Fujifilm's
FinePix 2650 (A204 in Europe) is the revision of last year's
popular FinePix
2600 Zoom, upgrading the model from SmartMedia to the new xD Picture
Card format.
The basic capabilities of the camera remains generally unchanged from
the earlier model, the 2650 offers a 2 megapixel resolution and a 3X optical
zoom just like the FinePix 2600, but it has a smaller LCD screen.
The
exterior though has a few differences, some mandated by the change in
memory format, others by aesthetics. This new version features some gold-coloured
highlights and trims, and a slight redesign of the menu system.
The FinePix 2650 is powered on by a switch mounted on top of the camera,
and not by its sliding lens barrier. The system allows the lens barrier
to remain in place when the camera is switched to Playback.
A Mode switch with three positions is used to select:
Zoom
control and navigation are provided by three buttons grouped on the upper
right side of the camera's back. Left and right arrows are used exclusively
for menu navigation, while the up/down rocking button in between serves
for both zoom and navigation. Of course, in Playback, the zoom
control serves to zoom in or out of a photo displayed on the screen.
Three more buttons are aligned along the right edge of the 1.5 inch LCD
monitor:
DISP:
turns on and off the screen; can overlay a grid on the image to help
composition; and, in Playback, is used to show thumbnails of the images
on the memory card.
MENU/OK:
calls up the camera menu when pressed once; confirms changes and clears
the menu off the screen when pressed a second time.
BACK:
is to cancel a menu option, or back out of a selection without registering
the change.
An
optical viewfinder with an 80% frame coverage is flanked by an LED that
indicates camera operations. The LED glows steady green while the camera
is on, and blinks when the autofocus is being set, and the exposure parameters
established. In addition, it glows orange while an image is being saved,
and while the flash is charging.
The
ergonomic design of the FinePix 2650 makes it well-suited to most people.
The camera is compact and easy to operate as it has few external controls.
The few advanced options that are offered, most in the Manual mode, are
selected through the on-screen menu.
