Have You Considered the FujiFilm 2600 Digital Camera?
Written: Dec 20 '01 (Updated Jan 20 '05)
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Pros: Good Price; 3X zoom; Loaded with Features; Very user-friendly
Cons: Length between photos; No audio for movies
The Bottom Line: This has excellent features for the money. It is very easy to use and takes excellent photos. Should meet most needs!
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: FUJIFILM FinePix 2600 Zoom Digital Camera |
This is a great camera for the money and since it's not a highly marketed camera, I almost missed it! It's a mid-range camera in low-range price! I'm dazzled by the quality of pics from this camera and the added features that this one has over similar priced cameras. This is fully automated so is great for beginners and has some features to tinker with for the novist.
I had a Sony Mavica 83 for the last year which had a nice zoom and a lot of features until it bounced through the van and broke. When I realized that it was going to take more to fix than it was worth, I started looking for a new camera. I loved the ones in the $600 league, but after spending $800 on a camera that broke 1 year later, it didn't make any sense. Not to mention that camera that was $800 last year is only $350 this year!
When it comes to digital cameras, I seem to be a little harder to please than most people. I have read epinions reviews on cameras before I bought them and with the flying colors that folks gave them I ran out each week confident that the camera would be just what I needed. During the trial period, I bought 2 different Kodaks, an Olympus, the HP, and a Sony all that have been rated highly recommended on Epinions ($400 or less) only to be disappointed and totally unacceptable. The biggest complaint I had about the other cameras was the lack of zoom, the flash, and the off-color of the pictures.
I had my heart set on an Olympus 2040 which I was certain would meet my every need...but I couldn't find any in town and they were out of stock online and I needed one before Christmas so I didn't want to wait. I decided to look for another one and settled on the Fujifilm FinePix 2600 Zoom. I bought the last one on the shelf at Staples for $300.
Why I need a Digital:
I think the reasons a person wants a digital camera will effect which camera will be best for them. Most people try to get the least expensive or best for the money however for every hundred you take off of the price of the camera, an important features is also taken away. You'll have to make a decision on what the most important feature is to you that you just can't live without. For me, it was the zoom.
My primary reason for having a digital camera over a standard film camera is for Ebay pictures. I need to have the images quickly, cheaply, and I need to take close-ups of the item. Finding a camera that has an acceptable zoom is not an easy task. I'll go into zoom later. I also take pictures in the day and in the evening. With the trial cameras, pictures in the evening with what little lighting we have was unacceptable.
The other thing that I need to take pictures of is my children. If you're taking pictures of children you'll need a camera that will compensate for movement because the little guys just can't stand still. They also put on a show for the camera, and I like to take several pictures at once.
What is Noteworthy
Everything about this camera is noteworthy compared to other digital cameras under $400, but I'll just pick the 3 best ones.
First of all, everything you need is included in the price. It comes with a rechargeable battery pack and a SmartMedia card, both of which are normally sold separately in less-expensive models. This camera has a lot of bang for the buck.
Secondly is the LCD panel. You are able to quickly identify if you have taken a great picture. There is also a frame that is always there to help you take better pictures. The viewfinder has a O and the LCD panel has a [ ]. I never thought I needed it before, but it helps me take better shots now. The LCD panel can also be turned off and has an auto off mode which saves battery life.
Finally, I'm going to have to say the picture quality. The pictures look great! The camera takes 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 and a QuickTime movie. I like to upload my pictures to online photo sites and often find that my pictures are not suitable for printing. Most of the problem with that is because the storage method is not big enough to shoot at the highest resolution. Now instead of the past "not suitable for printing" messages I usually got from the website, the 2600 camera images that I upload to the website say it's suitable for a 20"x30" print!
Batteries
When purchasing a camera, you may want to think about the batteries. There are 3 types that I can think of, Lithium, Rechargeable, and standard throw-away batteries. Digital cameras eat a lot of batteries. The more you use the flash and LCD panel, the more battery you use. The LCD really drains the battery so turning the LCD off will save you some battery life. This camera also takes short movies so that is another battery drainer.
