  Half the time it's wonderful - but, if your memories are important, don't depend on this one!
This is my second Fuji digital camera. The first one was wonderful, and I assumed this one would be also, but after a year of use I am very disappointed. I'm not a professional photographer, I just need a point and shoot that is dependable on vacation and at special events. My f470 is in working order - what makes this camera undependable has something to do with the design.
The biggest problem with the F470 is the design of the LCD screen. It's simply horrid when you're taking outdoor pictures. The screen may be large but in bright sunlight it's next to impossible to see what you're going to get. It's just 2.5 inches of darkness. My previous Fuji had a viewfinder; there was no problem seeing what I was shooting - in any level of light.
The LCD screen is also difficult to see from any sort of an angle. So, unless I'm holding the camera in front of my face, I have only a vague idea of what I'm photographing.
The screen is a battery hog and it doesn't seem to bring much to the table on this camera model.
Another problem with this camera is that a good 30 percent of my shots are fuzzy and blurry. I know my hands don't shake perceptibly. This has been more of an issue with this camera than with any other I've ever owned (And I've owned quite a few in my life.)
The software, while not horribly difficult, is not especially user friendly either. The editing features are so limited that I felt it was necessary to purchase another photo editing software package just to satisfactorily crop and resize the shots.
All that being said, when everything comes together the f470 can take a nice clear, bright picture.
However, I've lost so many irreplaceable shots because of the limitations of this camera that I'm ready to put it aside and purchase a new camera with stabilization, a view finder in addition to the LCD screen, and the more easily found SD cards.
Two and a half stars - not recommended.
The absolute WORST customer service!!!
The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.
Amazing camera!!
I LOVE THIS CAMERA!! It's small and perfect, takes great pictures, and very easy to use. I ONLY buy Fuji cameras because they are the easiest and best. Recommended to anyone!!
Very good compact camera
I am very satisfied with this camera. It takes excellent pictures and videos for its size. You have to keep in mind its size before judging the results. Portability, build quality, picture quality, and price makes this camera a best buy.
You don't need to install camera software to access the pictures. Windows XP detects the camera once the USB cable is connected. You can copy your images and videos and paste them into your PC's folder.
Simple and easy to use controls and menus make this product user friendly.
Two complaints that I have are:
1) Uses xD card. I wish it used SD card so I could reuse the cards between my other camera.
2) Must take out the battery to charge it. I wish I could charge it within the camera.
3) It forgets the date setting once battery is removed (for charging). So, every time you charge the battery, you have to set the date and time.
Because of this device, we now have many more pictures (memories) than we would have otherwise had. My other camera (Canon S2 IS) can take much better quality pictures and videos, but it is too big to carry everywhere.
Good pics, bad camera
I was impressed with the small size and clear photos my sister was getting with this camera and bought it without hesitation . . . but I've regretted it ever since.
First off, everything is proprietary - your current USB cables and card readers WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS CAMERA. It comes with a special Fuji brand USB cable, a special Fuji brand battery and needs special fuji brand XD memory cards (more expensive and not compatible with most card readers). If you don't bring all that with you, you can't plug this camera into a computer.
Also, there's no viewfinder on this camera. The large screen on the back is nice to look at, but saps the battery life quickly. Speaking of battery, the indicator shows the battery as being fully charged for ages and then suddenly blinks almost empty before shutting off unexpectedly. This happened both with the battery that came with the camera and the extra battery I bought.
As if I wasn't unhappy already, things quickly started malfunctioning. After 5 mos many buttons stopped working, and now all the buttons on the back panel stopped, making the camera almost unusable (I can't get into the menus, turn on/off the flash, etc).
Yes, the camera takes good pics and has a nice screen, but you have to cart around the special Fuji brand cables & cards which you spent a lot more buying. Add in the fact that it seems to break down easily and it's an overall user.
I won't be buying another Fuji point and shoot.
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