Fuji FinePix E900 Review

Overall Rating

Superb image quality
Shutter lag comparable to AF-SLR
Build quality is good
Lots of flexibility, and you can use this camera like a SLR
Amazing value at £180 from amazon.co.uk

Some slightly awkward menu controls, but not a big issue
Sensitivity in low light is good for a compact (ISO 800), but not really up to SLR/high speed film performance in terms of noise
No automatic image stabilisation (but you wouldn't expect that for the money)
No remote shutter release (use timer delay instead)

The Fuji Finepix E900 digital camera is amazing! The image quality is very, very good, and compares pleasantly well with some very expensive SLR's. If you're wondering, do try and compare images side-by-side before you buy. You will find lots of resources for doing this through Google.

The lens and CCD are superb (for a compact), and you have the ability to control everything you would on a decent SLR, such as aperture size, shutter speed, film speed, film type (chrome, standard or B&W), delayed exposure, macro mode and exposure values. It also includes a variety of light metering and focus modes, auto/various/custom white balance, and you can produce RAW files direct from the CCD for PC processing. You can buy lens filter adaptors, a fixed (200mm?) zoom and a fixed wide angle lens, but I don't really plan to use these.

I've used conventional SLR's for years, but in all but the most demanding situations, this is going to be the camera I keep in my pocket and actually use when out and about. Oh, and it's really quick. Shutter lag just doesn't happen, and auto-focus time is about the same as a standard SLR. Image stabilisation is the only feature I would have liked, but this is a very expensive SLR feature at the moment, and I can buy ten or twelve tripods with the money I've saved! Or, you could just stick it in Auto mode and know you're going to get fantastic photos most of the time (I sometimes do this in a hurry)!

The camera is £300 at Argos etc., but at Amazon it's only £180, which is mind-blowing given the performance of this thing.

Members' Comments onTheBoyMichael's Review

• mikeflan on 31st Jul 2006

  I have just bought one of these E900's and the photos are appalling, I am so disappointed with this camera, the camera itself feels superb and the capabilities it would appear to have from it's menu's are tremendous, I have had to return mine for a refund, comparing the photos to those off my Canon A620 are just not in the same ball park, the A620 is way ahead of this 9mp Fuji, very upset with the Fuji as I had thought by other reviews that it was good.....certainly not on this example that I had.

• TheBoyMichael on 27th Aug 2006

  Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I am still using mine very happily and am still thrilled with the picture quality. Maybe there was something wrong with your camera? I hope you are happy with the one you chose in the end!

• mikeflan on 29th Aug 2006

  Well.....my colleague that also bought an E900 just before me....just had his fail after 26 days of working which he had been highly delighted with it's results..however...the failure of the E900 (focussing problem) has seen him NOT replacing it with an E900....I wonder if Fuji Quality Control is letting a few too many through their network

• TheBoyMichael on 31st Aug 2006

  Maybe that's the problem. Ours has been faultless to date, and fingers crossed will stay that way! Maybe the current price crash at Amazon etc has pushed up the manufacturing volumes at the expense of quality. Still for the price we paid, I'd happily return 3 broken ones to get at a good one! Good luck with the future photography, and hope you've found something that works as well for you!

• mikeflan on 1st Sep 2006

  Well ...I hope I have this time...but let me say to everyone that buying from Amazon has a fantastic customer support regarding their money back policies and I would highly recommend this company for any purchase...as you say...their prices are so very competitive too.