Fujifilm FinePix F100fd Review
Review Date: September 18th 2008
Author: Mark Goldstein
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Conclusion
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Ratings
(out of 5) |
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| Design | 4 |
| Features | 4 |
| Ease-of-Use | 4.5 |
| Image Quality | 4 |
| Value for Money | 4 |
The Fujifilm Finepix F100fd is very much like its predecessor, the F50fd, offering a number of significant improvements, but at the same time also taking a serious backwards step in one key area. This time around Fujifilm have improved the image quality, with performance at ISO 800 equalling ISO 400 on the previous F50fd. It's still not as good as the even older, 6-megapixel F31fd, about which we commented "this compact camera still has no rivals in terms of low-light performance", but it's very welcome none-the-less, and you do get double the resolution into the bargain. The F100fd also ups the ante by offering a 5x zoom lens, and a wide-angle 28mm one at that. This is an important step by Fujifilm as more and more compact cameras move away from 3x zooms, and it really makes the F100fd a versatile, take-anywhere camera. Unfortunately, Fujifilm have inexplicably decided to remove the one key feature that made the F-series cameras appealing to serious photographers, namely the A / S / M creative shooting modes that allowed you to control what the camera was doing. Canon also did this recently on their A-series - we hope this isn't a growing trend of manufacturers dumbing down their value-for-money ranges in order to persuade us to buy their DSLRs. The loss of this significant advantage means that the Fujifilm Finepix F100fd is now a fairly run-of the mill compact digital camera that's no longer the de facto pocket camera for the aspiring photographer. As an all-round package the Fujifilm Finepix F100fd still comes recommended, mainly thanks to the imporved image quality, but if creative control is your number one priority, then you'll need to look elsewhere.
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