Fujifilm Finepix A500 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Reviews

• GREAT!

  
  By AYW1TGDCP2OK6 on 2006-04-17
  This is a fantastic camera! I really can't say enough great things about it. I just upgraded my digital camera fortress with a Minolta 5D (SLR) and with this tiny baby. I had an Olympus Stylus 300, 3.2 mp for about 3 years now. The indoor pictures were always grainy and blurred, but outdoor pictures were beautiful. However, I felt that I needed more bang for my buck and began researching for a new digi cam. I came across this Fuji and noticed 1.) 5MP, 2.) Less than $200!!!, and 3.) Xd card compatible (i already had about 512 mb of xd cards for my Olympus camera).
  
  So, I began testing out this new baby and found that: it is very tiny and light, every single picture is bright and crisp, and the LCD screen is big, bright and noticeable even in bright outdoor light!
  
  The LCD screen is one of the best features. I always had trouble viewing pictures in outdoor light with my other camera, so my next camera purchase HAD to have a viewfinder. But I find I don't need the viewfinder option with the camera because the LCD screen is perfect in all lights...that is one of the best features, and for the price, you can't beat it!
  
  I can't recommend this camera enough. But I would highly recommend purchasing rechargable AA batteries. Regular Alkaline AA batteries drain very quickly!
  
  

• Remarkable camera for the price

  
  By A6VS5K5RVY1DP on 2006-07-16
  I bought this Finepix A500 as a budget replacement for a digital camera that was recently stolen from me. I think its fair to say that you get quite a bit of camera for the money spent here (you can find this camera at several places on the internet for less than $120 , I bought my for 118.99 brand new with free shipping included), it has a 5 megapixel resolution and 3x optical zoom and takes great pictures , in a comparison of picture quality with a friend who has a Nikon that was about 4 times the price of this camera when we took the same pictures in identical situations with same picture settings this camera performed just as well with color and clarity just as vivid. Ok his camera has bells and whistles this one doesn't and more preset picture modes but for the average picture taker this is definitely a winner, great macro shots too and professional-looking clarity and resolution on 8X10 photos as well. The software wasn't quite as elaborate as my other camera's (an HP Photosmart) but I do my general photo editing with either Picasa or the basic Adobe Photoshop (both free downloads on the web) so I can't really see this as a downside either, definitely a satisfied buyer and user here.
  
  

• Good Camera for a Business Traveler

  
  By A1XY46Y032Y3IP on 2006-06-04
  I bought the Fujifilm Finepix A500 as a camera to pack in my PC case on business travel. I use it mainly to get candid snapshots in business meetings and conferences. It is small, discrete, and works well for the purpose intended. The 5MP resolution allows me to get quick shots without much care for composition, background clutter, etc. since I use a photo editor to take care of those tasks later-on. When buying this camera note that it does not have a case or much on-board storage. An XD memory card and a case are necessary. I also recommend getting a NiMH battery charger to keep battery replacement costs low.
  
  

• Great for the Price

  
  By A20B5I2F68Y7J7 on 2006-09-28
  Overall I am very happy with this camera. I got it last month and have already taken 400+ pictures. Here's what I see as its pros and cons:
  
  Pros:
  1. Small and lightwieght (I can fit it into the back pocket of my jeans)
  2. Easy to use (I haven't opened the manual once)
  3. 5.1 MP (more than you need for an 8 x 10)
  4. Price
  5. Battery Life (runs on 2 AA) I have taken 180 pictures at the highest setting and done a download before having to change them.
  
  Cons:
  1. Slow response time - takes awhile between pictures, hard to get candids
  2. All my zoomed in pictures turn out badly (possibly because I don't hold the camera steady enough)
  3. USB and power ports on the side are exposed (a case solves this rather easily)
  
  

• Excellent camera for the money.

  
  By A2E0T6XI6K3KI4 on 2006-09-05
  I got mine today and have been testing it out. It is small, barely bigger than a credit card (though thicker) and reasonably light.
  
  It was easy to figure out how to use, except for how to get into the picture viewing mode. Turns out there is a special button for it. But that is the only thing I've had to consult the manual about and I'm not a digital camera expert. I had one camera before, a Kodak DX3700, and I must say that not only did I pay less for this camera, it is a much better camera to boot. My old camera only took decent pictures in bright sunlight, and many pictures were blurry.
  
  This camera I have only tested inside, so far, but the pictures look great. The LCD screen is bright and easy to see, and a pleasure to use. The zoom lens works wonderfully. Taking pictures is easy and I was favorably impressed by the quality.
  
  This camera can also make short movies without sound. And unlike my old Kodak, the LCD screen is in real-time so it shows exactly what you are seeing through the viewfinder.
  
  I don't know what happened to the other reviewer - maybe he got a defective camera? For me the Finepix A500 works beautifully and I'm very glad I bought it. It is excellent value for money. I bought it after reading on a digital camera site that it was highly recommended for its price range, and I can understand why. It's inexpensive, compact, has a great LCD screen, and takes good-looking pictures. What more could you ask for?
  
  
• Fuji FinePix A500 - Great Camera For the Price
  By A1TLVDP024VVUL on 2006-09-07
  I bought this camera for my teen age daughter for general use as it was time for a new camera. I wasn't expecting much for $130, however; this camera has far exceeded expectations. Pictures are clear with great color. Battery life is better than average, the camera is easy to use and we haven't experienced any problems with indoor shots. The camera is very compact. Its amazing how something so small can have a generous display and take such high quality photos. I agree with the previous review, you need an extra XD Picture Card (I ordered the 512 mb) and rechargeable batteries. Overall - we are very happy with this camera.
  
  
• Disappointing.
  By A64SRZFLEK3UZ on 2006-08-08
  This is a good camera for taking photos...outside...in good light...if nothing is moving. I bought it to replace a similar older Fuji. This camera is not nearly as good as the older one. Most photos are blurry or out of focus. Colors are not great. I wish I could get my money back on this bad boy. My advice...if you do buy it...take lots of pics quickly. Inspect. I've loved Fuji in the past, but this one is a dog and a disappointment.
  
  
• Very nice camera, especially considering the price
  By AGDNBHRBCUFUN on 2006-11-05
  I picked this up after much hesitation (I didn't like the idea of dropping over 100 bucks on a camera), but as an open box at a nearby store. I wanted a camera with at least 3x optical zoom, and a decent resolution, for casual/semi-artistic use and this delivers to meet my needs.
  
  The pictures in daylight with a flash are quite crisp, although the same can NOT be said about dark or moving pictures, as mentioned in an earlier review. The camera has a very hard time focusing in low light situations, and when an object is moving, it gets a lot of motion blur. It was rather hard to get a nice shot of some jack-o-lanterns this Halloween, for instance- most came out obsenely blurry when taken in the dark (no flash of course).
  
  I heavily recommend purchasing a set of rechargeable AA batteries. The battery life on this camera is not half bad, but it ends up cheaper in the long run.
  
  Startup time is about 2.5 seconds, for those of you who want to take more spontaneous photos.
  
  In my opinion, this is one of the best cameras in its price range. Go for it.
  
  
• Great starter camera for my 8 year olds
  By A1U6HLUPUJ2XQW on 2007-04-15
  I got burned in the past trying to get away with buying my kids sub-1.0 megapixel cameras, which really were a waste of money and disappointed everyone in terms of quality.
  
  I am happy so far with this model. I got two for my sons at about $85 USD each. It's a perfect size for them. Controls are simple. The quality of the photos has been good. It runs on a pair of AA batteries which makes it easy to replace without hunting down a special, expensive size.
  
  The only thing that annoyed me was the internal memory is about 12 MB. The default setting allows you to save about 10 photos. You can change the resolution down to 1600x1200 to double the number of photos. But still, for kids running around taking pictures of everything, they fill that up the internal memory real quick.
  
  This camera uses an uncommon media format - xD-Picture Card Type M. So now in addition to SD cards and Compact Flash cards I own for other devices, I have to buy XD cards. If I had realized that, I would never have purchased this model camera.
  
