Sneaking in at the bottom of FujiFilm's digital camera range, the A202 cuts everything to the bone, with a fixed focal length lens, no auto-focus (just normal and macro settings) and a low(ish) resolution LCD screen. It also comes with an ordinary 2-megapixel CCD chip, without the SuperCCD technology boasted by Fuji's more upmarket models.
Image quality
Cheap and basic it may be, but there's nothing wrong with the A202's images. Possibly even crisper and brighter than the Canon's, they could have come from any good 2-megapixel camera - the
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budget specs certainly aren't reflected in the output. Only the fixed focus lens lets it down, where close-up shots drop outside the range of sharp focus.
Features
Cheap it may be, but the A202 gives a lot. It offers a 'manual' mode, which lets you adjust exposure compensation and white balance - though it gets both spot-on without any help. There's a movie mode too, and a macro mode - though this leaves a hole between the end of its range (13cm) and the start of the 'standard' range (80cm)
Design
The Fuji is another camera you have to use to fully appreciate. Yes, it's plastic, but it's classy plastic. The A202 is robust, wieldy and nicely finished. Best of all, the controls are well-spaced and obvious. Like the Canon, it's a perfect snapshot camera. There's little to learn, and it'll gets things right nearly all the time.
Overall
The fixed focus, and the gap between the macro and normal setting can trip you up, but results are pin-sharp - and there's no time-lag for auto-focus. It feels more solid than you'd expect, and its simplicity (and big optical viewfinder) make the Fuji a joy to use.
By Rob Lawton
SPECIFICATIONS:
A 2-megapixel camera with a maximum optical resolution of 1,600x1,200, 1.5-inch, 55,000-pixel LCD viewfinder, 2.5x digital zoom, 16MB xD Picture memory card, storing 25 pictures at maximum quality, burst mode and panorama mode. Takes 2xAA batteries.
