"Picky Details" for the Fujifilm FinePix A205 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
I measure both cycle times and shutter delay times, using a test system I
designed and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution
of 0.001 second.) Here are the numbers I collected for the Fujifilm FinePix
A205:
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(secs) |
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| Power On -> First shot | |
LCD turns on and lens extends forward. About average. |
| Shutdown | |
Lens retracts. About average. |
| Play to Record, first shot | |
Time until first shot is captured. Fairly fast. |
| Record to play | |
Time to display a large/fine file after capture. A little slow. |
| Shutter lag, full autofocus | |
First time is at full wide-angle, second is full telephoto. About average, slightly slow at wide angle. |
| Shutter lag, prefocus | |
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button. About average. |
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution | |
First numbers are for large/fine files, second number is time for small/basic images. Times are averages. The camera displays an auto review of each shot, which cannot be canceled. About average. |
Overall, "about average" seems to describe the A205's performance. Not terribly fast, but also not terribly slow. Fine for a basic point & shoot, but not likely to be the camera of choice for sports or other fast-paced action.
Power
The FinePix A205 uses two AA-size batteries for power. It may also be powered by the optional PictureCradle or an optional AC power adapter.
The table below shows the FinePix A205's power consumption in various modes, and approximate run times for each, based two NiMH rechargeble batteries with a (true, not advertised) 1600 mAh capacity:
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(@2.4 volts on the external power terminal) |
(two 1600 mA cells) |
| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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The A205 shows surprisingly good battery life for a camera running on only two AA-cell batteries. I still strongly recommend purchasing at least two sets of high-capacity NiMH batteries and a good-quality charger though. You can find test results of high-capacity NiMH AA cells on my Battery Shootout page, or see this article for a review of my favorite charger.
Storage Capacity
The FinePix A205 stores its photos on , and a 16MB card is included with
the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a 64MB card, preferably
a 128MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart
below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16MB card at each
size/quality setting.
| Resolution/Quality 16MB Memory Card |
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|
| 1,600 x 1,200 | Images (Avg size) |
25 634KB |
| Approx. Compression |
9:1 | |
| 1,280 x 960 | Images (Avg size) |
34 467KB |
| Approx. Compression |
8:1 |
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Images (Avg size) |
129KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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Download Speed
The FinePix A205 connects to a host computer via a USB interface.
Downloading files to a Sony Vaio desktop running Windows XP, I clocked
it at 420 KBytes/second. This is a fairly typical figure. (Cameras with
slow USB interfaces run as low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast v1.1 ones
run as high as 600 KB/s, while cameras with fast v2.0 USB interfaces
can download files at rates of several megabytes/second.)
A205 Test Images
A205 Specifications
A205 "Picky Details"
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