Fujifilm FinePix A350

Reviewed September 2005

Characteristics

The images captured with the FinePix A350 originate from a square pixel, 1/2.5-inch CCD that has a total of 5.36 million pixels. Of these 5.36 million pixels, 5.2 million are effective when capturing the maximum image size of 2592 x 1944 pixels. The CCD sensitivity range of the camera starts at 64 ISO and extends through to 400 ISO, and is entirely under the control of the camera.

The Fujinon 3X zoom lens, common to both the A350 and the 4-megapixel A345, has a focal length that covers from 5.8 to 17.4mm, the equivalent of a 35 to 105 mm zoom in the 35mm film format. At the wide angle end, the apertures start at f2.8 , becoming f4.7 when the zoom is at the telephoto end.

The shutter speed of the A350, fully controlled by the camera along with the aperture selection and sensitivity, has a range of 2 seconds to 1/2000 second depending on the exposure mode in use.

A 4.1X digital zoom, enabled in the Setup menu of the A350 is also available. The digital zoom is of the standard variety and works by cropping the centre of the image and then interpolating the cropped section of the image up to the selected image size, engendering a progressively greater loss of image definition as the magnifying effect is increased.

With the FinePix A350, 6 image quality settings are offered, and all combine the image size to a compression level that cannot be modified by the user. Moreover, only the 5M Fine setting offers a relatively low JPEG compression. All other image sizes use a compression level that is best described as an average level:

The selection of the image size is the first option in the A350's menu. As is often the case, the contents of the menu of the A350 varies with the mode, and only when the camera is set to the Manual mode are the greatest number of options accessible:

• Quality: See above.
• Self-timer: offers two options, either a 10-second delay before the shutter releases, or a 2-second delay.
• Shooting Mode: serves to choose from the 7 shooting modes offered on the A350:
  • Manual: allows control over white balance and exposure compensation.
  • Auto: limits options to Self-timer, Shooting Mode, and access to the Setup menu and LCD brightness.
  • Portrait: offers the same degree of control as the Auto mode, but optimizes the image for skin tones.

• Landscape: forces the flash off, offers the same controls as the Auto mode and enhances greens and blues.
• Sport: gives priority to the shutter speed, and provides a menu similar to Auto.
• Night: extends the slowest shutter speed of the A350 to 2 seconds, allowing the camera to capture a subject standing in front of some night time scenery.

• Continuous Mode: On or Off. When On the A350 is able to capture images at 1.4 frames per second for up to 5 images at the 5M Fine setting.
• Set (Settings): serves to set the brightness of the LCD monitor, or access the Setup section of the menu. (See the Interface and Software section of the review for a listing of the options contained in the Setup menu and their function).

• Exposure Compensation: provides an exposure adjustment range of -2.1EV to +1.5EV in 0.3EV increments.
• White Balance offers settings for:
  • Auto,
  • Sun,
  • Shade,
  • Fluorescent 1 (Daylight),
  • Fluorescent 2 (Warm White),
  • Fluorescent 3 (Cool White),
  • Incandescent Lighting.

Set to the Movie Mode the FinePix A350 offers a shorter menu that is limited to 2 options:

• Quality decides the frame size of the movie:
  • 320 x 240 pixels
  • 160 x120 pixels
• Set: as above, provides access to the Setup menu and the LCD monitor brightness setting.

In Playback, the A350 has a menu that adds options for printing and editing images:

• Erase: provides for erasing all frames; or erasing a single frame. A Back option allows returning without selecting any of the choices.
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format): allows on-camera selection of the images to be printed. Date and time can be imprinted on each image if desired, and the number of prints to make of each photo.

• Protect: serves to prevent the accidental erasure of a photo. One or all images can be protected; or all images can be reset to unprotected.
• Playback: offers 4 automated slide show modes. Two of these offer different disolve types between frames; the other two provide different timings (one short one fast) between the images.
• Trimming: allows cropping an image and saving it as a new photo at a lower resolution.

• Set: is again an access to the adjustment for the LCD monitor brightness, but adds a control over the playback volume of the A350 in addition to the access to the Setup menu which is common to all camera modes. (See the Interface & Software section for more information about the Setup options).

The FinePix A350 is powered by two AA-size batteries which are housed in a compartment underneath the camera, and the compartment is sealed by a solid plastic door. The same compartment also houses the xD card slot.

In North America Fujifilm includes 2 non-rechargeable alkaline batteries with the camera. However, the A350 can operate much longer using rechargeable Ni-MH batteries and these should be considered a necessary upgrade.

Likewise, the A350 is supplied with a 16 MB xD Picture card and its limited capacity should make the acquisition of a greater capacity card an imperative.

As a guide the chart below lists the approximate photo capacity of both a 16MB card and a 256 MB card according to the image resolution:

At the top is the USB port, which serves to connect the camera to either a computer to download images, or to a PictBridge compliant printer so that photos can be printed directly. The selection of the USB protocol to use, DSC for a computer or PictBridge for a printer, is made in the Setup menu.

Below and towards the front of the camera, the A/V (Audio Video) Out jack is identified by its yellow trim. The A/V out signal produced by the FinePix A350 is also selected in the Setup menu, and can be set to either NTSC or PAL.

Last, closer to the back of the camera, is the DC-IN jack which makes it possible to power the A350 with household current when the optional adapter (AC-3VX) is used.