|
Editors' Rating:
6.5 of 10
| • Value for money |
6 |
| • Ease of Use |
7 |
| • Performance |
6 |
| • Image Quality |
7 |
|
Average User Rating:
8.7 of 10
(15 votes)
| • Value for money |
8 |
| • Ease of Use |
9 |
| • Performance
|
9 |
| • Image Quality
|
9 |
|
Approximate Price:
$299
Where to Buy ?
|
PROS
•
Easy to access adjustments.
•
6X optical zoom.
•
Simple interface.
|
CONS
•
Grainy electronic viewfinder.
•
Hard to see the LCD in low light.
•
Only 16MB xD-Picture
Card.
|
Includes: FujiFilm FinePix 3800 Digital Camera, 16MB xD Picture Card,
Four AA alkaline batteries, Adapter ring, Lens cap w/strap, Neck strap,
USB cable, CD-ROM featuring FinePix Viewer software and drivers,
camera manual.
Recommended
Accessories |
Latest digital camera from Fuji uses the new, small
xD storage cards. The camera offers 3 megapixels of image resolution. Although it lacks the ability to take raw files (such as TIFFs), it captures quality JPEG photos with plenty of detail. The FinePix 3800 is lightweight and easy to handle in one hand, with easy-to-access controls along the top and side. You can capture photos with a variety of scene modes and even capture motion with short AVI files. And you can get close to your subjects without getting close to your subjects with a whopping 6x optical zoom.
Simple user-friendly control and easy USB computer connection make the FinePix 3800 simple to use.
FinePix
3800 Major Features:
| • |
6x
Zoom Digital Camera featuring 3.2 effective megapixels. |
| • |
3.2
effective megapixels for 2,048
x 1,536-pixel
images. |
| • |
1.8-inch
amorphous silicon TFT LCD monitor. |
| • |
Precision
retractable Fujinon 6X optical zoom
lens, 6-18mm
(equivalent
to a 38-228mm lens on a 35mm camera). |
| • |
Digital
zoom up to 3.2x magnification. |
| • |
Real-image
optical zoom viewfinder. |
| • |
64
Zone TTL Metering, Program AE,
and Manual exposure controls. |
| • |
Auto
exposure
mode (Exposure Comp.
available in Manual Mode). |
| • |
Adjustable
white balance (Fine, incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, shade). |
| • |
Aperture
settings from f/2.8
f/4.8 f/8.2 (Automatically selected). |
| • |
Shutter
speed settings from 1/1500 to 3 seconds. |
| • |
Built-in
flash with five modes (auto, red-eye reduction, forced flash, suppressed flash, slow synchro with red-eye reduction). |
| • |
ISO
100 equivalent. |
| • |
10-second
Self-Timer. |
| • |
Movie
Mode. |
| • |
Voice memo
(30 seconds). |
| • |
xD-Picture
Card storage (16MB included). |
| • |
Powered
by 4 AA Alkaline batteries (included). |
| • |
USB
cable for high-speed connection to a computer. |
| • |
DPOF
(Digital Print Order Format) compatibility. |
|
Customer Reviews
|
Bob
Niborg,
from Austin, TX, US, Dec 15, 2002
|
|
When you read this review please realize that I am technically challenged in camera use. I can take pictures, but I don't fully use all of a cameras features usually.
Price:
Fuji finepix 3800 was a 3.2 megapixel camera that was selling for only $300 for Xmas 2002 (most others were in the $380 ). So it was a great buy at the time.
Picture taking:
The fuji has a couple of different modes for taking pictures. It has a dial on top that you just turn to the camera icon and then use as a point and shoot camera (very easy for my wife or to hand to someone to take a picture of you and your family). Then there are also some options that allow you to customize some factors for more control. You can prioritize certain aspects (like shutter speed and F stop) but you can not set a specific shutter speed (as far as I have found yet). The camera also has some pre- set choices for sports, landscapes, portraits, etc. that you can select. After using the easy menu to select sports, you can use the camera as a point and shoot camera and it will set priorities for sports related shots (high shutter speed, etc). I've used this for landscape and portraits and I've notice a bit of an improvement from the regular point and shoot mode, but I haven't been to a sporting event yet to test the action capabilities.
Picture Quality:
I have not yet printed enough prints to review this part, but I will update after I shoot my holiday photos.
I printed a few pictures from the holidays and they turned out just as crisp as any other pictures I have printed with a SLR or other camera. I haven't tried any larger picture size yet, but I'll try to remember to update that when I do print one. I did notice that when I edited pictures (cropping, etc) that I didn't get crisp pictures but I think that is my fault, I'm just learning to use Microsoft's Picture It and I think I was turning my pictures into lower quality files (each picture is about 1.3 MB on the highest quality, after I edited them they were about 500 KB so I'm pretty sure it is something that I am doing).
Zoom:
The 6x zoom (approx. 200mm in SLRs) is great and the primary reason we bought the camera. I was just frustrated when I was finally able to go to Shea Stadium to watch a Mets game (I live in California) and I had a camera that only zoomed to 80mm (approx. 2x optical in digital I believe). The 6x zoom allows you to sit in the bleaches and take photos that are large enough to see actual people (unlike the ants I got on my pictures).
Setbacks:
The shutter lag is strange to get used to. Ive only used SLRs and point and shoots before so I've never had to push the button and hold still for the 1/4th of a second (or about that) while the camera waits to actually take the picture. I'm not sure how this compares to other cameras but it takes some getting used to.
Shoot pictures in the dark is nearly impossible. The flash fires and makes great pictures... but that is not the problem. The problem is when you try to line up your picture in the Electronic View Finder or the LCD you can't see anything. I have solar lights in my backyard by my waterfall, and although they are not bright, I can see the waterfall with my eyes at night. With the camera, you would think that I was taking a picture of a black hole... absolute darkness.
Overall:
So far I'm happy with the camera. I needed the 6x zoom. I like the fact that the camera lens can accept SLR filters and the accessories are cheap compared to many other things I've seen (64mb xdisc for $49 while Sony's was $69). Also, the Fuji uses 4 AA batteries. So if you buy 4 NiMH batters (DON'T USE NiCAD) and a charger ($29) then you are set.
Printing:
I will update this after the holidays. I plan on using snapfish.com for 29c a picture.
I printed a few pictures from the holidays and they turned out just as crisp as any other pictures I have printed with a SLR or other camera. I haven't tried any larger picture size yet, but I'll try to remember to update that when I do print one. I did notice that when I edited pictures (cropping, etc) that I didn't get crisp pictures but I think that is my fault, I'm just learning to use Microsoft's Picture It and I think I was turning my pictures into lower quality files (each picture is about 1.3 MB on the highest quality, after I edited them they were about 500 KB so I'm pretty sure it is something that I am doing).
|
|
•
Value for money
|
9 |
|
•
Ease of Use
|
8 |
|
•
Performance
|
9 |
|
•
Image Quality
|
8 |
|
The Lowest Price is not always best !
 When you buy a digital camera, the basic package almost always includes
extras such as a battery charger, lens cap, batteries, flash memory card, and software.
One of the more disreputable practices a dealer can engage in is called unbundling. These
dealers remove items from the package that are normally included in the price and
price them separately.
When purchasing
a camera you have three components of the price to consider - the camera price, postage and
handling, and taxes. Many dealers lower the price to make the camera more attractive, then
increase the postage and handling to boost their profits.
Hesitate before
accepting extended warranties. Every knowledgeable consumer expert says it's better to
gamble. Most of a company's profit is in the sale of these warranties so they press, and
press hard. Your job is to resist, and resist hard. The only thing to keep in mind is that
digital cameras can be horribly expensive to repair. If you want peace of mind, you may
want the warranty, even though it's probably overpriced. The cost of a repair can
approach, or even exceed, the original purchase price.
When you buy a
camera from a reputable dealer, you expect to be able to return it if you aren't
satisfied. Some dealers try to discourage this by requiring a restocking fee for returned
merchandise. This is always explained as a way to recover their costs of checking the
merchandise and restoring the packaging you may have opened.
Many dealers is
truly a false, deceptive and a total crook. Bait and switch tactics used. Does not sell
new merchandise and will ship used or refurbished goods without notifying customer. They then
try to charge a restock fee on top of their exobitant shipping fees to make a profit where
they could not on their goods. A try case of buyer beware.
|
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Approximate Price:
$299
Where To Buy
Fuji FinePix 3800 Digital Camera:
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