Will this 12-megapixel camera pack a mean compact punch or will it get K-O'd in the first round? Read our Fujifilm Finepix F60fd review here.
Review summary of the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd:
 |
|
Scoreboard » Features » Side-by-side » Gallery » |
 We think Fujifilm could have done a better job with the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd in most respects. The shooting modes are unconventional and not very practical for many shooting environments. Advanced shooters will want to avoid this camera like the plague, and novices will struggle with the illogical menu system. The 3x optical zoom is average at best, but at least you get a 3" LCD screen. Unfortunately, the image preview screen is misleading and the image you capture will look different than what the preview presents. The Finepix F60fd is portable and possesses a significant amount of sex appeal, but there's nothing truly original about this camera. Image quality is hit or miss as well, and we found the dynamic range to be a tossup. At least the Playback image review system is sweet, but we didn't care too much about the stellar photo viewer since the pictures were far from exciting. Release: September 2008. Price: $300.
Pros: Good image review interface. Compact and portable.
Cons: No full Manual mode. Hit or miss image quality. Counterintuitive menu system.
| Poor |
Mediocre |
61%
GOOD |
Very good |
Excellent |
|
|
|
Full Fujifilm Finepix F60fd Review:
|
Design - Mediocre
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd is a smart little compact. It even passes the Diesel Front Pocket test, creating only a minor denim bulge. The camera is solidly constructed with a metal housing; and it weighs just over 6 ounces. We like the contoured lines and stealthy black and gunmetal color scheme, which is a major selling point in addition to the Finepix F60fd's 12-megapixel resolution capability. This camera is comfortable to hold thanks to the ridge along the right hand grip side. Also part of the deal is an ample 3" LCD screen, but there's no viewfinder to protect shooters from the glaring sun. Fuji should toss a viewfinder on the next member of the compact Finepix squad because it's a popular request from shooters we know.
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd has a shutter button zoom toggle, which is what we dig in terms of handling. It's a little on the petite side though, and the small plastic tab has a tendency to dig into the index finger. There's a separate Image Stabilization button, which is great to have if you are constantly engaging and disengaging the Finepix F60fd's shake reduction system. However, most shooters will not even touch Image Stabilization and a more useful function should have been assigned to the button, like Focus or White Balance. Fujifilm hides the Mode dial along the back side, next to the LCD screen. A fairly standard 4-way directional pad is located beneath, surrounded by four function buttons. Since the buttons are small it's difficult to press them without mashing into neighboring controls. This is a basic setup here and nothing stands out as particularly innovative.
Interface - Mediocre
An undersized d-pad is all you have to work with on the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd, and it does the job adequately. Despite being too small, the quick functions like Flash settings and Macro Focus are nice to have. The Mode dial is a bit of a grab bag though. Options like "Natural" and "Natural with Flash" are tossed in to fill remaining notches on the dial. We'd rather see some Scene modes like Portrait or Night Shot in their place.
Fujifilm's menu system is not the most intuitive. Rather than opt for a distinguished Function menu that contains all manual controls, the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd has an F menu with ISO and Quality while the Main menu contains White Balance and Burst settings. We'd like to see the manual controls merged into one easily accessible menu all administrative options reserved for the Main menu. Furthermore, Fujifilm makes you scroll all the way to the bottom of a submenu just to access the Main menu. There's too much dancing around the bush here, and shooters might have a difficult time acclimating to this erratic system.
In our tests, we found that we couldn't quite trust the LCD screen. The resolution was decent, and at least the picture looked sharp. Like nearly every camera on the market, pressing the shutter button halfway creates a preview screen after the camera has settled on the proper focus, exposure and other image adjustments. But the captured picture looks different from the preview screen, with completely different color temperatures and exposure levels. We had to carefully review our images after capturing them. Fujifilm needs to work on this.
Features - Mediocre
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd comes with a moderate helping of features, but they're not your typical cookie cutter Program and Manual options available on most cameras. First of all, there's no full Manual mode. It's referred to as "Automatic Mode with several overrides." Instead of offering full manual power, you basically get an Auto mode with the addition of White Balance and ISO control. The Shutter/Aperture Priority modes are merged into one option on the Mode dial, and they should be independent. In addition, the lowest Shutter Speed is 1 second so forget serious low light shooting without the help of grainy ISO or a fully cracked open aperture. Still, no full throttle Manual mode, and that stings, considering this is Fujifilm's newest high-end Finepix.
A number of Scene modes are available including Night, Sunset, Snow and Museum among others. However, the Scene mode selection is quite gaunt compared to most other cams in this compact class. Scene Recognition Auto mode detects the composition of the shooting environment and applies a Scene mode that is most appropriate. Only four Scene modes can be applied in SR Auto mode, including Night and Portrait. This function works adequately, but struggles with busy subject matter. The Face Detection also struggles, applying a box around the face of a subject, but then failing to focus and provide the correct exposure. Fujifilm offers only two color modes: Chrome, which is like a Vivid filter, and Black and White. We're not impressed so far.
