Fujifilm FinePix F100fd

Fujifilm FinePix F100fd A Review



Fuji F100fd
Overview
by Stephanie Boozer
Review Date: 06/24/08

It seems like digital cameras these days can do just about anything. Smile detection, face detection, image stabilization, intelligent preset scene modes...you name it and most digital cameras can at least attempt to handle it. The Fujifilm FinePix F100fd definitely aims to be a crowd-pleaser, featuring a nice bevy of options and modes to compensate for just about any shooting problem or complexity. The Fujifilm F100fd boasts sensitivities as high as 12,800 ISO, an extremely useful Dynamic Range adjustment tool, a smart Face Detection system that recognizes moving faces at any angle, well-thought-out Scene modes, Dual Image Stabilization (CCD-shift to reduce camera shake, high ISO for subject motion), and even technology so new (IrSimple wireless connectivity) that there are few devices out there to complement it. It's also small, pocketable, and nice to look at.

With so many advanced features, Fujifilm didn't neglect the basics. The FinePix F100fd has a 12-megapixel CCD that captures very high resolution images with excellent detail. There's also a 5x optical zoom lens with a maximum wide angle of 28mm–a good deal wider than average. The FinePix F100fd's images are sharp and well-defined, with good overall color and exposure. There's a healthy selection of preset Scene modes that address common shooting concerns, and Auto and Manual (Program AE) modes as well. The FinePix F100fd is perfect for novices, as its useful Scene modes let the camera do all the work (such as Portrait Enhancer mode for more flattering portraits and Night mode with exposures as long as 8 seconds). You can also switch over to "Manual", which keeps the camera in charge of the exposure but lets you adjust exposure compensation, metering mode, white balance, ISO, etc.


Modes. The Fujifilm FinePix F100fd's available exposure modes are accessed through the virtual dial, displayed with a press of the Menu/OK button. Normal shooting modes are Auto and Manual, with the Manual option really more of a Program AE mode, since the camera maintains control of aperture and shutter speed. No less than 16 preset Scene modes are also available, and include Natural Light, Natural Light & With Flash, Portrait, Portrait Enhancer, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Underwater, Museum, Party, Flower, and Text modes. Of note are the Fujifilm F100fd's Natural Light modes, which optimize the camera for better images without flash or artificial lighting. Natural Light & With Flash mode captures two images continuously, one with flash and one without, so you're covered either way. Portrait Enhancer mode smooths skin tone and softens the image slightly for more flattering portraits.


When shooting in Manual exposure mode, the Fujifilm F100fd offers a lot of useful tools for controlling exposure parameters. Though you can't directly control aperture and shutter speed, you can see what the camera has selected by half-pressing the Shutter button. In addition to exposure compensation, you can also control the camera's metering mode, which offers Multi, Spot, and Average options. The camera's White Balance setting not only offers an Auto mode, but also features six presets and a Custom option. You can also enable Standard, Chrome or Black & White color modes. But the ISO option is where the Fujifilm F100fd beats a lot of its competition. With an available ISO range extending from 100 to 12,800, the F100fd offers exceptional sensitivity. Noise and noise suppression definitely become issues at the highest sensitivities, making them all but useless, unless you want to turn your world into a Renoir painting; which isn't all bad.

In addition to its still image recording modes, the Fujifilm F100fd also offers a Movie mode and a range of Continuous Shooting options. In Movie mode, the camera captures movie files with sound at either 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels at 30 frames per second. Zoom is not supported for movies though. The camera's Continuous Shooting options are a little dizzying, and include Top-3, High-Speed Top-12, Final-3, High-Speed Final 12, and Long Period. Really, the only two of note are the High-Speed modes, as the other modes aren't much faster than standard shooting cycle times. Fujifilm claims that the High-Speed modes capture frames at about 5 frames per second, though we measured about 4.87 frames per second in High-Speed Top 12 mode. You should also note that the High-Speed modes limit resolution to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, which helps timings considerably.

The difference between the modes is really in how many frames can be captured per burst. The "Top"modes only save the top 3 or 12 frames in the series, meaning the camera captures only 3 or 12 frames respectively. In the "Final" modes, the camera can capture as many as 40 frames consecutively, but only saves the last 3 or 12 images. Long Period mode will capture as many frames as the memory has capacity for while the Shutter button is held down, and saves all captured files.

Special Features. The Fujifilm FinePix F100fd has a handful of features worth singling out here. For starters, the camera's Dynamic Range setting is a very useful tool for correcting problems with high contrast images. Accessed through the Function menu in Manual exposure mode, Dynamic Range offers Auto, 100%, 200% and 400% options, increasing the overall dynamic range of the image. It's a tool we found quite useful when shooting under harsh lighting. Not only did it help with high contrast, but it also helped bring out detail that was previously difficult to see. To use the 200 and 400% options, however, you have to raise the ISO to 200 or 400, respectively, since that's how the Fujifilm F100fd gets its greater latitude.
Photo at Iso 800

The FinePix F100fd also features enhanced Face Detection 3.0, which claims to detect faces at any angle and even upside down, at a faster pace than competitors. The Fujifilm F100fd can recognize as many as 10 faces in one frame, and can also detect faces on moving subjects. Face Detection is enabled via a button on the rear panel, and works either with or without Red-eye Removal. The images above were taken in bright shade, and though the sun popped behind the clouds in the Face Detection image, results are still more favorable toward the girl.

Included in the Fujifilm F100fd's design is IrSimple technology for high-speed, wireless infrared connection to other IrSimple-enabled devices. Currently available from Fujifilm are IrSimple printers and photo service kiosks in retail stores. Expected in the future are IrSimple televisions and mobile phones. You can also share images between IrSimple-enabled digital cameras.
Iso 100

Iso 100 Grop


Iso 400

Iso 400 Grop


Iso 800

Iso 800 Grop


Iso 3200

Iso 3200 Grop



Iso 6400

Iso 6400 Grop


up to 12800 ISO...


The FinePix F100fd has an impressive offering in terms of sensitivity. You can manually select ISO equivalents from 100 to 12,800. The crops are just a few from the larger ISO series in the Exposure section, showing noise levels at the mid-range and highest ISO settings. When it comes to the hair crops, noise isn't high, but detail is quite soft, never achieving a truly sharp appearance. At ISO 12,800 (which limits resolution to the 3M size), it's hardly recognizable as hair. Higher contrast areas are slightly better, but not sufficient that we can recommend shooting in this mode unless you only want a rough representation of the scene.

Fuji F100fd Basic Features
12.0-megapixel, 1/1.6-inch Super CCD HR delivers image resolutions as high as 4,000 x 3,000 pixels
5x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28-140mm
As much as 8.2x digital zoom
2.7-inch color LCD monitor
Face Detection and Continuous AF modes
Auto and Program AE exposure modes
Shutter speeds from 1/1,500 to 8 seconds, depending on mode
Aperture range from f/3.3 - f/11.0, depending on zoom position
Built-in flash with four modes plus Red-eye Removal
57MB internal memory
Power from custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack
Multi-connector for A/V television connection and USB 2.0 connection
PictBridge compatible


Fuji F100fd Special Features
16 preset Scene modes
Movie mode with sound
Voice Memo option for still images
Dual Image Stabilization
Dynamic Range adjustment
Macro and Self-Timer modes
Shared xD-Picture Card and SD card memory slot
Adjustable ISO from 100 to 12,800 equivalents, plus an Auto setting
Adjustable white balance with eight settings, including a Custom adjustment
IrSimple for wireless communication to other IrSimple-enabled devices

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