Technological Makeover

Fujifilm’s A series cameras have been given a technological makeover with the arrival of the A800 and the A610. Previous incarnations of always used third-party CCDs with the traditional square pixel array. Now they incorporate Fuji’s own Super CCD HR. The 8.3MP A800 also has Fujifilm’s own RP (Real Photo) processor for the first time. Again this technology was only previously available in the higher-end models such as the F series and of course the S5 DSLR.

Easy to Use

In other areas, the camera has the simplicity of control we expect from the A range, with easy-to-use Program shooting, various scene modes and limited menus. This is a point-and-shoot camera for the masses, rather than an enthusiast model.

Among the simple features are a reasonably high ISO of 800, which is linked to the camera’s ‘anti-shake’ system. With no optical image stabilisation, the camera automatically raises the ISO to allow faster shutter speeds, and so cancelling the danger of camera shake.

Image Quality

Fujifilm has done well placing the 8 million pixels on to the Super CCD HR chip. Images are crisp and punchy, with little noise in the lower reaches of the ISO speeds. There’s a bit of fringing in high-contrast areas, especially in the corners, but not enough to upset anyone. Colours are nicely saturated, while even the most tricky subjects are well controlled by the meter. Noise is present in the higher ISO ratings, and there’s a touch of JPEG artefacting in some areas.