The Fuji Finepix A900 is a very simple digital camera. It has 9 megapixels and a slightly longer than standard 4x zoom lens. Not only is it one of the easiest cameras you are likely to find it is also one of the cheapest. The Finepix A900 is likely to appeal to someone looking for a camera that can handle everyday snapshots without having any bells and whistles to complicate the operation of the camera.
Image Quality Fuji Finepix A900 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The Finepix A900 makes a fair start. For a camera in this price range it produces a good level of sharpness. This does fall off to a degree as you move away from the centre of the photo, but on the whole the photo is sharp enough. Sun glare is handled well and the colours also work well.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
Focusing when the lens is completely zoomed out exceeds my expectations. This is a shot where most cameras find difficulty with such a distant scene. The Finepix A900 stands up well to this test.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the zoom fully extended sharpness definitely slips and the photo is not as sharp as I would like to see. This is true across the entire picture. I can also see purple fringing creeping in here and there.
Outdoor Portrait
I like this photo. As usual I have boosted the colours by using a white balance setting of shady. This adds some extra warmth to the photo without it picking up an orange caste. The skin tones remain natural.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
Moving indoors the Finepix A900 disappoints. Despite retaking my test shot the camera is unable to produce a sharply focused shot. I think even a basic digital camera should be able to manage a sharply focused shot in these conditions.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is a much better result than when flash was used. I must admit that the lighting used is not too challenging, but the Finepix A900 still managed to outperform many other cameras. Even so I think this camera is likely to be much more effective in bright conditions.
Colours
The colours fall somewhere in the middle in terms of how vivid they are when compared with other digital cameras. They are not as strong as you tend to find with Panasonic or Sony digital cameras, but they retain a natural look.
Macro
Taking into account the price of this camera the macro shot is not a bad effort. The lens does restrict you to being at least 10cm away from the object you are photographing and the shot you see here has been cropped accordingly. There is a purple tinge to the photo, but the camera should be able to take acceptable nature type macro shots in more natural lighting conditions.
ISO 400
At ISO 400 you can see noise creeping into the picture. Even so the Finepix A900 does a better job than many more expensive cameras at this setting.
ISO 800
Not surprisingly picture quality has fallen further away. I would suggest only using this setting in very lowlight where flash cannot be used and this is more or less the only way to take a photo.
Overall
In terms of picture quality the Finepix A900 is roughly in line with expectations. At this price level you are not guaranteed brilliant photos every click, but the camera is capable of decent snapshots, especially in daylight.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.48 seconds and five in 14.86 seconds. With the flash on the times increased to 0.56 seconds for a single photo and 21.10 seconds for five photos. Although these are above average times, they are roughly in line with times recorded by this type of camera.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The Finepix A900 has a bit of an old fashioned feel to it. It is larger and chunkier than most cameras you will find on the market. This can make it easier to get a good hold of if you have larger hands.
Dimensions: 97.5 x 61.9 x 31.8mm
Weight: 155g
Batteries: Two AA batteries are required to operate the camera.
Memory cards: There are 10 megabytes of storage built into the camera. I was only able to take 4 photos before the memory was full. The camera is compatible with both SD and xD cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating: Very Good. This is one of the most straightforward digital cameras you will find.
Points I like:
Easy to use
Where it could improve:
Picture quality indoors with flash - small internal memory
Alternatives
Before you rush out and buy this camera, a couple of cameras with similar specifications I like are the
Panasonic DMC LS75 and Canon Powershot A560.
Verdict:
The Fuji Finepix A900 is a cheap and cheerful digital camera. Based on picture quality and ease of use it offers fair value for money. It is hard to find a camera that is easier to pick up and start taking photos with.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Fuji Finepix A900 Summary |
| Description: | 9 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 10 |
| Features: | 6 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 6 |
| Indoors: | 7 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 6 |
| Image Quality: | 7 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 74 |
| Verdict: | The Fuji Finepix A900 is one of the easiest digital cameras on the market. It really is a no fuss and no frills digital camera. It takes a decent snapshot in most situations. |
| Review Date: | January 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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