Review: Fuji FinePix 2800 Zoom
Dave Cook checks out a powerful 6x optical zoom camera from Fuji.
| Product | FinePix 2800 Zoom |
|---|---|
| Company | Fuji |
| Web | www.fuji.co.uk |
| Price | £400 or less |
| We like | Powerful zoom, crisp images |
| We don't like | Miserly 8MB Smartmedia card |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements |
One look at the Fuji FinePix 2800 ZOOM should convince you that it's more than just a simple snapshot camera. Aimed at the middle-market, this USB digital camera sports some of the best features of the award winning 6900 model, but at less cost.
In return, the Fuji 2800 ZOOM includes a number of features including a 6x optical zoom, which covers the 6 to 36mm (equivalent to 38 - 228mm on a 35mm camera) range. In addition, a Movie Mode at 10fps provides an image size of 320x240 pixels; a Continuous Mode allows four frames to be taken at half-second intervals; and an Audio function enables continuous recording or caption recording for attaching to the image.
Unlike the shape of many digital cameras, the contours of the FinePix 2800 ZOOM affords it something of a professional look. But with dimensions of 95mmx77mmx71mm, it's unlikely you will be able to pop this camera into the average-sized pocket.
Even if you could, it's unlikely you would want to keep it there too long. For like all good cameras, this one really comes into its own when raised to eye: it feels comfortable, the controls can be operated with the right thumb, and the first finger falls naturally to the shutter release.
Sharp
Fuji is renowned for the sharpness of its lenses and the FinePix 2800 Zoom is no exception: images have bite. The ubiquitous macro mode is available for focussing between 10 and 80cm but while the images are acceptably sharp, as with all other multi-functional lenses, they tend to lose a certain edge.
A 2.0 megapixel CCD will certainly not make you the envy of the local camera club. Even so, the 1600x1200 pixels are capable of delivering superb 8x6 prints - or what some "old timers" would refer to as whole-plate. And if the pictures are going to be hung on a wall rather than being inspected with a magnifying glass, then A4 prints are well within its bounds.
If a criticism can be levelled at the camera it's that it doesn't allow the sensitivity of the CCD to be changed. Set to the equivalent of ISO 100, the camera certainly offers superior tonal gradations. However, this can lead to noticeable camera shake when working at the upper end of its zoom range.
Viewfinder
One problem with LCD screens is viewing them in sunlight. This is partially overcome on the Fuji 2800 ZOOM by the introduction of an electronic viewfinder: in essence, a TFT screen with a hood and magnifier. The advantage of the LCD screen over an optical viewfinder is that you see what the lens is seeing, just like the SLR camera in conventional photography. The disadvantage is that the larger the LCD screen, the more power it drains from the batteries.
On this Fuji model you can switch between the 14mm viewfinder image and the 45mm LCD image on the rear of the camera at the touch of a button. This feature is available both when framing the picture and when viewing the image.
In low light conditions - and this holds true outside at night or indoors under normal domestic lighting - it's sometimes difficult to evaluate the picture you're trying to take. There is a facility for changing the brightness of the image, but if you're a party animal and take many pictures in that type of environment, you could be better off choosing a camera with an optical viewfinder.
Disappointingly, the camera comes supplied with a miserly 8MB Smartmedia card. Even so, this amount of memory will let you store between 10 and 61 pictures depending on the resolution chosen and the compression rate.
Verdict
This is a camera for the creative image-maker, rather than the hobbyist wishing to experiment with a barrow-load of different settings and functions. Images are satisfyingly crisp, but the feature that separates the Fuji 2800 from most of its competitors at this price point is its 6x optical zoom.
