Expert Camera Reviews

The Fujifilm F31fd inherits its features from its predecessor, the award winning FinePix F30 camera. The Fuji FinePix F31fd is a stylish compact camera with an sharp Face Detection feature. The camera is built with a 6.3 megapixel CCD, 3x optical and 6x digital zoom and Picture Stabilisation mode, the Fuji FinePix F31fd gives a superb performance. At full resolution it has an ISO sensitivity of up to 3200. The camera also comes with some unique Fujifilm technologies such as Intelligent Flash

Strengths of the Fuji F31fd are:

• Built with Real Photo Processor II and new Super CCD HR VI
• Hardware-based Face Detection Technology built-in to the camera’s processor
• Fast response time to shots, 0.01 second shutter lag and 1.5 second start-up time
• Long-life battery which lasts for about 600 shots
• Aperture and shutter priority modes
• Very good response to low-light shooting conditions

Weaknesses are:

• 6.3 megapixel is very little compared to the 8 to 12 megapixels available
• Image qualities are not that sharp

Specifications:
Megapixels – 6.3
Weight (oz.) – 5.5
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 2.5 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 2.0 to 21.3 ft
Image stabilizer - Yes
Battery type – Rechargeable NP95 Lithium Ion
Special features – 26 MB built-in memory, xD card compatible, AVI Movie file format, USB 2.0 High Speed, Direct Printing compatible

Summary:
The combination of Fuji’s latest technologies, manual controls and easy functionality makes the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd a promising digital camera for novices and experts. It is a solid, low prices, all-round compact camera for general photography and low-light shooting conditions.

The Fuji Finepix A500 is a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. It has some easy to use features to be found on most basic digital cameras. In terms of price the Finepix A500 finds itself towards the cheaper end of the market. Therefore this camera is likely to appeal to anyone who is on a budget shopping spree. Unfortunately, the camera’s low price comes at a cost in the form of a limited 3X zoom range, a tiny 1.8 inch LCD screen, no manual controls and just 4 scene modes. Beyond 320×240 pixels it has no burst capabilities at all.

Strengths of the A500:

Good quality lens with low distortion and decent sharpness
Simple and easy user interface
Auto white balance handles a wide range of lighting quite well
ISO settings in all modes

Drawbacks:

No Continuous shooting mode
Small, low-resolution LCD screen which is hard to use in daylight
Slow shot-to-shot and playback performance
Contrast is a little high, tends to lose details such as highlight and shadow

Specifications:
Megapixels – 5
Weight (oz.) – 6.0
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 1.8 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 2.0 to 10.2 ft
Image stabilizer - No
Battery type – AA (x2)
Special features – Movie mode without sound, PictBridge and DPOF compatible, Macro lens settings, ISO from 100 to 400, Real image optical viewfinder

Summary:
If a low price camera to provide just basic image quality are your only demands, then the Fujifilm FinePix A500 might be the right choice for you. Priced in the $200 list, the A500 offers apparently a good shot for the buck with a solid 5.1-megapixel Super CCD HR image sensor, a 3x optical zoom, some basic scene modes, and the rich color image quality for which Fujifilm is well known.

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The Fujifilm F31fd inherits its features from its predecessor, the award winning FinePix F30 camera. The Fuji FinePix F31fd is a stylish compact camera with an sharp Face Detection feature. The camera is built with a 6.3 megapixel CCD, 3x optical and 6x digital zoom and Picture Stabilisation mode, the Fuji FinePix F31fd gives a superb performance. At full resolution it has an ISO sensitivity of up to 3200. The camera also comes with some unique Fujifilm technologies such as Intelligent Flash

Strengths of the Fuji F31fd are:

• Built with Real Photo Processor II and new Super CCD HR VI
• Hardware-based Face Detection Technology built-in to the camera’s processor
• Fast response time to shots, 0.01 second shutter lag and 1.5 second start-up time
• Long-life battery which lasts for about 600 shots
• Aperture and shutter priority modes
• Very good response to low-light shooting conditions

Weaknesses are:

• 6.3 megapixel is very little compared to the 8 to 12 megapixels available
• Image qualities are not that sharp

Specifications:
Megapixels – 6.3
Weight (oz.) – 5.5
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 2.5 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 2.0 to 21.3 ft
Image stabilizer - Yes
Battery type – Rechargeable NP95 Lithium Ion
Special features – 26 MB built-in memory, xD card compatible, AVI Movie file format, USB 2.0 High Speed, Direct Printing compatible

Summary:
The combination of Fuji’s latest technologies, manual controls and easy functionality makes the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd a promising digital camera for novices and experts. It is a solid, low prices, all-round compact camera for general photography and low-light shooting conditions.

The Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd belongs to the bridge cameras group whose primary features are live-preview on the digital cameras. It is an ultra zoom camera with a 6.3 Megapixel SuperCCD sensor that produces less noise than regular CCDs, and giving this camera the potential to be the low light king of its class. An interesting new face detection feature is available with this camera. The camera has a 10.71 x zoom and the 10.71x (28 – 300mm) lens is not separable, although it feels like a detachable lens with a rubber ring for full manual zoom control around the barrel.

