FUJIFILM Discovery 290 35mm Film Camera

The fuji discovery 290 zoom date.
Well, I actually own the very similar model 270 zoom, but my sister owns the 290 and I have used it quite a bit and it is very similar. The camera has automatic focus and auto film winding and rewinding (very useful). It also has a macro function that isn't very useful for the reason that when you get really close it doesn't focus as you would expect. You really can't get as close as you want to, and the indicator telling you if it is focused isn't totally accurate when filming from flower distance. If you get it to tell you it is focused at just a couple of inches it usually means that it is really focused on something you aren't trying to take a picture of.
The camera has a 38-90 mm zoom. This is fairly good for a still non-slr camera, but I really am not impressed, because you either need to get more in the picture (not wide enough), or you would prefer to zoom in more. However, what you do get is certainly a lot better than fixed 35 mm and is certainly good for a camera this price and format.
The picture quality of the camera is fine if you are not a professional, but what does leave something to be desired is control. This camera is auto-everything, and if the automatic sensors get fooled, you end up with a less than perfect picture. Still, for a camera in this price range and of this type, that is to be expected. Also, the automatic sensors do a fairly good job in a wide range of conditions. For someone who doesn't want to fool around with a bunch of controls, this is a blessing and not a problem.
Glare reflections are not one of the conditions where the auto sensors do well. If there is the possibility of glare, do not use the flash. The autoexposure will make what you are trying to take a picture of very dark while the glare with still be very bright. Unfortuneatly, not using the flash does not always work too great because you may not have much of an option in the lighting conditions you are presented with. Although the camera does have automatic exposure control, it cannot do a long timed exposure for low light. For that you will need a more sophisticated camera. Faster film (like 400, 800, or even 1600) may do in a pinch although it will cost more and may not produce the same level of picture quality.
As for the battery, it uses a fairly standard 3v lithium battery that last a fairly good amount of shots, but will need to be replaced eventually with normal usage. You don't need to worry very much with normal usage. With heavy usage, you should keep an extra battery hanging around, however.
The camera is also very reliable, and has taken it's fair share of bumps and scrapes with no problems at all. This easy to use good quality camera would make an excellent choice and you would get a lot of mileage out of it before you decide you want something with more features.
The date function of the 290s is really not too great. It makes this ugly orange mark on the picture. This is how date stamps are supposed to work, but it is not a nice result. A better option is to use a photo developer that will put a date stamp on the back of the print during developing.
Overall, this camera would make a good choice for a first time camera as a gift, or for someone who wants a good camera intended for more than simple snapshots but not really all that demanding usage. The price is very good for those uses too at around $160 it is definitely well worth it instead of using a really cheap camera or disposable. Since film and development will ultimately cost more than the camera for all but the least demanding of uses, this should not be much of a problem hopefully.