Fujifilm A340 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom & Finepix CP-FXA10 Cradle

Rating:
Summary: Good for what it is.
Review: My husband and I kept debating and debating about whether to purchase a digital camera. We have a 35mm Canon EOS Rebel that takes gorgeous pictures. But, we knew if we got a digital camera, we'd end up using our wonderful camera a lot less. Fortunately, his dad killed our endless debate by purchasing this Fuji for us for Christmas.

I have to say, I like it a lot. There are some things that could be better, but for a 4 MP point-and-shoot, especially at this price, it's great. It's small enough to fit in a coat pocket (definitely not true of our big Canon), and takes very clear pictures. We did upgrade the xD card immediately, for a lot more memory. The flash, as another reviewer mentioned, really works without washing out the scene - as you view the picture before snapping, it looks way too dark, but once it's taken, it is wonderful.

The cons, though, are also there - though I don't know that they are any worse than any other digital camera. The amazon review mentions speed. I find that you do have to wait quite a while between photos if you use the flash - definitely longer than .62 seconds, anyway. This is kind of annoying - we have twin 2 year olds, and they don't stand still very long. And, this thing eats batteries. We don't have rechargeable ones, but will definitely be investing in those soon. In some ways, it's nice that it takes AA's - you can certainly buy them quickly most anywhere, rather than having to go home and charge it up - but you'd better have plenty around.

The 3X zoom just doesn't seem to be enough to me (probably spoiled by our digital camcorder, as well as the Canon), and it is very hard to manipulate quickly. The menus, as others have mentioned, are not terribly intuitive, and they could have added a couple of extra navigation buttons to make it more user-friendly.

However, overall, it's a good little camera. I was set up on the computer with it within a half hour (we don't have the cradle) and the Fuji software is nice, too. I'm sure using it a lot, which is a good sign!



Rating:
Summary: Good cam...But beware fuji tech support
Review: ok here we go,
Great cam I guess... but my fujifilm 128mb xd is givin me a read error message..and i contacted fuji about this and i have gotten no answer!!!

But anywayz... zoom could be better.Night shot is a pain cuz of camera shake. BUt all in all the cam is damn good for the price and should seriously be looked at for snapshot enthusiasts

Rating:
Summary: If pictures from a semester at the White House come out...
Review: So I must disagree with the reviewer from Maine, who believe it or not cannot seem to spell anything correctly, thus I would expect her to rate this camera low as it is probably above her to even know anything about a camera much less operate one. My sister purchased the originial of this camera over the summer for her internship with Laura Bush, at the same time my other sister and my brother were getting cameras for the first years of university life and I must say that of the three cameras I liked the Fuji the best. My first digital camera 4 years ago was a Nikon CoolPix and I will NEVER own another Nikon. I purchased the Fuji the other night and am so pleased with it. The pictures look amazing on the camera, on my computer and in print. No complaints here! Thank you Fuji for securing my loyality for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: Great anyway you slice it.
Review: This camera is a great first ditigal camera for anyone. It takes great pictures. Is easy to use. Very affordable. Sends pictures easily to your e-mail addresses. Has a built in lens cover. Can be used with 2 AA batteries. And is compatible with most ditigal printers.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent photo quality and a VERY reasonable price
Review: You're probably considering the Fuji A340 because you either want a good reliable point-and-shoot or simply because you want a really good deal. I've owned several digital point-and-shoots and even digital cameras several times the price of the A340 so the enclosed points speak from a fairly varied experience of digital camera usage over a 4 year period.

The Good
1. The photos are generally good quality when taken outdoors. Compared to other point and shoot cameras at least. But you'll instantly notice the difference in photo quality if you choose to buy (for example) a camera at twice this price. (I also own the 3 megapixel Canon PowerShot IS and love the vivid color in the photos there.)
2. If someone tells you 4 MP is not enough, ignore them unless you need to make prints larger than 11x15 (when did you make blow ups with a 35mm camera anyway???)
3. Battery life is decent. Please do invest in rechargeables. A worthy investment. Make sure you get a smart charger, not a dumb one (enough product information and review material on Amazon to help you learn more on this if you would like.)
4. You'll appreciate the 3x zoom though instantly crave for more. At this price, I am not complaining!
5. There is not much else out there in the market under one hundred and eighty dollars. So if this is a gift, you've got a good starter camera to give with the additional accessories to be bought later by the recipient.

The Bad
1. XD cards are at least 40% more expensive than compact flash cards. Negates the whole concept of getting a really good deal. (Though there is currently a free memory card offer on Amazon that's worth looking at.)
2. Start up time at 3.3 seconds (according to Fuji at least) is painfully slow. That means you are guaranteed to miss a good action shot since time from start to click is at least 6 seconds (unless the word `draw' reminds you of the Wild Wild West and not your kindergarten days...) And remember, the frame-to-frame time of 0.62 seconds is only applicable when not using the flash. So all in all, not the best in case you want to take consecutive photos with a flash. Be prepared to wait several seconds between photos to allow the flash to charge fully.
3. If your really plan to take some video footage, you'll regret, soon enough, the lack of audio. Be prepared to be disappointed. I suggest you strongly consider a camera with audio. You can use Windows Movie Maker to add audio in later but you'll probably not find time to learn to use this efficiently enough.
4. its `just' a little too bulky to put into your pant pocket and still be completely comfortable. Especially if you have a carrying case with the camera.

Conclusion
A great starter camera. You cant go wrong with this purchase if this is your first digital camera. I'm being a little critical here because I'd like to share my likes and dislikes of this purchase. But I guarantee you, at this price, or for a starter camera, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better. (though the 3 MB Fuji FinePix A330 is a worthy contender for a starter camera.)