Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. today announced the first shipments of its new newest FinePix digital cameras — the 6800 Zoom and the 2300. The new cameras were first announced in early February.
The US$899 FinePix 6800 Zoom sports a 3.3 megapixel “Super CCD,” a 3x optical zoom lens, and the ability to annotate images with voice notes of up to 30 seconds. Users can also record up to 160 seconds of AVI video with sound, or use the camera to record sound exclusively — up to 60 minutes’ worth. The unit incorporates a pop-up flash, and stores files in JPEG format at three different compression levels. The FinePix 6800 connects to Macs using a USB cable and stores images on a SmartMedia card. The 6800 also incorporates a USB Hot Sync cradle that recharges the Lithium-Ion battery and serves as a pivot when the camera is used for video conferencing.
The $279 FinePix 2300 is designed as an entry-level digital camera. It sports a 2.1 megapixel CCD sensor. The FinePix 2300 uses a fixed lens with 2.5x digital zoom, and incorporates a 1.6 inch LCD display on the back. A function control dial enables users to navigate through the camera’s menu system to adjust aspects of shooting, playback, flash and white balance modes. The FinePix 2300 also uses SmartMedia and connects to the Mac via USB.