Fuji FinePix 2600 Zoom2 megapixels, a 3x zoom lens, great pictures, and a bargain price: A great "value leader" from Fuji!<<Executive Overview :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:DesignReview First Posted: 11/08/2001 |
Design
Small and compact, the Fuji FinePix 2600 Zoom adds to Fuji's growing line of portable digicams. The 2600 Zoom easily fits into one hand, but is a little too chubby for most shirt pockets. Still, the 2600 Zoom could easily find its way into larger coat pockets and purses, and the sliding lens cover lets you carry it without worrying about scratching the lens or losing the lens cap. Measuring 3.9 x 2.6 x 2.1 inches (99.8 x 65 x 53.9 millimeters), the camera's all-plastic body keeps it light weight at just 7.1 ounces (200 grams, without batteries or SmartMedia). With only a handful of control buttons, the 2600 Zoom's exterior is sleek and smooth, save for the small protrusion of the LCD monitor on the back panel. The sliding lens cover fits smoothly into the body design, maintaining the camera front's smoothly curving profile.
Built into the 2600 Zoom is a two-megapixel CCD, which produces image resolutions as large as 1,600 x 1,200 pixels. Camera controls are somewhat sparse, as the majority of features are automatically controlled by the camera. This keeps the user interface uncluttered and clean, as well as simple to operate. With that in mind, let's take our virtual walk around the camera.
The front of the 2600 Zoom is sleek and stylish, with shiny silver highlights on a matte silver body. The sliding lens cover's elliptical shape is echoed by the optical viewfinder window. A small indentation in the lens cover not only makes it easier to slide open, but also serves as a finger rest when holding the camera in a shooting position. We're glad that Fuji opted not to use the lens cover as a power switch, as these designs seem more prone to breakage. (Instead, the 2600 Zoom is powered on by a switch on top of the camera.) When the camera is powered on and the lens cover is open, the lens telescopes out from the camera body about a half of an inch. It then retracts whenever the camera is shut off. The lens shares the front panel with the optical viewfinder window, flash control sensor, flash, and self-timer LED (the small, red LED just beside the lens).
The right side of the camera (viewed looking from the back) contains only the wrist strap attachment eyelet.
The DC In and USB connection jacks are on the opposite side of the camera, and lack any protective covering. We generally like to see some type of covering over these terminals, as dust and dirt can easily find their way into these small openings, especially on a highly portable camera such as this one. (A minor design strike against the 2600.)
The 2600 Zoom's top panel features the Mode dial, Shutter button, and sliding Power switch. The Power switch is covered with small raised bumps, which give your fingers more traction for sliding the small control.
The remaining camera controls are on the back panel, along with the LCD monitor and optical viewfinder eyepiece. Positioned on the right side are the zoom controls and arrow buttons, as well as the Display, Menu/OK, and Back buttons. Though the camera does not offer a substantial handgrip, a series of raised bumps on the right side of the back panel provide a sort of thumb rest, facilitating a tight grip on the camera. The optical viewfinder eyepiece has a small LED just to its right, which reports the camera's current status (such as when focus is set, flash is charging, etc.). Also visible from the back panel is the top of the SmartMedia / battery compartment, which opens from the bottom of the camera.
The 2600 Zoom's bottom panel is fairly flat, though a series of raised bumps provide traction for the SmartMedia / battery compartment cover, and level out the area surrounding the tripod mount. A sliding cover protects the SmartMedia / battery compartment, and slides outward (toward the back of the camera) before opening on a hinge to reveal the compartment. This is a great design for maximizing the camera's space, but bad for tripod work as you have to dismount from the tripod to change batteries or change out the memory card. We suspect this won't be much of an issue for users of this camera however, as its designers were clearly intending it for on-the-go use, not studio shooting. The tripod mount features plastic threads and is a bit off center from the lens. The mount is fairly close to the center of the camera body though, and it remained stable on our tripod while we were shooting with it.
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