Travels with a Fujifilm Z90

Point-and-shoot digital cameras -- even good ones -- have become semi-relics in the iPhone era . But compact digital cameras aren't pricey paperweights. They can do the job. And on the used market, good P/S cameras can be had for $5-$25 dollars. 

Really. 

After a downpour. 

 

A local thrift store last week sold me a tiny Fujifilm Finepix Z90 camera for $3.99. That's no misprint. A 12-megapixel, 5X zoom camera smaller than any smartphone. Under $5. 

It's no Leica, of course. In default "SR auto mode," the camera chooses high ISO settings for daylight photos. (Tip: use Program mode, set ISO yourself.) But with a wide-angle to zoom 28-140mm lens (in 35mm terms) and HD video, a nine-year-old camera that outperforms most phones is a fair deal.

You can skip eBay, and still land great deals. You get a couple of extra benefits:

• In this case, the camera came with a case, SD card, and battery. This isn't always so with thrift-store cameras. You need to check the camera out.
• Legacy photos: the camera's card had a few snapshots the prior owner never deleted. Nothing offensive, but intriguing enough to show that they'd been to Israel.

Downsides? 

• No battery charger. Not a big deal; aftermarket battery chargers are inexpensive on Amazon.com. I found a decent universal camera battery charger on closeout at Walmart for $9. (The Z90 uses a battery common to other Fujifilm models, as well as some Nikon Coolpix and Olympus compact cameras.) Find good aftermarket deals on battery/charger bundles online.
• These little shooters don't offer the latest technology. Sensors, lenses, and processors have improved somewhat in the last decade. WiFi transfer is seldom seen on an older camera.
• No user guide. Find it and download from the manufacturer's website. 

Strictly my opinion: a 10- or 12-megapixel camera is all most people need. You're not going to make a billboard out of most photos. That's what DSLR cameras are for.

Is this a great deal? Depends on your point-of-view. Want a camera to go on a thrill ride or in a kid's backpack? A $3.99 point-and-shoot is a small investment, and less costly than replacing a smartphone. 

Inflatable, Clayton, NY

Street in Israel, by previous owner.

Harley Davidson, Rochester, NY.

Where to find these deals:

Facebook's "Marketplace" pages are filled with $10-$25 cameras from reputable brands: Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Sony, and Panasonic (which manufactured cameras for other brands). Be wary, however; while many use SD memory cards, Sony relied on MemoryStick, and some Fuji and Olympus models used only xD cards. These cards are sometimes hard to find, and your card reader may not accept them.

Thrift stores offer a mixed bag. You can generally open the camera and see if it's missing batteries, or is otherwise damaged. The Z90 was a find, but other brands of that era -- Pentax, Kodak, and Samsung -- had less durable models, aren't making their own point-and-shooters any longer, and offer little support if you need it.

Should you gamble $5-$25 on a compact digital camera? That's your call. Check out these Z90 photos, and decide.