Fujifilm Finepix F70EXR – Review – 32

Claimed to be the world’s smallest digital compact camera with a 10x zoom lens, Fujifilm’s FinePix F70EXR brings a range of powerful new features to the ultra-compact market, says Harley Ogier

Design

Sleek and subtly rounded, the F70EXR is an excellent about-town camera; it feels solid enough to be pocketed without a case, and has few sharp corners to ruin the line of your jacket or trousers. The cost of that sleekness is a very plastic look and feel, all shiny surfaces that attract fingerprints faster than you could possibly hope to remove them.

The controls are pretty standard for a compact camera and easy to figure out without having to delve into the manual. Everything can be operated one-handed, and although the plastic body can be a little slippery, it fits nicely in the hand and isn’t too easy to drop.

Image Quality

Image quality is better than average, though like all compacts the F70EXR displays some image noise under all but the most brilliant lighting. The ‘EXR’ automatic shooting mode produces good results in a wide range of environments, both indoors and out. Dynamic range is particularly good, though in extreme sunlight you can still end up with a white-out sky.

Although you get good results for free, the F70EXR is capable of much more. Only when you switch over to the scene modes or manual controls do you really make the most of the camera’s capabilities. Noise can be virtually eliminated and dynamic range can be improved to a level that rivals many amateur dSLRs.

Shooting Modes

The F70EXR includes several highly innovative shooting modes aimed at working around some of the limitations of the compact camera format.
A ‘Pro Focus’ mode allows you to take shots with your subject in focus and the background blurred. Creating a shallow depth of field like this is notoriously difficult on the average digital compact, if not outright impossible — it’s a capability dependent on the lens, not something that can be easily emulated in software.

Fujifilm takes the clever approach of shooting multiple frames: one of your subject in focus, and the rest of the background out of focus. These are then superimposed into a single image, with impressive results. There can be a fair amount of image noise generated, especially where the subject and background meet. Still, it’s a small price to pay for a feature that other digital compact owners just can’t have.

Using a similar multiple-image approach, a ‘Pro Low-Light’ mode provides impressive low-light performance without using the flash. The results in very dim light are noisy but passable, where other high-end compacts fail to produce a usable image at all. Under reasonable indoor lighting, results are virtually noise-free and far exceed the quality of images shot by similar cameras in the same environment.

Conclusion

Those only interested in pressing the shutter button won’t be disappointed by the F70EXR but they’ll never make the most of their new camera. Truly, this is one for the digital compact buyer who wants to put some effort into researching and tweaking settings for the perfect image.

FUJIFILM 
FINEPIX F70EXR – SPECS

Manufacturer: Fujifilm
Model: FinePix F70EXR
Effective Pixels: 10.0 million
Lens: 5-50mm (35mm equivalent 27-270mm)
Viewfinder: None
Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT LCD, 
230,000 dots
Shutter: 1/2000 to 1/4 seconds, 
up to 8 seconds in manual modes
Aperture: Wide – f3.3-f6.4, 
Telephoto – f5.6-f11.0
ISO: 100-12,800
Shooting Modes: Auto, EXR, natural light & with flash, scene, program, manual, movie
Exposure Metering: Multi-
segment (256 zones)
Focus Modes: Auto focus (multi, centre), continuous AF
Internal Memory: ~47MB
Media: SD, SDHC
File Format: JPEG, AVI, WAV
Flash: Built-in
Interface: USB 2.0, Composite 
video out
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion
Dimensions: 99.3 x 58.9 x 22.7mm
Weight: 180g without battery or card

CONTACT

www.fujifilm.co.nz

PROS

• High image quality
• Good dynamic range

CONS

• Manual settings necessary for 
best performance

Design                      17
Performance             18
Features                   18
Image Quality           17
Value for money       16

TOTAL 86/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP – Review – 30

Phil Hanson takes a new waterproof camera from FujiFilm down to the poolside

Some readers may have learnt the hard way that moisture and the electronics inside digital cameras are not a good mix.

Many cameras, even some professional dSLRs, lack waterproofing and must be used with caution in inclement weather and dusty areas. Forget about giving them a good dunking.

In the days of film, photographers had to use a cumbersome casing to go underwater, or buy one of a few specialised cameras like the Nikonos or Sea & Sea models.

Special casings have largely been required for digitals going sea-side, but now some specialised waterproofed models are available and the latest to splash into D-Photo’s test pool is Fujifilm’s FinePix Z33WP.

You won’t be able to dive the Mariana Trench with this baby, but it is good at three metres for up to two hours or, more typically, splashing around at the beach or pool.

BODY BEAUTIFUL

The Z33WP’s a small camera even for compact, but it is beautifully formed and quite distinctive in a marketplace where one product often looks much the same as the other. The lens is at the top right corner (as you view it), a look inherited from some earlier members of the FinePix family, and although the body is curvy, it’s easy to hold.

The back is dominated by a 2.7-inch LCD screen and two rows of five buttons each are arranged down the right side. Apart from the shutter and on/off button, all functions are controlled by these buttons, a requirement of the waterproofing.

