jonicarol's Full Review: FUJIFILM FinePix A345 Digital Camera
THIS POST IS RATHER LONG, BUT HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP SOMEONE DECIDE ON THEIR PURCHASE:
This has been my experience in the last couple weeks, in regards to Fuji A345 & A360. (Both cameras approximately $148.00 at Walmart, although the A360 comes bundled with a camera case, small tripod & 2 rechargeable batteries, with a charger).
I was in the market for a compact camera to carry in my purse at all times. I purchased the Fuji A345 and took hundreds pictures----most of which, turned out excellent, for the price of the camera---(some as good as my more expensive Fuji S5100).
Upon further playing with the camera I noticed a "white pixel" in the same place all the time. I'm assuming this is a dead pixel? I don't know or understand the technical term---just that color was missing from the pixel in the picture (purple around the edges). This white pixel was present only when I took pictures in the "landscape" mode, with the digital zoom all the way to the fullest, without the flash on AND in "auto" mode with the digital zoom all the way to the fullest, without the flash on. In any and all other modes the pictures turned out fine.
Video quality is not that great. The camera itself makes an electrical hum when you hold it to your ear, so when recording this hum is picked up and recorded. Also, since the frames per second are 15 (not the usual 30, the picture is kind of jumpy).
I called Fuji's customer service department and the man told me the camera does not make noise and there shouldn't be "noise" in the finished recording.
I went to Target a few days later and asked to listen to a display Fuji A345-------it also made a humming/electrical noise. Go figure---???
A friend of mine told me about the great deal on the Fuji A360 (a dollar cheaper than the A345 and comes bundled with the goodies mentioned above).
I downloaded the manuals from Fuji, for both A345 and A360 and compared the specs (I also asked the customer service guy at Fuji) and sure enough they are the same camera, except the A360 has a blue front on it. (the A360 was made for Walmart---other than that, they are the same camera).
I went to Walmart today and purchased an A360, brought it home and took a few hundred pictures in every mode possible---none of them had any pixel problems---I was all set to keep it---then I remembered I forgot to check the video mode. I took some footage------and as I was taking it, I noticed a "white pixel." I took five different video clips and when I played the footage on my computer there was a big white pixel in all the movies.
I went back to Walmart tonight and exchanged the A360 for another one-----did the same tests that I did on the other cameras. Sure enough there was a white pixel again (in a different location on image).
I've come to the conclusion that ALL Fuji A345's and A360's have a "pixel problem." All are in different locations, as to where the white pixel appears on the image---but they are present.
Three different cameras and three DIFFERENT pixel problems-----all in different areas of the image, all set to different modes----go figure.
Most people that have bought this camera (in the past) will not even notice the white pixel unless they use certain modes and take a darker picture, where the white of the pixel appears.
(Anybody owning one of these cameras, you should check all you modes with all different settings---especially when the digital zoom is all the way up to the highest setting-----you may have a problem and not know about it).
I've decided to take back the second A360 and keep my original A345---------ONLY because the pictures are so good and that I will hardly ever use the mode that the white pixel appears in------I know, it's pretty sad to keep a new camera knowing that it has a flaw. :(
I hope this helps someone who's thinking about buying either camera!
If anyone has a question about either of these cameras you can email me:
mrstechlady@gmail.com
Thanks for listening,
Joni
Anyone knowing anything about this, feel free to contact me.
Posted 1-15-06
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): $148.00 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
4.1 MP CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 12 x 15-inch prints 3x optical zoom; 1.7-inch LCD display Less than 3 seconds to start-up; .1-seco...More at Amazon Marketplace
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