Some very good features of the FinePix S6000fd are:
• Face detection technology is great for shooting pictures of people in groups
• Priced very low for the good quality lens and sensor it offers
• The camera is very light, has an excellent grip and resembles a dSLR camera.
• Manual zooming is simple and effective
• Supports the RAW file format
• High resolution LCD unit
• Excellent flash exposure

Some drawbacks of the camera are:
• No optical image stabilization provided, just picture stabilization mode which degrades image quality
• While capturing RAW images the shot-to-shot speed is quite slow
• The electronic viewfinder is hard to use
• Bulky in size

Specifications:
Megapixels – 7.2
Weight (oz.) – 5.9
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 3.0 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 4 ft to 11.2 ft
Image stabilizer – No
Battery type – Lithium Ion
Special features – Auto and Manual focus modes, new face detection technology, three continuous shooting modes, self-timer for delayed shutter release, DPOF and PictBridge compatible, Movie recording with sound

Summary:
The camera’s 6.3 megapixel image chip might not impress when there are models which boast up to 10 megapixels of resolution, but the images produced out of this camera are rich in color and impressively sharp, even in difficult shooting or low light conditions. The Fujifilm S6000fd can compete with many higher-resolution super zoom models and even over some digital SLRs.

The Fujifilm FinePix E900 features a 9-megapixel and a fifth generation super CCD high resolution sensor. The compact and lightweight FinePix E900 is the current flagship of Fujifilm’s E-series. The fully automatic features of the E900 provide point and shoot simplicity, while manual and customizable feature settings provide additional control particularly when combined with the power of optional lenses. The E900 delivers some impressive images even at ISO 800. The high speed USB port connectivity can be used for direct printing with any PictBridge compatible photo printer.

The selling points of the FinePix E900 are:
• Produces very good high quality photos
• Good high ISO performance although its a non-SLR camera
• Full manual controls
• Support for conversion lenses
• Batteries rechargeable
• Fast startup, focusing, shot-to-shot speeds
• Useful Natural Light mode
• High shutter speeds to minimize blurriness in photos
• USB 2.0 high speed support

Drawbacks of the FinePix E900 are:
• Slow performance in RAW recording and playback mode
• LCD can be difficult to see in low light; screen is low resolution as well
• No focus distance on LCD in manual focus mode
• No AF-assist lamp; poor low light focusing
• Lens locked at wide-angle in macro mode
• Full shutter speed range only available in manual mode
• Small memory card of 16 MB

Specifications:
Megapixels - 9.0
Weight (oz.) - 7.0
Optical Zoom - 4x
LCD Size - 2.0 inch
Battery type - AA (x2)
Special features - RAW images file format, Voice memos for still images, USB
2.0 connectivity, DPOF and PictBridge compatible, Standard, Chrome and Black and white color modes, JPEG and RAW image format support.

Summary:
From usability point of view, the FinePix E900 covers a range which includes beginners to sophisticated photographer. This makes it a great choice for multiple-users and also a good choice for someone who is looking for a camera that’s easy to use to get started with initially, but has additional features to offer as one becomes more experienced. The E900’s print quality is with no doubts very impressing especially in a point and shoot mode to deliver suitable 13×19 images even at ISO 800.

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The Fujifilm FinePix S5200 is a 5.1 megapixel with a 10x optical zoom, which is well-designed and a well-built camera with very good image quality and performance. While smaller than any digital SLR, yet it is too big for someone with casual shooting needs, but it’s the perfect size for a long-lens enthusiast’s camera. The S5200 has a comfortable and well-balanced body that fits nicely in the hands, and a high-speed sensor that provides usable natural and low-light images at sensitivities up to ISO 1600.

The good points about this camera are:

• Record movies at two resolutions, 640×480 or 320×240 at 30 frames per second
• High quality 10x zoom lens
• Solid image quality at high ISO speeds
• Attractive designs
• Special natural lights and anti-blur modes
• Stores images on xD picture cards
• Electronic color viewfinder
• Voice memos can be attached to still images
• Long battery life

Drawbacks of the S5200 are:

• Can record movies only with monaural sound and no zoom
• Bulky size and shape
• No image stabilization
• Noise at low ISO settings
• Small LCD screen
• Manual focusing is awkward to use

Specifications:
Megapixels - 5.1
Weight (oz.) - 16.6
Optical Zoom - 10x
LCD Size - 1.8 inch
Flash Range (ft) - Built-in manual popup multi-mode flash
Image stabilizer - No
Battery type - AA (x4)
Special features - USB 2.0 Connectivity, Self timer, Supports RAW format, Red
Eye reduction mode, comfortable handgrip

Summary:
The Fujifilm FinePix S5200 is a well-designed, well-built camera with very good performance. Its large size, absence of an image stabilizer and artifacts in its photos may turn off some photographers.