Finepix F480 Camera (Fujifilm Finepix F480)

Member Name: rji0907

Product:	Fujifilm Finepix F480
Date:	26/09/09 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great picture quality, includes many features

Disadvantages: Not for tehno-phobes!!

I upgraded my digital camera to a Fujifilm Finepix F480 a few months ago after finally parting company with my loyal, reliable previous digital camera which I had owned for 4 years. I was reluctant to swap to a new camera as I knew that over the last few years, technology had advanced and although I wanted a camera which gave me the opportunity to take the highest quality pictures, I also wanted the camera itself to still be simple to use.

~The camera itself~
The Finepix F480 is modern in design in my opinion. It comes in silver and is light to hold and compact in size so fits well in the handbag without taking up too much space - a must for us ladies!! It is an 8.2 mega pixel camera and has a sleek and stylish design.

For such a compact camera I was impressed with the screen size on the reverse of the camera. The camera itself measures around 4" x 2" with the screen measuring around 2.5"x 2" which is far bigger than on my previous camera.

This wasn't the most expensive camera on the market by a long way. In fact it only cost me £75.00 from Sainsburys, so although I knew the features would have been far more advanced than my last camera, I wasn't expecting too much from it, but I have been pleasantly surprised by it. I have been really impressed with the picture quality. Even when using the 'zoom in' feature, the quality of the picture is excellent, with all features being really clear and consise on the screen.

~Accessories~
As well as the camera itself, you get the following accessories with this camera:-
Camera Strap
Re-chargeable battery
Battery Charger
A/V Cable
USB Cable
CD-Rom - software for finepix

~Software~
The software takes just a few seconds to install onto your PC and is simple to us. The software is titled 'Finepix' and when you connect your camera to your PC via the USB lead, this is where your photos will be stored.

Within this software you have the option of sending your photos via email, producing a slide show or just displaying your photos as you wish.

~Features~
The camera doesn't have a memory card within the box, so one has to be purchased separetely. This camera enables video recording/playback and features a microphone which produces really clear sound when playing a video back.

There is a circular dial at the top of the camera which you turn to select which type of 'shooting' you require, i.e still photos or video and you can also choose your photography mode. The choices available in this mode are auto, baby mode, picture stabilization, red eye reduction, digital zoom or portrait. There is also a click on this dial labelled SP. This enables you to select your scene setting. There are many scene settings to choose from including:- natural light, snow, beach, night, sport, fireworks, portrait, landscape, sunset or party. Choosing the right scene setting will enable you to take the highest quality photos within the setting you are taking photos in.

There is a separate circular button at the bottom which features a different menu. This is where you select options such as the self timer, flash options, recycle bin to delete photos and the 'macro' option (a flower symbol on the button) to enable you to take close ups. Within the menu itself, this is where you change options such as the date, time, year, flash option, zoom options etc.

~Viewing/Displaying Images~
Photos can be viewed in a few different ways. They can be played back as a single frame, as thumbnail lists or multiframe playback. This can be done by using the menu and the 'play' button at the bottom of the camera. You can zoom in and out of photos and display in date order if you so wish. To play back videos simply select the video picture on the dial at the top of the camera, then press the play button at the bottom.

~My overall view~
Considering I wanted a simple camera to use, I was baffled by this camera when I first chose it. There are so many different options to choose, I wondered how the hell I was ever going to get used to it! However, after a good, thorough read of the very detailed instruction manual and a bit or trial and error (!), I have finally come to grips with it.

When fully charged, the battery can last a good few days, even for someone as snap happy as me! The software, battery and memory card are easy to load and I am really pleased with the picture quality on both the still photos and videos. For an amateur photographer such as myself, I'm not sure if all the different shooting modes are really necessary, but I can't really comment if they all make a difference to the picture quality to a high extent as I haven't had the opportunity to try them all out yet as there are so many!

Up to this point though, I have not had a bad quality photo from this camera. I haven't had one photo which includes any 'red eyes' and the automatic flash option has never let me down. The microphone when video recording is really clear too, giving me some great family moments to keep.

Overall I'm really pleased now I did upgrade to this camera. For the price I paid for it, you really do get a lot of accessories and features included. I don't believe you will get anymore from a camera which you can pay over £150.00 for. It looks great, fits easily into my handbag, is light and stylish and takes a fantastic photo and video. Thats all I want and need from my camera and thats exactly what this lovely little camera gives me. Highly recommended.

Summary: A great little camera

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