Fujifilm FinePix F31fd

You know that feeling...the one you get after taking a bunch of indoor shots that you think turned out great, but look really crappy on your computer and then you waste tons of time trying to photshop the pics, well that's the feeling I have had with every compact digital camera I've owned. This is especially disappointing when you have important events like birthdays, weddings, etc. and the indoor pics turn out bad. Trust me and check out this camera. You will be shocked at how noise free indoor pics are (even iso 800 w/o flash). I don't know of another non-SLR camera that takes indoor pics this well. The build quality is superb (all metal construction). The only things I don't like: No separate battery charger included (you must charge in camera), no viewfinder, and XD card format. Those are minor quibbles and I would trade them any day for the fantastic indoor pics.

I am a photography enthusiast and Canon fan (over $3k in bodies and lenses) and my main camera is an Rebel XTi. However, I've got to give Fuji a lot of credit for focusing on pic quality rather than getting into a megapixel war. Don't be fooled by the megapixel myths. This camera may have lower mp's but it has a very large CCD sensor for a compact camera. And for gods sake don't buy a camera based on looks !!! Do you really care what the camera looks like or do you care about the pictures ??? Also, optical image stabilization (OIS) seems to be the latest rage. Who cares if a camera has OIS, but takes crappy indoor pics? This is the reason I passed on the Canon SD800 IS.

There are many reviews of this camera stating how good its low light capabilities are...well, they are all true. The camera does an excellent job shooting in regular lighting conditions. Initially, I was a little disappointed about the absolute image quality in the Auto mode but then I started analyzing the pics and saw the camera like to default to widest aperture (2.8) and higher ISO settings (400-800) in this mode. While the images are pretty good for the average person if you are accustomed to the images from a pro camera like the Canon 20D, then you will be a bit disappointed. Then I started playing around with the settings and boy or boy...here is the where the camera really shines:

Switch it to Aperture Priority mode.
Set the aperture to F5.
Set the ISO to 100.
Turn on flash to red-eye.
Set the JPG compression to Fine (6M F).
Turn on high speed shooting for faster focusing.
Change the color setting to F-chrome. (This boost saturation and contrast)

Now go take some pics :) At these settings this camera is capable of giving a consumer SLR a run for its money. Its that good! The color is a bit over saturated but its better than the normal settings which is a bit under saturated for my taste and probably the average person too.

The best feature of this camera though that is never really mentioned in the reviews is how good the metering is. I would say its even better than my 20D. In complex lighting situations the camera does an excellent job of metering the scene for the best possible exposure. In auto mode this was immediately evident to me.

The images also have a certain quality to them that could only be described as the Fuji look. In my opinion this camera metering and color rendition is superior to the Canons. I also own a Canon SD700 IS and while also a very good camera, the Fuji is better in also every respect except size. It is a little bigger, just a little, than the Canon and the Canon has a longer zoom (4X vs 3X). The Canon also allows you to adjust the image look with a lot more settings and the lens also has an optical image stabilizer.

The movie mode came as another surprise: very good! Again, the camera was awesome in low light. The movie quality would be comparable to a DV camcorder of a generation or two ago. Where it and all of these camera break down is when you are recording motion. Either a fast moving object or when you are panning quickly. The high compression causes either video artifacts or smear so remember, don't pan quickly. Again, I would say the movie mode is better than my Canon SD700.

The flash on the camera is also pretty powerful for such a small camera and the battery life is very good. Red-eye is controlled wonderfully and the flash does not burn out the highlights even at close range. Again...a really good job by the Fuji metering system.

All in all, Fuji did a really good job with this camera. I didn't believe it would be capable of producing images that could rival my 20D with an average lens but it can when all of the setting are set to optimum levels. I can't say that about my Canon SD700 or any other point-and-shoot digital I have played with. Now I won't feel so bad about leaving my 20D with its L class lens at home :)

PS Fuji has released the F40 now at 8MP. The problem with the increased pixel count on all of these sensors is that the area size remains the same. So you are crowding more sensors into the same physical space which increases image noise. So while you may get a higher pixel count you also get more noise. And let me tell you, one of the reasons I still have the 20D is because of its stunning noise free images. A completely noise free 4MP image will beat an 8MP noisy image any day. That is what most consumers do not know ;) The "perceived" resolution and sharpness of an image is determined to a great extent by how much noise it has. Don't buy into the higher mega pixel myth. You will never need anything more than 6MP anyway unless you are planning on making a lot of poster size prints :)

I can't say whether this camera is better or worst than the f30, but I can say that the camera is excellent. I've been using a Casio EX-Z750 for the last 18 months, and it is a tremendous outdoor performer. It is also more compact, has a viewfinder and manual mode. That's where the advantages end. Indoor shots always required flash, and the flash invariable gave skin a strongly unnatural pallor.

By contrast, f31fd indoor shots with and without the flash are superb . I recently took over 200 shots at a seminar where I could not use a flash. Skin tones was very natural/accurate and noise at ISO 400 or less was virtually non-existent. At ISO800, noise was noticeable, but the shots were usable. Shots at ISO 1600 were also usable, but substantial detail was lost. The FD worked, but the subject had to be looking in your direction. Also, at the longest zoom, the camera would default to ISO 1600 in auto mode. I found that if I zoomed halfway, I could keep the ISO down to 400 (preferred) or lower.