Although small, the buttons, which are convex, are surprisingly easy to use and the interface quite intuitive.

THE LENS

Because waterproofing and a telescoping zoom lens don’t go well together, the 6.3-18.9mm Fujinon lens is located entirely within the slim body behind a clear glass cover. There’s no protective cap and the cover must be kept clean and clear if picture quality is not to be affected.

The confined nature of the lens likely explains why its optical zoom range is a modest 3x and the maximum aperture f3.7 (and f4.2 at the tele end) when f2.8 is common on compacts. The lens represents a 35-105mm full-frame equivalent — useful for many applications, although it may not please wide-angle enthusiasts. For those who need to reach farther, digital zoom extends the range to about 5.7x with a loss of image quality.

Overall the lens performs well, although not at its best when shooting into the sun — there’s not even a semblance of a lens shade.

IN THE FIELD

Fujifilm sternly warns that the Z33WP is not shockproof, so you might not want to take it on your next extreme adventure. It also warns to be careful at the beach as sand may get into the microphone and speaker. D-Photo played it safe and took it to where many users will typically make their images: poolside and at a local lake.

Left to its own devices the camera tends to choose higher ISO speeds than I’d have thought necessary. Unfortunately, the images are getting noisy by 400 ISO, so for maximum quality, set the speed manually — the alternatives go down to a commendable 64.

It’s great to be able to splash around and not worry about wrecking your camera.

CONCLUSION

The Z33WP should enjoy a good market in our outdoorsy country, whatever the season. It’s easy to handle and use and oh-so stylish. Good one, Fujifilm.

FUJIFILM FINEPIX Z33WP – Specifcations

Manufacturer: Fujifilm
Model: Z33WP
Effective Pixels: 10 million
Lens: Fujinon 6.3-18.9mm (35mm -105mm full-frame equivalent)
Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT colour LCD, approx 230,000 pixels
Shutter: 8 sec-1/2000 sec
Aperture: f3.7-f4.2
ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 
800, 1600
Shooting Modes: Program AE, Scene Recognition, 12 modes 
and movie
Exposure Metering: TTL 256-zone
Media: SD, SDHC
File Format: JPEG Exif 2.2, 
AVI, WAV
Flash: Auto, red-eye reduction and removal, slow-synchro, forced flash, suppressed flash
Interface: USB, HDMI mini connector
Battery: NP-45 Lithium-
ion rechargeable
Dimensions: 92 x 60 x 21mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 110g (body only)

CONTACT

www.fujifilm.co.nz

PROS

• Stylish and well built

• Easy to use

• Waterproof and dustproof

CONS

• But not shockproof

• Modest maximum aperture

Design                      18
Performance             16
Features                   16
Image Quality           15
Value for money       16

TOTAL     81/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 30.

Fujifilm Finepix J110W Review – 027

Fraser Kitt is blown away by FujiFilm’s decision to use SD cards in its latest models, and says the J110W is fun and easy to use

If all you want for Christmas is a little digital camera with a moderate zoom then you’d be hard pressed to look past the FujiFilm Finepix J110W. It has a great zoom range and is stylish enough for both mum and dad to use — if you can get it off 
the kids.

Big

The 5x optical lens starts at a great 28mm wide angle and zooms through to 140mm telephoto. This means you can take those intimate indoor shots of the family around the kitchen table without having to climb out the window to get everyone in the shot.

The telephoto side lets you operate like the paparazzi, sneaking shots of your teenagers without the fear of faces being pulled or them complaining you’re photographing them — again.

The camera’s display is wonderful, a big 2.7-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels that is easy to see in most lighting situations and which makes reviewing images a breeze.

Face on

Face detection is a feature that works so well it seems a shame to turn it off. This Finepix is at home shooting anyone from babies to those playing sports, and the face detect function means you’ll never miss your target.There is even a baby mode designed to give better skin tones without using flash.

Cancelling the flash is a nice touch, as you won’t have to fumble around menus trying to find the controls. It also means you won’t be frightening any newborns. The Museum setting cleverly bumps up the film speed and cancels the flash so you won’t get into trouble with the curator.

Sensitivity
Normally I’d be complaining about high sensitivity as a way of controlling image stability, because the increase in noise can ruin otherwise good images. Fuji has almost perfected high sensitivity and thankfully the camera will also use flash when it’s needed, reducing the ISO speed.

The higher the film speed is, the faster the shutter will fire, meaning less chance of camera shake. The down side is that when the camera uses ISO 3200 the image size is reduced from the fantastic 10 megapixels the camera is capable of to just 3MP.

Breakthrough

At last, a breakthrough! Fuji has decided to use SD card exclusively, ditching the xD card, which has a 2GB storage limit. It makes sense to use the most universal of cards and the J110W will take both ordinary SD as well as the higher capacity SDHC cards.

Conclusion

FujiFilm has produced a snappy little camera in the Finepix J110W that is not only stylish but is also practical, thanks to the 5x optical zoom range starting at 28mm. The decision to use SD card as the storage medium is a step in the right direction as this format just keeps getting bigger in capacity. And you’ll need as much storage as you can get your hands on, because the 10 million pixel files do gobble up space.

