Model Design / Appearance (4.5)
The Fujifilm FinePix A920 is not pretty. It aims to be “sensible,” as Fujifilm’s website puts it. There is a tacky mix of chrome and silver-colored plastic with a sprinkling of cheap buttons. The thick body only makes things look worse. If consumers are looking for a more attractive camera, the 7.2-megapixel Fuji Z10fd comes in five colors and has a thinner body – and sells for the same $199 price.
Size / Portability (6.25)
The 3.8 x 2.4 x 1.3-inch digital camera isn’t skinny enough to cram into a pants pocket. It is compact enough for a purse or coat pocket, but wouldn’t be comfortable in a more confined space. The Fujifilm A920 weighs 5.5 ounces without the card and two AA batteries; it feels heavier than one would think from the plastic body. It won’t sprain ligaments or overexert muscles to lift and handle it; in fact, the weight makes it feel more substantial than it is. Users should employ the supplied wrist strap on the right side of the camera to keep it from hitting the concrete.
Handling Ability (6.5)
There aren’t many handling considerations on this FinePix. The A920 is not ultra-thin, but still aims to be more portable than comfortable. The right side is slightly thicker to accommodate the gripping hand. There is a lightly textured semi-circle on the front and a few plastic bumps on the back, but not much else to keep fingers from slipping around. The left fingers will have to watch out for the flash component, as the fingers and flash compete for space in the upper right corner of the front.
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Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.0)
 The controls on this digital camera are typical of a compact model. There is a mode dial in the upper right corner of the back, keeping the exposure modes within a glance of the eye at all times. Also on the back are low-quality plastic buttons. They are all nicely-labeled but small. Navigation could be difficult for those with large fingers. Hitting the shutter release won’t be a problem, though: it is a good size, domed, and placed atop the camera in a prominent position. Around the shutter release is a zoom ring that feels too stiff. Overall, the buttons are a bit too low-quality and small, but are typical of a sub-$200 model.
Menu (7.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix A920 upgrades from earlier models with a “new” graphic user interface. Nothing much is new, howver, except a few colorful flairs. The Recording menu is shown on a darkened background with white bubble-like boxes behind the black text of each line. When an option is selected, the text turns white and the background of the bubble turns a bright color. The background of each item is a different color. For example, the background of the “scene position” option is green, and the background of ISO shows up orange. Like other FinePix menus, the menus are displayed in all capital letters.
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Scene Position
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Manual, Landscape, Sport, Night, Natural Light, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Sunset, Underwater, Flower, Party, Museum, Text
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ISO
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Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800
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Quality
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9MF, 9MN, 3:2, 5M, 3M, 2M
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Exposure Compensation
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-2, -1.7, -1.3, -1, -0.7, -0.3, 0, +0.3, +0.7, +1, +1.3, +1.7, +2
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White Balance
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Auto, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent Light 1, Fluorescent Light 2, Fluorescent Light 3, Incandescent
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Setup
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(portal to Setup menu)
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It’s easy to return to the Main menu from the ISO, quality, exposure compensation, and white balance options. Once a Recording mode is chosen, however, users are kicked out of the menu system, which can lead to extra steps and frustration. There are live views for exposure compensation and white balance options, but nothing else.
The Setup menu shows up on a solid light gray background and, like the Recording menu, includes tiny graphics next to the text titles. There are four tabs across the top of the menu – the first has a camera icon and the other three have wrenches. The Setup menu is as follows.
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Camera
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Image Display
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1.5 sec, 3 sec
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Frame Number
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Continuous, Renew
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Digital Zoom
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Off, On
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LCD Power Save
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Off, On
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Setup 1
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Date/Time
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Set date and time, YMD order
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Beep Volume
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Off, Low, Medium, High
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Shutter Volume
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Off, Low, Medium, High
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Playback Volume
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0-10 levels
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LCD Brightness
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+/- 5
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Setup 2
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Format
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OK, Cancel
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Language
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English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Swedish
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Auto Power Off
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5 min, 2 min, Off
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Time Difference
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Home, Local (set time)
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Video System
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NTSC, PAL
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Setup 3
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Discharge
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OK, Cancel
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IR Communication
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Standard, IrSS
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Reset
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OK, Cancel
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Once again, it is easy to get kicked out of the Setup menu system, so users who have to make more than one adjustment may find themselves entering and re-entering the menu several times.
The menu system, while more colorful than before, still isn’t flawless. Sometimes there are menu items placed unnecessarily, like the ISO item in the Auto recording mode that offers only an Auto setting. Still, the menus are easy to find with the designated menu button and navigate with the multi-selector.
Ease of Use (7.75)
The point-and-shoot style of the FinePix A920 makes it easy to pick up and take a picture without even glossing over the basic user manual. The simple mode dial makes it easy to find exposure modes, the Auto mode being the red camera icon that sticks out the most and is probably most useful for beginning photographers. The shutter release button and other controls are placed intuitively, too. Menus aren’t as streamlined, but Fujifilm added tiny help icons next to the standard text. Overall, the A920 is easy enough to use that a three-year-old could probably take a decent picture with it.
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