Fujifilm FinePix S9100

Reviewed January 2007

Introduction

This revision of the Fujifilm S9000 is called the FinePix S9100, and the FinePix S9600 in Europe. Differences between the S9100/9600 and the S9000/9500 are few, particularly externally, where these changes can be summarized as a larger LCD monitor, up from 1.8-inch to 2 inches.

The two-stage shutter release combined with the power switch top the grip, and are placed at a angle towards the front of the camera to make them more readily accessible. The shutter release includes a release socket that is designed to receive a screw-in cable release, a feature that avoids the expense of a wired remote release, an excellent idea that should be more widespread. The power switch simultaneously acts as a mode selector with two positions: Playback and Capture .

A cluster of three buttons separate the shutter release and power switch from the Mode and Command Dials, which are closer to the back of the S9100:

	Controls Exposure Compensation over a range of ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments when the camera is set to P, S or A modes. As is the case with the other two buttons, a display appears on either the monitor or in the viewfinder, that shows an exposure scale. Adjusting the Command Dial to one side or the other varies the amount of exposure compensation.
	Serves to select the Flash Modes. The Fujifilm S9100 is equipped with a pop-up flash (see further down) that has to be opened manually in all modes, and the display shown at right only appears when the flash has been opened before the button is pressed. The flash modes available are: Auto, Auto with redeye reduction, Forced on, Slow Synchro and Slow Synchro with redeye reduction.

Selects the Continuous Shooting modes: Top 4-frame continuous shooting: the camera captures up to 4 frames at 1.5 frames per second. Auto bracketing: (P, A, S or M only) this function serves to capture three images that include one image with the selected aperture and shutter speed, one overexposed frame, and one underexposed frame. A range of ± 1 EV in 1/3 EV increments can be used to bracket the exposure. Final 4-frames continuous shooting: the camera captures up to 40 shots at 1.5 frames per second while the shutter release is held pressed, but only records the last 4 frames. Long-period continuous shooting: allows capturing up to 40 shots at 1.1 frames per second.

The Command Dial is positioned so that it is easily rotated with the thumb. The dial allows setting the aperture or shutter speed or, as noted above, the exposure compensation, selecting the flash modes, or any of the continuous modes. To its left is the Mode Dial, which has 11 positions. When it is turned to switch from one mode to another, a dial graphic appears on-screen and switches to the new mode simultaneously. The modes available with the dial are separated into two groups by the Auto and Movie modes:

	Shutter Priority provides control over the shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture. With this mode the S9000 offers a shutter speed range of 1/4000 second to 4 seconds at the widest setting of the zoom, and 1/2000 second to 4 seconds at the maximum telephoto.
	Aperture Priority provides control over the aperture selection, from f2.8 to f8 at the widest angle and from f4.9 to f8 at the telephoto end while the camera adjusts the shutter speed.
	Manual mode provides full control over both aperture and shutter speed. Moreover, apertures in the Manual mode extend to f11 while the shutter speeds cover from 1/4000 second — even when the zoom is a the maximum telephoto — to 30 seconds. In addition, the Manual mode offers a Bulb mode (30 seconds maximum) that can be used with a cable release.

The other still image modes are Scene modes. Five are available:

	Night prioritizes a slow shutter speed — with a maximum of 4 seconds — and presets sensitivity to 80 ISO, but allows it to be modified if necessary. If the flash is opened the only modes available are Slow Synchro or Redeye Reduction.
	Landscape presets sensitivity to 80 ISO, and the camera uses the smallest aperture available to maximize the depth of field. The flash is preset to Forced off, even if opened, but the mode can be changed if desired.
	Portrait softens skin tones and the contrast. Sensitivity is preset to 80 ISO but can be modified.
	Natural Light takes advantage of the Super CCD HR's high sensitivity and makes it possible to capture an image under low ambient light. The camera increases sensitivity up to 1600 ISO if necessary, and Forces off the flash, even if it is opened.
	Picture Stabilization gives priority to the shutter speed so as to freeze movement. The mode sets the sensitivity to Auto ISO, and increases sensitivity as necessary. If the flash is opened, it can only be used with Redeye Reduction mode, Forced On, or Auto mode.

Finally, the Movie provides two movie sizes:

640×480 pixels at 30 frames per second, 320×240 pixels at 30 frames per second. During the recording, the focus, white balance and exposure are constantly adjusted. Recording lasts as long as there is space on the memory card.

Below the Mode Dial, on the back of the S9100/S9600, a small dial called the Photometry Dial provides three choices for the the Metering mode:

	Multi-Pattern: meters 256 segments in the frame and applies automatic scene recognition to analyze the subject and provide optimum exposure in a wide range of shooting conditions.
	Spot: useful for subjects with strongly contrasting light and dark areas, metering a precise point in the frame.
	Evaluative: calculates an average value for the entire scene, operating much like a Centre-Weighted pattern.

