Fujifilm FinePix F40fd

Reviewed April 2007

Characteristics

The F40fd uses a 1/1.6-inch Super CCD HR (High Resolution) with 8.3 million pixels, allowing the camera to yield a maximum image size of 3296 x 2472 pixels. A total of five image sizes are available with the F40fd, all recorded in JPEG format, but only the highest resolution, 8 megapixel, has a choice of compression:

In all but the Manual mode, CCD sensitivity is automatic and under the control of the camera. With the Manual mode, however, sensitivity can be set from a range that covers 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 ISO. In addition, the camera can be set to Auto ISO with a preset upper limit: Auto 400, Auto 800, and Auto 1600 ISO. Worth noting, some Scene modes can have access to even higher sensitivities: Natural Light and Picture Stabilization modes can go as high as 2000 ISO.

The Fujinon 3X optical zoom used on the F40fd has a focal length range of 8 to 24 mm, equivalent to a 36 to 108 mm lens in the 35 mm film format. At the wide end, apertures start at f2.8 extending to f8 in 10 steps. At the telephoto end, apertures start at f5.1, also extending to f8.

A 6.9X digital zoom is also available, increasing the overall zoom effect to the equivalent of 20.7X. The digital zoom magnifies the centre of the image, progressively cropping a smaller and smaller section and interpolates it to the currently selected image size, resulting in noticeably reduced image quality.

The F40fd has a shutter speed range that covers from 1/2000 second to 4 seconds when the camera is set to the Fireworks scene mode. It is however, completely under the control of the camera with one exception: the Fireworks mode allows setting the shutter speed from a range of 1/2 second to 4 seconds, once the shutter release has been pressed halfway and the shutter speed is displayed on the monitor.

In all but the Manual mode, the options contained in the Shooting Menu are very limited. Indeed, in a number of shooting modes, the only option that is shown is Setup, which is the access to the most basic settings for the camera (see the Interface & Software section of the review for a description of the Setup menu). The Manual mode, however, offers a few options:

• Exposure Compensation: allows compensating the exposure from a range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.

• Photometry serves to select the metering pattern: Multi, a 256-segment pattern, Spot, which only evaluates the centre of the frame, or Average, which is similar to a centre-weighted pattern.
• White Balance: Auto; Custom, which allows setting the white balance under ambient light; Sun; Shade; Daylight Fluorescent; Warm White Fluorescent; Cool White Fluorescent; Incandescent.

• Continuous Shooting provides three shooting modes:
  • Long-Period: captures images while the shutter release is held down, until the camera runs out of memory. The maximum frame rate is 0.6 frames per second.
  • Final 2: captures the last 2 frames before releasing the shutter button at a maximum frame rate of 0.9 frames per second.
  • Top 2: captures a maximum of 2 images at 1.3 frames per second.
• 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.
• Set-up: accesses the Setup menu. (See the Interface and Software section of the review for more detail.)

Pressing the Menu/OK button while the F40fd is in Playback mode displays the following options:

• Erase: to delete one or all images on the memory card.
• Image Rotate: to rotate an image 90° to the right or left.
• Protect: is to select images for protection from accidental erasure. Frames can be selected one at a time, or all selected, or all reset.
• Copy: serves to copy one or all images between the internal memory (see further) and a memory card, or vice versa.
• 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 can be saved at a 4M size, or 2M, or 0.3M.
• Set-up: accesses the Setup menu (see the Interface and software section of the review for information about the options contained in the Setup menu).

The F40fd has a 25 MB internal memory, and is compatible with both xD Picture cards and SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. In North America, the FinePix F40fd is sold without a memory card.

The dual capability card slot is located underneath the camera, next to the battery compartment, and both are covered by a solid door.

The chart below provides approximate quantities of images and the length of video clips that can be saved using the internal memory, and using an optional 1 GB SD card:

Power for the FinePix F40fd comes from a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery (NP-70). The battery is held in place by a small spring-loaded latch, which prevents it from sliding out when the memory card is accessed. The camera includes a charger (BC-70) which — at least for the North American version — takes the battery and plugs directly into a wall outlet. Recharging the battery takes approximately 2 hours.

The FinePix F40fd has two external connections, on the left side of the body, below the IR window. These are protected by flexible plastic cover that is tethered to the camera.

The upper connection has a dual function, depending on the cable used. With the USB cable, it serves to connected the camera to a computer or to a PictBridge compatible printer. The USB connection is USB 2.0 High-Speed.

With the AV (Audio/Video) cable, it serves to connect the camera to a television, and the signal the camera produces can be set in the Setup menu (NTSC or PAL).

Finally, the lower connection is to plug in an AC-DC adapter. The adapter, AC-5VX, is optional.