Fuji FinePix A920

Connectivity
Software (5.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix A920 comes with a CD-ROM that has several versions of FinePix Viewer on it. FinePix Viewer S version 2.1 and FinePix Viewer version 5.3 are available for Windows, and FinePix Viewer version 3.4 is available for Macintosh.

The FinePix Viewer software took only a few minutes to install, but it doesn’t automatically load pictures from the computer. Every image must be manually uploaded into the program itself – although this can be done in batches. The opening screen to the program is the access point to the following options: view photos, slide show, print, load photos, and e-mail. Unfortunately, users can’t access everything from anywhere else – for example, users cannot load photos while viewing other photos.

When browsing in the “view photos” section, users can organize photos by date on the left side of the screen and adjust the size of the images in the upper right corner. File info of the selected image is shown in the lower left corner, and a few buttons are in the lower right – large view, auto adjust, rotate left, rotate right, and delete. The top of the window shows a few shortcuts to print, e-mail, and play slide shows.

The “edit” button offers few editing options, most of which already have shortcuts on the main screen. Users can rotate, auto adjust, and delete images, as well as change the date and time and edit the comment. What happened to color balancing or contrast adjustments?

The print portion of the FinePix Viewer has several simplified options: full-sized print, index print, and design print. Users can also upload photos online from here, if the computer is connected to the Internet.

Overall, the FinePix Viewer Software is extremely simplified: users can’t even resize or crop images. If users only want to print with this software, it works just fine. But users will want to purchase a program for anything else, including posting smaller pictures to blogs or cropping photos.

Jacks, ports, plugs (3.5)
The A920 stacks its jacks on its left side. They are very visible because they are completely exposed. Most digital cameras have a rubber flap that snaps over the jacks, but this model forgoes any protective measure. The open ports mean a shorter life span for the camera. It’s only a matter of time before dust, moisture, and other foreign material find their way into the body of the camera.

The jacks include USB at the top, AV-out in the center, and DC-in at the bottom.

The AV-out function can be set to NTSC or PAL standard so pictures and videos can be viewed on televisions around the world. The AV and USB cables are included with the camera. The 3-volt DC-in cable can be purchased separately through the manufacturer’s website.

Direct Print Options (6.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix A920 is PictBridge compatible. The camera can create print orders through the DPOF option in the Playback menu. Users can scroll through images and add them to the print order. Pictures can be printed with or without the date on them. The number of prints can be set from 0-99 on the camera’s print order. Unfortunately, there is no option to add all images to a DPOF print order at once. The camera can be connected to a printer through the supplied USB cable and the open jack on the left side of the camera body. The port does not have a cover, so it will be easy for it to gather dust from backpacks, moisture from the air, and sand from the latest vacation.

Battery (5.5)
This digital camera is powered by two AA batteries. Many digital cameras have lithium-ion batteries, but it is common for budget models to use AAs because they are convenient and easy to find at a drug store. The batteries fit into a flimsy door below the right side. When opened, the batteries instantly fall out: there’s nothing to hold them in place.

There is a discharge battery option in the setup menu that should only be used on rechargeable NiMH AA batteries – not on the alkaline type purchased at most convenience stores. This acts as a sort of standard oil change for such batteries, and should be used when they don’t last as long as they used to and when a new set is purchased.

Memory (3.75)
Recent Fujifilm models, including the A920, are offering SD card support in addition to the xD-Picture card compatibility they’ve had for a few years. The A920 also accepts SDHC media, a slight upgrade from the A900, whch could accept SD and xD, but not SDHC. There is also 10 MB of internal memory, the same amount the older A900 has. This is only enough to hold one full-resolution image, so users will want to have some form of external memory handy.

Other features (5.5)
IrSimple Wireless Image Transfer – All new Fujifilm FinePix digital cameras include this technology, which can transfer images from the camera to an enabled computer, printer, or other device without using the USB cable. The infrared signal travels from the left side of the camera above the open ports. It can communicate within three feet of the enabled device, so it isn’t like the Bluetooth-enabled Kodak EasyShare V610, which can wirelessly send pictures across the house. The IrSimple technology is much less expensive to produce than Bluetooth, but isn’t as prevalent on devices in North America. Fujifilm expects this technology to expand in 2008. Users can transfer images between Fujifilm digital cameras, but need IrSimple compatibility on computers to really benefit. The images can only be transferred in the Playback mode one-by-one, so the USB cable should still be used for transferring large numbers of images and videos.

Waterproof Housing – The Fujifilm A920 comes with an Underwater scene mode, so it is fitting that this manufacturer sells an optional waterproof housing, which Fujifilm calls an “aquamask.” The Fujifilm WP-FXA800 retails for $69 and can take the camera to depths of 10 feet. That isn’t deep enough for scuba diving, but would be fine for snorkeling. It’s not a bad investment to have this polycarbonate housing for trips to the beach, where sand can easily get into the open ports on the side of the camera.

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