I have for the past couple month have been researching and testing out new camera, I've tested out the olympus line, sony line, now fuji line.

This camera is a excellent example of a beginners dream. A relatively small camera that doesn't flood the user with options from the camera but takes decent photographs and is relatively easy to transfer pictures to your computer. Lot of options with memory card size and has additional protection for the lense which comes as the built in manual slide that covers the lense when not in use.

Number one reason this camera gets high marks, price. Good 2 mp camera for $200.

Now the cons.

Cheapy plastic feel, when you squeeze the camera you feel the plastic kinda squeak and move, as would anything made out of nothing but cheap plastic. Now this doesn't mean a plastic camera has to feel cheap. The Sony Mavica cameras are all plastic but a very hard plastic that doesn't move at all when you put pressure to it, nor does the nikon or olympus cameras feel cheap although made from plastic.

Just 2 migapixels. Really limits the kind of pictures you can print, great for 4x6 just good for 5x7 but above that you will see some pixelation. If you ever think you will want to print out 8x10's you will need to take your shots using a 3 megapixel camera. The only exception to this would be the cannon s300 and 330 cameras which use elph technology that let them print out decent 8x10's but still only have 2 megapixel.

Battery level, it takes 2 AA batteries and has not rechargable lithiums available. Plus using only 2 it does go through them fairly fast. Expect only 20-40 (if your lucky) shots using the lcd maybe 50 if you turn off the lcd.

Additional thing is that the battery compartment is also the access to the memory card compartment, which makes it a little awkward to change out memory cards.

Zoom isn't great either, nothing to write home about being a 3x zoom optical.

Remember that optical zoom is all that is important, digital is BS you can zoom all you want digital wise on your computer using any halfway decent photo editing program like photosuite.





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 270
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Fool-Proof for Absolute Beginners