Out of all the compact cameras I've ever owned, this is by far one of the best. Some of the features it includes are better than some that bridge cameras offer.

Out of the box I was pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of it, especially how I had only got it for around £50. There was a large screen on the back that allowed you to clearly see images that I took, and also boosted 12 Mega Pixels. It was ergonomically designed, making it easy to hold and reach the buttons and featured simple to use menus. It was quite clear how to change the various settings.

After playing around with it I was still impressed with both the quality of the photos, as well as the amount of settings that the camera allow you to play with. The automatic mode made photo taking easy, with even snow shots coming out clear and crisp. The only problem with this mode, is it makes some loud whirling noises as it focuses. Not a issue normally, but it can be annoying at times. It also comes with image stabilisation and red-eye removal, functions that are not normally available on cheap cameras. So it certainly has the toys you would expect to have on expensive cameras.

Be warned that it doesn't come with a internal memory, so you'll need to buy a memory card separately. Luckily it takes normal SD cards, which can be picked up nearly anywhere for a fairly decent price.

The Finepix is also capable of taking videos. Its meant to be able to take HD videos, although I'm not entirely sure it always manages this, but at least it is still watch-able, and is actually better than my rather old and battered camcorder.

There is a little bit of a delay when in auto-mode, that can cause problems when taking pictures of things that move, but if you depress the button half way so that you focus the camera, it is much quicker in taking shots.

- Summary -
Its a nice little camera that is good for taking pictures on holiday, or when you go out for the day, but if you are a serious photographer, or someone who wants to get shots perfect everytime, then this may not be the correct camera for you.