jmanullang's Full Review: FUJIFILM FinePix 2800 Zoom Digital Camera
Everyone around me was purchasing digital cameras, and peer pressure forced me to start some research of my own. Well, peer pressure and the fact that I just gave birth to a very un-photogenic child… I was wasting too much 35mm film!
I consider myself a pretty good amateur photographer. I look at background and lighting, try to frame shots well, etc., but I also take pictures almost entirely just for my family and friends. The subject is usually one or both of my kids, but I tend to vacation in picturesque locations, so I wanted a decent (but not too-fancy) all-purpose camera.
I had a good idea of what features I wanted from what camera-owning friends said they liked or wished they’d waited for. High on my list was a decent zoom. Second priority was size/appearance, and third was megapixel range. Cost was a consideration too, and I set my budget at $300.
Beginning my research, I found a web site that reviewed and rated digital cameras. In its Best Picks area, the Fuji FinePix 2800zoom was picked as the best in the 2-megapixel range. Armed with this advice, I looked further into this model, while still looking seriously at two others. Besides Internet research, I spent a lot of time at Circuit City and Best Buy-type stores holding and testing other brands and models.
I soon found that the Fuji FinePix 2800zoom is like no other in its class.
I also quickly discovered that while you can set a budget for a camera, once you’ve gotten the necessary accessories, you’ve probably gone way over it. It ain’t just a camera you’re buying, folks, it’s a memory card, AC adapters, a case, tripod, batteries and battery chargers, photo printer, photo paper… (Do you really want me to go on???)
Fuji FinePix 2800zoom details
2.11 megapixels
Optical zoom at 6x (equivalent to 228 on a 35mm!)
Digital zoom at 2.5x
1.8” LCD monitor
Color viewfinder
Includes 16MB SmartMedia card
Red-eye reduction flash
2 frames per second continuous shooting (up to four frames at a time)
3 resolution modes
Macro function
Intelligent Auto White Balance
Voice Caption function (up to 30 seconds)
Movie recording (320x240 with sound)
USB transfer connection
PC camera function
Power Save mode
Self-timer
Uses 4 AA alkaline batteries
JPEG still images, AVI movie format
MSRP $399 in February 2002
Why I chose it
Yes, it was over my budget by $100. So what really convinced me to get it? The relatively high optical zoom was its biggest pull. At the time I researched it, it was the only camera in the 2-MP range with a zoom that high. I’ve had 35mm cameras with high and low zooms, and whenever I had the cheaper, low zooms I never really got the pictures I wanted. I wanted something really good this time.
Secondly, I have to admit that I gave in to looks on this camera. No, it’s not the first reason I bought it, but I do think it really is adorable. It looks like a big fancy camera in miniature—it’s compact and cute. So many digital cameras look like basic point-and-shoot 35mm, and I wanted something that was smaller and didn’t look cheap.
Megapixels: I originally had my heart set on getting a camera in the 3-MP range, but when I read that the 2-MP are perfectly fine for snapshot-sized prints, I had to think: how often do I enlarge snapshots? Almost never! Yes, once in a while I get a really great one, but it’s so rare that I felt the increase in price to go to a 3-MP camera was not worth it for me. Don’t get me wrong—if cost were not an issue, I most certainly would’ve gotten a 3-MP camera. While there are some 3-MP cameras in the same price range as the Fuji FinePix 2800zoom, they don’t have near the fancy stuff. Basically, I sacrificed megapixels for that to-die-for optical zoom.
The 16MB SmartMedia card. Most digital cameras I researched came with a 8MB card. I figured I could deal with 16MB for general photography (since I’d never be too far from the PC to download), and could wait until I had a vacation scheduled to get a bigger memory card. This was the plan anyway… I immediately ran into a good deal on a 128MB card and bought it. (Anyone want a 16MB card, never used???) By this time my budget was hosed.
Connecting to the PC and viewing photos is fast and easy. Although I edit using something other than the included software (Adobe PhotoDeluxe 4.0), it’s not too bad as far as photo-editing software goes.
The macro capability is something that didn’t thrill me until I tried it. Now I’m always looking for things I can take close-up shots of, just to use it again. It’s amazing to see the clarity of the close-up shots. This is not something I ever used with another camera, so I don’t know how the feature compares to others, but it’s pretty great on the Fuji FinePix 2800zoom.
Once I’d made my decision, I spent quite a bit of time price comparing on the Internet. Although I found a wide variety of prices, most stores did not have the camera in stock. In desperation I turned to eBay and found a seller who also sold new cameras from its web site, and I placed my order. I paid $349 at normancamera.com ($10 UPS ground). Check out my epinion on Norman Camera—they were great!
Stuff I wish was different
The LCD monitor is really dark in low light when it’s being used as a viewfinder. Although the actual viewfinder is often better, it’s still a bit dark sometimes too. Fortunately the lighting of the pictures usually turns out fine. It’s a bother, but not a huge deal to me, although I know this is a complaint of many users of this camera.
In low light, there can be a significant delay between the time you press the shutter button and when the picture is actually snapped. I’ve read that this is a common problem for many digital cameras and that it’ll be improved in upcoming models. My best advice is to try to anticipate the shot and press the shutter button just a bit before you normally would.
Battery power is sucked down pretty quickly when using standard AA batteries. I’ve found they last longer if I use the Ultra High Power Mega Wattage Super-Duper Titanium Extra Juice variety. I have not yet tried rechargeables to see if they’re any longer lasting. An AC power adapter is highly recommended, especially when downloading to the PC. Of course, this also increases the price of the camera even further.
I thought the continuous shooting thing was cool, and when my sister asked me to take some pictures of her friends I tried it out. I set it to continuous shooting, told them to say “cheeeeese!” and held my finger down on the shutter button. Much to my disappointment, almost all of the shots came out blurry. Now, I don’t for one minute blame this on the camera; I’m sure my unsteady hand was the cause. I just think that now I need yet another piece of equipment—a tripod—to use that feature to get some good quality continuous shots. ~sigh~
I need a case for this thing, and although I haven’t looked at a bunch of places yet, I’ve not yet found one it will fit into well. This is a squatty, fat, small-but-bulky camera, and a standard camera bag just won’t do. Be warned.
Summary
Although I’ve used a few digital cameras, this is the first one I’ve owned, and overall I’ve been absolutely thrilled with it. It does all I wanted it to do, and more. I no longer waste film when snapping pictures of the kids, and love that I don’t have to wait to develop and print them to see if they turned out. Ah, but the real test will be when I take it on vacation next month!
I’ve seen the price go a bit lower since I purchased my Fuji FinePix 2800zoom, so more than ever, I highly recommend this camera—it’s a great value for the $$!
2-megapixel sensor captures 1,600 x 1,200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches 6x optical plus 2.5x digital (15x total) autofocus zoom lens ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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