Welcome to Digital (Fujifilm Finepix A201)

Member Name: tiger645

Product:	Fujifilm Finepix A201
Date:	11/08/08 (220 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable

Disadvantages: Picture quality not great

Who would want this monster of a beast when you can have your new needle sized cameras, I hear you say, well I do.

~~~What is this product?~~~
A camera. Well if you must ask such a silly question, what else did you want me to say? Ok seriously this is a digital camera which allows you to take photos, look at them immediately after you have taken them, take videos and watch them. So this product is a camera with a video recorder which can only take short video clips with zoom and flash. What is a digital camera? Well just in case you don't know it is a camera which takes lots of photos allows you to decide there and then which ones you want to keep and you can see them. And you don't have to wind it up after every photo!

~~~Cut to the chase, what does this product do?~~~
Well unlike digital cameras now a day which can transform in mobiles, music players, cars, planes, you name it. This is a normal digital camera which takes photos and has a zoom in case you are too far away. The zoom is 2.5 times which I must admit is not fabulous as most "cameras" (well if you can call them that!) but it will do for people who just want to take photos. You can also take 20 seconds of film with this camera which isn't bad as it is quite old (don't know exactly because can't remember when we bought it, over four years ago, I think...) Anyway unfortunately the camera does not record sound so you have a video without sound. Also the length of the video depends on how many other photos and videos there are saved (i.e. how much memory space there is left). However this didn't bother me because I used the videos to make films in which I wanted my own music in. Also you can see the photos you have taken and zoom in further so you can see who has their eyes shut! Also you can watch the videos to see if they are any good.

~~~Ok then tell me some of these fancy buttons...~~~
Well to begin with I will be perfectly honest, anybody can use this camera. I used it when I was younger and I knew perfectly well how to use it and although I think I have got stupider I can still use a camera which is always a good sign!

On/Off button - situated on the top of the camera basically does what it says on the tin! Left hand side is off and right is on but if you leave the camera on for too long it goes off. Flick the switch to off then on and back it turns on!

The flick button (don't know what its called) - this allows you to switch through three different modes, the taking picture mode, the taking video mode and the viewing of pictures and video mode. Each are represented with a little diagram and can not be easily mistaken.

Zoom in/out button - well guess what it does, as I said before zooms in 2.5 times. It zooms in before you have taken the picture to get a closer shot and after to make sure the photo is good.

Display button - gets rid of all the info around the picture i.e. the date and photo number so that you can see what the photo will be like once printed.

Menu/ok button - allows you to access the menu where you can delete a photo or delete all the photos in one go (which I just did accidentally because my sister came in and scared me, thank fully I had saved them!). Put in date and time so it records it every time you take a photo (this only needs to be done once) and change the brightness (in case it's dark?). Also you can put the camera on timer from the menu so the whole family can be in the photo, the timer gives you ten seconds to get into the photo and gives you warning red flashes before taking it. I always think there is plenty of time to get into the photo and usually end up waiting. The menu is in English, always a great start!

Back button - Well this gets rid of the menu button for you!

Close up/far button - This is a button on the front of the camera and if you want to take a photo of something very very close then you need to switch but otherwise just use the normal (far away one). I have never used the nearby one and have never needed it.

~~~Picture quality any good?~~~
Without going into complicated figures the simple answer is not bad as long as you don't take a picture from a mile off then enlarge it on your computer and say, why isn't very good? However it is not as good a quality as some of the newer cameras have. Technical details now, well according to the camera packaging it has 2 million pixels, sounds impressive well it is rather but as I said before not the best any more. Just in case you were wondering it is a colour digital camera and will show you what you have taken in colour.

~~~What does it look like?~~~
Well the picture gives a pretty good idea but I will give you my description of it. It is a metallic silver colour with a flash in the corner which is automatic so no need to worry whether it is on or not (not necessarily a good thing especially when trying to take hidden photos). It has black writing on it and some silver writing. It is cuboid about 6.5 cm tall, 10cm wide and 4cm deep. It used to look really snazzy but the number of times it has been dropped thrown and put into children's mouths has had its wear and tear. It still looks fairly new but there are some scratches but the picture quality is not affected. Looks quite modern, not the most modern snazzy thing you have seen but it looks decent and has certainly served me well! It is fairly heavy (here come my weighing scales) at 0.1 kg but not arm tuggingly heavy (sorry for the made up word there, I couldn't think of a better word!). Also there is a black hand strap coming off the left hand side of camera (isn't shown on the photo) which is very securely connected (well mine hasn't come off and I swing it continuously). This makes the camera more secure and safer so the camera does not get damaged.

