• Very good picture quality and long 6x optical zoom
  
  The 2800z uses Fuji's latest sensor technology also found in the A201, 2600z, and 30i models. This results in images with more saturated colors and lower JPEG image compression artifacts than prior cameas in their line. The automatic exposure is very reliable under most situations and predictable under extreme highlight/backlight, to the point where the usual exposure compensation adjustments can be simply be memorized and applied.
  
  With subjects that are so far away where one can't see the details clearly, most digital cameas with 3x zooms stop too short when zooming in. On the otherhand, the 6x optical zoom on the 2800z has no trouble at all clearly enlarging those far away subjects.
  
  
  
  Coupled with what appears to be the same/similar 6x optical zoom found in their more expensive models, the 4800z and 6800z, the 2800z is capable of taking pictures that are very good in sharpness and decently low in distortion across the entire 6x zoom range.
  
  Because the 2800z uses a 6x optical zoom, images taken anywhere within this range retain their full 2 megapixel quality and resolution captured by the imaging sensor - unlike other cameras that use digital zoom, which sadly crops and enlarges the center portion of an image, resulting in images with much lower quality and resolution vs. the 2800z.
  
  
• Long battery life
  
  While many other digital cameras with long zooms run out of power quickly, the 2800z utilizes improved low-power technology to stretch battery life into the hours, allowing for hundreds of high-resolution pictures before the four AA batteries run out.
  
  If you turn the camera off after taking some pictures during the course of a day-trip, you can easily expect the camera to last about 4-8 hours and take enough pictures to fill a 128MB SmartMedia flash card with over 200 high-resolution 2MP pictures on a single set of four AA alkaline batteries.
  
  (~200 pictures is equivalent to taking approximately eight rolls of film on a traditional 35mm point and shoot camera.)
  
  
• Compact design, Comfortable weight
  
  The 2800z weighs 270g/9.5oz, which is similar in weight to many 35mm point-and-shoot cameras from the past decade, and one of the lightest long-zoom digital cameras made today.
  
  Perhaps more suprising are the dimensions: 95x77x71mm/3.7x3x2.8", smaller than a 3x5" photograph in width and height, with the short 71mm/2.8" depth accomidating the 6x optical zoom lens.
  
  The real-life impression of the 2800z is that it is noticably smaller than it appears in the brochures, and certainly small compared to the other long-zoom digital cameras on the market.
  
  Pocketablility is good, fitting easily into most jacket pockets, but more importantly, the low weight and small size allows the 2800z to be easily carried around the neck with much fatigue during longer day-trips.
  
  A rounded plastic body that grips easily in the hands lends a warm, comfortable feeling to the camera during picture taking, especially in colder weather.
  
  
• Fast operation
  
  The 2800z is relatively quick in all operations - powering up, zooming, switching modes, shutter operation, and image playback. While it is not as fast as the non-zoom digicams available due to the mechanics of operating the 6x optical zoom, it is quick in comparison to many short and long-zoom digicams on the market today and among the quicker operating long-zoom digicams. You never find yourself waiting long for the camera, even when starting up, to be greatly annoyed by the delays.
  
  
• Sensible body design
  
  The 2800z fits well into the hand, and major functions such as powering on/off, zoom, and shutter can be controlled with just one hand, helped along by its low weight. Coupled with a clean sense of design and just a handful of smartly placed control buttons on the back and elsewhere, the 2800z is one of the easier to understand and use digital cameras on the market, especially after reading through the comprehensive, 96 page manual containing clear step-by-step instructions and pictures.
  
  A rounded body aids grip, and has no annoying edges to catch on clothing when kept in a jacket pocket or around the neck with the included neck strap.
  
  The box comes with everything you need to start using the camera in a matter of minutes, including a handy lens cap that is attached to the camera by a strap to prevent loss.
  
  The color LCD electronic viewfinder allows you to clearly see what the camera will take and has taken under bright outdoor sunlight, where the back LCD panel of digicams typically is washed out and too difficult to see.
  
  
• Multimedia features
  
  The 2800z includes the ability to act as a webcam (web camera) when attached to your PC with the included USB cable to allow others to see you from afar when they're similarly connected and conversing with you over the Internet. It can also take short movie clips with sound up to a minute in length at 320x240 resolution, with quality quite good for any digicam at this price range.
  
  Both modes require lots of light, so daytime use is suggested.
  
  When attached to the PC, any SmartMedia flash card inside the camera will appear as another removable storage device, and can be used as such to store and transport documents from PC to PC. This also allows easy access to the images you've taken although the included picture viewing software does a great job at automatically starting up when it detects the 2800z and displaying the images as thumbnails or full-screen for you.

In summary, the FujiFilm 2800z is an affordable long-zoom, 2MP digicam that possesses very good image quality, battery life, and well-balanced design. The long-zoom lens will open up multitudes of picture taking opportunities, and allow owners to expand their photography range tremendously. The automatic point-and-shoot design of the 2800z allows owners to freely focus on composition and exploration of subjects, helping them develop their photographic eye quicker that with manual cameras of the past.