The only issue you will have is use of the video out to a vcr or television. NTSC is not compatible with PAL systems. You may get a black and white or otherwised compromised output when using on PAL equipment. Check around for local fuji service center, the setting is *probably software based on teh fuji. In that case, the service center should be able to switch it for you. I make no guarantees in any event! -Chris..

Mike, If you have an "international" edition, I would guess that there is a switch somewhere on the camera, or that you have 2 outputs: PAL and NTSC. Continental US and Japan use NTSC. Even if you (or the techs) can switch it for you, I would also assume that you have to have two separate cables, as the plugs would not be compatible. Anyway, you would not be doing yourself a favor if you were to look at your pictures through a TV set. It's alright in a pinch, but you certainly would not want to sacrifice the S602z resolution just to save to a VCR tape, at about 350x290 pixels! Mike..

Thanx Mike,.

             I'll check this one out and keep you posted.

                                           Cheers Mike W...

I have been researching digital cameras for several months now, and I am fairly convinced that the S602Z is the one for me. But I'm still ambivalent about the move to digital. One of the reasons I'm interested in digital is because in an economical manner I would like to get a better grasp of the photographic effects of the interaction between the different photo parameters, especially f-stop, shutter speed, and iso value. In speaking with a friend about this, he said he wasn't sure digital would be the appropriate tool since digital cameras in general aren't as sensitive to changes in these parameters as are film cameras. In particular he pointed out that the range of f-stops available in digital is usually much more limited than in film cameras; so this itself will limit the value of digital for my purpose. Any comments? Thanks...

ALL the observatories in the world stopped using film in favor of digital. I would agree that developing time was a big factor in the decision. However, rest assured that if sensitivity had been an issue, they would not have sacrificed it for speed. As in anything, it is more a matter of how much you want to invest to get all the gadgets. I have a Canon AE-1 Program SLR with some high-quality lenses, and all are now collecting dust. When I researched and tried digital cameras, I found out that my biggest problem was trying to find one with interchangeable lenses, and with "bulb" exposure.

I could have bought a digital camera (body only) for about $4000, and use existing lenses. The problem was, aside from the cost, my lenses did not have the auto-focus mechanism used in today's cameras. As for manual exposure, the 602 has a 15-second exposure time. Nikon has a camera with a 1-minute and one with a 5-minute settings, both priced accordingly. All I can say is I got the camera that I could afford and that suited me.

In buying my 602, I was looking for a camera with a high enough resolution to allow me to perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on some of my photos, using the camera as a scanner. It did suit my needs for a while. However, I recently purchased a USB (2.0) scanner for basically peanuts, so this is no longer an issue. I am not a pro, but I'm sure they'll tell you that, using a good quality camera, like the 602, you can rival some of the high-end film cameras. Combination of ISO settings, etc., allow you to "cheat" just like we used to do with film.

So I guess it is not really a clear-cut decision. Good luck, Mike..