Color Reproduction
* For all of our color tests, we reset the cameras to their factory default settings. They were then set to record using the highest image quality option. Color space is sRGB.We took a picture of our color chart both indoors (tungsten lighting) and outdoors (direct sunlight). Click on a thumbnail below to view the full-size image.
Tungsten WB
| Auto WB | Tungsten WB | |
| Fuji FinePix A330 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
| Kodak CX7330 |  Click to enlarge. |
N/A |
| Olympus D-540 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
 Reference Chart ("actual colors") |
||
| Auto WB | Incandescent WB | |
| Fuji FinePix A330 |  |
 |
| Kodak CX7330 |  |
N/A |
| Olympus D-540 |  |
 |
Under tungsten lighting with Auto white balance, the Kodak camera has the best color reproduction. The Fuji A330 shows a very slight yellow/orange cast while the Olympus was afflicted with a rather strong yellow/orange cast. When each camera was set to Tungsten WB, the Olympus camera showed very accurate color reproduction. The Fuji camera still displays a yellow/orange cast here. The Kodak camera does not offer adjustable white balance options.
Daylight WB
| Auto WB | Daylight WB | |
| Fuji FinePix A330 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
| Kodak CX7330 |  Click to enlarge. |
N/A |
| Olympus D-540 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
| Reference Chart ("actual colors") |
||
| Auto WB | Daylight WB | |
| Fuji FinePix A330 |  |
 |
| Kodak CX7330 |  |
N/A |
| Olympus D-540 |  |
 |
When set to Auto WB in the sun, all three cameras proved to be capable of very accurate color reproduction. However, this comparison also shows the differences in exposure. The Fuji camera produced the brightest colors while the Kodak camera produced the darkest. With the cameras set to Daylight white balance, both the Olympus and Fuji cameras produced very accurate colors. The only significant difference is that the Fuji chart is a bit brighter and more saturated than the Olympus. Again, the Kodak camera offers no other setting than Auto.
Studio Shot
In this shot, we tested the camera's ability to reproduce colors in our studio shot using different WB settings under tungsten light.| Auto WB | Tungsten WB | |
| Fuji FinePix A330 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
| Kodak CX7330 |  Click to enlarge. |
N/A |
| Olympus D-540 |  Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
Not surprisingly, the Kodak camera produces the most accurate colors of the three cameras. However, it is interesting to see that the Fuji camera actually has a stronger yellow/orange cast than the Olympus camera. This is the opposite of what we saw with the color charts above. When the cameras are set to Tungsten WB, the Olympus D-540 shows a very accurate color performance and underexposes the frame, while the Fuji A330 has a yellow/orange cast and a brighter exposure than the Olympus.
Built-in Flash
For the flash test, we set the cameras to Auto mode w/Auto flash. The pictures were taken from 5 feet away.| Fuji FinePix A330 | Kodak CX7330 | Olympus D-540 |
 Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
 Click to enlarge. |
In this flash comparison, all three cameras managed to avoid any color cast on the white background. However, it is fairly obvious that they all reproduce skin tones differently. The Olympus D-540 produces the most accurate skin tone followed by the Fuji A330. The Kodak CX7330 has oversaturated the hand producing a reddish appearance.
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akaristos2 - Tuesday, February 8, 2005 - link
Any sources in Europe where it could be had for 129 euros? Much appreciated a reply. Thanksakaristos2 - Tuesday, February 8, 2005 - link
Where can I gt a Ricoh Caplio RX and at what price point. Thanks for a reply.cryptonomicon - Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - link
the a340 will probably enter the price point soon too, i got it for $161 at ritz's / wolf's.tmim16 - Monday, January 3, 2005 - link
I got the Fuji A330 for my wife back in May for her birthday not knowing that much about it, but man were we impressed! I got it as a mother's day newegg special for $180 including a 128MB xd card.Even though I'm not in the market for another camera, I would have liked to see a couple more compared.
orenb - Monday, January 3, 2005 - link
Zepper, the Ricoh Caplio RX can be had for €129 in Europe, which is not that far off $150.As for not having it in the US, well, that's a bummer. Having to settle for plastic toys that take almost a whole second to actually shoot sucks, especially when one has to pay roughly the same price as the RX.
Both Ricoh and American residents are losing big time from this, the former loses a huge market, the latter loses some really cool and innovative cameras, but since Ricoh can't handle the demand in Europe (at least in the UK and Germany they can't), I bet they have a good reason to wait with a US launch.
unclebud - Monday, January 3, 2005 - link
"Nice article... would have been nice to see it BEFORE the holidays though ;) "what i was thinking (although i have 6 or 7 digicams and ain't gone buy another one for more than a hundred)
Zepper - Monday, January 3, 2005 - link
Almost no Ricoh product is available in the USA as Ricoh has chosen not to compete here in the consumer market (perhaps you weren't aware that AT was an American web site). I guess it's not too hard to get their copiers here though.. Not to mention that the price of the few Caplio RXs I've found such as on eBay is about twice that of the units under test - apples and oranges...
.bh.
spug1 - Sunday, January 2, 2005 - link
...geez everyone!! Get off their back. It would be an impossible job to do all of the cameras at this price point! Kodak, fuji and olympus are big names, which people will often go to straight away....so its allowing the customer to make an educated choice on popular brands. I sell a large range of cameras at my shop, and I most always recomend the a330. Its a beautiful little camera, and IMO the best bang 4 buck at this price!!Souka - Sunday, January 2, 2005 - link
Title should be "Three $150 digi-cams compared"Z80 - Saturday, January 1, 2005 - link
I'm on my third Fuji digital camera and they have all been great performers! They all still work too! The latest model I purchased last year just before Christmas was the FinePix S5000 with 10x optical zoom. I've found that the xD-Picture Card memory helps lengthen battery life to where I can shoot well over 100 photos without recharging the batteries. Also, the Fuji cameras all appear to have better jpeg compression that other cameras because my photo files at 3.1 or 4.2 Megapixel take less space than other cameras. When my family got together and compared photos after our Christmas party last weekend, my Fuji consistently took better photos than the other cameras. Even the Canon Digital Rebel that my nephew didn't really know how to use.