At the centre of the Photometry dial a small button serves to lock the metered exposure:

AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock), by default, maintains the metered exposure while being pressed. However, this behaviour can be changed by an option in the Setup menu so that when pressed once, the button locks the exposure, and releases it when pressed again. (See the Interface and Software section of the review for more information about the Setup menu.)

Moving down the back of the S9100, the next button decides whether the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) or the monitor is active.

As noted at the outset, the FinePix S9100/S9600 is equipped with a 2-inch hinged LCD monitor that can be pulled away from the body and inclined up 90° or down 45°. The monitor is composed of 235,000 pixels and shows 100% of the frame.

Similarly, the EVF is also composed of 235,000 pixels and also shows 100% of the frame.

Directly beneath the EVF/LCD button, the Focus Check button serves to magnify the centre portion of the image while the image is being manually focused.

Three other external controls are grouped further down on the S9100/S9600's back, and the biggest of these is the 4-direction button that serves to navigate the menu. At the centre of the 4-direction control, the MENU/OK button not only displays the menu, but it also serves to confirm some choices. (See the Characteristics section of the review for more details about the menu.)

The UP and DOWN arrows of the 4-direction control also support an additional function. In the capture modes, the arrows control the 2X digital zoom that gets added to the 10.7X optical zoom. In the Playback mode, the arrows allow zooming into an image (5.5X with a full size image), or out of it.

The Photo Mode button, identified by , displays a short 3-option menu that is superimposed on the image coming from the lens

• Quality serves to select the image quality when the camera is at the highest resolution, or the image size (see the Characteristics section of the review for more information about image sizes and formats offered on the FinePix S9100/S9600).
• Sensitivity: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 ISO, or Auto when the camera is set to Auto shooting mode, or one of the Scene modes.

• FinePix Colour: serves to set the colours captured:
  • Standard: is the default setting. Images are captured with natural -looking colours without any particular saturation.
  • -Chrome: mimics the colours of slide films such as Fujifilm's Velvia, subtly boosting saturation.
  • -B&W: captures a black and white image.

With the FinePix S9100/S9600 set to the Movie mode, the Photo Mode menu only contains one option, a selection of the movie frame size, either 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels.

In playback the button serves to assign DPOF tags to images that will be printed and how many prints will be made of each. The FinePix S9100/S9600 is PictBridge compatible, and can be connected directly to a similarly compatible printer via USB to make prints.

The last external button on the S9100/S9600's back is the DISP/BACK button:

Controls the type of information that is superimposed on the monitor: In the capture mode the default setting presents basic camera settings on the periphery of the frame, as well as the selected AF point, the aperture, and the shutter speed once the shutter release has been pressed halfway.

More information about how the image was captured is available by pressing the INFO button, on the left side of the camera.

In all capture modes the button displays a real-time histogram on the lower left side of the screen, showing the distribution of brightness throughout the image. In addition, a second press of the button when the camera is set to P, A, S or M modes adds a column above the histogram that indicates current settings for saturation, contrast, white balance, sharpness, and flash exposure compensation.

The INFO button is part of a small group of controls placed near the lens barrel, on the left side of the body. Of this group, the Focus Mode Selector is the biggest. The selector has three positions:

At the centre of the Focus Mode Selector is a small button, labelled with that makes it possible to get the assistance of the camera to autofocus instantly while the camera is set to Manual focus.

The last button there controls the Macro modes:

The S9100/S9600 is equipped with two distinct Macro mode, selected by pressing the button either once or twice: Standard Macro mode allows the camera to focus on a subject that is 10 cm (3.9 inches) from the front of the lens at the wide angle end, and 90 cm (3 feet) at the maximum telephoto setting. Super Macro mode allows the camera focus on a subject positioned from 1 cm to 1 m (0.4 inch to 3.3 ft) from the front element of the lens.

The S9100/S9600 is equipped with a pop-up flash that is manually released by pressing a button on the top left side of the camera. The flash extends relatively far above the camera body so as to avoid the possibility, as long as the subject is a reasonable distance from the camera, that the lens will cast a shadow on the subject.

If the press release is to be taken seriously, one of the improvements touted for the FinePix S9100/S9600 over the S9000/S9500 is something called iFlash (Intelligent Flash Function) which is supposed to achieve even foreground illumination with a blur-free background. The manual, however, makes no particular mention of this feature.

The S9100/S9600 is also equipped with a hotshoe that can be activated in the menu available when the camera is set to P, A, S or M modes. A wide variety of external flash units can be used manually, and the synchronization speed can be as high as 1/1000 second. In addition, the output of the flash can be compensated in the capture menu over a range of ± 2/3 EV.

Additional flexibility is provided by having a synchronizing terminal on the camera located on the lower left side of the lens.

Calling the Fujifilm FinePix S9100/S9600 a new camera is, in our opinion, an exaggeration. Minor modifications, internal and mostly invisible to the user, have been made to the S9000/S9500 design with one external change, also minor: the LCD is 0.2 inch bigger diagonally than it was on the S9000. Aside from that, the ergonomic design of this model is identical to its predecessor.