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(More customer reviews)The video clip was taken with my JX250 in my living room to demonstrate its optical zooming in movie mode as well as its indoor video quality. The video size was set to the lowest setting, 320x240 (QVGA). The 43-second clip takes up 24.5MB, in AVI format. Notice that there is no sound during zooming, and there is a clicking sound at the end of each zoom -- it came from the lens refocusing at the end of the zoom. Towards the end of the clip I tried to shoot a scene outside the window but the thick window screen prevented the camera from focusing properly.
The JX250 is a new ultra-compact 14MP 5x optical zoom digicam released by Fujifilm USA in April 2010. It's really small, measuring 2.7"x2.2"x0.7", and weighs 4.5 oz. including battery and SD card. (Yep, this Fuji takes an SD/SDHC card, not the old xD memory card.) The camera body's metal construction makes it feel solid and high-quality.
The JX250 is designed as an "idiot-proof" camera, meaning it's got all the automatic modes but little manual control. Indeed, the only semi-manual controls are exposure compensation, white balance choice, and ISO setting (100-1600, up to 3200 in 3MP or lower).
As is always the case with ultra-compact cameras, picture quality is not something you'd be boasting about. For an ultra-compact the JX250 takes very good ourdoor shots and decent indoor shots. Note that this camera does not have Fuji's famous SuperCCD technology, which makes the indoor shots not as good as the Fuji's with SuperCCD; in other words, its indoor image quality is average when compared to other name-brand ultra-compacts like Casio, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, or Olympus. The JX250 is best used as a companion "little camera" to a workhorse camera with better picture quality, such as a digital SLR or a compact (not ultra-compact) from Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Casio, or Fujifilm's own bigger offerings.
The JX250 has 5x optical zoom, yielding a zoom range of 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format equivalent, which is admirable for an ultra-compact. At the 28mm end, you're getting wide angle, great for scenic shots. It's only appropriate that this camera has a panorama mode. The lens is Fujinon, which is a high-quality brandname in the lens business.
The optical zoom operates very fast -- and you can zoom optically in movie mode, whether you're shooting in 720p, VGA or QVGA. Three things to note, though: first, sound is not recorded during optical zooming, you'll just get silence as you operate the zoom lever; second, at the end of the zoom, as the lens refocuses, the mechanical sound is recorded and can be heard, which can be annoying; third, I think the zoom is too fast for fine control. But it's really nice to have optical video zoom.
As a still image camera, the JX250 offers scene recognition as well as smile detection, face detection and blink detection. Indoor shots with flash are surprisingly good (at least for an ultra-compact). When shooting, you can choose the have the framing grid displayed, which is recommended for good framing practice. (This grid allows you to follow the "shoot in the thirds" rule.)
Typical of consumer-grade digicams, there is noticeable, 1/2-second shutter delay. (If you want zero shutter delay, get a digital SLR.) There is a convenient "silent mode" which turns off speaker, flash and self-timer lamp. (Hmm, I wonder if someone is going to use this as a spy cam, which, of course, may be illegal in your locale.) The JX250 uses SDHC cards and has 24MB of internal memory which can be used in an emergency. The LCD screen is 2.7 inches diagonally; out-of-box, there is this thin protective film over it, which you may want to leave it be to protect the LCD. The physically small LiIon rechargable battery is rated 720mAh and about 180 shots (half with flash); as always, I recommend a spare battery, especially if you plan to travel with this camera. Initial battery charging took about 90 minutes at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The companion software is compatible with Windows (all versions) and MacOS. The JX250 comes in black and silver; both colors are available at my local Costco, where I bought this for under 130.
In short, I find the JX250 to be an excellent secondary digital camera that can be taken anywhere (except under water) and allows you to capture pictures in a hurry (except situations that require 0 shutter delay). It supports 720p movie mode with optical zooming and despite the limitations in sound recording, makes a good personal video camera, too.
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Fujifilm FinePix JX250 14MP Digital Camera 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD plus BONUS Fujifilm 4GB SDHC Class 6 Card & Fujifilm Fitted Leather Camera Case Plus USB Card Reader/WriterThe FinePix JX250 employs a 14-megapixel CCD, a 2.7-inch high-res LCD and a Fujinon 5x wide-angle (28mm-140mm) optical zoom lens. Soft, curved edges give it a sculpted, sophisticated look. Encased in a high-grade brushed aluminum metal body, it's not only well protected from bumps and scrapes, but features a simple, yet elegant design. The JX250 also has a new mode dial for additional convenience and functionality.HighlightsHD CapabilityThe new J-Series models all offer stunning movies in 720p with sound and high quality stills at 1920x1080. Tracking Auto FocusPreviously featured on Fujifilm's DSLR-style FinePix, the new J-Series models feature Tracking Auto Focus which is perfect for when you need to take a picture of a moving subject and can't keep your subject in the frame. Just switch Tracking Auto Focus on and it will track your subject and ensure that you achieve a crisp picture with you subject in the center of the frame in perfect focus.Smile & Blink DetectionPhotos are all too often spoiled by people blinking or grimacing. Smile Detection works with Fujifilm's highly-acclaimed Face Detection technology to detect smiles on faces: it will not take a picture until it detects a smile, so you're guaranteed happy shots! Another new feature is Blink Detection which warns you if you have captured an image with people blinking, to reshoot if necessary.Additional Features• Digital Image Stabilization reduces image blur and offers creative adaptability and excellent picture quality.• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, each J-Series model is fitted with Fujifilm's latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically
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