Fujifilm FinePix F450 Zoom

Opinion: i got this for 182 dollars...less than what i got the 2650 for...but i think the 2650 took sharper pics at 2.9 meg and only 3x zoom..versus f450 5.2 meg and 3.4 zoom...pics seem blury...i tried different iso settings...and macro also...some shots are good ...some not so good..maybe someone has some pointers?....i loved my 2650,so maybe i am just being partial to it.

Opinion: Pluses
+ Small size, 2/3rds the height of a standard square PostIt Note.
+ Fast startup, shutdown, operation.
+ Easy to use menus, mode switch, control layout
+ Optical viewfinder
+ System retains as much detail in rocks and natural textures as possible - doesn't over process. However, this does mean shots do show signs of a bit more noise than other cameras which do filter out noise.
+ Nice docking station, convenient, works well.
+ Webcam feature allows camera to be used as webcam.
+ Camera easily fits into a shirt pocket, but weight is a touch on the heavy side for a dress shirt.
+ Palmable shape and size - great for quick snaps.

Minuses
- Flash is weak and will not properly cover a room at night with a group of people.
- Significant grain at 400 ISO - will require post-processing to reduce noise for prints when taken at night. Daytime 400ISO shots are okay, though grainy.
- Lens is not the very sharpest at all apertures and focus ranges. Corners can be a touch soft at times. Most shots are good however, esp. during daytime shots with the lens focused towards infinity. Most shots are good to very good, but in a direct comparison of a Sony P150 5MP imags to the F450, the Sony has more detail in the shots and a crisper image (eg. leaves in a tree are better defined, and hold their edge definition better)
- Needs seperate microphone for webcam feature.
- Sliding front on/off switch can be accidentally set on if the camera isn't kept in a case, but rather, stuck into a tight pocket.
- Non-daylight white balance isn't as good as it could be.
- Non-SuperCCD sensor = more noise at slower ISO speeds vs. older F401/F410 photos.

That said, it's a decent 5MP for a beginner who wants a small, pocketable camera, that has a very sleek, designer look to it. It's fine for the majority of outdoor snapshots, so as long as you're not indoors or at night often, you'll be fine with this camera. Indoors, you'll have just enough range for a couple shot, but group shots will be more difficult due to the weak flash range. The longer 3.4x zoom does give you a touch more range than regular 3x zoom cameras, and the small size helps a lot in grabbing quick snapshots without a lot of attention.

That said, nice camera, but somehow, the images are a bit lacking vs. the Sony P150 7.2MP I upgraded to (more saturation, color, etc), and the color balance and range isn't as natural looking as the FujiFilm F401 I had.

You can find better on the market.

Opinion: Not among the best 5.x M camera out there.
Great pics in good lighting conditions.
Not the best color capture; biased towards blue.
Extremely portable and sturdy.