Fujifilm Finepix J250: Review

Posted to Digital Cameras 2009-09-22

Fujifilm Finepix J250 Review:

The Fujifilm Finepix J250 features 10.0 MP resolution, a 5X zoom optical image stabilized lens and a 3.0 inch 230,000 dot LCD display. Focal length for the 5X zoom lens ranges from a useful wide angle of 28mm to 140mm on the telephoto end. Shutter speeds range from 8 seconds to 1/2000 second. Apertures range from f/3.5-5.2 at the wide end to f/5.1-8.0 at the telephoto end.

The camera features face detect autofocus, a scene recognition mode which chooses from among 6 available scene settings, and 16 manual scene modes. ISO ranges up to 1,600 at full resolution and 3,200 with decreased resolution. The camera features an attractive black body with ergonomically designed controls and incorporates a 1/2.3" CCD sensor. The camera offers very little in the way of manual control, instead relying on a host of automatic features.

Rating:

4.0 out of 5

Value

The Finepix J250 incorporates a number of advanced features at a very reasonable street price. The resolution, focal length range and high-ISO sensitivity open up a lot of picture taking opportunities, and the host of automatic features makes the camera a breeze to use. It's definitely a point-and-shoot camera - if you need manual control you'll need to look elsewhere. The camera offers a very usable focal length and aperture range for a compact point-and-shoot.

Features

The Finepix J250 offers more features than one would expect for the price. The choice between center and face detect autofocus is very versatile, there's an excellent shutter speed range, and the maximum ISO sensitivity is higher than most models in this price range. Noise does become a problem at higher ISOs, but this is to be expected with the small sensor needed to make such a compact camera. Another plus is the fact that the 28mm minimum focal length offers a true wide angle perspective.

Summary

If you're in the market for a compact point-and-shoot camera, definitely give the Finepix J250 a test drive. It's one of the best values on the market when compared feature for feature with the competition. And it delivers excellent performance under a wide variety of picture taking situations. It's not the ideal camera for taking pictures indoors in low lighting, however, but then neither is most of the competition.

Pros

10.0 MP resolution
5X 28-140mm zoom lens
Center or face detect autofocus
Optical image stabilization

Cons

Very little manual control available