Fuji DS-7

Digital cameras are coming ever closer to providing a complete solution for low-resolution photography. The Fuji DS-7 camera and optional NC-3D printer has everything you need to capture, edit and print your own photographs.

The case style is halfway between the Ricoh RDC-2 (reviewed issue 28, p172) and more consumer-orientated models such as the Kodak DC20 (reviewed issue 23, p146). It lacks a viewfinder, with all framing being done via the LCD screen on the back of the case. This has the advantage of SLR-like wysiwyg shot framing and a thumbnail preview mode. It also lets you select and delete shots you don't want, effectively increasing the storage capacity.

Unfortunately, the value of the LCD is reduced by the constant worry that the batteries are going to die at any moment. Four AA cells should give you about an hour of constant use, at most. Fuji has tackled this to some extent by providing NiCad cells and a two-hour fast charger. A better option would have been a rudimentary optical viewfinder and the option to take pictures with the LCD turned off. You could then power the LCD up for preview and deletion of images, as with the Kodak DC25 (reviewed issue 29, p162). The system will superimpose text information on the screen in its various modes, but the information it provides is fairly basic.

The DS-7 will take pictures at 640 « 480 or 320 « 240 resolution. These modes give you a maximum storage capacity of 30 and 60 shots respectively, with the ability to mix freely between the two. Besides the standard preview mode, there's a slide show mode, which displays each shot full-screen with a variable delay between them. You can also specifically write-protect individual shots against accidental deletion. This is just as well, since it's far too easy to inadvertently select 'erase all' in the deletion mode, and the camera doesn't ask you for confirmation.

The really innovative feature of the DS-7 is the storage medium - a 2Mb re-writeable flash RAM card called SmartMedia. The impressive part is the size: 37 « 45mm and less than a millimetre thick. The ability to remove one SmartMedia card and simply slot in a fresh one negates an advantage that, up until now, traditional photography still held over the digital variety. With 4Mb and 8Mb versions about to enter the market, SmartMedia vastly improves on the 36-shot maximum of conventional film. The thinness and flexibility of the card does raise some questions about its durability, though.

The DS-7 has a top-mounted rotary dial to place it into its various modes, plus three more buttons to control its functions. In use, it's very simple to operate. The small case size and the layout of the controls make one-handed operation possible, and the all-important power switch can be flicked on and off very easily.

Unlike most digital cameras, which have fixed-focus optics, the DS-7 has a mechanical slider that selects between macro, near and far, giving a focus range of 9cm to infinity. There's also a manual two-position aperture adjuster, and the camera will flash a warning on screen if it's set to under- or over-expose.

Picture quality is rather disappointing with the DS-7, though. Medium to long-range shots suffer from a slight lack of focus and a tendency toward incorrect gamma. This improves with macro shots, since it's possible to set the focus slider 'half-cocked' between settings while watching the LCD to achieve the sharpest picture. This isn't possible with the longer-range shots, since the LCD doesn't have sufficient resolution to be able to see the difference on distant objects.