Images are a little soft, which is okay, but might be a problem if you don't want to use Photoshop or similar. I haven't taken many outdoor shots. That's not why I purchased the camera. However, I suspect it will do fine. Most cameras do.

Some dislikes: I wish it had a viewfinder, I wish it was smaller, and I wish that I could use FD in a non-automatic mode (or at least prevent ISO from creeping over 400!). These are not major dislikes. I'm more than happy to trade off these minor niggles for the great performance.

UPDATE: I've had this camera for about 7 months. The low-light performance is still acceptable, but I am extremely disappointed with the FD feature. Most of the photos I've taken with FD are unusable especially when there are multiple people in the photo. It selects settings with a very narrow depth of field, so most faces are out of focus. Most of the shots are extremely soft. I don't want to have to do a lot of post-processing work with a point-and-shoot. I will experiment with it more. But for now, I will rely on my Nikon DSLR for critical shots.

This camera is very similar to the Fuji F30, but has face detection (fd) that autofocuses on faces in a photo. Great for taking pictures of yourself, or for snapshots you don't have time to compose. Excellent quality photos in dim light. At 3200 ISO, photos are washed out and noisy, but still good for capturing an image you would otherwise miss. Option to limit ISO to 1600, or to 400. Camera will use any speed up to the limit. 400 ISO is extremely good. As good as my Canon Digital Rebel xti. Usual modes I never use (flower, landscape, etc.), but one unique mode I use all the time: no flash/flash. The camera takes a picture without flash up to 3200 ISO, and then takes a picture with flash immediately after. Usually takes less than one second to capture both images. No flash doesn't surprise anyone and ruin the candid shot, while the following flash guarantees you'll get the image, even if the "warm glow of candlelight" is ruined. I always have the camera set to this mode. Uses xD cards, which I hate, but if you buy a 1 GB card you'll be able to take 400 - 500 photos without ever needing to change the card. Also, battery life is unbelieveable! Fully charge the camera over several hours, and you'll be able to take 400 photos, half with flash, before the battery is drained. Fuji-brand underwater housing is optional, watertight to 40m (121 ft.) Camera comes with underwater setting to intensify non-blue colours, and still keep the intense blue of the water. Literally *every* diver should have one of these cameras. I recommend this camera without hesitation. There simply isn't anything else like it on the market.

Pros: Good for those who want an automatic camera and those who want to adjustable settings.

Cons: Software is awkward. It can't be used as a webcam.

The Bottom Line: A great camera with lot of features that can be used by beginners and enthusiasts.

Why did you buy this product?
My husband and I got the Fuji Finepix F31FD Digital Camera as our Christmas gift in December 2006. We wanted something to replace our current digital camera which was quickly becoming more and more irritating because it does not take good pictures in low light and it does not have a zoom feature.

Describe your experience using this product.
The Fuji Finepix F31FD Digital Camera arrived when my husband was at work and I was at home on vacation. I was so excited and immediately started playing with it.

One of the first tests I did with Fuji Finepix F31FD Digital Camera was to check how well it worked in low light. I closed all the blinds, turned off all the lights, and took a picture of items approximately 18 feet away. I took this picture at night and the room was pitch black. I was amazed. The picture came out clear and it looked as if it was taken in the afternoon. You could not tell from looking at the picture that it was taking in a completely dark room.

The second feature I wanted to test was the face detection feature. So I took pictures of me with this feature turned off and another with it turned on. I was pleasantly surprised at the results. While the pictures were not hugely different, it was clear that the feature worked and that I was more of the focus in the picture that was taken with the feature on. This feature even worked when I took pictures of dolls and when I took a picture of a picture with several faces in it.

One feature that I didn't think would be all that useful was the video capture feature. I love taking pictures but have never been into recording video. However since this feature is included I find myself using it more and more. It is quick and easy to switch over to the video capture component and record those precious moment. It is limited to approximately 15 minutes of video which isn't a great deal of time. There is supposed to be a new memory card coming out soon that will allow users to record longer periods of video (approximately 30 minutes). My husband keeps looking for the new memory card to be released but I'm fine with the approximately 15 minutes of video and approximately 350 pictures.

What do you love about this product?
It's compact and easy to handle. It has a lot of great features including taking pictures in the dark, face recognition, video capture, the ability to let the camera automate the setting or let the user manually adjust them, a 2 sec and a 10 second timer, and an excellent zoom feature.

I also like that it warns you when you need to make adjustments to get the best picture. For example if I am zoomed in to closely for the auto focus to work, it warm me.

What do you hate?
I do not like the software that comes with the camera because 1) I think the way it labels items is awkward, 2)it seems to be all or nothing i.e. save all pictures or erase all pictures 3) it doesn't let you view before saving items, and 4) it's kind of slow. Maybe I just haven't learned to use it correctly but doesn't work well for me.

I also do not like that I can not use this as a webcam. I can connect it to my TV tuner and view what is happening in my room but Yahoo Messenger does not recognize it as a webcam.

Recommended:
Yes