Fujifilm Z200fd & A850 point-&-shoot digicams announced

Fujifilm have updated both their Z-series and A-series of digital cameras with the FinePix Z200fd and the FinePix A850.  The Z200fd has a slick metal body, 10-megapixel CCD and 5x optical zoom.  Meanwhile the 8.1-megapixel A850 has a 3x Fujinon optical zoom, ISO 800 sensitivity and image stabilization.  Sadly the company hasn't done much for the A850's appearance; compared to what's on offer from rivals (and in fact compared to Fujifilm's own Z200fd), it looks quite bland and uninteresting.

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Still, you'll probably be too busy fathoming the fourteen scene modes and 30fps video capture to be too bothered by the appearance.  A 2.5-inch LCD does for shot framing, and there's 24MB of onboard memory augmented via SD/SDHC memory card.  Usefully, the A850 will run off two normal AA batteries, great if you're stuck without a power supply while on holiday.  Frankly this isn't going to set the world alight, but it could be a decent choice for anyone wanting a sturdy, reliable point-and-shoot camera.  The A850 measures 92.9 x 60.4 x 30.1mm, and weighs 135g (not including the batteries).  It'll be available from July, price as-yet unannounced. 

The Z200fd, meanwhileis somewhat more appealing, especially considering how compact it is: 92 x 55.7 x 20mm (although the weight is just just 1g less than the A850).  It also has a nifty face-recognition system that can be set to automatically trigger the shot when a certain number of people are spotted in the frame (ideal if you're setting the camera up on a tripod and then dashing to get yourself in the group) or can take the photo when the faces of two loved-up people are moved close together.  The Z200fd will be available in Japan first, from early June, priced at around $380.

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