Fuji Finepix E550 Digital Camera [6.3Mp, 4x Optical]

It has a lot of settings to play with, including Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO (Film Speed?) too, it can even do Black & White photography for those of you who like that sort of thing.

And for people who like to be in full control they can go to a full manual mode as well!

Be Warned it won't fit into a shirt's pocket it will be a bit too bulky & heavy for that, so if your looking to do that then the F10 (more expensive!) maybe a better alternative.

I would strongly recommend you buy yourself a much bigger memory card at the same time either a 512Mb (512Mb will give you approx 338 shots @ 6MP) or 1Gb, as the 16Mb supplied is inadequate, also a case as well for that added protection.

It comes complete with 2xAA size Ni-mh batteries, and MAINS charger, but i would recommend you use the new Lithium AA batteries you can now buy for added stamina if your going to be doing a lot of shots, it also has a Hand Strap, A/V cable, USB cable which has a NON Standard fitting at the camera end so look after it & all the neccesary computer software on a CD-ROM.

I would suggest rather than use the camera's USB connection it's just as simple to pop the card out of the camera and into a card reader attached to your PC or take to a camera shop and get the photos printed as the cover over that and the A/V connectors could easily be lost.

Before I bought it, I did quite a bit of research by comparing the prices and specifications of different cameras from various brands. I found this camera to be the best value for money. It has all the features and specs of a camera that would normally cost at least 300 pounds, however this one only costs half of that. So if you are trying to save a bit of money, but still want to get a quality camera, this would be the right choice.

Secondly, I am by no means an expert when it comes to photography and cameras, so I was looking for a camera that was easy to use and has a 'user-friendly' software pre-installed it. Again, this camera didn't dissapoint. I did not even have to read the manual (something which I otherwise always have to)to understand most of the basic functions, and after playing around with it a little bit I soon got the hang of the more advanced functions.

Another plus point, perhaps the most important one, is that the pictures are very crisp and clear regardless of whether you are taking pictures in a dark or light environment. There is also a little dial on top of the camera which allows you to adjust its light-sensitivity for the more advanced users, or you can just leave it on 'auto' meaning that the camera detects the optimal settings. I tend to use the latter, which has worked fine for me.

Something which also positively surprised me, which does not have to do with the camera itself, is that re-chargable batteries and a charger are included. This usually isn't the case when you buy electronics, meaning that you have to spend extra money on getting those batteries.

There aren't many things about this camera that I don't like, but there is one thing that bothered me a little bit. The camera only comes with a 16MB storage card, which just isn't enough. When the camera is on its maximum settings, you can only store about 2 pictures with this storage card, which is a bit ridiculous to be honest. Therefore, if you choose to buy this camera I strongly suggest that you buy a storage card of at least 128MB to go with it.

Lastly, I was a bit dissapointed with the aestetic of the camera. It is quite a chunky camera, not something that would fit in your pocket very easily, and that bulge at one side of the camera is not particularly pleasing to look at. But then again, who cares? As long as it functions properly (which it does) and takes nice pictures (which it also does), there is not much to worry about. I would suggest buying some sort of holder with it though, so that you can carry it around a bit more easily and to prevent it from damaging.

Regardless of the few drawback this camera has, I will still give it five stars. With the low price of this camera you simply can't go wrong. Hence, I strongly suggest getting this camera.