Fujifilm FinePix A101

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $125.00 from Ebay.com

Summary:
I love this camera for outdoor photos. I've had some beautiful shots. In-doors, the lighting becomes red - not great for any indoor occasion. Movie setting is easy. Of course it eats up the memory. Fun though! The close up setting is no good unless a tripod is used. Haven't succesfully used that seeting yet. I always have it set on the "mountain setting"

Strengths:
Simple

Weaknesses:
Video Software too primitive. Once you edit all the clips and close the program, the file is locked for further detailed editing.

Customer Service:
Not used

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have never used a digital camera before and this camera is so easy to use. It works on a Mac or PC. You can take still or moving pictures. A great camera for begginers or anyone who wants to have fun and no trouble with their camera!?

Strengths:
Good LCD picture for its size. Amazing Movie option, where you can film 20 second videos.

Weaknesses:
Pictures don't comne out as good in changing light.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Price Paid:  $169.00 from Radio Shack

Summary:
I use mine for MTB photos and love the instant shutter (thanks to the focus-free lens) All the cameras in the same price range with real focus would take far too long to focus and lose shots. The 20 second videos are a fun feature and considering I didn't find any other cameras with nearly the features at the time it was purely a bonus. The LCD refreshes fast so using it to aim the camera is a snap. A Sample of what can be done with the videos can be found at: http://cgi.peak.org/~merryc/wwwboard/images/12.224.124.124waldo_weekend.WMV All this footage was taken using the fuji. Editing was a combo of the included Video Impression software and MS Movie Maker.

Weaknesses:
Video mode doesn't adapt well to changing light levels, panning around causes artifacts.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Mail order

Summary:
Once the dust settled it was truly a cheaply built unit because dust gets into the view finder LCD screen when you take it outdoors seen another friends unit do the exact same thing becomes destroyed when taken outdoors to shoot pictures, fuji should have completely sealed tight those LCD compartments on the cameras but they didn''t and you get a cheap camera that will be ruined by dust from the outdoors someday.

Strengths:
Great picture Quality

Weaknesses:
Cheaply Built unit that absorbs dust into the LCD screen that eventually ruins your cameras color view finder screen over a period of time

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
3 votes

Price Paid:  $99.00 from Walgreens

Summary:
So I''''m the fourth person to write a review for this camera, and until now, no one else posted sample images... for SHAME, people. Ok - I will! Anyway, for those seeking a very basic and easy to use "first" digital camera, this fits the bill. It''''ll also make a great secondary camera for the kids, to keep in the car, or in the purse or briefcase. Colors are accurate and clarity is very surprisingly good considering this is a fixed-focus lens camera. The 20 second movie mode (no sound) is "ok" in quality, and helps to capture sudden clips you otherwise would have missed. The A101 runs off of 2 AA batteries, and as everyone else will tell you, buy NiMh rechargeable batteries. Still, even alkalines have a "decent" life in this, provided you use a card reader to download photos from the memory card, and not the camera''''s USB cable (which drains battery power a ton). The color LCD screen is reasonably clear and bright, and the menu system easy to understand. You can adjust the white balance to a degree, exposure, and flash settings, but that''''s pretty much it - this is designed to be a simple "point and shoot" camera, and that''''s what it is. Look for sales, but at $99 to $160 or so, it''''s hard to find anything else to beat it in terms of overall photo quality - I should know, I''''ve tried out TONS of cameras. Go ahead, buy one.

Strengths:
Low price. Easy to use. Nice range of features for a camera in this price range. Excellent photo quality considering it''''s a fixed-focus lens.

Weaknesses:
No optical zoom (though you shouldn''''t expect one in this price range). A little bit on the "plasticy" feeling side. Could be a little more airtight around the button and USB port area to help keep it clean. In other words, in dusty environments, keep it in a case to avoid getting dust in the INSIDE of the camera.

Similar Products Used:
Various Olympus, Sony, and Kodak models.

Customer Service:
Have not used.