February 14, 2006 – Fujifilm has added another digital camera to its entry level series with today’s announcement of the FinePix A600. The 6.3 megapixel camera follows the A500 and A400, which were both announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. All of this year’s A-series digital cameras include Fujifilm’s Super CCD sensor. The Fuji A600 has automatic modes and basic features in a plain-looking shell. It comes equipped with a Fujinon 3x zoom lens and a 2.4-inch LCD screen. The A600 will be available in June for $249.
The camera body is very simplistic with a traditional brushed silver face and no innovative curves or highlights. The left side has open sockets that accept power adaptor, USB, and A/V cables, and the back side of the A600 looks very uncluttered, despite the sizable 2.4-inch anti-glare LCD screen on the left side. There are only three buttons to its right, and the multi-selector is combined with the zoom toggle in the top right corner.
The Fujifilm FinePix A600 has only seven modes, including its four scene presets. The auto mode is of course the camera’s default. The macro mode can be activated with a push on the left side of the multi-selector. This FinePix also has a movie mode, but it only shoots 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels at a slow rate of 10 frames per second. The optical zoom does not work while recording movies, but monaural audio can be recorded.
In addition to the camera itself, the power supply and peripherals are also designed to appeal to beginners seeking convenience; the A600 is powered by two AA batteries. Tech-shy users can avoid computer editing with the in-camera trimming and PictBridge compatibility. Other features include 12 MB of internal memory and the slow 1 frame-per-second burst mode that only lasts for three total shots.
