Hey! You should know that this product has been discontinued. Here are our current recommended cameras in the Point and Shoot Digital Cameras category.
Fuji FinePix A850
Editor's Review
An 8.1 megapixel point-and-shoot with everything for casual users. Image stabilization eliminates the blurriness caused by shaky hands, and with 3x optical zoom, users can get in close to the action. With AA battery power, the A850 is also extremely portable for when you're on the go.
Specifications
- 8.1 Megapixels
- 3x Optical Zoom/5.1x Digital Zoom
- Image Stabilization
- AVI Movie with Sound
- JPEG File Format
- Auto Focus
- ISO 100-800
- 2.5-inch LCD Display
- SD/SDHC/MMC card plus 24MB Internal Memory
- 2 AA Batteries
- Release Date: Jun 02, 2008
Shop for A850 Accessories
Fuji FinePix A850 Comments & Questions (write your own!)
Using more zoom is basically just like using binoculars. when you get beyond about 6X the image starts jiggling around due to hand motion.
Special techniques may be required even when using a tripod -- such as using the timer to delay the shutter opening and closing. This will minimize any camera shake/movement which can be caused even by pressing the shutter button to make the exposure. Anything you can do to better stabilize the camera is good and will improve the sharpness of your images when using more zoom. Sometimes it is enough to just press the camera against something solid, such as a corner of a building, even without the tripod.
The Fuji A850 only has 3X optical zoom so I wouldn't think you should have a lot of difficulty solving your problem by simply using a tripod.
However, if you are also using the 5X digital zoom then all bets are off because digital zoom ALWAYS causes deterioration of the image and more so as you use more zoom. It is in the nature of the digital part of the zoom. Try just using the 3X optical zoom and see how that does.
One thing though. Most cameras have a 'digital' zoom component. This isn't really a zoom at all. It's like enlarging an image on a xerox machine. It just blows up what you already have. This makes the image pixelated and camera shake even worse. So avoid using digital zoom at all costs. In fact, look in your menu settings. If you can turn digital zoom off, you'll be better off.
However, this camera has 8 MP which means that after you have loaded your images into your computer you can use Picasa3 (free software from Google) to crop and enlarge your images individually ( or as a batch) which is essentially the same as digital zoom EXCEPT that by using software in your computer you can choose which area of the image you want to zoom in on unlike in the camera where it only zooms in on the center of the image.
I am installing updating FinePix Viewer to see if that works.
If that doesn't work I will buy a memory card reader. Thanks so much for your help!
Jen
Fuji FinePix A850 Reviews
Fuji FinePix A850 Reviews by Digital Camera-HQ Users
- 1.0 out of 5
battery life great, but this cam cannot focus to save its soul. I've wasted more time and missed more shots with this failure of a camera. no fix or firmware upgrade on their site.
- 2.0 out of 5
I'm not sure why but all my saved pictures on my computer look clear up until the date I bought this a850 and every picture since then are grainy looking even out side on a bright day. Got to be the camera!
- 2.0 out of 5
The viewer screen is useless. The software offer for adobe must have expired long before the camera was off the shelves. The camera went totally dead on its 4th or so trip out of the house. I need to send it for warranty repair, less than 30 days after it came out of the box.
- 1.0 out of 5
I've owned many digital cameras and the pictures I got with this were far below in quality to my old kodak 1mp ... I am returning it ... if the price were around $ 15. i'd probably keep it and give it to my 8 yr old ... but I wouldn't pay any more for it.
- 1.0 out of 5
After 6 months of normal use several things are wrong with this camera. I can't use it, even with receipt and box Wal Mart won't take it back. I will be mailing it Fuji tomorrow. Biu, don't want another Fuji camera if this is what I'll be experiencing. I should've paid the extra $ and bought a Nikon small camera. Never had a problem with that brand, we own three.
- 2.0 out of 5
Can't see anything through screen when outside and there is no view finder. I purchased an after market sun shield, but that didn't do anything. Camra works ok indoors but is worthless outdoors even on clouldy days. Waste of a $100.
