Fujifilm's 1999 enthusiast compact — 2.3MP CCD, 3x zoom, hot shoe, aperture priority; FinePix 2900Z in Japan
The Fujifilm MX-2900, marketed as the MX-2900 Zoom, was announced in May 1999 as the enthusiast model in Fujifilm's MX range, sold in Japan as the FinePix 2900Z. It broke from the line's vertical styling with a horizontal magnesium alloy body and was aimed at consumers demanding higher-end control from a digital compact.
A 2.3-megapixel 1/2-inch CCD produced images up to 1800x1200 pixels through a Fujinon 3x optical zoom (f=7.4-22mm) with an f/3.3-5.0 maximum aperture. Shutter speeds ran from 1/4 to 1/2000 second, storage was on SmartMedia cards, and a 2-inch TFT screen handled playback. Unusually for the class it offered a hot shoe for external flash, aperture-priority exposure, an uncompressed recording mode and a Pioneer-developed Map Viewer function; the body weighed 345g.
The hot shoe and aperture priority made this one of the more capable consumer digicams of 1999, and it suits collectors who want an early enthusiast compact rather than a pure point-and-shoot. Files remain small by modern standards, so practical use is casual.
Confirm the zoom motor runs smoothly through its range and that the hot shoe contacts are clean if flash use matters. SmartMedia cards are discontinued and capacity-limited, so a working card is important, as is a functioning proprietary battery and charger. Check the 2-inch TFT for bleed and test aperture-priority mode actually changes exposure.