 Fuji J28, a simple camera for the budget-minded person |
| Review Date: October 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: ok4ablonde, at my computer |
My first digital camera was a Fuji 2 MP bought in October 2004 - I still own that camera and it works great, but -- I love this new Fuji Finepix J28 even more, but only for the simplicity of use this camera affords.
If you like manual settings on a camera, you will not be happy with this camera. This camera is for the person who is looking for a simple-to-use point & shoot camera. In the Manual Mode, you can only change the ISO setting (from 100 to 3200), exposure value and white balance--that's it.
In my opinion, the Fuji FinePix J28 goes head-to-head with the Canon Powershot A480, (which I ordered previously and returned) the Canon being a little more expensive, although prices can vary day to day. Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
The Fuji pictures are more color saturated and sharper in general, but the Canon A480 takes better close-up (macro) shots. You are able to get closer to your subject with the Canon, so if you are solely wanting to take close-up pictures of jewelry or coins for eBay, for example, I think the Canon may be a better choice for you.
If you play around with the J28, you will be able to get some halfway decent MACRO shots. Look at some of my pictures I have uploaded and you can see the difference between the watch shot at 5 MP from 4 inches away and the coin shot at 10 MP from farther and then cropped. I get my best macro shots from setting the resolution to 10MP Fine, and holding the camera at least 6 inches away from the subject, then cropping it. Otherwise, they turn out pretty bad.
However, for all-around picture taking of vacations, pets, people, and everything else, this Fuji J28 is superior for the following reasons:
1. The lithium-ion battery is longer lasting than AA alkaline batteries. I was able to take 224 pictures before the battery needed recharging.
2. J28's colors are brighter and more saturated.
3. The J28 LCD screen is slightly larger.
4. SR-Auto - (Scene Recognition Auto) Just leave it on this setting and you can't help but take a good picture.
5. Flash recycling time is MUCH shorter with the J28 than the A480 - recycling time is the number of seconds after a flash picture has been taken before the camera is ready to take another picture.
6. You can use the optical zoom while recording a movie with the J28. With most cheaper point & shoot cameras, you cannot use the zoom. But you must set the zoom before you start recording, it cannot be changed during recording.
7. The menus and buttons are more intuitive with the J28.
8. The plastic body of the Fuji J28 seems to be more durable. Just one complaint: The shiny body shows every fingerprint!
Older and more technically challenged people should have no trouble using this camera. On the same note, this is perfect for younger kids too, due to the price. Just set the menu to SR-Auto and six different scenes will be recognized automatically: Landscape, Portrait, Nightlit Portrait, Backlit Portrait, Night, and Macro. You don't have to do a thing but press the shutter halfway to focus, then once the focus is locked, press the button all the way down.
I've taken over 200 pictures with no blurry ones yet. My hands aren't the steadiest and I have 3 cats that won't hold still and pose for me, yet every picture of them has been perfect with this camera.
If I could find something to complain about - and I think this may have to do with the price point of this camera - I would love to have a dial on top to access the settings instead of having to go through the menu. Also, I'm really disappointed that Fuji can't come up with better photo editing software than what they supply with their cameras, it hasn't changed much at all since 2004 (Picasa is better). But these are my only complaints, and not enough to warrant a reduction in stars in my rating.
I've uploaded some photos taken with this camera, please check them out! |
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