In terms of features, the only place we see the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd excelling is in Playback. You can view image icons in a number of ways, including a "Micro View" where tiny icons appear arranged like a collage spanning across the LCD screen. You can arrange by date and apply some minor image adjustments, but the image review setup is probably the best thing the Finepix F60fd has going for it.
Hardware - Good
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd is equipped with Fuji's larger 1/1.6" 12-megapixel CCD sensor. The Finepix F60fd has a 3x optical zoom, which is pretty average for a compact. The built-in flash is mediocre and does not have level settings. It does have Red-eye reduction, though in our tests, our subjects weren't completely cured.
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd has Optical Image Stabilization, which we prefer. A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack is the power source for the Finepix F60fd. As far as media, the Finepix F60fd uses xD cards or SDHC cards. We used an 8GB SDHC card that SanDisk has been kind enough to loan us. We prefer SDHC cards because they are much more widely used than
xD. We had issues getting our Macs to recognize the Finepix F60fd as a mass storage device using xD cards.
Image Quality - Good
Overall, the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd cranked out a solid performance, but there were some recurring themes that held it back from playing in the big leagues. Fujifilm's claim that the new sensor provides "boosted dymanic range" was hit or miss, as we experienced plenty of blowouts and underexposed shadows. In areas with subdued lighting, the Finepix F60fd can handle contrast better than most other cameras in its class, but it chokes under lighting extremes. Most artifacts were kept to a minimum, but noise levels were higher than they should be even in bright light. We're not sure what to make of the Finepix F60fd. There's not much room for manual adjustment, which limits low light shooting and bright light is hit or miss. Your only hope is to snap and cross your fingers.
Scene Test - St. Mark's Place
Scene Test – Building
The focused portion in both of these images is fairly detailed, but there appears to be a light fog of noise blanketing all. The detail is great along the black steps on the street and the intricate carvings along the columns of the building. However, we can clearly see a tiny haze of noise in the windows of the building and certain portions of the street scene. We're looking at 12MP images of course, so if you scale them down slightly the noise disappears. Still, it's exceedingly minor and most shooters will be fine with the levels. The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd does a fine job handling the contrast of the white bricks in the first image, but struggles with the sky next to the building in the second image. All in all, these are good images.
Color Test – Mosaic
The detail is great here, but it's the colors we're concerned with. The colors pop enough without appearing oversaturated, but they could still use a little electricity. Shooting in Chrome mode would add a little more kick to the hues, but the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd really doesn't give you much in terms of color options. This is another good image, but also take note of the blown out sky in the background. We've seen worse, but a camera with better dynamic range would handle the contrast much better.
Sharpness Test – Graffiti
When the lighting is right, the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd will pull through and we're seeing that with this image. For the most part, black lines are bold and sharp. You can catch a little purplish fringing along some of the lines, but it's minimal. This is a great image.
Contrast Test – Flowers
White flowers against a bright window means curtains for most cameras in this class, but the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd handles this image better than we would have expected. Though most of the image is underexposed, the level of blooming along the edges of the flowers is minimal and overall detail is great. We're seeing more noise in the shadows and the sky is unfortunately blown out, but this is a good image given the conditions.
Contrast Test – Hangin' With Mr. Cooper
We put Fujifilm's "dynamic range boost" claim to test in this shot and the results are not very pleasing. The sky in the background is exploding and sucking the life out of the trees. A haze of noise is also apparent all throughout the statue, though the columns and most of the writing are crisp and detailed. It's a mediocre image and the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd should have handled the contrast much better.
Detail Test – Pigeon
Detail Test – Gravel
The pigeon image is a hard one to botch, but the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd manages somehow. Look at the noise levels in the feathers! The gravel is slightly better, but the Finepix F60fd can't decide what to focus on other than a small patch. We're seeing a faulty Auto performance, as the aperture should have been cranked open in both situations. This is where you'll want to take advantage of Aperture Priority mode since the Finepix F60fd can't get it right.
Macro Test – Phone
We coulnd't get as close as we had hoped with the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd, as you can see the image does not come into focus until the ridge of the receiver. The image is a bit noisy and underexposed too.
Night Test – LIRR Station
Night Test – LIRR Tracks
Night Test – Macy's
What the first two images have in common is a shared level of underexposure. There's also some noise along the station brick wall, but the first image is actually passable. We just wish we could have sucked in more light from the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd's "Manual" mode. Light really declines along the tracks, so you'll want to boost the ISO, try Night mode or lower the shutter. Although a 1 second max would not help you in such a dimly lit environment. The Macy's image is quite noisy and lacks sharpness. Low light options are slim on the Finepix F60fd, and here is the proof.
Candle Test - Manual
Candle Test – Night Mode
We had difficulty keeping the Fujifilm Finepix F60fd focused in Manual mode, hence the slight blur. Exposure is lacking, too, and the color gradation in the candle is just not smooth, appearing posterized. At least the flame is not blown out in the first image, allowing you to detect the wick and blue portion. In Night mode, the ISO is raised and the noise comes out to play. It's certainly brighter, but lacks sharpness and the flame is overexposed. The posterizing has increased across the board as well.
Price and availability
The Fujifilm Finepix F60fd will start selling for $300 () in September 2008.
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| NEW DIGITAL CAMERA RELEASES | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive