Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Budget and User Friendly Digital Camera - Fujifilm FinePix z20fd

By Matt Ryan

Fujifilm is known for their creatively designed handheld cameras, and their newest model - the FinePix z20fd - definitely fits the bill. This compact camera fits comfortably, in the palm of your hand, and provides all of the necessary functionality you will need in a camera.

This is truly a compact camera with measurements of only 3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches and it only weighs 4.4 ounces. Due to the nature of its physical design, along with its weight and measurements, this camera fits comfortably in nearly any hand. To add a little something extra, the FinePix z20fd comes in a multitude of colors, red, green, pink, blue, and black.

This is a 10-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom. With just these features, and no added bonuses, you can produce images with 3,648 x 2,736 pixels, which is great for any picture frame - digital or printed. There is an additional 5.6x digital zoom; however, these zooms are known to cause distortion in photos.

The FinePix z20fd is an extremely camera easy camera to operate. Fujifilm implemented automatic exposure control, which allows consumers simply to click a button and settings are perfect for given scenarios. Settings can be manually adjusted, if desires, but the automatic exposure control is pretty robust and powerful.

Other features include preset shooting modes, red eye removal, photo stabilization, IrSimple, and blog mode. White balance, color mode, and ISO settings are also available. These particular settings can be automatically or manually adjusted dependent upon your preferences. As for face detection, this can be used with or without red eye removal. This is a nice feature, as you no longer have to remove red eye manually!

As for the preset shooting modes, Fujifilm created modes that covered nearly every possible setting. Sport, night, sunset, snow, beach, and nine other modes are available for your convenience - including automatic. Regardless of your external surroundings, you should have no problem capturing the perfect image.

Blog mode is another phenomenal feature. This feature allows consumers to - effortlessly - share images with their friends and family. Simply enter the IrSimple menu to adjust picture sizes, and send them on their way. The camera will automatically rename the resized photos so that you do not lose the originals.

All menus, on the FinePix x20fd, are accessible via the LCD screen or the navigational buttons on the backside of the camera. The display is a 2.5-inch LCD that allows you clearly see your images, along with navigate through different menu options. To the right of the display are two 4-way navigational menu options. These are for easy access to simple actions like flash.

The FinePix z20fd has internal storage of up to 45MB. While this stores a decent amount of photos, the purchase of an additional memory card might be necessary. This model supports xD-Picture, SD, and SDHC expansion memory cards.

This pocket-sized fashionable camera is perfect for any level photographer. Kids, teenagers, moms, and even dads can produce high quality pictures with the FinePix x20fd. For only $200, it fits nicely into most budgets and works well as a great gift. - 15437

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