Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd

Reviewed November 2006

Characteristics

The FinePix S6000fd is equipped with a 1/1.7-inch Super CCD HR (High Resolution) that has a total of 6.3 million pixels, yielding a maximum image size of 2848 x 2136 pixels. Four other image sizes are available, but only the 6 megapixel image size has a choice of two compression settings:

Aside from JPEG, images can also be saved, at their maximum size, in a RAW format that records the output of the sensor, along with current camera settings for colour, exposure compensation, white balance, sharpness, etc., without processing the image in-camera. The image can then be processed later, using the supplied software, and the shooting parameters amended, if required.

The S6000fd offers a large sensitivity range that starts at 100 ISO. Set to P, A, S, and M modes, CCD sensitivity can be set to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, or 3200 ISO. Worth noting, these modes offer no Auto ISO mode, unlike the Auto shooting mode and the Scene modes, which have the sensitivity fully controlled by the camera.

The S6000fd is equipped with a 10.7X Fujinon optical zoom that has a focal length range of 6.2 to 66.7 mm, equivalent to a 28 to 300 mm on a 35 mm camera. Apertures start at f2.8 at the wide angle end, and f4.9 when the zoom is at the telephoto end, closing down for both a maximum of f11 when the camera is set to the Manual shooting mode.

This aperture range works in combination with shutter speeds that cover from 1/4000 second to a long exposure time of 30 seconds when the S6000fd is set to the manual mode, while other modes have some restrictions (see the Ergonomics section of the review for more details).

As noted in the Ergonomics section of this review, the FinePix S6000fd's settings for sensitivity, image size and quality, and colour mode are determined in the Mode Menu displayed when the button is pressed. The use of the CCD-RAW image format, however, requires accessing the Setup menu, which in turn deactivates the Image Size and Quality options of the Mode menu. All other settings not controlled by buttons on the outside of the camera and available in the capture mode are presented when the MENU/OK button is pressed:

• Scene Position (only shown when the camera is set to SP or N): With the N Mode Dial position the options shown are Natural Light, or Natural Light + Flash. With the SP Mode Dial position, the other Scene modes are displayed.
• Self-Timer offers a time delay of either 10 or 2 seconds before the shutter is released. The Self-timer, which must be re-selected at each use, can also be used in combination with the Face Detection system, to ensure correct focus.

• Photometry selects the metering pattern: Multi divides the frame into 256 segments to arrive at precise exposure settings that take the entire frame into account; Spot concentrates the reading on a small area at the centre of the frame; and Average is a Centre-weighted pattern.
• White Balance (WB): Auto, Custom (set under ambient light using a white surface), Sun, Shade, Fluorescent 1 (daylight fluorescent), Fluorescent 2 (warm white), Fluorescent 3 (cool white) or Incandescent.
• High-Speed Shooting: this option shortens the time required to auto focus by narrowing the range of the AF to between 2 m (6.6 ft) and infinity at the wide angle end, and between 4 m (13.1 ft) and infinity at the telephoto end. This mode is automatically selected when the Sports shooting mode is used.

• AF Mode selects the way the auto focus operates when Face Detection is turned Off:
  • Centre focuses at the centre of the frame exclusively.
  • Multi selects the focus point automatically from a wide area at the centre of the frame.
  • Area makes it possible to move the AF point anywhere in the frame using the 4-direction control.
• Sharpness controls the in-camera sharpening applied to JPEG images, or saved along with other camera settings when the CCD-RAW format is used:
  • Hard: emphasizes outlines.
  • Standard: default setting.
  • Soft: designed for portraits, or when softer contours are desirable.
• Flash: controls the brightness adjustment of the flash over a range of -2/3 EV to +2/3 EV, in 1/3 EV increments.
• Bracketing selects the bracketing increment: 1 EV, 2/3 EV, or 1/3 EV for Auto Bracketing, which is selected from the Continuous options that are displayed when the Continuous Shooting button is pressed.
• Set-Up: is the access to the basic configuration of the camera (see the Interface and Software section of the review).

Unlike the still image modes, when the S6000fd is set to the Movie mode, the only option accessible in the main menu is Set-up.

Set to the Playback mode, the menu provides the following options:

• Erase: serves to erase one or all unprotected images.
• Image Rotate: allows rotating an unprotected image in 90° increments to the right or the left.

• Protect: serves to protect All, or Selected images or Reset (remove) protection for all.
• Copy: serves to copy images or video clips from the internal memory to a memory card, or vice versa, either one frame at a time, or all frames at once.
• Voice Memo: serves to add a voice annotation to an image. The recording can be up to 30 seconds long, and should be done by facing the camera as the microphone is under the flash, on the left side of the lens.
• Trimming: allows zooming into a part of an image and capturing the section as a new image. The size of the image depends on the zoom scale used

• Setup: is the access to the Setup menu.

Two other Playback related options are accessed using the button:

• Playback: allows viewing the images in memory as a slide show, serves to see all the captured images with a choice of transition effects, or gives the option to display images captured with Face Detection by having the camera present the face zoomed on screen.
• Print Order (DPOF) serves to set DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) tags on All or Selected images: prints with or without date, or the deletion of all DPOF tags.

The FinePix S6000fd is compatible with xD Picture cards, and has an internal memory of approximately 10 MB. An xD picture card is not included with the camera. The cards fit into a slot that is covered by a solid door on the left side of the camera, next to the speaker, and is ejected by pressing on its edge.

The chart below lists approximate image capacities with the internal memory, and with an inexpensive optional 1 GB card, which offers a more reasonable capacity:

Three external connections are grouped on the left side of the camera, below the card compartment, and are covered by a tight-fitting, flexible cover.

At the top, in yellow, is the A/V (Audio/Video) jack, and the signal the jack outputs can be configured in the Setup menu to be either NTSC or PAL.

Immediately below is the DC input, designed to function with the optional AC-DC adapter (AC-5VX), witch allows the S6000fd to be powered from regular household current.

The third connection, on the right nearer the back of the camera, is the USB port, which is 2.0 Hi-speed and PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol).