Fujifilm's farm-fresh FinePix cameras
Fujifilm has three new FinePix cameras on the way, including one with a powerful lens and another that proves there actually is a step between 8 and 10 megapixels.
The FinePix S700 is a 7-megapixel midrange camera with a 10x optical zoom and an electronic viewfinder. Like most midrange EVF-equipped cameras, the S700 is targeted at amateur photographers who want to get their hands on more advanced options without shelling out the cash for an SLR. Unfortunately, it lacks any sort of mechanical or optical image stabilization beyond an ISO 1600 sensitivity setting, so you'll need to use a tripod to take full advantage of the camera's powerful lens. This isn't a new problem, though; Fujifilm's previous ultrazoom, the FinePix S6000fd, also lacked image stabilization. The camera will also have dual memory card slots and will accept both xD and SD cards. The FinePix S700 will retail for around $250 when it ships in March, making it one of the least expensive ultrazooms on the market.
Though they don't have the S700's big lens, the FinePix A820 and A900 have higher resolutions and smaller price tags. These two budget cameras are 8 and 9 megapixels, respectively, and feature 39-to-156mm-equivalent zoom lenses. The cameras can record movie clips, but only at QVGA (320x240) resolution, much less than the VGA movie modes found on most snapshot cameras. They can also reach up to ISO 800 sensitivity for low-light and high-speed shooting. The Fujifilm FinePix A820 and A900 ship in May, with suggested retail prices of $180 and $200, respectively.
