Fujifilm's original 2001 A-series compact — 2MP CCD, fixed-focus 36mm lens, SmartMedia, AA power
The Fujifilm FinePix A201 was announced on 23 August 2001 as one of the first two models in the new entry-level A series, alongside the 1.3-megapixel A101. It was the line that established Fujifilm's cheap-and-simple digital formula, and was succeeded by the A202 the following year.
It carried a 2.0-megapixel 1/2.7in CCD behind a fixed-focus 36mm-equivalent f/4.8 lens — there is no zoom and no autofocus, just a macro switch. Framing used a 1.6in 55,000-pixel LCD or optical finder, sensitivity was fixed at ISO 125, and it captured 320x240 silent movie clips. Storage was SmartMedia and power two AA batteries; it could also serve as a basic webcam.
This is a Y2K-era digicam curio: 6x8in prints were its stated ceiling, and its charm today lies in the lo-fi early-CCD look that has found a following among digicam collectors. Fixed focus keeps operation foolproof but rules out anything closer than about 80cm without the macro switch.
SmartMedia is the biggest ownership hurdle — cards are long discontinued, low-capacity and increasingly pricey, so a working bundled card matters. AA power is trivially easy. Check the flash charges, the LCD is legible, and the battery compartment is free of corrosion, common on cameras this old.