Fuji FinePix 2650 Digital Camera (Fuji-43860769)

Fujifilm FinePix 2650 Zoom

FinePix 2650 Digital Camera (Fuji-43860769) Review, by Richard Baguley March 27, 2003

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• Reviewed by: MrTomH

  Strengths: Great-looking outdoor photos, very easy to use, reliable, uses AA batteries.

  Weaknesses: Indoor/low light shooting requires more patience, skill.

  Overall: I think I've had the camera for about 1.5 years (memory fails). This camera has been so much fun that I am reluctant to let it go. (I'm giving it to the kids because I just ordered a Fuji Finepix model E550, basically the same camera with 6.3 MP). I must have a thousand or two pictures that I've taken with it. I started shooting pictures right out of the box with a 64MB xd memory card, which holds 101 full-res pictures. Several times, I've given the camera to an 8 or 9 year old kid and told them they could shoot it 'til it was full. Within minutes a kid can figure the camera out and take great pictures, particualarly outdoors. (Of course, kids also take some of the weirdest pictures, but that's another topic.) Indoor shots with a flash take a little more practice than the outdoor shots, but it didn't take long to start taking good pictures that way, too. Overall, I was surprised by the quality and ease of use of the camera and I would strongly recommend it. I paid $200 for this camera when I bought it and I don't regret it a bit. After my experience with the 2650, I have little apprehension about buying another Fuji Finepix camera.

• Reviewed by: decrackie

  Strengths: This is a great camera. Very easy to use from the minute you take it out of the box, the manual is easy to understand, Good size LCD display to review pictures, very decent battery life, FUN!!

  Weaknesses: Takes a while for picture to "process"-causing a delay when wanting to take many pictures one right after another. Sometimes pictures come out dark in dim lit areas (easy to fix on computer software)

  Overall: I got this camera as a Christmas gift and I couldn't be happier! This is my 1st digital camera and I find it so easy to use as well as fun to use. The LCD display is great and you have the option to erase a not so great picture at any time. My neices love to be in pictures and then they run over to see what it looks like-instant gratification. I enjoy the ease of hooking it up to my computer and putting all my pics. in organized albums, able to touch them up if necessary, and printing them. The final results are wonderful-I love to look at all my pictures all the time. I have rechargable batteries and I got a 64MG chip with my present and it holds over 150 pictures(it comes w/16 MG-which holds a very decent amount too). I take it everywhere with me and I highly reccomend it-the positives far outweigh the few negatives!

• Reviewed by: ralcam

  Strengths: quality workmanship; ease of use. excellent price

  Weaknesses: Requires accesories to get pix into computer without using up batteries ( not recommended)

  Overall: Excellent little camera for the snapshooter. Has video. Easy to use, but shutter beep is too quiet to be heard, and there is no shutter sound. Delay of seconds makes it impractical to use for stopping moving objects. ISO rating 100 I think this is a discontinued model, and the price has dropped considerably in last month. Uses 2 AA batteries, and uses them fast!

• Reviewed by: kmalkowski

  Strengths: Great beginner camera. Awesome for taking regular 4 x 6 photos. Took to Disney in Apr.2003 and almost all the pictures came out beautiful. Very easy to use and a great price.

  Weaknesses: Close up shots get a bit fuzzy, but then again it's only a 2mp. Shutter time is a bit long, Low light, inside a gymnasium, pictures are a bit dark.

  Overall: This is the first digital camera I bought and I think it was well worth the money. Takes great picture. It's a great camera for taking pictures at family functions, school, vacation. It's light weight and easy to use!

• Reviewed by: Wyrenth

  Strengths: 5 Flash modes. 7 White Balance and a good range of Exposures in Manual Mode. Good zoom, fun Macro mode. Produces nice shots if you know when to use the various balance/flash/exposure settings.

  Weaknesses: No Self-Timer in Manual Mode. Webcam mode is useless indoors--too dark, and VERY red. No MJPG codec on CD. Had to buy one (Grr!). Auto Focus is hard to use if it's too dark--shine a light first.

  Overall: - Manufacturer states Lithium batteries can't be used, so pack extra NiMH batteries & a charger on long trips. - Some say the camera is a bit bulky, but I found it just large enough to hold comfortably without my fingers straying over the lens or flash sensor. - When I talked to Tech Support to ask about the poor Webcam performance, the representative seemed rushed and uninformed. - I was quite miffed to learn that there was no MJPG codec on the CD, but I found a good one for $20 with a 60-day free trial. - You can't take pictures or edit settings while the Flash recharges. This can cause you to miss photo-ops, so either time your shots or use Suppressed Flash mode (which disables the Flash, but can cause blur in low light) - Movie mode uses Auto settings, but only when you first begin the movie (it doesn't re-adjust mid-movie). If indoor shots seem too red, start the movie in the same light you'll be finishing with. - Be sure to experiment with all of the manual settings in various situations to become familiar with what modes are best in which scenarios. Also be sure to pick up a good photo editor (Adobe PhotoDeluxe or, preferably, PhotoShop) and a good movie editor (as well as the DivX codec or another free codec so movie distribution is easier). --------- Though the gamera has its quirks, I was still quite pleased with the purchase. I've taken some excellent shots with it (mostly of plants), and with a Fuji Aladdin kiosk, I can have them developed like real film