~~~Easy to use?~~~
Piece of cake, well for a child anyway. Instructions are easy to use and basic, you will throw them away after the first time you have used it (well I did then when my dad asked me for the instructions I got it in the neck). Anyway anybody can use this camera its pretty easy to guess with all the basic diagrams on it anyway.

~~~Where does it store the photos?~~~
Ah, wondering when this question would pop up, what am I talking about I knew I was going to ask this from the beginning! Sorry, anyway, all the photos and videos get stored on a memory card which is roughly 2.5cm by 2cm. Anyway it is quite small and slots into the same place as the batteries and depending on the size you can take lots of photos. Personally I have two 16MB which take 50 photos each and one 32MB which takes 100 photos. You can buy them from most camera shops and they are cheap to buy but definitely worthy having one with a larger memory for places such as family holidays. You can buy them from P.C. world and Amazon (well they do have everything!)

~~~Are batteries needed?~~~
Well it's not run on air is it? Sorry but some of the questions I ask... It runs on two AA batteries and I recommend rechargeable ones because the normal ones will just run straight flat. The rechargeable ones last for quite a long time actually they last for a very long time and can be charged time and time again. However make sure people know that they are rechargeable because otherwise if you lend the cameras they just throw them out, I speak from experience. These can also be easily obtained from anyway where e.g. P.C. World and they are cheap, don't forget to buy a charger though!

~~~How do I put them on my computer?~~~
The camera comes with an USB cable which allows you to plug the camera straight into the computer and Bob's your uncle they all come up (actually he's my cousin...seriously, poor boy). Once you have plugged in the camera all you have to do is click on load and there we go they are all put onto your computer. It's easy trust me.

~~~It has all these technical features and looks good, but is it reliable?~~~
Reliable, this is as good as it gets. So far in over seven years (definitely longer, I honestly have no idea exactly so I will say 7 years), it hasn't let me down once. Not once even though I have dropped it split drinks on it, its been with kids. But it's a tough nut and it still hasn't cracked and there are no signs not one. Don't believe me, try it. It's as good as it sounds, never lets me down. Even warns you when batteries low a little while before so you don't end up with no batteries. It's great, full marks for reliability or as footballers say 110%.

~~~Other technical features that I haven't already mentioned~~~
Resolution - 2.0 Megapixels
Total Pixels - 1 million pixels
Optical Sensor Size - ½.7"
Light Sensitivity - ISO 125
Digital Zoom - 2.5 times
Digital Video Format - AVI
Flash memory (more can be bought) - 1 x 16 MB Flash card
Supported Flash Memory - SmartMedia
Camera Flash - Built in (automatic)
Flash modes - Forced mode, auto mode, flash OFF mode, red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction - Built-in
Focal length - 5 mm
Self timer - 10 seconds
Display type - LCD display
Display Format - 55, 000 pixels
Connecter - 1 x USB and 1 x DC power input
Expansion slot - 1 x Smart media card
Cables included - 1 x USB cable
Battery (included) - 2 x AA
Warranty - One year

~~~How much does it cost and where can I buy it?~~~
Unfortunately I can't remember where I got mine from and I think it was about £200 but it was pretty new then. After a little research I think you can buy it from Amazon for £80 which is good deal and definitely worth it. You can buy it second hand for less and on ebay it is selling for even less.

~~~Is it worth it?~~~
Definitely worth it because even though it may not be your new modern all in one camera etc. it takes great pictures and is perfect for someone who is switching from a manual camera to digital. It is easy to use and has a good range of features. It looks good and I would recommend it to everyone no matter how old you are. Even if you are not buying this particular product and still use a manual camera, I would strongly advise you to change, honestly digital is great!

If you want to know anything else about Fujifilm cameras you can visit their website on:
www.fugifilm.com

Summary: For first time digital users.

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