  I went to the local box stores, and a hard to find 1 GB xD-Picture Card costs $80 -- about the price I spent for the camera. Absolutely ridiculous, considering in the same store they sell 1 GB SD cards for $15-25!
  
  Shopping on Amazon, I settled on buying 512 MB xD-Picture Card Type M for about $16+5 S&H each - the cheapest I could find. If I keep the resolution down to 1600x1200, The specs say 818 photos can fit on a 512 MB card.
  
  In summary, be sure you want to start buying xD-Picture Card Type M flash media before you buy this camera. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
  
  I hope you found this helpful.
  
  
  
  
• Good but not great.
  By A2734AD7HQO9R2 on 2007-06-12
  I got this camera a little over a year ago and was instantly amazed by how easy it was to learn. It doesn't do anything fancy, but I didn't need anything more than a good "point and click" camera to carry around. The delay between clicking and the camera actually taking the picture was a bit off, which makes action shots difficult, but still life photos and portrait type photos are great! The only major downside is how quickly it goes through batteries. Yikes! Rechargables are a good solution, but you better NEVER forget to take an extra pair of fully charged if you're going out for an evening of picture snapping. If you're going on vacation, take a lot.
  
  I'd give this camera a higher rating if not for the way it died on me. The day after I took some pictures, the camera developed a Focus Error and the zoom lense wouldn't retract, even after replacing the batteries. I emailed Fuji about it and they suggested some things that didn't work, or I could send it in for repair that would probably ultimately cost more than the camera itself did. Why bother?
  
  My advice -- shell out a little extra for something better. You'll be glad you did in the long run. If you just want something cheap, this camera is decent, but remember what they say about getting what you pay for...
  
  
• Just one flaw
  By A1ABSQWWSY830B on 2006-12-11
  The other reviewers speak the truth, so I will not parrot them. Why do that? But I would like to bring one little flaw to your attention. The on-off button is recessed and so miniscule that if you have anything approaching a beefy paw you will have trouble turning this baby on. Yes, you will. Ditto for turning it off.
  
  Other than that, it is a nice camera for what it is. I bought it because I wanted an upgrade. My other camera is the Fujifilm A101, now an antique. The A101 is still a sweetheart. And the on-off button is far better.
  
  
• Good value for the money
  By A2DWZVM50VMBYM on 2007-01-04
  The A500 is a quality camera that is easy to use and produces excellent point and shoot quality photos. Controls are simple and easy to use.
  
  The downside, as you would expect in a $100 range camera, poor low light performance. Even when using the flash in a well lighted room, the delay between pressing the shutter and the actual image capture is enormous. Not very useful for children or partys where people are moving.
  
  Overall a good camera for a very low price.
  
  
• Nice Camera
  By A2IZRPCRB1AUR5 on 2007-01-23
  I have owned this camera for about 2 months and really enjoy it. I did not want a camera with out a view finder and this is one of the few that I found that has one plus I have owned FUJI products before and like them. The camera is a little bit to small but over all I like it.
  
  
• A500 nice introduction to the world of digital photography
  By A1UC1PRQUAJBTN on 2007-03-08
  Excellent value for money as always with Fuji products, its does what is sets out to do and is a simple to use compact camera with enough manual capability for the basic user, it gives clear bright photos for the resolution, better than you would expect on the downside the video capability has no sound, its slow ( shutter lag ) to use and a little over cost reduced in the case design ( looks better than it really is ), the LCD screen is not much use for determining focus or qulaity of photos, menus difficult to use, battery usage quite high, you must get rechargable batteries, but this is common for most digital cameras, that all said, for the price and to get started in digital photography you cant go wrong, but I predict within a few months the limitations may become frustrating and you will want to upgrade, Fuji do some much better compacts than this, if you dont have any more money then buy this and give it to someone when you upgrade.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A27Q7I3YZ9EJ79 on 2006-12-26
  I am a little disappointed in the product. Having owned another Fuji digital (which I loved!)and going by the customer reviews I thought this would be a good little camera. Picture quality is excellent, but it is really poor on getting candid shots. The shutter activates so slowly that you don't get the picture that you thought you snapped. Good for outdoor scenery and stills. Not so good for photographing the grandkids!
  
