Fuji's MX-1200 digital camera provides all the picture-taking ability beginners need. The silvery body of the MX-1200 contains a 1.3-megapixel CCD (which provides a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 960 pixels) and a 1.6-inch color LCD monitor, as well as an optical viewfinder. Fuji also provides a built-in flash with automatic red-eye reduction, forced-flash, and flash-off modes. The camera comes with a macro mode for those with a penchant for close-ups, enabling the MX-1200 to focus as close as 4 inches.
Included with the MX-1200 is a serial cable for transferring photos, a software driver disk for downloads, a 4 MB SmartMedia card for storing your images, and four AA alkaline batteries. The MX-1200 saves images in the JPEG file format, and allows varying degrees of compression.
1 I've had problems
Besides the lag problem mentioned in another review, I've had an issue with the camera not staying on when switched. I miss about 80% of the shots I'm trying to take because I have to keep turning it back on, taking out the memory card and/or batteries and replacing them etc. Bad frame errors are haunting. Once it starts working, I can usually take many pictures in a row, but in the beginning it's horrible. This is all probably my fault for trying to snap a picture when the dial was turned to the viewing mode. But that shouldn't have harmed the electronics! One can't always remember to get the dial in the right position.
2 High bang/buck ratio in a small package
I have had my Fuji MX-1200 for 2 years now. I have taken it to Scotland, Hungary, Austria and Germany and have been totally amazed at how good a picture it provides in a small package for a small amount of money.
I am not a newcomer to photography. I have owned several 35 mm. SLR's of various brands. I still have a Canon that I can use if I want to, but I havent't taken it out of the case since I got the Fuji.
My recommendations are similar to those of other reviewers, with one exception. Forget about the USB reader. Get a "Flash Card" floppy disk adapter. It costs more, but it will download to any PC.
Naturally, you should purchase as many addtional smart cards as you can afford. They are getting cheaper now, so a couple of 32 meg cards would be in order. I carry a half dozen of them when I travel and download my pictures to my notebook computer every evening at the end of my day.
Nowadays, most of my pictures end up on the internet, so the Fuji was a step up for me rather than a step down. If you think you might want to blow a picture up, shoot Hi-res and do the work on the computer. It's easy. It's cheap! It's fun!
3 Inexpensive model that delivers the goods
This camera is inexpensive (and a bit outdated at this point) but still manages to take great pictures. Sure, you could spend a lot more for a camera that is a lot more high-tech, but if you just want a camera to learn on and experiment with or just take fun family snaps, then this camera would be great.
My husband actually won a photo contest with a 5x7 photo taken on this camera (printed on an HP printer).
Pros: low cost, easy to use, easy to figure out how to take good photos, takes good enough quality photos to replace your film camera (if you're ready for that... I'm not quite there).
Cons: memory card pretty small if you want to take high quality pics (We got a 64MB memory card--available on costco.com--so we could take many pictures at high quality settings: about 100 pictures on the highest quality settings.), slow upload to your computer using serial cable (we got a SmartMedia drive that hooks up to our USB port and is lightning quick), lower picture quality capability than many (more expensive) cameras on the market.
These days, most digital cameras really aren't that horrible , and this camera is lightyears better than the ($) cameras that were out 4 years ago. This camera would be great for someone who wants a camera for casual use, or for pictures for their website, or even regular pictures that won't be blown up much larger than 5x7.
We take pictures with abandon now, not worrying about how much film we have left, not worrying if a shot is going to be a throw-away (you can delete it right on the camera, anyway), and we have gotten some truly beautiful and priceless shots just using this camera.
If you're not a professional photographer, why spend thousands when you can get this camera at a great price?
4 Great deal!!
... I use it for all sorts of photos and have had great success with it. Only complaint is that the viewfinder and the lense don't line up on close shots and the fixed lense cover is easily scratched because it has no protection. Mine is scratched now and I need to send it for repairs. Thats how I ended up here....anyway....happy shooting!
5 Owned it for 6 month now - good for the money, minor issues
Don't even bother unless you plan to get an upgrade SM card (4mb is worthless) and rechargable batteries. Highly recommend a USB card reader - even using TWAIN/Photoshop 5.5 it takes FOREVER to download 1280 x 820 res pictures (the camera's middle setting). All my complaints are minor - this is a great camera overall. The mode select knob can stop in between modes, but look like it's pointing to a mode. This makes you think something is wrong until you move the switch the 1mm it's off so you are not between modes. Not a show stopper, just takes getting used to. I guess all camers mow batteries, but I bought 8 NiMh rechargables and that seems to work. Get a cord to plug in when you're downloading pix - will save batteries, especially if you are using the serial cable. The optical viewfinder is way off for anything closer than about 10 feet, so I almost always use the LCD - another battery killer. Camera won't auto shut off when in PC mode, I've drained lots of batteries when forgetting to switch the camera off after retrieving photos. These are really nit-pick items, most cameras would have same or similar. Overall I'm happy with this camera, it's well made and user friendly. For the money and 1.3 Megpixel is plenty for general use. Safe bet you will feel your money was well spent.
