"Picky Details" for the Fuji FinePix A200 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
Because they're such critical performance parameters (that are so seldom reported on), I routinely measure both cycle times and shutter delay times, 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 Fuji FinePix A200:
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(secs) |
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| Power On -> First shot |
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Pretty fast (no lens to telescope out) |
| Shutdown |
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Very fast (no lens to retract) |
| Play to Record, first shot |
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Time until first shot is captured. Pretty fast.
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| Record to play |
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Time to display a large/fine file after capture. Pretty fast.
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| Shutter lag, full press of shutter button |
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Very fast (fixed-focus, so no AF delay) |
| Shutter lag, prefocus |
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Lens is fixed-focus, there is no half-pressed shutter release option.
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| Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
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First numbers are for large/fine files, second number is time for small/basic images. Pretty fast for an entry-level camera. No buffer memory, all shots are this speed. |
Overall, the A200 is a fairly fast little camera, thanks in part to its fixed focus lens. With no autofocus mechanism to wait for, shutter response is faster than average. Shot to shot speed is also pretty good for an entry-level model.
Power
The FinePix A200 uses two AA cells for its power source, and displays good to excellent battery life. (Provided that is, that you use high-capacity NiMH cells, coupled with a good charger. Read my NiMH Battery Shootout page for the latest on actual battery performance, or my review of the Maha C204F to see why it's my favorite charger.)
The table below shows the FinePix A200's power consumption in various modes, and approximate run times for each, based a set of NiMH batteries with a (true, not advertised) 1600 mAh capacity:
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(@3 volts on the external power terminal) |
(Two 1600 mAh NiMH cells) |
| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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The A200 delivered surprisingly good battery life for a camera powered by only two AA cells. Its worst-case runtime with true (vs advertised) 1600 mAh capacity cells is over two and a half hours. With the LCD turned off, it can run well over four hours on a single charge. Regardless of the A200's long battery life though, I still strongly recommend that you purchase at least a couple of sets (two cells per set) of high-capacity NiMH AA cells and a good charger to go along with them. To see which NiMH cells are best, see my battery shootout page. Read my review of the Maha C-204F charger, to learn why it's my longtime favorite.
Storage Capacity
The FinePix A200 stores its photos on xD-Picture Cards, and a 16MB card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a 32MB card, preferably a 64MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16MB card at each size/quality setting.
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Resolution/Quality 16MB Memory Card |
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| 2M Resolution 1,600 x 1,200 | Images (Avg size) |
627 KB |
401 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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Images (Avg size) |
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322 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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Images (Avg size) |
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128 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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Download Speed
The FinePix A200 connects to a host computer via a USB interface. Downloading
files to a dual 1-GHz PowerMac G4 (OS X, version 10.2.4), I clocked it at
203 KBytes/second. This is rather slow as USB-connected cameras go. (Cameras
with slow USB interfaces run as low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast ones run
as high as 600 KB/s.) If you intend to use large memory cards, you may want
to invest in a separate card reader to speed the download process.
A200 Test Images
A200 Specifications
A200 "Picky Details"
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