  
• Perhaps I just got a lemon but I preferred my 2.1
  By A3J14BPN9YMI56 on 2007-01-05
  I have found that MOST of my photos with this new 5.1 are NOT very good at all. I MUCH preferred my older A2600 which was a 2.1. The pictures were fabulous with my old camera. I noticed shortly after getting the camera and taking several photos with it that many of my pictures were blurry. I sat and read the manual to ensure that I wasn't doing something wrong. If I do closeup pics, they are very nice, but general photos are most often blurry and horrible. It's incredibly disappointing. If I could just replace my old camera I would except that they don't make it anymore. I used to rave about my old camera, but I am NOT happy with this one at all. I am going to have to send it to the manufacturer to have them check it out and fix it. What a PITA since I bought it brand new!!!!!
  
  Good luck to everyone else - I hope you have better luck than I!!!!
  
  
  
  
• It broke within three weeks
  By A261VZ9R8UKU2J on 2007-01-06
  The camera stopped functioning within three weeks of purchase. It would no longer close or zoom. It did however take excellent photos while functioning, so it doesn't get the worst rating. We are still awaiting the camera's return from Fujifilm. Sigh.
  
  
• Great Compact Camera
  By A3J1C668PA5061 on 2007-04-19
  Our 20- and 17-year-old children each bought one of these cameras last week. So far, they're great. Just a note about the xD cards: the earlier reviewer is right, they are not as common as other types, but with a little patience, good deals can be found. Also, we checked the Fuji website and found that either type of xD card (H or M) was compatible with the camera. We purchased Olympus 512mb type H cards from Amazon (we got the cameras from another online store) for $15 each. Since we bought two, we were over the $25 limit required for free shipping. We ordered on April 11th, expecting to receive them on or after the 23rd (the kids were using a couple of smaller xD cards we had on hand, so no big deal for us to wait), but we received them yesterday, April 18. My son, the techie, really wanted a 1gb, but I pointed out that he was very unlikely to need to store that number of photos for any length of time, plus larger cards usually mean slower camera action. The 512mb will hold 486 photos taken at the 5.1N pixel resolution. I encourage them to put their photos on their computers frequently so they don't lose those memories (we order prints online or use a digital scrapbook program).
  
  Other notes: the photos they've taken look great, the controls are easy to master, the price (under $100) is terrific. Using AA rechargeable batteries is a big plus. If those run out, you can always pop in a couple of alkaline. I use a Fuji S5100 4mp that I absolutely LOVE, but I wouldn't mind having one of these for times when I don't need the 10x zoom and want to travel light.
  
  
• Fuji Finepix A500
  By A2DTLX2G5ZFG9X on 2007-06-02
  A wonderful camera to use. Ease of use and compact makes it a great camera to take along where ever you go. I certainly couldn't complain of the price either.
  
  
• No Sound on the Movie Clips (Yuck)
  By A2Z9T933KVMEW2 on 2006-11-17
  Great photos, Bad movie clips due to lack of sound.
  
  
• Nice camera for the cost
  By A15AE92VC826FV on 2007-01-03
  Cons: Xd Cards, zoom button, I would like more buttons on the back for various options, such as delay timer
  
  Pros: Small, great pictures, very easy to use.
  
  
• Good Camera
  By A2C030GP562ICZ on 2007-01-09
  This is a good camera!
  It is small, discrete, great pictures, easy to use.
  One disadvantage is recording without sound.
  
  
• Alright for beginners.
  By AZILRUSEG11VW on 2007-03-21
  I recently purchased this camera for a number of reasons.
  1. Price
  2. I am a Mac user and this camera is compatible
  3. I previously owned a Fuji and was happy with it
  I am prety happy with the camera overall for what I paid for it, but there were a few things I didn't know about before.
  1. Terrible battery life
  2. Extremly expensive XD cards, which are hard to find on vacation
  3. Cost, I bought this camera a couple months ago for 200 and now I seen one for about a hundred and ten bucks...which I guess is a great deal for anyone wanting one now.
  
