CONSUMER REVIEW

Fuji FinePix A500 digicam with Aquamask waterproof case

RATINGS Quality Geekness

At A Glance
Description		5.1 megapixel compact digital camera with 3x optical zoom and 1.8" LCD. Aquamask waterproof case is for underwater shooting up to 10 feet.
Highlights		Very easy to use; excellent image quality; fast startup; excellent all weather and underwater performance with case; excellent value
Lowlights		Lack of manual controls (for those who care); power button is difficult to operate; sluggish performance
Manufacturer		Fujifilm FinePix A500 webpages
Price		Camera: US$179 MSRP; as low as $96 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storefront Aquamask case: $79 MSRP; as low as $61 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storefront

Introduction
The Fuji FinePix A500 and its little brother, the 4.1 megapixel A400, were introduced early in 2006 as Fuji's latest entry level compact digital cameras. They both feature the Fuji Super CCD sensor, which had been used on higher end digital cameras since early 2003--the A500/A400 were the first entry level cameras to get it. This CCD has been acclaimed for its ability to capture improved highlight and shadow detail, and its higher sensitivity for improved low light performance and lower noise. The bottom line is better overall image quality, and the A500 delivers as promised in this area.

This camera was clearly designed for those who are more concerned with good pictures and simple operation than with creative control. There are no manual controls provided other than for white balance, exposure compensation, and ISO settings. There are a handful of typical scene modes, including portrait, landscape, sports, and night. The good news is that in full auto mode this camera takes beautiful pictures.

It is in the in-between size category. It's not as small as the subcompacts but is still small enough to comfortably carry in pants pocket, shirt pocket, or purse. The camera fits comfortably in the hand, and a raised bar on the front and raised nubs in the thumb area on the back make it easy to hang on to.

Controls are well laid out and easy to operate, with the exception of power button (more on this later). Menus are simple and intuitive. The LCD display is bright and clear and reasonably easy to see outdoors. There is also an optical viewfinder, which is a feature that I really like for outdoor shooting. This one covers only 75% of the frame, but it is more than good enough for most cases.

Power is provided by a set of AA batteries (my personal favorite) and a good set of high capacity NiMH rechargeables provides several hundred shots on a charge.

While in all other respects this is pretty basic entry level digital camera, when paired with the Aquamask waterproof case it truly becomes a standout. For less than US$200 (about $180 average street price) you get a nearly perfect camera for outdoor activity, including beach, boating, etc. It is a much better choice than the disposable underwater cameras that have been around for years and costs much less than the other digital camera/underwater case combos on the market, many of which cost as much for the waterproof case alone as this one does complete with the camera. Several other vendors have recently introduced "all weather" or limited underwater digital cameras (e.g., the Olympus Stylus 710/720, Pentax Optio W20), but these are more expensive than the A500/Aquamask combo and in my opinion don't perform as well.

Key Specifications

Features and Ergonomics

The controls on the A500 are simple and well laid out. The rear panel buttons control menu and display modes, and a single four-way rocker at the top serves as a cursor for menu operation and playback, zoom control, and flash/macro modes. A single button is used to switch to playback mode, and all other camera functions are controlled via the menus.

The camera fits comfortably in the hand and the controls are easy to operate. The one exception in my test was the power button. It is a very small button and is located in a recess on the top of the camera. This design is presumably to prevent accidentally pressing the button and turning the camera on/off. Unfortunately, it is hard to press the button when you do want to. For someone with large fingers it could be even harder. The good news is that when the camera is in the Aquamask case the power button is easy to activate.

The 3X zoom lens uses good quality Fujinon optics and provides excellent optical qualities for a camera in this price range. The auto-focus system works well across the range from macro to zoom and there is minimal shutter lag. I did have an issue with a couple of out of focus shots in my test photos, and I was not able to determine whether this was due to effects of the Aquamask case having water or dirt on the lens or if the auto focus was simply fooled.

