Fuji FinePix S602 Zoom Pro Digital Camera and 340MB MicroDrive [3.1MP 6xOptical]

Choices
After poring over technical specs and handling dozens of digital cameras, I narrowed the choice down to 3 cameras, the Nikon Coolpix 5700, the Minolta Dimage 7Hi, and the Fuji S602Z. All of these are thoroughly competent cameras, in my opinion. Even though I was biased towards Nikon for its decades of service to me, the price/performance benefit fell clearly to the Fuji, and with the Pro version the value became even better.

Features I like
- Macro focussing - you can move the camera until it almost touches the object!
- Manual control - for any serious photographer, you have to be able to override the automatic settings to achieve what you want. The Fuji does this with the feel of a 35mm film camera - just perfect for me.
- The remote shutter release on the Pro is essential for studio work,
- I link the camera to a TV with the cable provided, to check framing, which is also a useful feature to save the eyes through a long day of studio shooting.
- Overall handling - the camera sits nicely in the left hand and allows good control over the ergonomics of photography.

Features I dislike
- There is one thing I don't like, and that is the arrangement with the lens, and the need to fit an adaptor to add on the wide-angle and telephoto attachments, but then I suppose this is a cheap way to achieve some SLR-like versatility without the complication of a proper lens mount. However, 99 percent of the time, the lens disappearing into the body helps reduce the size.

Picture Quality
In terms of picture quality, I have been very impressed with what can be achieved. The lowest resolution provides photos more than adequate for website use, while the highest resolution pictures are suitable for printing and framing (depending on their content, of course). Sure, it's not film, but I have been able to print out A4-sized photos that look perfect, without pixellation or other defects. As always, the printer makes a big difference, so make sure you get a decent one before judging the camera!

Overall
This camera has save me a fortune in processing already, and I’m almost at the stage where I’m ready to sell off my film cameras and lenses. I love the fact that I can take the same amount of time and care crafting a photo in the field or studio, with the same level of control I have with film cameras, and then come back and immediately modify, crop and print as required. And I have not been able to see any difference in the quality of the results.

The S602 Pro Zoom is a wonderful piece of technology that builds upon the slightly less advanced S602. The 2 models are of the same except the pro version is catered for those who wish to use studio flash or a shutter release cabal to prevent camera shake.

For the added features that come with this camera you'll pay between £100 and £150 more than for the standard S602. With Microdrives costing upwards of £150 this makes the S602 Pro quite good value for money.

So what does this camera do? Well to be blunt the S602 pro virtually guns down it's opposition. Boasting some of the best Exposure performance, and the hands down best at rendering skin tones accurately, as well as some excellent flash results from the on-board flash. The other great feature is it's movie playback which allows a staggering 640x480 movies with clear monoaudial sound!

The cons are few and far between, the image scrolling is a little slow at times, but hardly noticable. Low light photography is not always perfect as the ISO and apature grain don't blend well at times. But do not let this deter you. With a possible 6MP output the S602 pro gives some of the most higly detailed pictures ever seen on a camera of this class.

The menu system on the camera is easy and straight-forward, the options you need are always there when you need them, so there's no searching menu upon menu to get what you need. This is perfect for the less advanced photographers out there. The auto mode is just first class for the amateur too, with shutter speeds & apature constantly being corrected accurately so pictures can be taken quickly with little fuss.

There is simply not enough words to describe this camera and do it justice. All you have to do is take loads of pictures to understand how top-rate this camera truly is, and with a 340MB Microdrive included in the package, you'll need it. For somebody who has just turned from amateur to expert, I knew how to use all the features of this camera after just a few hours, and for those who understand how to operate apatures, ISO, and shutter speeds, this is an excellent pick up and go package not to be missed.

Final Verdict (out of 5 stars)

Features: **** - Low light exposures could be improved slightly.
Performance: ***** - Top notch all round image quality.
Build Quality: **** - Hard plastic case, not metal.
Value For Money: **** - Incl. Microdrive, charger & batteries!
Overall: - *****

A superb all round digital camera!