Fujifilm FinePix A820 Review

The Fujifilm FinePix A820 goes one better than other point-and-shoot cameras from Fujifilm by including a wireless connectivity option aside from the usual USB cable and audio-video cable connectivity. This very flexible digital camera has an infrared transmitter and receiver that will let you transfer images to and from other IR-capable devices such as another IR Fujifilm digital camera, computers and printers with high-speed IR connectivity, mobile phones, TV sets and Personal Digital Assistants with the IRSimpleShot (IRSS) function.

To transfer images to and from your computer to a compatible device via infrared, you must first set up your IR communication settings. At the back of the digital camera (next to the LCD screen), choose the Menu/Ok button, scroll up or down to the Set-up tab then press the button to the right of the Menu/OK button to select it. Look for the IR communication tab then set infrared transmission to Standard or IRSS. The former is for IR communication with a compatible IR digital camera and printer whereas the IRSS function is for devices with the IRSS function (e.g. a television.) After choosing the right settings, you must select the playback mode, select IR transmission, and then send the picture you want to share.

The menu of the Fujifilm FinePix A820 is very easy to navigate and understand mainly due to its enhanced colored, graphics-based menu with text descriptions. You can clearly see what each menu option is and what it does through the 2.5-inch, 115kpx and full-coverage LCD monitor.

The LCD monitor also makes it easier for you to trim and rotate images before you save them as well as review the pictures taken using the rest of the playback options that you have: single- and multi-frame playback as well as chronological playback. Use the Menu/Ok button and its surrounding buttons to change language, date and time, playback mode, set-up, selecting pictures, erasing images, changing flash modes, activating self-timer, activating Macro function, etc.

Still at the rear of the camera, you will find the Mode Dial which can conveniently let you change modes and use certain functions without going through the menu. For instance, to record a movie using the A820, simply move the dial to the movie mode and you can immediately start recording. The other options will let you change zoom levels as well as photography modes (baby, portrait, SP). If you set the dial at SP or Scene Position, you can choose to use the 13 pre-set scene positions that include sport, landscape, underwater, museum, fireworks, and text among others. Through the SP icon in the dial mode, moreover, you can choose the manual photography mode so you can set the camera’s exposure, lighting, focus, and other pertinent settings yourself.

The FinePix A820 is a sleek yet fully functional digital camera. It weighs approximately 155 grams or 5.5 ounces (without its batteries and other accessories) and measures only 3.8 inches wide and 2.4 inches high. It is 1/10th of an inch thicker than the comparable FinePix A800 digital camera at 1.3 inches thick, however. It has its own microphone and speaker.

This can be used fro recording movies since the FinePix A820 is capable of recording mono sound with video. Moreover, the FinePix A820 has a unique Voice Memo function that can let you record WAV sound clips up to 30 seconds long.

The Fine Pix A820 has both the Fujinon lens and the Super CCD Sensor High Resolution technology for superbly clear pictures. It has up to 4x optical zooming capability and can digitally magnify images up to 7.6 times. It has a minimum focal length of 39 millimeters and a maximum focal length of 156 millimeters. It has auto-focus (which is the center) but if you want to specify a different focus, you can do so by choosing any of the pre-set modes or choosing manual. To let the camera focus automatically, simply press the shutter button halfway down.

A summary of A820 features:

8.3 megapixels
4x optical zoom
7.6 digital zoom
Super CCD Sensor High Resolution
JPEG format for still images
AVI (motion JPEG) format with mono sound for movies
Maximum shutter speed is 1/1200 seconds
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds
Maximum (wide-angle) aperture f2.9
Minimum (wide-angle) aperture f7.1
2.5" LCD screen size
Movie recording speed is 30 frames per second
Internal memory is 10 MB
Memory card slot compatible with xD Picture Card and SD Media Card
Infrared connectivity
USB and A/V connectivity

Pros: The main advantage of the A820 is its infrared connectivity. This will make image transfer from the camera to a compatible device even easier. The camera, moreover, is very easy to use for all its functions due to its easily navigable menu and Mode Dial.

Cons: The FinePix A820 is around 50 dollars more expensive than the A800 which has the same effective image resolution and yields the same image quality. Moreover, it has a lower maximum shutter speed which may mean issues when shooting a moving target.

Overall: This is the digital camera for those people who like wireless connectivity in their digital camera yet are not experts in manually setting digital camera functions and modes. This is a good choice for people who love sharing pictures.

Attached Images

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