Fuji Discovery 3000 Date

<p>Camera: 1989(?) Fuji Discovery 3000 Date</p>

<p>Last week I <a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00YVcv">announced</a> I had purchased this camera, a few days later I took a small trip and had taken it with me. I loaded the camera with expired non-refrigerated 2004 Kodak Gold 200 135-24 film, I was kinda expecting a slight color shift but was very pleased with the out come.</p>

<p>I found that carrying this camera around by hand was not very comfortable and whished I had a neck strap.Even though the camera was simple to use, by nature I kept getting confused with the controls only because I have many other cameras and kept looking for the controls in different places.</p>

<p><br /> I never did use the on board flash even though it does function, when I needed the flash, I used the external flash. The external flash has two settings *Extended* and *Pre-Flash*, *Pre-Flash* is used for red-eye control.When in *Pre-Flash* mode, there is too long of a delay for the real flash to pop, seems almost a full second after, twice I used it, twice I took pictures of the ground and not the subject.</p>

<p><br /> Loading the film was real easy, I did have to consult the manual to confirm how to do it proper as this is my very first auto film camera. Loading the film...the cartridge inserts on the right side. One interesting note about this, is once you load the film, close the door, the film is then spooled on the left side during this process the camera counts the frames.</p>

<p><br /> The film stays on the take up spool and feeds the film back into the cartridge after you take your picture, so your first picture is actual on the last frame. This camera has a Fujinon Zoom Lens, f = 38-- 115mm, 1:4.4-- 8.9, 10 components, 13 elements and shutter speeds of 1/4--1/350 and ISO range of 25 - 1600. I found the lens was kinda slow zooming in an out, not for fast action shots! Great for general purpose photography.</p>

<p><br /> You can find more info on this camera via the <a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/fujica/fujica_discovery_3000/fujica_discovery_3000-splash.htm"> owners manual.</a></p>

<p><strong>The Camera:</strong></p>

<p><img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/camera/JB_002.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="520" height="420" /><br /> When I was taking taking the cameras photo's I thought it looked like a scorpion, so I created this poster.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/camera/JB_001.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="520" height="520" /><br /> Thought Id get creative like Rob Holz did with <a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00YWHn">*The Odd Couple*</a>.</p>

<p><strong>The Pictures:</strong></p>

<p>Photo's taken in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Oregon">Jacksonville, Oregon</a> - This is a great little town, they have a really nice pioneer cemetery.<br /> If your in the area, check 'em out!</p>

<p>#1<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_001.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="520" height="354" /></p>

<p>#2<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_002.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="520" height="357" /><br /> I thought about converting to B&W but opted to stay color and demonstrate its value.</p>

<p>#3<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_003.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="520" height="344" /></p>

<p>#4<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_004.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="349" height="520" /><br /> There's a horse drawn fire wagon in there!</p>

<p>#5<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_005.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="345" height="520" /><br /> One of my favorites.</p>

<p>#6<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_006.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="348" height="520" /><br /> I had taken a macro shot of the gear in his hat and the wall,<br /> oddly enough neither came back from the print shop.</p>

<p>#7<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_007.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="347" height="520" /><br /> The building with the flag is the court house.</p>

<p>#8<br /> <img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/pictures/JB_008.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="348" height="520" /></p>

<p>Film processed by Walgreen's, print scanned on a HP3970 at 600DPI and resized for the web.</p>

<p>Thanks for looking!</p>

<p>~Jack</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Well, it seems to take nice enough photographs, <strong>Jack</strong>, despite the sheer ugliness of it's appearance! Even the lesser Fujinon lenses perform well, in my experience. You make a good point about the annoyance of hand-straps and no neck-strap; I've been putting a couple of similar cameras through their paces and find them very awkward to carry, eventually resorting to wearing the belt bags supplied, and looking like a geeky tourist from the eighty's.<br /> Nice write-up on the camera, and a good selection of images; the door pic is excellent. Thanks for an interesting excursion into the world of "cameras-we-never-wanted"!</p>

<p>Love the poster, BTW...</p>

<p>Highly appropriate for the this forum. There are a bunch of these "post-Modern" cameras that seem to have been forgot about.</p>

<p>Nice work.</p>

<p>Very nice presentation of an interesting camera, Jack. That's one I've never encountered and it looks fun. It seems to perform well as your pics are all very nice, especially the door picture as Rick mentioned. Thanks for a great post!</p>

<p>I've always been curious about what one of these cameras could do. Looks very capable. Thanks for posting. Great images, BTW.</p>

<p>Lovely pictures indeed with a very quirky camera!</p>

<p>Jack, you should update your watermark logo to feature "The Scorpion"!</p>

<p>Thanks everyone! I will use it again, another day, I'll run a fresh roll of Ilford B&W and see how that does.<br>

@ Rick...even though this was hand held, I did kinda feel that way. <br>

@ Andrew...I just might do that! :)</p>

<p>Now off to test my other acquisition's! :)</p>

<p>Regards,<br /> Jack</p>

<p>I've often wondered about these and similar cameras, which occasionally appear at rummage and yard sales, always with batteries too dead to test them. They were pretty pricey when new, and my impression was that they never found a real market between the P&S and more versatile SLR's. But it's clear that the Fuji, at least could make a fine picture.</p>

<p>The film spooling is interesting. I presume that this feature means that even if the camera is opened by accident or broken, the shots you've made will be safe within the canister, and that's a pretty clever idea by itself.</p>

<p>Here are a few pictures:</p>

<p>#1<br>

<img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/camera/JB_006.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>#2<br>

<img src="http://www.pn.jacksjunk.com/2011/04-10-2011/camera/JB_007.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Here you can see the 6v battery and compartment.</p>

<p>~Jack</p>

<p> </p>