Fujifilm FinePix F10

Reviewed June 2005

Characteristics

The FinePix F10 is equipped with a new Super CCD HR (High Resolution). The sensor consists of 6.63 million pixels, of which 6.3 million are effective and produce an image size of 2848 x 2136 pixels.

CCD sensitivity can be controlled manually in all but one mode, covering a range of 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 ISO, or can be set to Auto which lets the camera adjust it as required over a range of 80 to 800 ISO. The exception is the Natural Light mode which controls CCD sensitivity between 80 and 1600 ISO as dictated by the amount of light.

The FinePix F10 has a 3X optical zoom with a focal range of 8 to 24 mm, equivalent to a 36 to 108 mm lens in the 35 mm film format. The lens apertures go from f2.8 to f8 at the wide angle end, and from f5 to f8 at the telephoto end.

In addition, the camera is also equipped with a digital zoom — which must be activated in the Setup menu — increasing the overall zoom effect to the equivalent of 6.2X. As the digital zoom magnifies the image, it progressively crops a smaller and smaller section of the image's centre, interpolating it to the currently selected image size, which lowers the image quality considerably.

With most shooting modes the F10 has a shutter speed range of 1/2000 to 1/4 second. When set to the Night scene mode, this extends to 3 seconds, and up to 15 seconds when manually selected in the Long Exposure mode, the latter being enabled in the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review for a look at the contents of the Setup menu).

By default the FinePix F10 uses a Multi metering pattern () that evaluates 64 segments of the frame and performs automatic scene recognition to calculate the optimum settings. In addition, two other metering modes are available: Average and Spot. In use, the Average pattern () is much like a Centre-weighted system, and is easily influenced by the brightness at the centre of the frame. Spot () on the other hand concentrates the entire reading at the precise centre of the frame, and is well-suited to backlit subjects.

The FinePix F10 allows recording images at any of 5 sizes:

• 6M: 2848 × 2136 pixels,
• 3:2: 3024 × 2016 pixels,
• 3M: 2048 × 1536 pixels,
• 2M: 1600 × 1200 pixels,
• 0.3M: 640 × 480 pixels.

But only the largest image size, 6M, offers 2 different compression levels, Fine and Normal; while all other image sizes are tied to a specific compression level.

The selection of image size is made in the Photo Mode menu, called up by pressing the button on the back of the camera while set to a capture mode. The Photo Mode menu contains settings for 3 important image settings:

• Resolution/Quality: See above.
• ISO to select the sensitivity of the CCD: Auto (between 80 and 800 ISO), 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1600 ISO.
• FinePix Colour controls the image colour:
  • Standard: the default, captures normal colours;
  • Chrome: accentuates colour saturation and contrast, much as Fujichrome film does;
  • B&W: captures a black and white image.

In addition, a Photography menu is available in all capture modes by pressing the MENU/OK button at the centre of the 4-direction controller:

• Scene Position (only presented when the Mode Switch is set to the SP position): allows selecting one of the scene programs (see the Ergonomics section of the review for a list of the modes available).
• Exposure Compensation: allows adjustment of the exposure over a range of ±2EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• Photometry serves to select the metering pattern: Multi (), Average (), or Spot (). (See above.)

• White Balance: Auto, Sun, Shade, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, Incandescent or Custom, which allows setting the white balance under ambient light by referencing it with a white surface.
• High-Speed Shooting: turns on continuous focusing, thereby reducing the time required for the camera to focus, but draining the batteries faster.
• Set: accesses the Setup menu. See the Interface and Software section of the review for more detail.

• Continuous Shooting provides three shooting modes:
  • Top 3-frame: captures a maximum of three images at 2.2 frames per second.
  • Final 3-frame: captures up to 40 images at 2.2 frames per second while the shutter release is held down, saving only the last three frames.
  • Long-period: captures up to 40 images while the shutter release is held down, but at a slower rate.
• AF Mode:
  • Centre: the camera focuses on whatever is at the centre of the frame.
  • Multi: the camera focuses on any strongly contrasting subject anywhere near the centre of the frame.
  • Continuous: focusing is continuous on the main subject at the centre of the frame.

Worth noting, when the F10 is set to the Movie mode, the menu only presents a single option: the access to the Setup menu.

Set to Playback mode, a different menu appears offering the following options:

• Erase: to delete one or all images on the memory card.
• Rotation image: to rotate an image 90° to the right or left.
• Print Order (DPOF) serves to set printing parameters that will be used when the camera is connected to a DPOF compatible printer or a printing service: date imprinting or not, and the number of copies to print of each image, or reset all DPOF settings.
• Protect: is to select images for protection from accidental erasure. Frames can be selected one at a time, or all selected, or all reset.

• Automatic Playback: starts a slide show of the images, including the movies, on the memory card. The rhythm at which images are displayed, and the transition effect between images can be selected. In addition, special options allows presenting 4 images per screen, or displaying the time at the top right of the screen.
• Set: accesses the Setup menu (see the Interface and software section of the review for information about the options contained in the Setup menu).
• Voice Memo: serves to record a voice annotation (WAV format) that will be attached to an image and which can be up to 30 seconds long.
• Trimming: allows zooming into an image and saving the zoomed image as a new image. The cropped image is interpolated up to the nearest image size.

The F10 is compatible with xD Picture cards and is retailed in North America with a 16 MB card.

The card slot is located underneath the camera, next to the battery, both being covered by a solid door. The card is ejected by pressing on its end.

The chart below provides an idea of how many images can be saved with the 16MB card included, and with an optional 256 MB card:

The FinePix F10 is powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion (NP-120) battery. As noted above, the battery fits in a slot next to the memory card, but is not held in place when the cover door is opened and can fall out while the memory card is manipulated.

Instead of using a docking station as is the case with a number of Fujifilm cameras, the FinePix has its external connections as part of a Terminal Adapter, which plugs into the jack on the left side of the camera. The Terminal Adapter supports 3 connections, each labelled clearly.

On the left is the jack for the AC-DC adapter (AC-5VW) which is included with the camera. Not only can the adapter be used to power the camera over extended periods, it also recharges the battery in the camera in approximately 4 hours.

At the centre is the USB (Hi-Speed) port for which the communication protocol is determined in the Setup menu: Mass Storage to have the camera appear as a hard disk to the computer, or PictBridge when the F10 is connected directly to a similarly compatible printer to print photos.

Last, the yellow jack is the Audio/Video out, the signal of which is also set in the Setup menu as either NTSC or PAL.

And all the necessary cables are included in the kit.