Fujifilm FinePix A600
Manufacturer: Fujifilm Part number: 15677951
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Fujifilm FinePix A600 produces nice images, though its awkward design and mundane features hold it back.
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Where to buy
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | See Site | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Fujifilm FinePix A600 price range: $337.99
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Reviewed on: 11/06/2006
- Released on: 06/15/2006
The good: Responsive; decent photos.
The bad: Stiff, awkward controls; very few features.
The bottom line: The Fujifilm FinePix A600 produces nice images, though its awkward design and mundane features hold it back.
The A600's blocky body manages to be both unimpressive and awkward to use. A stiff zoom rocker and the two buttons on either side of it are the camera's primary controls. Besides zooming and activating flash/macro, the buttons serve as an uncomfortable control pad for navigating the A600's sparse menu system. The rocker is located in the top-right corner of the camera's back panel, while the actual Menu/OK and Back buttons sit in the lower right, making the simplest activities a thumb-stretching chore.
As a budget point-and-shoot, the A600's features don't exactly stand out. The 6-megapixel Fujifilm SuperCCD sensor is complemented by a mundane 36m-to-108mm-equivalent lens. It lacks image stabilization, so the most you can do for low-light or high-speed shooting is turn on the flash and bump the sensitivity up to its maximum of ISO 400. The camera includes an anemic video mode that records QVGA (320 x 240) footage at 10fps, little better than most camera phones' video modes. It also includes 12MB of internal memory for shooting without an xD memory card. However, 12MB will get you only seven full-resolution shots at best, so a memory card is still highly recommended.
Despite its low-end status, the A600 displayed decent performance. After taking 2.7 seconds from power-on to first shot, we managed to take a shot every 3.1 seconds thereafter without flash. With the onboard flash enabled, that time increased to a more disappointing 5.8 seconds. The shutter release responded quickly, lagging only 0.7 second between button-press and shot. The camera's burst mode could handle only three shots at a time, but it managed to take those shots in just 2.2 seconds, for a rate of 1.4fps.
The A600's images turned out well, though they were hardly perfect. Fine details in our test shots were softened by numerous compression artifacts and heavy fringing on the edges of bright white objects. Despite these flaws, the photos looked good, with even exposure and accurately reproduced colors.
Though its images satisfied, the Fujifilm FinePix A600's design left a lot to be desired and its wake-up and shot-to-shot times could have been faster. Between its clunky body and awkward control scheme, the A600 simply isn't very fun or easy to use. If you're looking for a simple, attractive, inexpensive camera, you might consider the Olympus FE-190 instead, though it doesn't include a continuous shooting mode. If you're looking for a budget point-and-shoot with strong manual features, consider the Canon PowerShot A540. The two cameras are quite different from each other, but each vastly improves upon the A600's flaws.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Time to first shot | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
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Typical continuous-shooting speed |
User reviews
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Cheap because it is terrible
by nikkirosety on November 29, 2006
Pros: The camera is very cheap ($100 on sale). Picture quality is okay as long as you have a dominant light source. Hard to take picture after picture because the camera process it so slow. Flash is useless
Cons: Does not have a battery meter (either that or I can't find it). It only shows you the battery meter when the camera is about to die. No viewfinder to save battery, only an LCD which eats it up.
Summary: This camera is for the first time user, but even the first time user deserves better! Don't buy it. It is a waste of money. The price might be ...
Summary: This camera is for the first time user, but even the first time user deserves better! Don't buy it. It is a waste of money. The price might be appealing, but picture moments only happen once. I regretted bringing it to a wedding I went to. The menu is easy to understand, but navigating through it was pain. Not worth the money.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Value, Good Pictures, Small Size
by Arcaynn on October 4, 2006
Pros: Low Price, Easy to Use, Small, Durable
Cons: Low Battery Life, Badly Translated Manual
Summary: This camera is a great point & shoot to carry with you in case something interesting happens, and it's even pretty good for taking shots you planned on taking. ...
Summary: This camera is a great point & shoot to carry with you in case something interesting happens, and it's even pretty good for taking shots you planned on taking. It's Auto mode tends to create usable but non-distinct picture, while even it's limited customization options (ISO, EV, WB) allow you to second guess the camera to make your shots look nicer. The menu system is easy to figure out, and the size is just right to fit in a pocket or bookbag.
The main drawback to this camera is the low battery life. I use 2300mAh NiMH batteries, and they last for a max of 100 shots WITHOUT the flash. I rarely take inside shots, so I have not gauged the longevity of the camera with flash on. This is mitigated by the fact that it takes standard AAs, which allows you to easily buy a few sets to charge up and take with you, and the battery door is very sturdy and will withstand constant use. Other small gripes include the fact that the timer (2s or 10s) must be enabled for every shot, and it has a pretty badly translated manual. But this camera doesn't have many complicated functions anyways, so it doesn't matter all that much.
Overall, this is a great point & shoot and it comes at a great price. Good for a friend who has been wanting a camera, or one for you so you don't have to carry around a big EVF or dSLR.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great entry level camera for first time digital camera user.
by 808man on September 21, 2006
Pros: Simple to use with great colors. Best used at daytime but nighttime picture fine if taken within 10ft. from subject.
Cons: 3X optical zoom not the best feature but acceptable in a pinch.
Summary: I bought this camera for my mother since she was used to point and shoot 35mm autofocus. Worked great for her with no training or practice. Overall this is a ...
