Roundup: Compact Digital Cameras : FujiFilm FinePix F60fd
15. FujiFilm FinePix F60fd
Scene Recognition
Fujifilm has finally given into fashion by adding a feature which automatically decides which scene mode to use, SR Auto.
The feature works quite well, and is very quick. If for any reason it fails to determine which scene mode to use, it falls back to the "regular" Automatic mode without wasting too much time.
Our only gripe with SR quto mode is that it involves constant refocusing, which is frustratingly loud and clunky. Unlike in other modes, there's nothing you can do to modify the behavior of the focus either--you just have to let it get on with it.
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd follows on from the F50fd, from whom it inherits many of its features. Back this time are a 3x optical zoom, a 12 Megapixel SuperCCD sensor and dual image stabilization. The major changes, in fact, come in the onboard software, rather than in the hardware. But does the F60 still stand up to the competition?
Handling
- FinePix F60fd Silver...
Getting your hands on the F60 for the first time is a reassuring experience, with the solid case covered in a fairly stylish finish. On the back, a generous 3-inch LCD screen is an upgrade from the 2.7-inch available on previous models. Unfortunately, though, the resolution remains unchanged and the 230, 000 pixels now struggle on a larger display. This screen's refresh rate is average at best, and the images it shows soon become jerky and unclear in low light. Fujifilm's competitors Canon and Panasonic certainly have the advantage in this area.
Interface
The manufacturer's designers have obviously been working hard on making an easy-to-use product, and all of the buttons--and they are pretty tiny--are surprisingly easy to reach. The inclusion of a real click wheel makes changing from one mode to the other very easy too, and it's definitely an improvement on Fujifilm's F100fd which features a "virtual" scroll wheel; this shows up on the screen and is a lot less intuitive. The F button, found on all of Fujifilm's cameras, still gives one-stop access to a handful of key settings such as ISO speed, image size and color.
Two additions on the F60 are a shutter priority mode and image stabilization controlled by moving the sensor, rather than the lens mount. The 3x optical zoom, with no wide-angle option, is a disappointment, as is the rather limited macro mode which only works at up to 7 cm.
Using the F60 is a pleasure, even if it is a little slow. Waiting for the camera to initialize drags noticeably, but the AutoFocus and face detection features work well, which is by no means a given on digital compacts in this price bracket.
The burst mode also keeps up with the competition, managing a speed of 2.7 frames per second across a burst of three high quality images. When only using 3 Megapixels, burst speed can get over 5 fps on longer bursts.
Image Quality
The 3x optical zoom performs well in general without too much distortion. Coupled with the 12 Megapixel Super CCD sensor, it results in sharp photos with only a little blurring around the edge of the frame. In the past, Super CCD sensors were known as prone to the phenomenon of purple fringing, but Fujifilm seems to have resolved this image on the F60. Outside, the automatic white balancing works well, but indoors, images still appear too warm under artificial light.
In terms of its electronic noise handling, it's fair to say that the F60 is not a bad camera, but it does struggle to reach the bar set by some other compacts. At the highest shutter speeds (3200 and 6400 ISO), definition is reduced first to 6 Megapixels and then down to 3 Megapixels. Any photos you take using these settings will be limited to 4 x 6-inch prints, as you won't be able to blow them up any further. Comparing A4 prints at slower speeds between the F60 and the F100, the latter definitely comes off better.
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Detail from a 1600 ISO image on the F100 (left) and the F60 (right)
Sample Portrait with flash. Click to compare with other digital compacts.
| FujiFilm FinePix F60fd | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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| The F60fd is a good-looking digital compact at an attractive price. It's a tempting offer, but Fuji will have to do more--adding a wide-angle lens, for example, and improving noise handling--before it reaches the standards of the F100fd. |  |
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
When you say classified, what do you mean? Do you mean the pages should go in order of price, or in order of rating? Such as the cheap ones at the beginning and the expensive ones at the end OR the best cameras at the top and the worst cameras at the bottom?
i meant group them by chosen price ranges/brackets or any feature you think is relevant since comparison between cameras is just difficult with the present format wherein it is only possible to compare models of a certain brand.
It would have been nice if all the cameras were given scores (yes I know this is very subjective, but so are all the comments and pro/con sections). Idealy they would be given su scores as well (i.e. a still picture score, a video score, a asthetics score, a usablity score, maybe some others) and then the cameras could be sorted by those scores with links, maybey a short blurb at each camera in the sorted list. Another thing that would be very usefull to myself and I assume other readers is a features table that allows us to compare all the cameras.