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Fujifilm FinePix A350
"Picky Details" for the Fujifilm FinePix A350 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time or
delay before the shutter actually fires. This corresponds to the time required
for the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can
amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is rarely
reported on (and even more rarely reported accurately), and can significantly
affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure both shutter delay
and shot to shot cycle times for all cameras I test, using a test system I designed
and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution of 0.001 second.)
Here are the numbers I collected for the Fujifilm FinePix A350:
|
Fujifilm FinePix A350 Timings
|
|
Operation
|
Time
(secs)
|
Notes
|
| Power On -> First shot |
3.1
|
LCD turns on and lens extends forward.
|
| Shutdown |
2.1 - 11
|
First time is time to retract lens, second time is
worst-case buffer-clearing time.
|
| Play to Record, first shot |
0.8 / 2.5
|
Time until first shot is captured. After 8 seconds in
playback mode, lens retracts, and time to switch back to record mode
increases to 2.5 seconds.
|
| Record to play |
4.6 / 1.3
|
First time is that required to display a large/fine
file immediately after capture, second time is that needed to display
a large/fine file that has already been processed and stored on the
memory card.
|
| Shutter lag, full autofocus |
0.92 / 1.64
|
First time is at full wide-angle,
second is full telephoto. |
| Shutter lag, prefocus |
0.300
|
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter
button. |
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
3.57 / 3.33
|
First number is for large/fine
files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images.
Times are averages. Buffer clears after each shot. |
| Cycle Time, Flash exposures
|
7 |
Flash at maximum power output |
| Cycle Time, continuous mode,
max/min resolution |
0.88
(1.13 fps) |
Times are averages. Shoots a burst of 5 frames this fast in large/fine
mode, clears the buffer in about 9 seconds and shoots another burst.
In TV mode, shoots at this pace seemingly indefinitely, clearing the
buffer after each shot.
|
Power
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 uses a two AA batteries for power, and ordinary
alkaline batteries are included with the camera. The table below shows the power
drain I measured in various operating modes, and the corresponding run times
to be expected from a standard set of 1600 mAh NiMH cells.
|
Operating Mode
|
Power
(@3.3 volts on the external power terminal)
|
Est. Minutes
(two 1600 mA cells)
|
| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
458 mA
|
125
|
| Capture Mode, no LCD |
417 mA
|
168
|
| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
510 mA
|
137
|
| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
417 mA
|
168
|
| Memory Write (transient) |
510 mA
|
n/a
|
| Flash Recharge (transient) |
1280 mA
|
n/a
|
| Image Playback |
188 mA
|
372
|
Storage Capacity
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 stores its photos on xD memory cards, and a 16
MB card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at
least a 64 MB card, preferably a 128 MB one, to give yourself extra space for
extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the
included 16 MB card at each size/quality setting.
Image Capacity vs
Resolution/Quality
16 MB Memory Card
|
Fine |
Normal |
2592
x 1944
|
Images
(Avg size) |
6
2.5 MB |
12
1.3 MB |
Approx.
Compression |
6:1 |
12:1 |
2048
x 1536
|
Images
(Avg size) |
- |
20
788 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
- |
12:1 |
| 1600
x 1200 |
Images
(Avg size) |
- |
25
626 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
- |
9:1 |
|
640 x 480
|
Images
(Avg size) |
- |
124
128 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
- |
7:1 |
Download Speed
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 connects to a host computer via a USB interface.
Downloading files to my Sony desktop running Windows XP (Pentium IV, 2.4 GHz),
I clocked it at 828 KBytes/second. (Cameras with slow USB interfaces run as
low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast v1.1 interfaces run as high as 600 KB/s.
Cameras with USB v2.0 interfaces run as fast as several megabytes/second.)
|