Summary: I bought this camera for my mother since she was used to point and shoot 35mm autofocus. Worked great for her with no training or practice. Overall this is a simple to use camera that takes great pictures. 6.3 mega pixels a definite plus when you want 8 1/2 x 11 pictures. Absolutely no loss of quality to pictures.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Camera
by Webfan50 on June 17, 2006
Pros: Simple, easy to use, takes great pictures
Cons: except for no viewfinder, I can't find anything wrong
Summary: This is a better camera than what I thought. It takes great pictures and is easy to use. I like it
Summary: This is a better camera than what I thought. It takes great pictures and is easy to use. I like it
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Chunky and fiddly with good picture resolution although slow picture taking
by clckn2000 on March 23, 2007
Pros: Easy point and shoot with clear display.
Cons: The menu seem to go on forever. Slow to respond to shutter
Summary: This is a budget camera. Most controls are within a menu somewhere and changes need digging out. The one I have was left useless when a tiny piece of plastic ...
Summary: This is a budget camera. Most controls are within a menu somewhere and changes need digging out. The one I have was left useless when a tiny piece of plastic broke off the battery cover. The rest of the day went pictureless.
The camera will not charge the batteries and the power connection has a very small interface which I suspect is a Fuji size so to use the camera with external power or a power monkey the user will need the correct plug on a power supply.
Taking baby and child pictures has to be by chance. The lag between shutter release and shutter is long enough for your favourite expression to have dissolve into screwed up faces and / or boredom.
As a point and shoot this camera is fine but don't expect to change settings quickly.
The camera seems to eat battery so a plentiful supply and a charger are essential. This makes remote hillwalking with photos in mind a bit of a no no. -
Great for my first camera.
by WFP1 on December 31, 2006
Pros: nice pics; easy to use; good value for price
Cons: takes a while to take a pic and process it
Summary: pretty good camera over all. like i said it takes nice pictures, it is very easy to use which i like, and i paid right around $100 for it. there ...
Summary: pretty good camera over all. like i said it takes nice pictures, it is very easy to use which i like, and i paid right around $100 for it. there are only two major drawbacks i can see with it. the time it takes from pushing the button to actually taking the pic is around three seconds which seems to take forever and it takes a few more seconds for the camera to process the pic it just took. this means that you cant take back to back photos. all in all this is very worth the money if you need a nice camera for not a lot of cash.
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Easy to use and great pictures!
by SherrySimpson on October 21, 2006
Pros: great price for all the features
Cons: Haven't found any yet.
Summary: I love my new A600.
Summary: I love my new A600.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Fujifilm
- Part number: 15677951
- Description: The A600 lets you shoot your picture with confidence and gives you images rich with details that conventional cameras miss, with ease and simplicity. It incorporates Fujifilm's innovative Super CCD sensor, featuring an octagonal pixel design that allows you to capture highlights and shadow detail in every picture you take. Utilizing this sophisticated imaging sensor and sensitivity up to ISO 400 at full resolution, this 6.3 MegaPixel powerhouse delivers exceptional image quality, accurate details, smooth, attractive skin tones and true to life colors from this camera.
General
- Product Type Digital camera
- Point-and-shoot highlights Video capture ability makes this camera ideal for social functions or vacation shots.
- Width 3.7 in
- Depth 1.2 in
- Height 2.4 in
- Weight 5.1 oz
Main Features
- Resolution 6.3 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type Super CCD HR
- Total Pixels 6,300,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 6,000,000 pixels
- Light Sensitivity ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO auto (100-400)
- Digital Zoom 6.3 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Landscape, Night mode, Sports mode, Portrait mode
- Max Shutter Speed 1/1600 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 2 sec
- Exposure Metering Matrix
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
- Exposure Metering Zones 64
- White Balance Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Fine, Shade, Incandescent, Fluorescent light (daylight), Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (warm white)
- Digital Video Format MJPEG
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control None
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture AVI - 320 x 240 - 71 sec - With 12MB built-in memory, AVI - 160 x 120 - 220 sec - With 12MB built-in memory
Memory / Storage
- Integrated Memory 12 MB
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage Fine JPEG 2848 x 2136 : 3 - With 12MB built-in memory, Normal JPEG 2848 x 2136 : 7 - With 12MB built-in memory, JPEG 3024 x 2016 : 7 - With 12MB built-in memory, JPEG 2048 x 1536 : 15 - With 12MB built-in memory, JPEG 1600 x 1200 : 19 - With 12MB built-in memory, JPEG 640 x 480 : 93 - With 12MB built-in memory
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 4 in - 10.5 ft
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 8 mm - 24 mm - F/2.8-5.2
- Focal Length 8 mm - 24 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 36 - 108 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Min Focus Range 19.7 in
- Macro Focus Range 10-80cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-5.2
- Optical Zoom 3 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Additional Features DPOF support, Audio recording, Date/time stamp, PictBridge support
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Display
- Type LCD display - 2.4 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 112,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type USB, Composite video output, DC power input
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x xD-Picture Card
Software
- Software FinePix Viewer, Drivers & Utilities
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows 98, MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, MS Windows 98 SE, Apple Mac OS X 10.2.8 - 10.3.9
- Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive
- System Requirements Details Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME/XP - Pentium - 256 MB - 450 MB, MacOS X 10.2.8 or later - PowerPC - 256 MB - 400 MB
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Hand strap
- Cables Included USB cable, Video cable
Power
- Power Device None
Battery
- Supported Battery AA
- Supported Battery 2 x AA Alkaline battery ( Included ), 2 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery ( Optional )
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- Labs information All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our labs information page for information on how digital cameras are tested.
- CNET Labs Flash shot to shot time 5.8
- CNET Labs Shot to shot time typical 3.1
- CNET Labs Shutter lag bright 0.7
- CNET Labs Shutter lag dim 1.1
- CNET Labs Typical burst speed 1.4
- CNET Labs Wake up time 2.7
Manufacturer info
- Fujifilm
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Fujifilm products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.fujifilm.com/
- Address:
555 Taxter Rd.
Elmsford, NY 10523 - Phone: 800/659-3854
