That aside, it is a good little camera. TV-Out is more of a gimmic than something youll use regularly, as the pictures look very fuzzy, even on a decent TV. And its very very easy to use, and produces very good photos.

But personally, Id think twice about going for this camera over, say, the Canon Ixus V.

The MP3 player software forces you to convert via a special process, but if you can get the music on to the camera then its a great plus.

Of course this is a big step up from my other digital camera (a Kodak DC50). Right now I am keeping everything on automatic and even then it takes great photos. I need to learn play with the white balance some but it is nothing I cannot fix in a photo editor - I use VuePrint.

It also takes good action photos. Something I never thought to do with my previous digial camera. And the movies it makes are great.

The only thing I would recommend is go ahead and purchase a 64Mb card MINIMUM. I purchased the 128Mb card.

My only wish list item for this camera is to have the battery charger built in the camera so I can plug the camera in overnight without taking out the batteries. But I would gladly keep this off to keep it from getting any bigger.

The tiny size means I take it more places. The video only does a few minutes, but I end up using it only for a few "great momement" seconds shots and I can upload it to the net in no time fast.

the only grip I have is the MP3 is almost impossible to use. They have copyright protection that makes uploading music into the camera a beast.

I recommend a 32 meg card.

This camera is awesome, but make sure NOT to let your friends hold it without putting the strap on. It is easy to drop with the size.

Also get rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride or else your everready will only last like 1 day.

Get rid of the darn MP3 player and get a zoom. Since when is an MP3 player needed on a camera? You can get an MP3 player that is much smaller anyway.

Nice to have movies with sound - smart. But wow, no zoom was the biggest mistake that Fuji, or I, could have made. I cannot believe that management of such a quality company could possibly think that absence of a zoom would not be a big deal. This item will have a very, very high return rate.

I have one bit of advise: please...save your receipt, and wait for Fuji to wake up and smell the coffee. I am sure they will.

Those who wrote less than favorable reviews, seemed to have higher expectations of this camera than what was advertised. If you want to take professional quality photos, have lots of little buttons and settings on the camera to play around with, and be able to zoom in on distant subjects, then just buy a digital camera that has those features. Or those who expect more from the MP3 player, like ID3 tag support and being able to fast forward through songs, should just buy an MP3 player that has these options. After a year of using this camera I found I dont care about ID3 tags.
I think the only legitimate complaint people should be posting are about its reliability problems. I recently had a problem with the automatic shutter door not closing, so I have to send it in to be repaired - so 1 star off for that. But I am confident that once fixed, Ill resume using this great little camera.

One thing is the design of this thing, its just plain out nasty. Why would any one wanna buy a thing which looks a fat,overloaded, 25 dollar camera?

The music quality isnt good either, and not to leave out the picture quality. The pictures come out too dark, even though you can make them light.

IT JUST ISNT WORTH IT!

First off I had no problems with mp3s, I got mine ... and stuck em in the 40i and off I went. NO PROBS!!

This camera is tiny, its light and it a joy to hold and use. The quality of the pictures are amazing, I took a shot of the sky just before sunset and the detail in the clouds is unreal.

The 16MB supplied card is a bone of contention for me. Yes it will store 19 or so max resolution pics. But compact flash would have been the way to go Mr Fuji.

The smartmedia is ok but its wafer thin, looks like it could easily break with removing it all the time to go in a card reader and the industry seems to support the bigger CF cards. So why not Fuji?

I reckon a 64meg card would give you almost 80 pics at the max setting. Maybe enough for a holiday/vacation hmmm maybe.....

I did print out some pics first at max setting, then at norm setting and I couldnt tell the difference - even at 10 by 8 size so maybe a 64 meg card would do it.

Anyway, this is the camera for me, I dont buy things unless I am totally happy with them and I am totally happy with this purchase.

Based on overall performance and features alone, lets be realistic - the first three cameras pale in comparison to the 990 (except the 4700s pixel count). The 990 has the most depth of features for taking pictures. But the criteria for size eliminates the 990. During the time that I was looking, the 40i was not yet available. Between the S100 and S20/4700, my decision came down to smaller size of the S100 vs. the pixel count of the other two. I eliminated both the S20 and 4700 based on size (though the 4700 is pretty impressive). While I was still a little concerned because the S100 only has 2.1 megapixel resolution, I ordered the S100 through Amazon. On a trip to Istanbul, I ran across an electronics store in Heathrow Airport that had just gotten an initial shipment of the 40i. I got to compare the S100 (called Ixus in UK) head to head against the 40i. For roughly 10-15% more in price, you get a camera thats about the same size BUT you get better resolution AND MP3 player capability. Looks and size were essentially a tie, but I liked the feel of the 40i better and the blue color version was, how can I put it, just sweeeeeet! I think the one shown on Amazon right now is the silver version so make sure you check out the blue one. I returned the S100 and am keeping the 40i.

In terms of experience using it, the camera is great - you can take it anywhere easily and youll find yourself clicking away. I also bought a 64MB Smart Media ID card which lets me get 79 pictures on the normal setting on the highest resolution. Here are the positives and negatives on the camera:

Positives:

1) The small size comparable to S100 - these two cameras are head and shoulders above all others - make it tops for traveling.

2) The 40i has super easy navigational controls (the dial in the back for setting, electronic menus, and the on/off switch are all great).

3) The MP3 capability with remote control and headphones included is a differentiator and the avoided cost of not having to buy a stand-alone MP3 player should be factored in.

4) This camera can record and playback short movies up to about 1 1/2 minutes. You really need more memory to use this feature.

5) Rechargeable battery pack, travel pack, strap, headphones, A/V cables, and remote control are all included in the kit.

6) Fuji has included really easy user manuals for all hardware/software needs.

7) Pretty standard these days - the camera has USB interface and A/V connection for TV viewing.

8) And of course, because I have to live with it - it looks great in that blue color with its design. The "oooh and aaaahhh" factor is up there.

Negatives:

1) The limited zooming capability (digital) makes it hard to take certain pictures (ex. close-ups of a building in the distance), and this zooming capability is not available on the highest resolution setting.

2) Flash capability is only helpful for shorter range stuff; distance nighttime shots are darker than expected unless other light sources aid the picture. The 990 rules in this category.

3) Battery-chewing appetite - it feels like you go through a new set of batteries (using monitor full-time and flash 1/2 of time) every 20-30 shots. I think this problem is common to all digital cameras (blame the segment!).

4) While a 16MB Smart Media card is part of the kit, you need at least 32MB to have more flexibility and do serious damage.

Overall, the Fuji FinePix 40i is superb - its fun to use and will exceed your expectations. Make sure youre able to live with negatives #1 and #2. When compared to its peers and the criteria above (size, ease of use, breadth of features), it sets a new standard for digital cameras.