But best of all it’s an easy camera to use with a great set of scene modes to help you make images like an expert.

Specs

• Manufacturer: FujiFilm

• Model: Finepix J110W

• Price: $350 (includes a 
1GB SD memory card and soft carry case)

• Effective Pixels: 10 million

• Lens: 5.1-25.5mm (28-140mm in 35mm terms)

• Viewfinder: None

• Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT LCD (230,000 pixels)

• Shutter: 8 sec to 1/2000 sec

• Aperture: f3.3-f5.1

• ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200

• Shooting Modes: Auto, Baby, Picture Stabiliser, Red Eye Reduction, Digital Zoom, Portrait, Movie, Manual, Landscape, Sport, Night, Natural Light, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Sunset, Flower, Party, Museum, Text,

• Exposure Metering: Multi, spot, average, intelligent face detect

• Focus Modes: Face detect, 
single AF

• Media: 24MB internal memory, SD, SDHC

• File Format: JPEG, AVI

• Flash: Auto, red eye removal on, red eye removal off, auto red eye reduction and forced flash, suppressed flash, red eye reduction and slow sync

• Interface: USB 2.0

• Batteries: Lithium-ion rechargeable

• Dimensions: 92 x 57.9 x 22.6mm

• Weight: 141g

Contact:

www.fujifilm.co.nz

Pros:

• 5x optical zoom starting at 28mm

• Great screen

• Easy dial

• Onboard editing

Cons:

• Battery life is a little short

• Flash doesn’t always keep up with zoom

• Big fingers won’t like the selection button

This review is from D-Photo issue #027.

FujiFilm S8100fd Review – 025

The FujiFilm Finepix S8100fd is a 10 million pixel, 18x optical zoom camera with enough functionality to enthuse any keen photographer. The big grip makes it comfortable to hold and it takes two types of card.

Breaking open the box late in the evening reveals that even in low light this camera will focus. The yellow glow of the low light illuminator reaches comfortably across my lounge into the dark recesses of the kitchen, and while it takes a few moments for the S8100fd to focus, it does so none the less.

Face detection is spot on, quickly locking onto subjects’ faces then tracking them as long as they stay front on. It couldn’t recognise a face in profile, but that’s a big ask of any camera.

Shoot

The big Fujinon lens covers a great range from 27mm to 486mm. The extra-wide 27mm makes taking groups and interiors a breeze and the telephoto will greedily gobble up any sports field. It also produces sharp images.

The processor comfortably handles an ISO range up to 1600 at the full 10 million pixels and has the ability to go out to 6400 — if you don’t mind compromising file size. It halves the pixel count when you spike the ISO out to 3200 and 6400. You also have the choice of auto settings of 400, 800 and 1600 that automatically adjust the ISO up to those amounts depending on the light conditions.

On the button

The layout of this model is reasonably straightforward with a big control dial on the top, a large on/off button behind the shutter release, and rocker-style zoom control. Then there are the perfectly placed face detect and anti-shake buttons behind the on/off switch. When you activate the face detect setting it also switches on redeye removal, although you do have to manually raise the flash. Even the button cluster on the back is well marked and reasonably easy to follow — forget consulting the rather vague handbook.

The body is reasonably large and the big grip, which holds the four AA batteries, makes it comfortable to hold for big and small hands alike.

Pair of aces

FujiFilm’s trump card is a slot that accommodates both xD and SD memory cards. This gives you the choice of storage formats and may well sway you to the Fuji camp if you’re considering changing cameras and already hold a handful of SD cards. It will also take the next generation SDHC card.

Conclusion

FujiFilm has made a wise move by including support for both xD and SD cards in the S8100fd. It’s a camera with wide appeal thanks to the easy-to-use picture modes and advanced exposure settings. The images are crisp and clear, and if you want added punch of the sort slide film once gave, then it is only the press of a button away.

Specs

Manufacturer: FujiFilm

Model: Finepix S8100fd

Price: $699

Effective Pixels: 10 million

Lens: 18x optical 4.7mm – 84.2mm (27-486mm in 35mm terms)

Viewfinder: Electronic

Monitor: 2.5-inch TFT LCD

Shutter: 4sec – 1/2000sec

Aperture: f2.8 – f4.5

ISO: Auto and 64 – 6400

Focus Modes: Face detect, single AF, continuous AF, manual AF,

Media: 58MB internal memory, xD, SD, SDHC,

File Format: JPEG, AVI, WAV

Flash: Built in, auto, redeye, slow synchro, supressed

Interface: USB

Batteries: 4 x AA

Dimensions: 111.3 x 78.2 x 79.3mm

Weight: 500g

Contact

www.fujifilm.co.nz

Rating

Pros

• Dual card capability
• Focuses in low light
• Flash range keeps up with zoom

Cons

• Extra weight from four
• AA batteries
• No charger

Fraser Kitt

This review is from D-Photo issue #025.