Shooting performance is a bit sluggish by current standards. Startup time is a little under three seconds and shot-to-shot time is about three seconds without flash and close to 8 seconds with flash.

The menus are well organized and simple to use. Since there are so few manual controls on this camera there are very few menu options to navigate.

Shooting modes are limited to full auto (which is fine for most situations), a manual mode that allows setting exposure compensation and white balance, and four basic scene modes. The scene modes do their job, but since you need to use the menus to switch them you will likely find yourself staying in full auto mode most of the time since it works so well. In all modes you can adjust the ISO setting (or leave it on auto) and there is a 2- and 10-second self timer.

Flash modes include auto, red-eye, forced on/off, and slow synchro. The rated flash range is 2-10 ft. in wide and 2-6.6 ft. in telephoto. In practice the flash is a bit weak, and indoor shots in dark rooms at 10 ft. are going to be disappointing. For portraits or limited fill flash shots it works fine.

The side of the camera has connections for video out (for TV connection), a power jack for the optional AC adapter, and a USB 1.1 connector. The USB interface supports both PC download as well as PictBridge for printing directly from the camera to PictBridge-compatible printers.

The 1.8" LCD display is clear and bright, though it's a bit small by current standards. It also has an anti-glare coating that makes it very usable outdoors. In bright sunlight when the LCD washes out the optical viewfinder provides a good alternative. While it provides only 75% coverage of the frame it works fine for most point and shoot situations and I prefer to use it over the LCD most of the time.

The camera uses XD picture cards for storage and comes with a tiny 16 MB card in addition to the 12 MB of internal memory. With an average image size of 2.5 MB in 5M Fine mode there is room for fewer than 8 pictures on the provided card. With a 512 MB XD card available for about $35 this is a non-issue.

Power is provided by two AA batteries and a pair of high capacity 2500 mAH NiMH rechargeables should provide between 200 and 300 shots depending on shooting conditions, flash, and LCD usage. I got about 100 shots in my tests with a lot of use of the display and flash. I prefer AA power to other formats, and you can keep several sets of spare rechargeables on tap for minimal cost--in a pinch you can use standard alkalines.

Aquamask waterproof case
The Aquamask waterproof case is made of tough polycarbonate with a reinforced glass lens. The glass lens provides far superior optical performance to all polycarbonate or plastic cases. It also has the advantage of shedding water so that the lens remains clear. I took a number of above-water pictures while swimming with the camera and none of them showed any evidence of water spots on the lens.

The case uses a simple to operate safety latch to open and close. There is a slide switch on the latch that prevents you from accidentally opening the case. Simply open the case, drop the camera in, close it, and latch. A silicone rubber O-ring provides an excellent waterproof seal.

Once the camera is in the case operation is extremely simple. Spring-loaded buttons on the case mirror all of the controls on the camera, and the buttons on the Aquamask are even easier to operate than those on the camera itself--including the power button, which works flawlessly when the camera is in the Aquamask. There is a textured panel over the LCD that makes it very usable while in the case. There is also access to the optical viewfinder, although for some strange reason Fuji chose to put printing on the Aquamask almost directly in front of the viewfinder. While it is noticeable, the viewfinder is still usable. There is a wrist strap on the Aquamask with a silicone grip on the outside and an adjustable slider to secure it to your wrist (a necessary feature when you are swimming with your camera). Also, when the camera is in the Aquamask it floats--a nice feature when you fumble it overboard out of the kayak ...

The case is rated to 10 feet, so it is better suited for snorkeling or general beach/boat play than as a diving camera. Fuji has an option for that as well, though: the new F30 with its optional underwater case is good up to 130 feet. The FinePix F30 also features an ISO rating of 3200, allowing for excellent low light performance, which is perfect for diving photos. (There is a good review of the F30 underwater case at LetsGoDigital; be sure to follow the links to the sample dive photos and video at the end of the article.) With a current street price of less than $500 for the F30 and underwater case this is perhaps the best value for a dive camera on the market. I reviewed the F30 for Geek.com (without the underwater case) and found that it is not only good for diving but is also an excellent subcompact all-around performer as well--check out my review.

