to buy a digital camera. If you haven't already figured out, you should spend as much as you comfortably can to get a good quality camera. Generally, unless you want to take low-resolution pictures for publishing in a grainy newspaper - you need to spend at least several hundred dollars. If you are looking for a Professional Grade camera, you can start at over $1000. If you want something in-between, shop no more!
Why buy a Fuji? I believe they make the best camera with the most features and best memory/storage types available.
This is the 3rd generation SuperCCD, and the Fuji produces better pictures, period. SuperCCD sensors are arranged in a different pattern than traditional CCD, allowing for a higher density. That's how a 3.3 Megapixel SuperCCD produces images with 6 million pixels. Of course, there is some interpolation or guessing to accomplish this.
The FinePix F601 replaces the FinePix 4800 and 6800, which used second generation SuperCCD sensors.
The FinePix F601 is a very good bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:
The 3.1 Megapixel Fuji FinePix F601 Zoom camera
16MB SmartMedia card
NP-60 Li-ion rechargeable battery
AC adapter / battery charger
Wrist strap
USB cable
CD-ROM featuring FinePixViewer software and drivers
133 page manual
There aren't any accessories to speak of for the F601 -- except one. Just like on the 4800 and 6800, Fuji offers a docking cradle for the F601 ($59). This cradle allows you to charge the battery and transfer photos while the camera comfortably rests in the cradle. You can do both without it -- just not at the same time. The included USB cable plugs into the bottom of the camera, and the AC adapter plugs into the side.
The F601 works with Mac OS X and iPhotot and it works with WindowsXP as well. The FinePix F601 is a pretty small camera. Not as small as a Digital ELPH, but smaller than most! Much smaller and it would be hard to operate. The FinePix's body is all metal, and it feels as good as it looks. I did drop the camera about 4 feet onto a very thin, high-traffic style carpeted cement floor - and it survived without a scratch or problem! The camera fits well in your hands and is beautiful to look at. It fits in your pockets with ease. The F601 features an F2.8, 3X optical zoom lens. The focal range of the lens is 8.3 - 24.9 mm, which is equivalent to 36 - 108 mm. The lens is not threaded, therefore it won't accept add-ons.
Above the lens is the popup flash. The flash has a working range of 0.2 - 3.0 m at telephoto, and 0.2 - 4.7 m at wide-angle. No external flash options are available, nor would one be expected from a small camera like this. The only items on top of the camera are the popup flash, and the mode wheel with the shutter release button inside it. The choices on the mode wheel are: Manual record, Scene mode, Auto record, Movie mode and Audio recording mode.
In Scene mode, you can then choose between five preset situations: Portrait, Landscape,Sports, Night scene and Continuous shooting mode which will take up to 40 shots at a rate of about 2 frames/second at 1280 x 960.
The F601 has great audio recording capabilities. You can record up to 33 minutes of audio on the included 16MB SmartMedia card, and up to 4.5 hours on a 128MB card. Audio is recording in WAV format.
No matter what you read about the FinePix F601 Zoom, it's a three -- not six -- Megapixel camera. The camera is at its best in 3MP/Fine mode. Once you get into the 6MP mode, things don't look as perfect. Images taken in the 6MP mode look great reduced in size or printed.
The F601 has just about EVERYTHING you desire in a digital camera, including full manual controls! The only exception is the lack of a TIFF mode and manual white balance. The F601 is quick, especially when it comes to turning it on and playing back photos.
You honestly will be hard-pressed to find a better camera in terms of "Bang for the Buck". This camera is truely the best in its price range. I did a lot of reading and comparison shopping, both in actual stores and on-line. I have been extremely happy with the photo quality, the operation of the camera, software which came with the camera and the cheap availability of SmartMedia cards. Don't hesitate any longer - This camera is tops in the $300-$700 range!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 445.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
excise
|
|
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Reviews written: 43
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Medical professional with high product standards. I prefer best or don't get it at all.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.