After checking out Fujifilm's latest offering in the ultra compact sector (the FinePix F60fd ), it's time to look at their new addition to the S series of super zooms - the Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd.
The S1000fd measures 102.5 x 73 x 67.8 mm, making it quite small and portable for a super zoom. It weighs 325 grams though, which wouldn't be too much normally; but since the frame is so small the density (mass per square millimeter, in this case) is pretty high, making it feel like a heavy little rock.
In spite of this, it feels reasonably comfortable to take shots with the S1000fd, since most of the weight is on the back-right corner of the camera (where you'd grip it), ensuring that there's no weight imbalance that would normally make it difficult to keep your hands steady.
Most of the body is made of tough plastic with a textured rubber grip running across the right side of the camera that feels great to the touch and enhances grip for all you people with sweaty palms.
To add to the comfort there's a well contoured groove along the right side, making the S1000fd incredibly convenient to wield.
The button placement is quite convenient, with the trigger on the top, far side of the extended grip, with a plastic ring around it to zoom in and out. Behind the trigger are the Face Detection and Burst setting buttons along with the power switch. The mode selection dial is located right near the flash.
The facing side of the camera hosts a 2.7-inch LCD, with the controls neatly laid out to the right of it. These buttons include the Viewfinder toggle button, the Preview and Photo mode buttons, a display/back and an exposure compensation button, and a 4-way navigation pad with a menu button perched in the middle.
The only thing I couldn't wrap my head around is why Fujifilm would bother making the body this small. I mean it's good for portability, but that's not exactly why you'd buy a superzoom now, is it? If it were a little bigger, it would be way more comfortable to hold and would suit the target audience far better.
The S1000fd supports resolutions up to 10 megapixels (3648 x 2736) and boasts of a 12x optical zoom lens. The camera includes the following modes - Manual, Aperture priority, Shutter Priority, Program, Auto, Natural light, two scene modes (more on that later), Panorama, and video recording.
The two scene modes allow for quick access between any two sub-modes that you can assign to each one - not the most useful feature, but it can make your life easier if you ever have to swap between two separate scene modes constantly.
While the macro mode was pretty decent, what really impressed me about it was the camera's Super Macro setting (that's been there in previous models of the S series too) that allows you to focus on objects as close as 2 centimeters from the lens.
The color reproduction was accurate but towards the vivid side, which is completely acceptable. Even the auto white balance was spot on.
The camera's CCD sensor offers 64, 100, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 (at 3MP) ISO settings. Beyond 400 ISO though, the image quality began suffering considerably and the 3200 ISO setting was pretty much useless.
PAGE_BREAK
The image quality and details suffered quite a bit in low light conditions too, as you can see in the image above. In better light conditions though, we had no issues with details even at full resolution.
Another complaint I have is that the camera's interface is rather cluttery, making it quite painful to navigate. It's not bad enough to deter you from buying the S1000 should you choose to though, it just takes a lot of getting used to.
While the Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd is quite a performer in well-lit conditions, it's not the best option for those of you who wish to even consider low light photography.
As it stands, the camera's decently built, reproduces colors well, and has a somewhat attractive price tag of Rs. 11,999 (street price). It's a decent camera for those who wish to dabble their way into amateur photography.
More from Tech2 Fujifilm FinePix F60fd
Comments
0 comment