6 Excellent Camera
I purchased the Fuji MX-1200 as my first digital camera about three months ago and am more than happy with it. It's compact, very easy to use and takes good quality pictures. Sure, there are other models out there with more bells and whistles, but for this price range, this is an excellent choice.
It doesn't come with an instruction manual for the Picture Shuttle and editing software (well, mine didn't arrive with any software manual), but it was easy to figure out and I had my second batch of pictures loaded, cropped and sent out in emails within 30 minutes.
As others here have pointed out, it IS a good idea to purchase a USB Flash Memory Reader for transfering the photos from camera to hard drive (although I didn't find the serial port download time as incredibly slow as I thought it would be). Two or three sets of batteries or better yet, rechargable batteries, are a MUST. Every digital camera (not just this one) eats them quickly if you use the LCD display constantly.
Also a must...a SmartMedia card. The MX-1200 comes with only a 4meg, which only allows taking 12 pictures on the lowest setting. With a 16meg card, you can hold over 60 pictures.
7 highly recommended
Had this camera for 3 months now and absolutely love it. Been taking it out to clubs and raves (night shots, lots of laser lights, etc) and the quality has been amazing. I have had 3 people, whom after using mine, have bought the same model. There are two drawbacks: the battery life is a little short if you use the display. But why use it? With smartmedia cards, you can afford to take as many bad pictures as you want. Also, another drawback is that if you're taking pictures where there is a lot of dust or fog and the flash is used, you'll see the particles being illuminated in the picture. This'll look like someone is blowing "soap bubbles". But it's no biggie since I usually avoid taking pictures in this kind of environment anyway. I do recommend you pick up the 32mb smartmedia card (I've taken about 60 pictures in one night on highest setting with room to spare) AND a usb smartmedia card reader for your camera, though.
8 Great entry camera, Great portability!
This is my second digital camera. The first being a much more expensive, larger SLR-type camera. Frankly, I ended up getting rid of the expensive camera and keeping the Fuji. It's small, takes great photos, is easy on batteries and easy to use. The controls are easy to use and not intimidating for beginners. The 1.3 megapix resolution is very good and better than most need for the majority of situations. This camera is so compact that I find myself taking it more places, more often. Definitely recommend a USB Smartmedia card reader to speed up transfers to the computer. I recommend NiMH batteries (2 sets of 4) and a NiMH battery charger.
9 A Great Product For the Price
I have had this camera for several months and really enjoy using it. The picture quality is excellent and the controls are easy to use. You will definitely want to heed the other reviewers' advice and get a card reader to speed up the transfer of the pictures to your hard drive.
I use this camera indoors and out to take pictures of my orchids and have no complaints in either situation. If you are looking for a low-cost digital camera, give this one a try.
10 A great amateur camera
We've owned this camera for nine months and have been very satisfied. It takes great clear pictures both indoors and out. It's compact size makes it very portable. We've used it for family photos, school projects, web postings and even an occasional portrait.
Other reviewers are right about the slow download times with the serial port. But the camera should not be faulted for that because it is true for all cameras with serial connections. We got a USB card reader as a rebate item with the purchase. It has made all the difference in the world. Since most cameras with similar features and resolution are selling for 350+ you are still better off buying this camera with a USB card reader.
Wealso suggest you purchase a set of recargeable NiCa batteries--they keep their charge well and work great. Also don't buy a 16 or 32 Meg card, buy two or more 8 Meg. It's easier to keep your pictures straight and you can keep one by the computer while you are working and the other one with the camera.
11 FUJI MX1200
I like this camera a lot. It is very easy to use takes great pictures. After using it for about three months, I think I should have bought a better camera. I only say that because I would have liked to have an optical zoon lens rather than digital. I have been in situations where I would have liked to zoom in but was limited by the digital zoom. Digital zoom also reduces the quality of the picture. This camera is a great buy for the money. I have seen it on the web for as low as $179. As a first camera and for a novice, it is an excellent choice.
12 transferring images
I have a digital camera, not this particular model. I was reviewing comments on this model (searching for a reasonably price model for a friend) when I notice criticism regarding download times. Please note: All the digital cameras will take a noticeable amount of time to download images to your PC if you are using the serial cable that came with the camera. However there are faster means. If you have one that uses either a smart media card or a compact flash card, you can buy a reader for either your parallel port or your USB port. Remove the card from your camera and insert it in the reader. Then the card will appear as if it is another disk drive on your PC. Use Explorer to copy all the files to your real hard disk drive. Thats the fastest way to get them to your PC. Forget the serial connector unless you only plan to transfer one or two images. It takes too long. (the previous reviewer and other may not be aware of this when they are buying the camera but this irritating issue applies to all digital cameras not just this one. Its the serial port thats slow.)