Fujifilm Finepix A330 Review – 001

The A330 is an attractively rounded box, small enough to be easily slipped into a pocket. On some of its more advanced cameras, Fuji uses an unusual pattern for the array of sensors on its imaging chip arguing this entitles it to claim 6-megapixels worth of information from a 3-megapixel sensor. This isn’t one of those cameras. Instead, it’s a completely straightforward 3-megapixel device intended primarily for beginners.

Simplicity is the name of the game. Take the camera out of the box, check that the two standard AA batteries and the tiny 16Mb standard XD memory card are installed in the bottom compartment and you’re ready to go. Instruction book? Of course you should read it, but you don’t have to. The on/off switch is built into the sliding lens cover on the front of the camera and once the tiny 3x zoom lens has telescoped itself out of the camera body, you’re ready to shoot.

Controls are minimal to avoid frightening off beginners. The lens zoom range is equivalent to 38mm to 114mm on a 35mm camera, which is good for everything from family groups to head-and-shoulder portraits.

A tiny thumb lever on the back of the camera controls zoom and there’s a small, but crisp optical viewfinder that I found very usable. Alternatively, many beginners prefer to use the LCD preview screen on the back of the camera to frame their pictures. In the case of the A330, the preview screen is bright, but small at 3cm wide.

Since the aperture range of the lens goes from f2.8 at the widest setting to f4.8 at full telephoto, and the ISO speed rating is equivalent to 100, this is definitely an outdoors fine weather, and indoors with a flash kind of camera. The tiny built-in flash doesn’t look as if it would be very powerful, but it did all right at a dinner party I took the A330 to – taking pictures that were crisp and well exposed. There was little delay between pressing the shutter release button and taking the shot. However, the A330 did longer than I would have liked to ready itself for the next shot.

In the great days of film, Fuji had a reputation for making well-saturated colours with strong greens and believable skin tones. Fuji digital cameras I’ve looked at in the past have all used a similar colour palette, and the A330 is no exception.

The company suggests you should install its software on your computer before you download your pictures with the included USB cable. But I didn’t bother. The pictures downloaded perfectly well with the software that comes standard with both Windows XP and Macintosh OSX.

I would look into buying a larger memory card – the 16MB XD card included with the A330, while not unusual, has a limited capacity. Fuji claims the A330 is useful even if you don’t have a computer; you can look at your pictures on a TV thanks to the built-in video socket, or you can send them directly to a USB inkjet printer. However, if you don’t have a computer, you’ll find a 16MB memory card a poor place for long-term picture storage.

Fujifilm Finepix A330

For: Very easy operation. Good colour, sharp pictures. Small but effective viewfinder.

Against: Could be faster between shots.

Features: 3.5/5

Image quality: 4/5

Performance: 4.5/5

Max resolution: 2016 x 1512

Effective pixels: 3.34 million

Sensor size: 5.27 x 3.96 mm

Sensor type: CCD

Colour filter array: RGB

ISO rating: 100

Zoom range (35mm =): 38mm to 114mm (3x)

Auto Focus: Yes

Manual Focus: No

Aperture range: F2.8 – F4.8

Movie Clips: Yes, 320 x 240 10 fps, max 60 sec

Tripod mount: Yes

Self-timer: 10 sec

Storage: 16MB xD Card included

Viewfinder: Optical

LCD preview screen: 3.8cm, 60,000 pixels

Output: Video, USB

Weight with batteries: 160g

Dimensions: 104 x 62 x 31mm

 

Stephen Ballantyne

Fujifilm Z1 review – 007

Despite its small size, the FinePix Z1 has most of the features and automatic controls included on larger cameras. There are not many buttons, so use is reasonably straightforward, although some may find the buttons quite small to operate.

There is an option for taking high-speed photos, which decreases focus time. We tested this and it seemed to be about 20 per cent faster.

The camera also boasts near-instant start up, minimal shutter lag and decent shot-to-shot speeds. On the downside, it lacks continuous shooting mode and doesn’t have an AF-assist lamp for low-light conditions.

LCD Viewfinder 

One of the first things you notice with the Z1 is that it doesn’t have an optical viewfinder. The only way to compose your photos is with the LCD screen.

Although a good size (2.5 inches) and quite clear indoors, LCDs are often much harder to see in sunlight. With the Z1 I was pleasantly surprised to discover that although diminished, the visibility was still clear enough to use (however, it was set to maximum brightness, which uses power faster).

The lens cover turns on the camera and there is a switch for still or movie mode that is separate from the button for playback. This system works well, as you can’t accidentally switch into movie mode.

Video can be captured in either 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 mode at 30 frames per second, although zoom will not function during recording. There is some basic on-camera editing, such as trimming and rotating.

Super Slim

The Z1 is tiny, weighing less than 150g with the battery. The battery is a proprietary one as there isn’t enough room for even one AAA battery. The camera should manage nearly 200 photos on one charge without using the flash, and 170 if every second shot uses flash.

Inserting the memory card and battery is fiddly. There is an arrow on the battery for correct insertion, but it is possible to fully insert it the wrong way round. Fujifilm also hasn’t been generous with its memory card, supplying a miniscule 16MB. So make sure you budget for something bigger!

