"Picky Details" for the Fujifilm FinePix A350 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time or delay before the shutter actually fires. This corresponds to the time required for the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is rarely reported on (and even more rarely reported accurately), and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure both shutter delay and shot to shot cycle times for all cameras I test, 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 A350:
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(secs) |
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Power On -> First shot |
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LCD turns on and lens extends forward.
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Shutdown |
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First time is time to retract lens, second time is
worst-case buffer-clearing time.
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Play to Record, first shot |
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Time until first shot is captured. After 8 seconds in
playback mode, lens retracts, and time to switch back to record mode
increases to 2.5 seconds.
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Record to play |
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First time is that required to display a large/fine
file immediately after capture, second time is that needed to display
a large/fine file that has already been processed and stored on the
memory card.
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Shutter lag, full autofocus |
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First time is at full wide-angle, second is full telephoto. |
Shutter lag, prefocus |
0.300
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Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button. |
Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
3.57 / 3.33 |
First number is for large/fine files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images. Times are averages. Buffer clears after each shot. |
Cycle Time, Flash exposures | 7 | Flash at maximum power output |
Cycle Time, continuous mode, max/min resolution | 0.88 (1.13 fps) |
Times are averages. Shoots a burst of 5 frames this fast in large/fine mode, clears the buffer in about 9 seconds and shoots another burst. In TV mode, shoots at this pace seemingly indefinitely, clearing the buffer after each shot. |
Power
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 uses a two AA batteries for power, and ordinary alkaline batteries are included with the camera. The table below shows the power drain I measured in various operating modes, and the corresponding run times to be expected from a standard set of 1600 mAh NiMH cells.
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(@3.3 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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Storage Capacity
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 stores its photos on xD memory cards, and a 16 MB card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a 64 MB card, preferably a 128 MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16 MB card at each size/quality setting.
Resolution/Quality 16 MB Memory Card |
Fine | Normal | |
2592
x 1944 |
Images (Avg size) |
6 2.5 MB |
12 1.3 MB |
Approx. Compression |
6:1 | 12:1 | |
2048
x 1536 |
Images (Avg size) |
- | 20 788 KB |
Approx. Compression |
- | 12:1 | |
1600 x 1200 | Images (Avg size) |
- | 25 626 KB |
Approx. Compression |
- | 9:1 | |
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Images (Avg size) |
- | 124 128 KB |
Approx. Compression |
- | 7:1 |
Download Speed
The Fujifilm FinePix A350 connects to a host computer via a USB interface. Downloading files to my Sony desktop running Windows XP (Pentium IV, 2.4 GHz), I clocked it at 828 KBytes/second. (Cameras with slow USB interfaces run as low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast v1.1 interfaces run as high as 600 KB/s. Cameras with USB v2.0 interfaces run as fast as several megabytes/second.)
A350 Test Images
A350 Specifications
A350 "Picky Details"
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