Lithium
Lithium is not an option for this camera.
Rechargeable
This camera comes with 2 rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries and a battery charger. If charged correctly, the rechargeable batteries will last UP to 5 hours (probably longer) depending on how much you use them (battery drains with the LCD panel on). We take hundreds of photos on fully charged batteries. There is a small charger also included that fits right on the socket (reminds me of a plug-in air freshener). It's very small and will travel in your carrying case easily. You can charge 2 batteries at once. You could always get more rechargeable batteries and they cost around $10. If you're going to be at a holiday get-together or party, or on vacation you're probably going to need at least 2 sets of batteries since it does take 5 hours to charge the batteries back up.
Alkaline Throw Away
I can't help but say if you're getting a camera that requires throw-away batteries, you're going to pay....literally. I think it was the Kodak that I had to replace the batteries 4 times the first day (and it went back to the store on the 2nd day). Batteries aren't cheap and who wants to haul them around and pray the battery will last through the few pictures you're going to take?
- The 2600 has an added feature that you can turn on from the menu. If you turn the power saver on, the LCD monitor will switch will turn itself off when the camera has been inactive for 30 seconds.
- The camera will automatically turn itself off if not used for 2 minutes (auto power off).
- Standard batteries are not recommended (per the instructions) although can be used in emergency but not to be used with the LCD panel on.
Power Adapter
There is a Fujifilm AC power adapter that you can buy separately for the camera. It costs $40-$60 and a little difficult to find. (This does not charge the batteries).
SmartMedia Card
The card is included with this camera so you won't have to buy anything more in order to use it! You can buy another card if you need later. In fact, they have a $35 rebate for purchase of the camera and a SmartMedia card. You can find the rebate form in stores or on some internet sites.
The SmartMedia card is where all of your photos are stored before you download them to your computer. It is the "film" for the camera. When you snap a picture, it stores it on this card and it remains there even when you turn the camera off and will remain there until you erase it off. Once you upload the pictures to your computer, you can then erase the card from the command on your computer or through a command on the camera.
The camera comes with a 16MB memory card that will hold 20 photos of the largest size, many more of smaller size. The LCD will tell you in the top right corner exactly how many more you can take.
Sold Separately:
16MB
32MB
64MB
128MB
When purchasing a camera you'll need to add the card to the total price. When I bought the Kodak DX3500, it required a $40 flash card that I had to buy in order to use the camera, the HP was the same situation. The Sony took diskettes which I HATED because I had to buy all kids of diskettes and had 100 unmarked diskettes all over the place and could never find the one I had just taken pictures. You may want to buy a bigger SmartMedia card depending on how many photos and how far from your computer you will be. You can purchase that at your leisure as need arises and determine which size you need as they increase in price as the size increases. They are fairly expensive.
Megapix
How clear your pictures look depend on the the amount of resolution in terms of megapixels. The more the better. The Fujifilm 2600 has 2.0 mega pixels which is acceptable, pictures can look even better with quality paper and printers. The high end cameras have 3 pixels, low-end have 1.3 pix. If you want to print larger pictures like 8x10 you'd want 3 pix.
Zoom
There's a difference between optical zoom and digital zoom. The optical zoom magnifies using glass just like a regular camera, the digital zoom seems to crop the picture to make it look closer but actually makes the quality of the picture less. Optical zoom is what you need to focus on, and 3X is enough and probably the minimum that you will need for normal photo shooting.
Features
There are 5 flash modes: Auto (normal conditions), Red eye reduction (a flash before the flash), forced flash (for backlit scenes such as in shadow or in front of window), suppressed flash (through glass, indoor sporting events, etc.) slow synchro flash (for pictures at night to show both your people and scenery).
Lower end digital cameras do not have this type of flash choices which result in bad evening photos. The ability to change the flash makes your camera able to take pictures under different conditions.