Not Too Flash

The effective range of the flash is 3m, which is about half what you would get from a larger camera. It isn’t a problem, just something you need to be aware of to avoid disappointing results.

The package includes a cradle, which is required for charging the camera and also has the USB 2.0 and A/V connectors on it (there just isn’t room on the Z1 itself). The package includes software for Windows (98 and upward) and Max OS X. It uses the standard Fujifilm FinePix software version 5, which does a good job.

Conclusion

I am not sure that the Z1 would be an option for a serious amateur, except perhaps as a backup camera. It is genuinely smaller than a packet of cigarettes, so it is easy enough to slip in a jacket pocket or handbag. And overall, it is a versatile, convenient and fun camera to use.

FUJI FinePix S3 PRO review – 006

Although announced at PMA Las Vegas in February 2004, this camera only arrived in New Zealand in December, reflecting the typically extended gestation period for cameras of this type.

Over the last ??? years, Fujifilm has worked closely with Nikon. By combining Nikon’s optical and system expertise with it’s own digital manufacturing competence, Fujifilm has developed some top quality digital SLRs.

The line started with the early Fujifilm DS 505 and 515 cameras – huge and clunky 1.5-megapixel dSLR’s with sports car price tags to match their weight.

While these seem like dinosaurs today, they offered Nikon lens and accessory compatibility to early digital adopters and taught Fujifilm’s engineers fundamental lessons about dSLR product development, functions and use.

These were followed much later by the highly successful 6-megapixel FinePix S1 PRO (based on the Nikon F60) and the FinePix S2 PRO (based on the Nikon F80), and both presented as professional digital SLRs. These cameras found willing and often passionate owners, usually with a fine collection of Nikon optics and an implicit understanding of Nikon ergonomics from years of 35mm ownership.

Fan Base

In this country, a band of devoted Fujifilm camera owners, particularly from the professional portrait and wedding fraternity, swear by their S1 and S2 cameras, with many owning both models, keeping their S1 as a ‘back up’ once they upgraded to the S2. It is very easy to see this lineage when handling the S3. Early criticisms of the S1 for being based on a ‘consumer’ grade dSLR were addressed by the S2’s move to the F80 body, seen as the base camera in Nikon’s professional range.

The S3 could have moved up yet another grade in terms of the Nikon donor body selected, but clearly Fujifilm market research proved this unnecessary as the new S3 is again based on the current F80.

Designer Detailing

First impressions of the S3 are extremely positive, as the body’s ergonomics are several steps ahead of the S2. If the S2 was somewhat functionally dressed by Levi Strauss, the S3 confidently wears Armani with a fit and finish worthy of that label. The design is smooth, sleek and curvaceous and the build quality is a great leap forward. Rubberised surfaces clad all of the handling areas and the detailing is superb. The inclusion of a second, vertical shutter release reflects feedback from users and, in particular, markedly improves portrait format lens handling.

Another significant improvement on first introduction is that the S3 relies totally on four NiMH AA format batteries. Consequently, the camera ships with a set of 2300 maH cells and a four-cell charger.

With the S2, which relied on two battery systems, there were frustrating times where one would replace the four AA batteries to find that the CR123 batteries were dead, or vice versa. Now, S3 owners need only carry and maintain several sets of NiMH batteries to ensure extended use. While using the camera it was apparent that battery life had been improved, which is likely to be a combination of less power hungry internal processing and LCD display, and improvements in battery technology.

Internal Workings

Let’s look at the heart of the S3 – the camera’s CCD. Fujifilm dSLRs use the company’s Super CCD technology, which is either a revolutionary piece of enabling technology or a crock of the proverbial, depending on the position adopted by the speaker. Historically slated by competitors, praised by users and frequently misunderstood by commentators, the technology is unique to Fujifilm. Armchair debates rage between proponents and detractors, often ending in agreements to disagree. Many of these arguments are driven, one way or another, by the need to justify a purchase already made.

However, when the technology talks, the B.S. walks and Super CCD answers the question by delivering high quality images. These require no apology and little or no ‘tweaking’ before being presented to critical audiences.

More Dynamic

The S3 has the latest fourth generation version of Super CCD, SR II, which combines two sets of imaging sensors to double the octagonal-shaped pixel count over the previous model.

There are 6.17 million S pixels – the high-sensitivity, low-noise pixels so familiar to S2 users. These are combined with a further 6.17 million low sensitivity R pixels, which handle the highlight exposure and combine to deliver the effective 12.34-megapixel count. This combination can provide up to a 400 per cent increase in dynamic range over an S2. Tones within captured images come from the SRII CCD providing a smooth, ‘film-like’ appearance.

Test images were all captured as full-size 12.34-megapixel Jpegs (at the maximum configurable 4256×2848 pixels) and it would be an extremely critical user who would need to capture images in the RAW file mode. The Jpegs open to 34.7MB in Photoshop to produce stunning, quality images.