  
• Gets the job done....
  By A1WA7KKWCPBVI9 on 2007-05-12
  I had never owned a digital camera before purchasing this camera, so I have nothing to compare it to. For a long time I has simply been using my creative cam as a camera and in comparison the Fugi does provide better quality.
  What I have noticed is that you have to be pretty close to what you're shooting in order for this camera to be effective. The zoom doesn't off much help unless you are already pretty close to what you're taking a picture of. It takes close-ups just fine. It does not work well in poorly lighted conditions.
  You have to have A LOT OF BATTERIES!!! I have found that I am left high and dry unless I have at least 2 packs of 10 batteries just to take pics at the beach.
  I have not replaced this camera yet, but I plan to. I wish I had listened to the many, many reviews that said to spend that extra 50 bucks on a better camera.
  It gets the job done, but I can't wait to see what a better camera can do!
  
  
• Great low-budget camera
  By A2LMAGHIRQFBI on 2007-05-12
  The Fuji A500 is perfect for someone who doesn't have much money to spend on a digital camera or that does not require a lot of additional features. Its 5 megapixels and 3X optical zoom will allow for very good pictures.
  It takes about a second for the camera to shoot the picture once you have focused on the subject, though, and the LCD display's refresh rate is rather low, so if the subject moves you may not get the picture you expected. And the camera uses 2 alkaline AA batteries, that won't last too long, so it is a good idea to buy a kit of rechargeable batteries.
  One advantage is that you can get an underwater housing for this model for about 6 dollars! Such an item can come really expensive for other models and / or brands.
  
  May 29th, 2008
  Well ... It's been about a year since I bought this and I haven't had any problems AT ALL with the camera and I've taken some great pictures with it. I haven't used the water housing yet! It's still in the box. LOL. I have searched for it and it's now a lot more expensive - I am now planning to upgrade to a Fuji S700!
  
  
• Great
  By A36DDO6TUG1CSX on 2007-05-14
  So far so good. I really enjoy the camera. I only have one concern though... the power button is a little small and I'm afraid it could get worn out quickly... but other than that... it's great!
  
  
• Great buy
  By A1IK4GYAM4J49T on 2007-05-23
  Great camera for the money. I needed something to use with the construction business I work with (before/after, quality control, etc). Also great for family/everyday use. I love it. I always have a 512MB card in it, so I can't vouch for the built-in memory. Quality, ease of use, size -- all A+. Can't say enough great things about it.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A2ALJR4KXH6WXR on 2007-06-07
  This camera is easy to use and takes great pictures for the amount of megapixels it has.
  
  
• Wow, lots of camera a little price
  By A138NZC60X2CJC on 2007-06-12
  I bought this camera for my daughter. It was inexpensive and seemed to have good reviews. The surprise was how good the pictures are. I think they are better than my Canon S3's.
  
  It does not give the impression of being a real robust camera, but so far it has worked excellent. It does eat the batterys. I recommend getting some high capacity 2700 mha nimh rechargeable batterys
  
  
• Terrible Customer Service!!!
  By A2ZKG6ZY2MWZZR on 2007-12-23
  The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.
  
  

• 3-yr. Target Extended Service Plan for Products $200-$299.99 - Replacement Plan
• Transcend 512MB XD-Picture Card
• Targus DBMC00 Camera Micro Case - Black with Platinum Trim
• Fujifilm 128 MB XD Picture Card
• DigiPower DPS-3000+ 3-Hour AA/AAA Rechargeable Battery Kit with 4 AA 2700 mAh Batteries and Car Charger

• Fujifilm 1 GB xD-Picture Card Flash Media Type M ( 600002298 )
• SanDisk 512 MB Type M xD-Picture Card ( SDXDM-512, Retail Package)
• 1GB Xd Picture Card Type H
• SanDisk 1 GB xD Picture Card SDXDM-1024-A10/A11 (Retail Package)
• Fujifilm WP-FXA500 Aquamask Underwater Housing for Fuji A400 and A500