Fujifilm FinePix A350 Digital Camera Review

Manual Control Options
Manual control is not one of the brighter spots of the A350; it just wasn't built for this. The camera has a mode called 'Manual' that can be selected in the Shooting Modes menu. However, it only offers two more controls than the automatic mode: exposure compensation and white balance. Exposure values can be chosen and white balance presets selected, but there is no true manual white balance mode. This camera's 'Manual' mode is more of what you'd find in a Program AE mode on most other digital cameras.

Focus
Auto (6.0)
The A350 uses a through-the-lens contrast-type auto focus system that cannot be manipulated at all by the user. What you see is what you get with this digital camera. There are small tag marks superimposed on the LCD screen in the center, where the camera is always focusing. Yes, always on the center - not necessarily on what is closest to the lens. This will be fine for group shots and portraits, but unacceptable for those breathtaking still life shots of action figures, colored markers, fake sushi, and flowers that you were planning on taking. The applied Fujinon lens' auto focus system can focus from 2.4 inches to 2.6 feet in macro mode and 2 feet to as far as the lens can see in the normal shooting mode.

Manual(0.0)
Most compact digital cameras do not include manual focus as an option. Those that do usually do not offer much in the way of increased focusing ability anyway. So while the FinePix A350 does not have a manual focus mode, it is not deeply missed.

Metering (6.5)
The through-the-lens multi-point metering system measures the camera's settings automatically. This will be fine for the point-and-shoot users who don't care whether the camera measures from the center or multiple points. Actively, the FinePix A350 measures from 64 points.

Exposure (6.5)
As you've probably read by now, users don't have much control over the exposure when shooting with the Fujifilm FinePix A350. In the manual mode, users do have access to an exposure compensation menu. This lets users change the value from -2.1 to +1.5 EV in 1/3 steps. This is a slight departure from the typical +/- 2 range found on most point-and-shoot digital cameras, but for Fujifilm's A-series of digital cameras, this is the typical range. There is a live view as the exposure compensation values are scrolled through, so users can see the immediate effects on the exposure.

White Balance (5.5)
White balance options are only accessible on the A350 using the Manual mode. The options are displayed within the camera's menu in icons, except for the 'Auto' white balance setting. This will work fine for most of the options. The sun represents bright exterior conditions; the cloud and sun represent the shade option; the light bulb is for incandescent light. However, the other three white balance options are only represented by a long light bulb - which is widely known as the sign for fluorescent in the digital camera world - and numbers. Users must intuitively know that the light bulb with the number 1 next to it represents the daylight fluorescent mode. Warm white fluorescent lighting is symbolized by the bulb with the number 2. Number 3 goes with the cool white fluorescent lights. In case the user's intuition just isn't kicking in, there are live views in this menu - which are generally more helpful than words. As photographers scroll through the icons, the background (the live feed) changes so lighting and color changes can be seen.
ISO (5.5)
Like most settings on the FinePix A350, the shot's ISO sensitivity rating is automatically selected by the camera. The range extends from ISO 64 to ISO 400, depending on light conditions. Point-and-shooters may enjoy this automatic feature: 'It's like having four different film speeds in one camera!' This is true, but having the camera automatically select the sensitivity makes some people nervous (especially those convinced that technology will supersede humanity and eventually take over the world, and see this as further evidence). It also takes away the user's ability to shape or control the exposure.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
The shutter speed of the A350 cannot be manually adjusted, but is set automatically by the camera. Echoing the speeds of previous A-series cameras, the Fujifilm A350's shutter speeds range from 2 seconds to 1/2000th of a second depending on the exposure mode. Some compact models automatically select the shutter speed, but still show it on the LCD screen - not so with the A350. Users can only listen and guess: 'That sounds like 1/250th of a second. No, no, wait…1/200th of a second.'

Aperture (0.0)
Point-and-shooters, have no fear - the Fujifilm A350 will automatically select the proper aperture from f/2.8-f/4.7. And once again, the aperture value cannot be viewed on the LCD screen or determined by the user.