Fuji's new camera and film

According to Japanese press release dated 21 June 2004, Fuji is
starting a new product line called Natura, which is based around the
concept of available light photography. The first two products are a
35mm format 1600 speed color negative and a 35mm format compact camera
with a fixed 24mm f/1.9 lens. It has an incorporated flash, but when a
1600 speed film is loaded, the camera is set to non-flash mode, and
with slower films, auto flash mode. Not much more of the details of
the camera is described in the press release. These products are to
ship by fall of this year.

Fuji currently sells a 35mm compact camera called Silvi F2.8 with 24mm
f/2.8 to 50mm f/5.6 (2x zoom, 6e, 5g). I am guessing that the market
reacted favorably to the concept of a 35mm compact with a 24mm
lens. This new camera seems to have dropped the zoom and focused on
the basic performance instead of useless trimmings. But the press
release doesn't get into details.

The idea of camera decides the flash mode for me isn't appealing, but
what often Fuji does after releasing idiot-friendly cameras that are
well accepted by serious users is to release a limited edition with a
few expansions that allow users to override automation to some
extent. They did this with Silvi F2.8 as well (exposure compensation
function was added in the limited edition).

I personally have enough cameras (especially 35mm) but 24mm in a
pocket isn't a bad addition at all...

--
Ryuji Suzuki
"You have to realize that junk is not the problem in and of itself.
Junk is the symptom, not the problem."
(Bob Dylan 1971; source: No Direction Home by Robert Shelton)