Fuji FinePix 2650 Digital Camera (Fuji-43860769)

WHAT'S HOT: At a very reasonable price of $180, the FinePix 2650 Zoom is one of the cheapest cameras we've seen recently. It can take short videos as well as still images, though these don't include sound. You also get a 3X optical zoom and the same bright, easy-to-read 1.5-inch LCD screen we've seen on other Fujifilm cameras.

WHAT'S NOT: Though this camera is cheap, it certainly isn't small. The FinePix 2650 Zoom's height and length are fairly normal at 3.9 by 2.6 inches, but its depth (2.1 inches) is significantly greater than that of most other cameras; there's no way this camera will fit in a pocket. The extra depth also means that trying to operate the zoom or menu controls with your thumb while holding the camera in one hand is awkward. The camera's controls are a bit quirky; unlike with most other cameras, sliding back the lens cover does not turn the camera on. Instead, you have to slide back the lens cover and then slide the power switch, which takes extra time and could lead to your missing a shot. The camera has no scene modes, but its semi-manual mode allows you to control exposure and white-balance settings. There are no shutter or aperture priority modes.

WHAT ELSE: For a 2-megapixel model, the 2650 Zoom produced reasonably good images, with accurate colors and generally good exposure. The pictures we took indoors with the built-in flash were a little underexposed, though. The XD-Picture Card slot and the two AAA batteries share the same cover on the underside of the camera, so you may drop the batteries if you try to change the memory card too quickly.