Setting Selections

A wide palette of colour and contrast characteristics to match most film types is available by exploring the camera’s settings. Fujifilm provides a Normal setting plus two easily set film simulation modes. F1, negative, emulates the characteristics of a colour negative film, like Fujicolor NPS 160, a portrait product known for smooth skin tones and softer contrast portraiture. F2, chrome, delivers the high-contrast, high-saturation ‘look’ of a reversal film, such as the extremely popular Fujichrome Velvia. While a huge amount of information can be captured in 14-bit RAW mode, Fujifilm product specialist, Anthony Corban, suggested that for professional users, the time and effort associated with RAW processing and post-processing may not provide the quantum performance gains over the Jpegs.

Increasing The Options

The Nikon lens mount is unchanged and lens compatibility is assured for most current AF-S and AF-D/G-type lenses. Many older AF Nikon lenses (those pre-D) are fully functional apart from the loss of the 3D matrix metering facility. The 1.5 x focal length factor continues unchanged from the S2, a 24mm lens effectively becoming a 36mm optic on this format. The S3 has media slots for the Compact Flash/IBM Microdrive format, and for xD cards. Our testing was with a 1GB Microdrive.

Improvements have also been made to the viewfinder and LCD display on the S3. The camera’s already high eye point viewfinder now has even more eye relief and the viewable area increases to 95 per cent coverage. Users may select from five switchable AF focus points within the viewfinder.

Greater Nikon flash system compatibility, combined with a higher flash sync speed of 1/180 are further improvements over the S2 and these are available via a hot shoe or synchro terminal.

Bundle Of Joy

At present, S3 cameras sold by Fujifilm in New Zealand are bundled with the new Fujifilm Hyper-Utility software HS-V2 version 3.

This provides a RAW file converter, camera shooting software and Exif extractor. I used the software on an Apple PowerBook, running Mac OS-X 10.3.7, and a late model PC laptop, running Windows XP Pro SP2. The software is a great way to import, preview, sort and tag files for later retrieval and is highly configurable for each user’s layout and workflow preferences. In addition to a range of abilities, it can also prep files for printing and to create electronic proof sheets. It is also backwards compatible, recognising the S2 and S20 Pro Fujifilm models. An imminent free update to the software will allow shooting control of the S3 from a computer.

Conclusion

For those already using FinePix S1 or S2 cameras, the S3 represents an easy upgrade. The layout and controls will be familiar, while you can benefit from improved image quality and notable performance gains, including faster start-up, faster image processing and better ergonomics.

For those with 35mm Nikon familiarity, lens systems and accessories looking to make the move to a compatible digital SLR, the choice will likely be made between the S3 and the more accessibly priced Nikon D70 – another very good camera.

Focusing on Faces – Facial Recognition Technology

As a kid I loved the Jetsons — the robotic maid, the flying cars, the amazing gadgets. Facial recognition is the sort of thing you can imagine George Jetson using.
In the modern digital camera it transforms auto focus from a handy function into an accurate tool that targets your subjects, rather than just hitting whatever’s in the centre of the screen. It also lets you frame your subject the way you want, without awkward focus lock functions, as the face detect facility finds your subject’s face and locks onto it, no matter where they are on the screen. It will even follow your subject, should he or she move. 

We have to remember that auto focus took years to reach acceptable speeds, and in the early days it was faster to focus manually. Canon introduced the T80, a 35mm SLR with a bulbous auto focus lens, in 1985. This early attempt became the launch pad for the precise EOS series of auto focus cameras we know today. In fact, a whole slew of cameras started their auto focus lives in the mid 1980s, and it was Minolta that had the first real success, with its 7000 and 9000 models.

These early auto focus SLRs paved the way for nearly all of today’s cameras. But there have only been minor improvements in the last 20 years. While AF assist lights and infrared beams have increased the accuracy of focus, there have always been things that confused the systems if you didn’t stay alert.

The classic example is the focusing system targeting the space between your subjects and focusing on the background. The common cure was using focus lock, whereby a half press of the shutter release locks the focus. You put the target area on one of your subjects, lightly press the shutter release to lock the focus then recompose and press the shutter button all the way down to take the shot. Facial recognition systems speed this process up.

Facial detection is the next step in the battle for better pictures without having to do or know anything to get improved images. Read the reviews of these three pioneering models and get ready to leap into a Jetson-like future with this brilliant innovation.

Fuji Finepix F31FD

All the bells and whistles, lots of energy, a great body but comes with a short memory

Fuji has revamped its cameras to include facial detection, the best feature you will find on any camera this year. The metal bodied Finepix F31fd has 6.3 megapixels to play with and an ISO range that stretches to 3200; it’s an easy camera to operate, even if you use it to point and shoot.

Bigger, brighter, better

The 2.5-inch screen is packed with 230,000 pixels and can be viewed from almost any angle, which is fantastic if you are showing off the facial detection mode to your friends. If you don’t like all the info up on the screen you can turn it off, or choose the helpful grid that makes framing architecture a breeze.

 

Powered by a 1800mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery that allows you to take more than 500 shots, this camera takes some beating when it comes to battery performance. The battery charges in-camera and takes about fours hours to recharge; plan your charging overnight so you have it for the day.