Fuji provides its FinePix viewer software with the A500, which provides typical image management and organization capabilities. I did not review this software as I prefer my own selection of photo utilities (Picasa, Photoshop, etc.) to any of the utilities that are provided by the camera manufacturers.

Image Quality
The image quality of the A500 is where this camera stands out from the entry level crowd. The Fuji Super CCD HR lives up to its billing in providing high quality images with excellent color and detail. There is little evidence of noise or artifacts at low ISO (100/200) settings. Noise starts to become obvious at ISO 400 but the images are still usable. Outdoor image quality is generally better than indoor, where the flash is a bit weak and the flash distance is limited. The low ISO range makes this a bit more of an issue. Since my primary purpose for this camera is outdoor use the indoor performance doesn't bother me. A couple of shots from the kayak as sunset approaches demonstrate the excellent outdoor performance. Note that both of these were taken in the Aquamask case, evidence of its lack of impact on image quality.

I'm also a big fan of macro photography. I love seeing small bits of my surroundings that can be pulled out into their own world in pictures. The A500 does an excellent job in macro mode, both with and without flash. Macro focus range is from 4 inches to 2.6 feet. Auto focus in macro mode worked consistently well, where this can be a problem area for some entry level point and shoot digicams.

The image quality for underwater photos is nothing short of astounding, particularly if you are used to the barely usable images from disposable underwater film cameras. The glass lens in the Aquamask case maintains perfect optical clarity. Auto focus continues to operate flawlessly and the flash is effective for close-ups in clear water. Of course, the image quality is going to be only as good as the clarity of the water, and test shots I took in the ocean water of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay were predictably cloudy. This test shot taken in the clear water of the swimming pool shows the camera's capability. I'd love to have a chance to try it out on a snorkeling trip in the Caribbean with crystal water and beautiful fish.

Conclusion
When I first saw the A500 it didn't do anything to pique my interest; it just seemed to be another basic entry level digital. But when I saw the Aquamask waterproof case and the price of the combo my interest level jumped way up. For a number of years I've been trying to solve the dilemma of the right camera to use when kayaking. There have been digital camera waterproof cases available for a long time, but they have typically cost as much as I wanted to spend on a complete camera. I tried a couple of the recent waterproof cameras, but I wasn't satisfied with the performance and they were still at the top of my price range for a secondary camera to use on the water. My solution has been to buy cheap (sub-$200) non-waterproof cameras for the kayak and simply replace them if they get accidentally dunked (which hasn't happened yet) or when they wear out from exposure to the elements. I'm on my second one of these cameras now (a Canon A530), and while I'm really happy with it I would have gone with the Fuji A500 and Aquamask in a millisecond if I had seen it before buying the Canon.

The A500 has all of the features that I'm looking for in an outdoor camera: simple to use, excellent image quality, good battery life (with my preferred AAs), and optical viewfinder. While this wouldn't ever become my everyday camera, it would be most welcome in my deck bag.

Ratings Defense
I give the Fuji FinePix A500 4 Geekheads out of 5 for Quality and performance based on the all around good performance and image quality. For the price it is hard to find a better point and shoot 5 megapixel digital camera.

I also give the A500 4 Geekheads for Geekness. While it isn't a particularly exciting digital camera on its own, when teamed with the Aquamask case it becomes the ultimate low cost go anywhere camera. It's also fun to see the look on your friends' face when you throw the camera to them in the pool or ocean for the first time!

The A500/Aquamask combination gets a Geek.com Pick based on its abilities as the ultimate low cost, all weather/underwater digicam. The only way to improve on this package is to spend hundreds of dollars more on a high end underwater camera package. If that is what you need then consider the Fuji F30 and its underwater case, which also got a Geek.com Pick.

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