This is a joint review of the new Fujifilm FinePix A345 and FinePix A350 . They both feature a 3x optical zoom lens, the only difference is that that A345 is a 4 megapixel digital camera, whereas the A350 is a 5 megapixel camera. The A345 is available from around £100 (£123 at amazon with free postage), and the A350 is available from around £125 (£139 at amazon with free postage) - they replace the A330, and the A340, Fuji’s previous budget / value models. The 3x optical zoom lens is equivalent to 35-105mm on a 35mm camera. They both feature a 1.7″ TFT screen. The camera is enclosed in a silver plastic body. It records unlimited 320 x 240 / 15fps videos with sound . The camera’s quite compact, takes AA batteries and measures: 90.0 (W) x 60.0 (H) x 30.3 (D) mm (without protruding parts), and weighs 132g (without the battery and memory card)
The camera is compact and is designed well - the camera feels very comfortable in my hands. The camera is compact and fits in jean pockets. The camera is easy to use, the menu system is easy to use and there is a good layout of buttons and controls - although I wasn’t keen on the zoom control. There is a good choice of features and options although the nearly all are aimed at beginners, rather than experts. The camera speed is average, with an okay switch on time, okay focusing time, and average shutter response.