A body made to hold

The body design is simple but with slick touches, such as the dimpled thumb-pad under the zoom control, which adds that special touch.

At 27.8mm thick there’s just enough body to make it comfortable to hold with one hand. The main mode control dial is positioned between the on/off button and the shutter release on the top of the camera, and you can easily switch between movie and still shooting modes.

If the thought of not having an optical viewfinder is distressing, the screen brightness can be bumped up to make viewing better in bright lighting situations. Using Intelligent Face Detect is equally simple, as this function has a dedicated on/off button.  

 This Finepix has a series of picture modes for yet more ease of use. These cover what could be called lifestyle scenarios: party, beach, museum, underwater (you’ll need the optional underwater housing to take advantage of this last function).

Advanced features

Should you possess some old-school photography skills, or wish to learn how to control exposure better, you’ll get a kick out of the aperture and shutter priority settings.

These two extra functions could catapult you from being on auto pilot to crafting images with more feeling, due to your selection of depth of field in aperture priority; or producing stunning action images by controlling the shutter speed in shutter priority.

This camera has an anti-shake feature that increases shutter speed to counter movement. Because the F31fd has an increased ISO sensitivity that reaches out to 3200, you’ll get great results until the camera exceeds the 800 ISO mark. Fuji, with its cunning super CCD, has smoothed out noise levels up to this point. However, the images at 3200, while better than nothing, aren’t that stunning, though it won’t be long until they are.

Face finder

Facial recognition is this camera’s best feature and the Fuji system is fast and generally accurate. The camera knows to adjust the exposure for skin tones and it also knows how many people are in the scene.

It will recognise up to nine faces and targets the head in the middle with a green box, while the other faces get a grey box. As long as the faces are turned towards the camera it will track where they are. This means no more out-of-focus images where the camera has focused between the subjects or on something in the foreground.

Having all this advanced technology is great, but does it make the images any better? You bet it does. I gave the camera a workout at my son’s end-of-year piano performance and the little Fuji performed brilliantly.

As soon as I pointed the F31fd at my little pianist the camera picked up on any faces turned my way. It didn’t matter if the camera was zoomed in, set to wide angle, or in the vertical or horizontal position, each time a face came into view the little box snapped into action and set the focus exactly right.

First class quality

The picture quality often suffered from the camera’s enthusiasm to increase the ISO sensitivity when it would have been better off using flash to compensate for the lack of light.

The test shots of my future concert pianist showed an increase in noise, due to the camera using an ISO of 1600 (the camera was set to Auto ISO). However, I found the results to be better than images from any other camera at this speed.

The Fuji Finepix F31fd has a body shape that is comfortable to hold, has the best noise control on the market, and a facial recognition system that is quick and accurate.

Canon IXUS 900Ti

More of those much-needed pixels are fitted into an even smaller body

This IXUS has gone a design step further than any other little Canon with its titanium shell, but it is what’s packed within that makes this 10 million-pixel compact worlds away from its siblings.

More Pixels, small body size.

Having 10 million pixels at your fingertips is fantastic but the DiG!C III processor is a major advance for Canon. This new processor boasts faster start times and quicker focus, plus ISO range to 1600. But the real boon for anyone buying a new Canon is the face detect function.

 

Making movies on an Ixus has always been fun, but the 900Ti has the ability to shoot a bigger 1024×768-pixel, 15 frames-per-second (fps) XGA high-resolution image that happily fills a big screen TV. It also has 640×480, 30fps shooting for smooth video of a longer duration. If you plan on making movies with this camera, get a big one, two or four gigabyte SD card, and keep an eye open for the next generation of HCDC (High Capacity Secure Digital) memory cards, which will hold 8GB and more. Canon has future-proofed the 900Ti by including support for the new card. 

Face detect.

There are several focus options. But when it comes to shooting family and friends, the face detect setting will blow the others out of the water. This setting lets the focus quickly home in on faces on the screen then track them if they move. Your subjects need to be facing you and should they turn away the little tracking box set over their face will switch off.

The main focus setting is called ‘Auto intelligent AF’ and with it set to ‘on’ it finds your subject, highlighting the area with a single or series of boxes. If you prefer your focusing set to the centre of the screen, a quick dip into the menu will let you turn off the AiAF setting.

Now screening.

The 2.5-inch screen packed with 230,000 pixels gives a clear image. If you encounter trouble watching the screen in bright light, Canon has included an optical viewfinder for backup. It only shows you the optical zoom view; if you use the 4x digital zoom it won’t be apparent in the viewfinder and you will have to switch back to the screen.

 

 

Canon builds exciting cameras and the 900Ti is packed with entertaining functions. The scene modes are a series of descriptive pictures that set the camera up for different shooting situations. There are even two underwater settings: ‘Aquarium’ for shooting through glass and ‘Underwater’ for when you turn the camera into a submersible with the optional underwater housing that lets you dive to 40m. Canon doesn’t stop with the scene modes. Slip the camera into the ‘M’ setting and you then have access to two of the most pleasurable features on almost any Canon: Colour Accent and Colour Swap. These let you play with the colour of an image, swapping colours or adding a colour accent to a black and white image. As enjoyable as it is to adjust image colours in-camera without the aid of a computer, doing the same with movies is even more fun.