White Balance is a feature that I haven't been aware of in the past. Although this sets itself automatically, you can also change it. The options are auto, outdoors, shade, daylight flourescent lamps, warm white flouresent lamps, cool white flourescent lamps, and shooting in incandescent light. The white balance is disabled in flash mode. Since I'm a point and shooter, I haven't really messed with this.
This has a Macro mode which is used for close up shots. You can turn this on and will make a difference. The focal range is approximately 10-80cm/20-80 cm when flash is used. For accuracy, shots should only be taken in the LCD mode with this feature.
I'll mention the LCD because not all digital cameras have the LCD screen in the back. When I take a lot of pictures, I get a headache from squinting my eye up in the viewfinder. This eliminates the strain on your eye and also helps when you're having a conversation or directing the person where you want them to stand or how to pose.
Odds and Ends:
This also has a self timer (10 seconds) so you can take a picture of yourself or be included in a group photo.
It also has a place for a tripod to attach which will also facilitate the group photos or self timer in addition to steadying the hand.
I'll add the movie player under odds and ends because it's not something standard with digital cameras. You can take a 20 second clip of something moving but it doesn't have sound. It takes 320x240 pixels and has 10 frames per second. It can not record more than the space left on your SmartMedia card.
The camera also has Videoconfrence mode but I've never had a need to use it and have not tried it.
Size & Appearance of Camera
This camera is just the right size for me. It's not too little where you feel like your fingers are too big to operate it and not too small that it's difficult to control when it's at your face. It's also not too large so you won't feel like you're hauling it when you travel. This is an appropriate size to take with you somewhere or to hold all day if you're at a park or tour. The camera weights 7 ounces.
This is silver and very average looking. I don't think there's anything that brings attention to this camera, it will blend into the scene when you are in public. It looks similar to a typical camera.
Ease of Use
After you have inserted the SmartMedia card and charged the batteries, you can try out your camera.
It is a two step process to turn the camera on. The camera will turn on when the button on the top is pressed. The lense moves itself out when the shutter door is manually slid to the right. You can not take a picture until both of those steps are completed. I'm sure some people will find this annoying, but it doesn't really interfere with the performance of the camera. I've learned to turn both of them at the same time to speed up the process.
In the back you will find the LCD panel. You can choose to turn it on or off. The viewable screen is 1-1/2 x 1". You can take the picture by looking at the LCD panel or put the viewer to your eye. You will also be able to immediately see the picture that you took on this screen.
This is very easy to use. Everything is set on auto and all you have to do is point and shoot. You can make adjustments to the settings as you get
comfortable with the camera. There is a menu button that has all of your options on it. It's all very explanatory. There's a small dial on the top of the camera that puts you into picture, view, or movie mode.
To get the pictures off of the camera, you simply plug the provided cord into your camera and computer and wait for the screen to pop up and you can move the photos to your drive and erase them from the camera. It only takes a second to get the pictures from the camera to the computer.
Drawbacks
There are only a couple drawbacks which I chose to live with rather than spending more for another camera.
First of all, the time between shots is a little lengthy (you must count to 5 before taking another shot). During this time the photo saves and the flash recharges. The shutter speed is automatically set at 1/2 -1/1000 sec. If you were at a parade or sporting event this may be a problem. I often have a couple blurred pictures because the kids move but I'm training them to hold their pose. It does have the movie clip for those moving moments.
Secondly is that there's no audio. You can take short movies, but there isn't any sound. The movies are really cute but sound would add a lot.
Finally the software that comes with it isn't that great for beefing up your pictures infact doesn't do much more than a file manager. Of course there's plenty of software out there you can buy or download that does that.
Resources
Steve's Digicams is the site that sold me on this camera. You'll see some awesome pictures of what the camera looks like. If you click all the way through, the last page shows the photos that were taken with this camera.
Steve's Digicams
www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/fuji2600.html
Fujifilm
If you're wondering if your computer will support the camera, you can check out the specs at Fujifilm's website: www.fujifilm.com and put 2600 in the search box. It will bring up everything.
Other Cameras
Fuji FinePix A210 Digital
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
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