Fujifilm FinePix F100fd review

Fujifilm FinePix F100fd Review

Reviewed by: Rich Trenholm

Reviewed on: 25 June 2008

Performance
Corking image quality is the only thing that would pull it out of the bag after the interface frustrations. Colours are fresh and natural and noise performance was a pleasant surprise.

Although you can go up to ISO 12,800, the combination of 3-megapixel resolution and intrusive noise reduction makes the results look like they've been daubed in crayon. But apart from the predictably overambitious higher ISO speeds, noise control is actually pretty good. Even at ISO 800, well beyond the reach of most compacts, speckly noise doesn't overwhelm the image. Noise reduction isn't too overzealous, with only the finest detail smudged.

Low light performance is good, as you'd expect from an F series camera, but we have to add the caveat that without quick access to exposure compensation, the results can be hit and miss, especially when different light sources are involved. The F100 wouldn't know where to start with, say, a concert.

We were able to take a picture in 1 second from start up. Meanwhile, the burst mode -- if you can find it buried in the menu -- clocks in at a rather shoddy 0.5 frames per second.

There are other faster burst modes: top three and final three modes, which save the first or last three images from when you hold down the shutter. Final three saves three images in 2 seconds. Top three is even faster, saving three frames in 1 second. But it then takes another 10 seconds to process them and besides, we can't for the life of us think of a situation that would require you to use top three.

Conclusion
We really want to like the Fujifilm FinePix F100fd and as an uncomplicated point-and-shoot with a fun control wheel, we do. But the weight of expectation from its illustrious forebears, such as the Fujifilm FinePix F50fd, leaves us disappointed. Its feature set is too dumbed down and what manual controls you do get are inexplicably and annoyingly in the wrong place.

Decent image quality means we could recommend this to the everyday snapper, but anyone who wants decent results even in harder lighting environments would be better off with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5.

Edited by Shannon Doubleday