In-camera editing.

Editing movies when you review them is yet another convenient function. This Ixus lets you cut out your movie mistakes, and when you save a clip you can make a new file or overwrite the old one. When reviewing still images you can categorise them and then use that category for a slide show.

You can’t fault the camera’s build quality, or the beauty of the images it produces. Brush your thumb across the control wheel and a matching control is superimposed on the screen, expanding the function your thumb is over as you roll it around the control. It’s a mesmerising feature that is actually useful once you stop fooling around with it.

Using the little Ixus at my son’s piano recital, it had no trouble finding faces when shooting vertical or horizontal images. It didn’t matter if the camera was in the wide angle or telephoto setting, the 900Ti hit the mark every time.

Image quality.

The images produced have natural skin tones and a realistic tonal range. Like the other models tested, noise is kept to a minimum but here I found it more noticeable in dark areas. This is due to more pixels being packed into the same physical area as 6-, 7- or 8-megapixel cameras. These pixels are smaller and are therefore more susceptible to noise.

Conclusion

The Canon’s strength is its diminutive size and useful set of functions. It is a simple point and shoot camera with a brilliant face recognition system that will have you shooting crisp, sharp party pics of your friends and family.

Canon IXUS 900Ti

More of those much-needed pixels are fitted into an even smaller body

This IXUS has gone a design step further than any other little Canon with its titanium shell, but it is what’s packed within that makes this 10 million-pixel compact worlds away from its siblings.

More Pixels, small body size.

Having 10 million pixels at your fingertips is fantastic but the DiG!C III processor is a major advance for Canon. This new processor boasts faster start times and quicker focus, plus ISO range to 1600. But the real boon for anyone buying a new Canon is the face detect function.

 

Making movies on an Ixus has always been fun, but the 900Ti has the ability to shoot a bigger 1024×768-pixel, 15 frames-per-second (fps) XGA high-resolution image that happily fills a big screen TV. It also has 640×480, 30fps shooting for smooth video of a longer duration. If you plan on making movies with this camera, get a big one, two or four gigabyte SD card, and keep an eye open for the next generation of HCDC (High Capacity Secure Digital) memory cards, which will hold 8GB and more. Canon has future-proofed the 900Ti by including support for the new card. 

Face detect.

There are several focus options. But when it comes to shooting family and friends, the face detect setting will blow the others out of the water. This setting lets the focus quickly home in on faces on the screen then track them if they move. Your subjects need to be facing you and should they turn away the little tracking box set over their face will switch off.

The main focus setting is called ‘Auto intelligent AF’ and with it set to ‘on’ it finds your subject, highlighting the area with a single or series of boxes. If you prefer your focusing set to the centre of the screen, a quick dip into the menu will let you turn off the AiAF setting.

Now screening.

The 2.5-inch screen packed with 230,000 pixels gives a clear image. If you encounter trouble watching the screen in bright light, Canon has included an optical viewfinder for backup. It only shows you the optical zoom view; if you use the 4x digital zoom it won’t be apparent in the viewfinder and you will have to switch back to the screen.

 

 

Canon builds exciting cameras and the 900Ti is packed with entertaining functions. The scene modes are a series of descriptive pictures that set the camera up for different shooting situations. There are even two underwater settings: ‘Aquarium’ for shooting through glass and ‘Underwater’ for when you turn the camera into a submersible with the optional underwater housing that lets you dive to 40m. Canon doesn’t stop with the scene modes. Slip the camera into the ‘M’ setting and you then have access to two of the most pleasurable features on almost any Canon: Colour Accent and Colour Swap. These let you play with the colour of an image, swapping colours or adding a colour accent to a black and white image. As enjoyable as it is to adjust image colours in-camera without the aid of a computer, doing the same with movies is even more fun.

In-camera editing.

Editing movies when you review them is yet another convenient function. This Ixus lets you cut out your movie mistakes, and when you save a clip you can make a new file or overwrite the old one. When reviewing still images you can categorise them and then use that category for a slide show.

You can’t fault the camera’s build quality, or the beauty of the images it produces. Brush your thumb across the control wheel and a matching control is superimposed on the screen, expanding the function your thumb is over as you roll it around the control. It’s a mesmerising feature that is actually useful once you stop fooling around with it.

Using the little Ixus at my son’s piano recital, it had no trouble finding faces when shooting vertical or horizontal images. It didn’t matter if the camera was in the wide angle or telephoto setting, the 900Ti hit the mark every time.

Image quality.

The images produced have natural skin tones and a realistic tonal range. Like the other models tested, noise is kept to a minimum but here I found it more noticeable in dark areas. This is due to more pixels being packed into the same physical area as 6-, 7- or 8-megapixel cameras. These pixels are smaller and are therefore more susceptible to noise.

Conclusion

The Canon’s strength is its diminutive size and useful set of functions. It is a simple point and shoot camera with a brilliant face recognition system that will have you shooting crisp, sharp party pics of your friends and family.