I could provide suggestions from downloading new drivers to making sure you install the camera drivers in order according to the proper order in the instructions. But why bother when you can just get a USB card reader and plug your memory card into it. The PC will read it as a drive and it's a simple drag and drop from there.

Well, as for the distortion, you can try resetting the camera. This is a fairly easy procedure which involves either going into your setup menu and choosing "reset" (or intialize), holding down the menu key for 5 seconds, or, removing the batteries for a few minutes. It may be that the firmware loading got corrupted and the camera just needs to be "rebooted," which is something that turning it on/off won't accomplish. But after which, you should have the camera reset to factory default settings.



But it may be that you caused a disconnect with the CCD when you dropped it. Its obvious that the impact jarred the alignment of the lens, preventing it from retracting when you turn it off. You can cycle the on/off switch several times in the hopes that it can work it's way back into alignment. But I wouldn't force it. The cogs that move the lens are very fine and delicate and you can easily make matters worse by trying to push the lens back in.



At this stage, your best bet would be to have it repaired. But understand that without warranty coverage the average cost of a camera repair is around $180. As such, it may cost more to repair than it is really worth. The rule of thumb is that if the estimate for repair is north of 50% what you paid for it, you're better off taking that money and buying a newer and upgraded model.



I'm not saying this may be the case in your situation, but you should be prepared for the wor$t.

It may be a problem with several things, ranging from the CCD inside of the camera, to the processor chip, to maybe just a disconnected wire. It is really hard to tell, especially with dropped cameras, without taking the camera apart. I would take the camera in to a repair shop, such as Ritz Camera, and have them take a look, usually they do so without charging (though they will charge for the repair).

Martina,



Both of these cameras are very versatile. The Sony H9 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) will probably work better in low light situations, but the Fuji A800 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is more compact and will travel better. There are a lot of cameras available under $400, so you might want to go through DCHQ's Gift Guide ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) to find just the right camera for you. Good luck and happy shooting.



Andrew

You're welcome. Come back with any other questions.



Andrew

Scott,



You might try the Canon A570 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ). I have had great luck with Canon's, and think they are very user friendly. If you don't want to move to a dSLR, this might be the way to go.



Andrew

Good luck to you, and happy shooting!



Andrew

Could it be that its 5 years old? However, Google is your friend. ( google.com/search?q=fuji+fi...  )

Well, Fuju does have newer models that you may like. How about the A800 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  )? Or, if you're looking for something a little beefier that will grow with you, the S700 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...  ) is highly rated.



Both have MPs greater than your old 3800 - the A800 is 8.1mp and the S700 at 7.1MP. This is plenty for high quality images up to 8x10. You also end up with greater focal range in the zoom, movie mode with sound, and one thing I like about the A800 is that you can use either xD or SD cards. Nice feature.



Wrong settings are easy to fix. You simply reset the camera to factory settings. Shaking the camera wont' cause an issue.



But as I stated before, as for comparing it, I doubt it'll get on the radar here very soon due to it's age. I did find this overview at CNet, however:



The good: 6X optical zoom; simple interface.



The bad: Low-res electronic viewfinder; noticeable shutter delay; hard to see the LCD in low light.



The bottom line: Its 6X optical zoom, decent images, and aggressive price make this camera a good but not top choice for point-and-shooters.



Rates just over 6 out of 10 amongst editors. I think you can do better.

Well, there are some tips for improving your performance and getting those results with another camera -



1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.



2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.



3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.



4. Shoot in "sports" or "kids" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.



5. Go manual. If you are manually focusing, particularly in darker settings, you can constantly refocus the image as things happen. Also, the infrared does have a range and if your image is out of that range you can end up with the camera's "best guess" or infinity setting which may not help. You can also go manual on fstops and shutter speeds as well, getting more light faster when you choose.



6. Go with a shallow depth of field.



7. Follow the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.



8. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.



9. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

If you haven't dropped it, I'm guessing you just need to reset the camera to get rid of the problem. Sometimes a cameras firmware cannot load properly and cause the settings to work intermittently. Resetting usually fixes the problem. I'd also recommend downloading and installing the latest firmware from Fuji's website ( fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/ep...  )