The Fujifilm FinePix 40i is an ultrasleek piece of technology that combines a 2.4-megapixel camera with an MP3 player. Its image quality and camera features put it in a class by itself in the world of hybrid camera/MP3 player devices. But behind the music there is trouble, and audiophiles should take a careful listen before handing over their credit cards.
Compared with other digital camera/MP3 player hybrids, the Fujifilm FinePix 40i's image quality and camera features place it in a class by itself. With its 2.4-megapixel sensor, the FinePix 40i far outpaces the VGA-resolution capabilities of other hybrid devices, instead competing with other midrange consumer digital cameras. Of course, it also costs roughly twice as much as other hybrid models, and the device's MP3 features are, unfortunately, less impressive than its image quality. But if you're looking for good image quality with MP3 playback as a bonus, the FinePix 40i represents your only real choice.
About the size of a wallet, the FinePix 40i has an ultrasleek design. Its aluminum-and-magnesium body feels solid and well-constructed, and intelligently placed controls make operating the device easy. Reading the menu on the 1.8-inch LCD can be a bit of a strain if your eyesight is less than perfect, but the screen is bright and easy to use as a viewfinder. The FinePix 40i doesn't have a zoom lens (although there is a digital zoom feature), but it does offer a multimode flash and a built-in microphone. Experienced photographers will appreciate controls such as exposure compensation and a true macro mode that focuses down to 2.3 inches. You can even resize an image you've already captured within the camera to save space.
The FinePix 40i delivers good image quality for its camera class, with a respectable dynamic range and an adequate level of detail in shadows and highlights. We did notice that details in very bright highlights tend to blow out. Our test images looked slightly soft, as well as noisier than average. Though the camera produces pleasing colours, its white balance isn't entirely effective: Images shot indoors with the automatic white balance setting tended to be very warm, and we noticed a green cast in images shot under tungsten light with the indoor setting. In close-ups, we also saw some curvature caused by lens distortion.