Second, there is criticism regarding the cost of a 32MB card which cost over $100. I found 64MB compact flash card for around $120 on the internet so search around. Also you have to remember you won't have to buy more memory cards. simply delete the pictures on the card and you are all set to capture more. Most cameras come with only an 8 Mb card so a 4 Mb for this Fuji is below what many other cameras provide BUT its also cost less. It looks to be one of the least expensive 1 Meg pixel camera around. You're going to have to buy another card if you want to be able to take more pictures before returning to your PC (when you are traveling.. unless you bring your laptop) even if you have a 8Mb card. Look at the Olympus 360 & 460 models at $300 & $400. They only come with 8 Mb also. The primary difference between them and this model will be a) more zoom options and b) image quality. The resolution may be slightly higher and color accuracy may be better.. you'll need to review some comparison reviews on accuracy. Another note: you can take more pictures that just 13 (26-27 on an 8 Mb card) if you settle for less resolution. If you plan to PRINT the image, then stay with the best resolution but if you only want to use it to create a screen saver so email the photos then you can reduce the image resolution to be able to take more pictures on the same 4 Mb or 8Mb card.
13 Slow transfers, slow picture-taking, and no space
I've been using my Fujifilm for about 3 months now, and the bad things are starting to outweigh the good as I'm seeing the vast array of digital cameras on the market. I didn't have much time to choose between cameras when I bought this one, but it looked like a good deal. Looks can be deceiving though. I'm not saying it's a bad camera, and it may turn out to be excellent... for a beginner.
First of all, the camera comes with a serial cable. No matter how much juice you try to pump through the cable, you only wind up getting about 1 picture per minute transfer time. That might be ok if you download your pictures once a day, but most people won't. Secondly, the picture-taking is much too slow if you're trying to capture something within a small time frame. There's a slight lag when pressing the button, about 1/2 to 1 second, which might sound unimportant in text, but it seems like a lot more when you're the one taking the picture. Not to mention the camera doesn't actually "snap" until you fully release the button, unlike most cameras usually snapping when you press the button. This makes it EXTREMELY hard to explain to someone if you want someone else to take a picture for you, like when you're on vacation. Besides the lag in the initial snap, you have to wait a good 6-7 seconds before you can take another picture. That's just unacceptable if you're trying to take a picture of something passing and you took the picture just a second too soon and want to get another try. There's no second chances. And lastly, the problem of storage. The Fujifilm comes with a 4 meg memory capacity. This only holds 13 pictures when the camera is set normally. If you want to get any decent space out of it, you'd have to purchase the 32 meg storage card, which costs 110 bucks. By this time, you've (I've) spent over 300 dollars and have a camera that's not as good as other 300+ dollar cameras.
In summary, the only way I would recommend this camera is if a) You have plenty of time on your hands to download pictures b) You are taking pictures of lifeless objects c) You plan on downloading your pictures very often
Take it for what it's worth.
14 Good Quality Camera
Another review on this page (electronics fan from Maine, U.S.A.) was the straw that got me to purchase this camera and I'm very happy with it. I just wanted a simple camera that was cheap enough but put out quality images. There are no complaints from me. The 1280x960 images are crisp and when I purchased a 32meg smartmedia card (that's the max that it takes) you can take 40 to 90 or so 1.3 megapixel pix. The 4meg card that it comes with doesn't allow much room for creativity.
For the sake of sanity, I had to buy a smartmedia usb reader in order to keep the battery consumption to a minimum. The built-in serial connection takes forever and eats battery power. I think this is true for all cams though. Battery life is good for this camera. Using standard alkaline batteries and keeping the use of the LCD viewer to a minimum, I was able to use the camera for a full 7 days and shoot some 200 pix. I think the camera is slightly too expensive (...) but it's rugged and takes good snapshots.
15 Amazing bargain
I've owned a Fuji MX-1200 for about 8 months, it is the third digital camera I've purchased over the years. Despite its fixed-focus lens (or perhaps because of the simplicity of it!), I've captured some great candid moments with it. It is easy to use, has almost no lag in capturing images, and uses the relatively inexpensive and quickly swappable SmartMedia cards. It's also the first digital camera I've owned built tough enough for me to be willing to carry around shoved in a pocket. The macro mode is very useful for "capturing" little bits of nature. The flash works well, though, like any camera-mounted flash, "red eye" is a problem only partly solved. The 1280 X 960 pixel image size is just right for computer monitor screen-filling display and adequate snapshot-sized printouts.
I do recommend investing in a USB-connected SmartMedia card reader, though. In addition to the greater downloading speed, you can also access the images directly from any (Windows 98 in my case) graphics applications instead of having to transfer via the Fuji interface software. Downloading images with the serial interface built into the camera itself is a dreadfully slow process, and the only reason I gave this camera only 4 stars.
I'm currently researching the digital cameras that have arrived since I bought the MX-1200, to help a family member who is in the market for one. Although the pixel counts are slowly creeping up with newer models, the value and utility have not.
