Fujifilm Big Job HD-3W: The dangerous camera for boys
Fujifilm has announced the UK release of the hilariously monikered Big Job HD-3W: a rubber camera for tough fellas. No, really
Ever wondered what would happen if Tonka and Yorkie made a camera for lumberjacks and took their design cues from the A-Team van? That's the kind of question we dedicate our lives to here at Crave, so you can imagine our delight when Fujifilm announced just such a camera. And even better: it's called the Big Job. No, really. The Fujifilm Big Job HD-3W has been around in Japan for a while, and will be muscling on to British building sites and oil rigs in August.
The robust Big Job is designed for use by those in tough environments, such as the construction or engineering industries. We love the stocky, business-like design, with its square shoulders and stylin' red stripe. Everything about this camera is big: there's a sturdy rubber grip and large 76mm (3-inch) screen -- with a reinforced glass coating, naturally -- while the buttons are chunky and spaced for users wearing gloves. It's waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. Admittedly, it's only drop-proof for up to 0.6m, so try to fall most of the way yourself.
Seriously, this camera could have all of us at Crave (and our dads) but the Big Job isn't all brawn and no brains. Fujifilm's admirably task-specific thinking extends to features such as a 'Detection of Manipulation' system that records whether an image has been edited, preserving the integrity of the original image for official purposes. The CALS mode also takes dinky 1-megapixel pictures for quick and easy distribution by email -- perfect for when users are too busy wrestling bears and snacking on rocks to mess about with resizing. And it takes AA batteries, which is handy for when you can't charge it because you haven't put the sockets in yet. Or the walls.
Although the features of this tough guy are well thought out, the actual camera specs are rather underwhelming: 6-megapixel sensor, a 3x optical zoom and ISO 1,600 capability, all of which are easily surpassed in cameras half the size. On the plus side, the Big Job boasts a flash so strong it'll blind a moose at up to 10m (probably), and a flash hotshoe as well.
Pricing for the Big Job has not yet been revealed, but funny name aside, the Big Job is such a specific design that it won't interest the average consumer. If, however, you're a builder, engineer, bomb disposal expert, or just galactically clumsy, it's worth getting your expense request into accounts now. -Rich Trenholm