Fujifilm Finepix A400: A great entry camera (Fujifilm Finepix A400)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Fujifilm Finepix A400
Date:	24/02/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, has everything you need for a basic digital camera

Disadvantages: Not for the experienced pro

The Fujifilm Finepix A400 is a very good camera for those of you who don't really have much experience with cameras. It is not complex to understand or use, although there are many features that more sophisticated and expensive digital cameras that this one doesn't have, so if you are looking to upgrade your digital camera to something that can do a bit more, this is perhaps not for you.

The controls are generally quite easy to use, power switch on the top and slightly sunken, making it tricky to push. This is good, as it makes it very hard to accidentally turn it on or off. It has a zoom lens which can give you 3x optical zoom, allowing close in pictures that don't detract too from the quality of the image, and the zoom button is a toggle bar, with directional buttons for panning once you have zoomed. The button for taking the picture is on the top to the right, and there are three other buttons. One gives you the menu options and also lets you scroll through the pictures you have taken, the other takes you back through the menu and scrolls through your display options, so that you can choose what info you want on the screen.

There is also a button with a 'play' symbol on it (arrow pointing right), which will let you view the last photo you took. The viewfinder is an inch and a half wide. I personally prefer cameras with larger viewfinders, but this is decent enough, particularly for a beginner to use. The general quality of the camera is good for the price, and you can currently get one of these for around the £60 mark from amazon.co.uk. It is battery operated and you would need to get your own memory card to use with it. The batteries will last you a decent amount of time as long as you don't leave it on whiule you're not using it, thus draining the battery.

USB cable is normally included, and you can use this to transfer your photos or mini-videos over to a computer or a hard drive. There are various flash modes depending on your location, and it is quite robust and lightweight and streamline. Overall a very good camera for starting out, and even if you just want to take pictures normally, and aren't too fussed about extra options or gadgets to go with a camera.

Summary: Great entry camera

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