Fuji FinePix F401

Fuji's range of digital cameras has traditionally been very sleek and stylish, and the new F401 follows in those footsteps.

Its sleek aluminium shell befits the camera's £400 price tag and the compact dimensions mean it is small enough to fit in to the palm of your hand.

At 200g, it's pretty lightweight, so this is a camera that owners won't mind carrying about.

Despite its rather diminutive size, there is still space to comfortably place your hands without obstructing the lens.

With a resolution of 2.1 megapixels, images looked sharp and vibrant, rivalling those taken by more expensive cameras.

Photos can be viewed on the 1.5in LCD screen built into the back of the camera, which doubles as a viewfinder.

There's not a great selection of shooting modes, just Auto and Manual for still photography.

For photographers who like to have more control of the settings, the manual mode allows for adjustments of white balance, exposure and flash output.

There are five flash modes: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Forced, Suppressed and Slow-Synchro.

Unfortunately, because the built-in flash is quite small, it can only reach a limited distance when used with the zoom facility and even daylight photos taken from a distance came out dark.

Short video recording and voice memo options are a bonus. The movie function can record about 98 seconds with the provided 16MB SmartMedia card. The voice memo facility can record up to 30 seconds each time.

Transferring pictures to your PC is easy, thanks to a USB cradle which houses the camera.

The cradle is also used for recharging the lithium-ion battery and can either be done thorough the PC or with the included AC power adapter. The cradle also lets you use the camera as a webcam.

The F401 is pricey for what you get but offers a good balance between features and style. It comes complete with a shoulder strap, soft case and some image-editing software.

DETAILS
Price: £400

Contact: Fuji 020 7465 5776
www.fujifilm.co.uk