Overview
The Fuji Finepix A350 is a standard five megapixel digital camera. With this model it is very much a case of what you see is what you get. It is one of the most easy to use digital cameras you are likely to find and it has very few features that are likely to confuse you or that you can use by mistake. The Finepix A350 is likely to prove attractive to anyone who is looking for a straightforward camera that can cover all the usual social photo opportunities. This is also one of the cheapest five megapixel models produced by any of the leading brands.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
5
3x
1.7 inches
90 x 60 x 30.3mm
132g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
6cm
No
No
AA
xD Picture
Image Quality
As I stated above the Finepix A350 is at the cheaper end of the scale for a five megapixel digital camera. Therefore when it comes to picture quality you cannot expect perfection. The test results give a very good indication of exactly what you can expect and what the limitations of the camera are.
Its strengths lie very much outdoors in good light. In fact the first outdoor test shot of a group of boats is very good indeed. You would need to pay considerably more to buy a camera where you could detect a significant difference in quality. This is a very pleasing picture with a variety of strong colours and a good level of detail showing as well. The remaining outdoor shots do not quite hit the same level, but are quite acceptable for this level of camera.
Indoors is where the camera struggles. When the light is really low the Finepix A350 finds it difficult to focus properly. This does not mean that you can never take an indoor shot, but you will need as much light as possible if you are to produce decent photos. If you are looking for a camera to use extensively indoors where the light is not at its best then you will almost certainly need to increase your budget to achieve the results you are looking for.
The set up shots for macro photography and colours are impressive. The colour test shows very strong blues in particular. The close up shot shows that you do not need to spend a fortune to find a digital camera that is good enough to take some basic shots to post on Internet sites.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
Shutter lag is the time it takes to take each picture. A constant criticism of digital cameras is the delay in between clicking the shutter button, the picture being taken and also the camera being ready to take the next picture. From a pure shutter lag view the Finepix A350 took a picture and recorded it in 1.61 seconds. This is a very slow time. I ran this test a number of times as I had managed to record a much faster time with the Finepix A345 which is a more or less identical camera. Each time I ran the test the same result occurred.
In terms of recycling times I was able to take five pictures in the space of 20.09 seconds. That works out at a rate of 4.02 seconds per picture. I am not claiming that this is the most scientific tests, but it should give you an indication of the recycling speed of the camera. This again is a slow time. My test is carried out indoors under standard conditions and it is possible that you would see better results outside.
Features
For composing images you can choose between the optical viewfinder or the 1.7" LCD screen. The LCD screen is also used for reviewing images and accessing the menu system.
The three times optical zoom lens is used for zooming in on a subject. It has the equivalent focal length of 35-105mm in 35mm format. This is supported by a 4.1x digital zoom feature. For close up photography the dedicated macro mode that lets you get in as close as six centimeters.
For simple point and shoot photography there is an automatic mode. When the camera is in automatic mode all you need to do is line up your shot and press the shutter button. You also have access to four pre programmed picture types or scene modes. These are for Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Night shots. These settings help the camera to take the best possible shot. To use a particular scene mode you select it from the menu before taking the picture.
The built in flash unit has a range of three and a half meters. This is reduced to three meters if the zoom lens is in use. You can set the flash to always fire, for the camera to select when it is required and to not fire at all. There are also settings for red eye reduction and slow synchro. Slow synchro is often used at night to light the background as well as the subject.
Short movies can be recorded. These can be captured at a maximum resolution of 320x240. The maximum speed is fifteen frames per second. Movie duration is only limited by the capacity of the memory card.
For when you would like to appear in the picture there is a self timer with a delay that can be set to either two or ten seconds.
The camera does have a limited manual mode. When you use this mode you have access to white balance settings of Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light
(Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light and exposure compensation between -2.1 EV to +1.5 EV in 0.3 EV-step increments (in manual mode). You do not have access to shutter speeds or aperture size. These are set automatically by the camera. Shutter speeds range from 2 to 1/2,000 seconds and the aperture from F2.8 to F4.7. Sensitivity is also set automatically in a range of ISO 64 to ISO 400.
Fuji supplies all the necessary cables and software with the Finepix A350 to connect it to a computer, television set and a PictBridge compatible printer.
Ease of Use
The main strength of this camera is its ease of use. It has very few extra functions or features. All you need to do is turn the camera on and start taking photos. There are very few buttons on the back of the camera compared with other models and you will find your way around very quickly indeed. The menu system is also easy to use with only a limited number of options to get used to.
Cost
You can pick up a Fuji Finepix A350 for around £135. This compares to around £185 for a Canon Powershot A95, £175 for an Olympus C-500 and £150 for a Nikon Coolpix 5600. As you can see the Finepix A350 is cheaper than other standard five megapixel cameras.
Style
The Finepix A350 is a typical rectangular boxed shape. It is a silver colour and is made out of plastic. There is a useful grip on the front to help you steady the camera as you take a shot. With dimensions of 90.0 (W) x 60.0 (H) x 30.3 (D) mm it is a little large to slip into a pocket, but at 132g before the battery and memory card are loaded it is lightweight enough to carry around without a problem.
Batteries and Memory Cards
Two AA batteries are required to power the camera. It may be worth considering picking up a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger to keep running costs to a minimum.
Images are stored on xD Picture cards. I was able to take 16 photos with the 16mb card provided with the camera. This was using the camera with standard settings. As you can see it does not take long to fill up the card when you are taking images that are five megapixels in size. Therefore it is advisable to budget for a higher capacity card when you buy the camera.
Click here to save money on xD Cards.
Points I like:
Outdoor photos
Ease of use
Macro shots
Where it is not so hot:
Shutter lag/delay
Indoor shots
Summary
The Fuji Finepix A350 does the job it sets out to do. There are no frills and its appeal is based around ease of use and its price in relation to its five megapixels. If you buy this camera then you need to have realistic expectations of where its strengths and weaknesses lie. Before you do make a final decision I would recommend taking a look at the similar Nikon Coolpix 5600.
Fuji Finepix A350 Front View
Fuji Finepix A350 Back View
Fuji Finepix A350 Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Fuji Finepix A350 Review Fuji Finepix A350 Specification Fuji Finepix A350 Sample Images
