Fuji Finepix F60FD Review

The Fuji Finepix F60FD is a 12 megapixel, compact camera. It has a large 3 inch LCD screen, image stabilisation and automatic red eye removal.

Most smaller cameras are basic point and shoot models. Although the Finepix F60fd remains easy to use it also has shutter priority and aperture priority modes. These can give you some added control over your photos. It also scored a fast time in my shutter lag tests.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
Focusing is above average and it is good to see that little sharpness is lost as you move out towards the edges of the shot. All cameras struggle with sun glare at this time of year, leading to a loss of detail in the lightest areas of the photo. In this instance detail is lost on the white wooden slats of the building and on the front boat. Where the Finepix F60fd does well compared with other cameras is it manages to retain true colour even where the sun strikes the boats.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is the toughest test for focusing with parts of the scene being very distant. The Finepix F60fd outperforms most cameras. The detail on the boats on the far bank is superior to the levels I am used to seeing.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
3x zoom is now the minimum you are likely to find on this type of digital camera from a leading brand. So with this camera you will not be able to get in quite as close as many other models allow you to do. Even so this is another sharp photo and the level of detail is impressive once more.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
Overall all I am very happy with both the sharpness and level of detail the Finepix F60fd is able to produce. You should have no problem creating crisp snapshots.

Outdoor Portrait
This shot works well because of the natural colours in the picture. The skin tones are more or less spot on and although there is no problem with sharpness there is a pleasant, soft feel to the shot.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
One of the first points I noticed is how well the camera handles the strength of the flash. There is very little reflecting back of the face and in this area the Finepix F60fd outperforms many of its rivals.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
Using available light rather than flash there is more noise showing in this photo than some cameras manage. Even when the light is good indoors or the light begins to fall outside you are likely to need to resort to flash quite quickly.

Colours
I really like the colours this camera creates. They help to make smaller objects stand out helping to add interest to your photographs. For example when I first looked at the building test shot my eye was drawn to the red flowers on the left hand side of the shot. I found myself noticing detail that I do not tend to see with other cameras.

Macro
The clarity and sharpness of the macro shot are good without being perfect. Under the studio lighting used to take the shot I did have problems getting the Finepix F60fd to get the colouring right. It was difficult to get a picture without a blue or purple tinge. This should not be a problem when taking close up shots under natural lighting, but could cause issues if you are planning to take pictures under lighting for Ebay etc.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
ISO 400 may work outside in good light if you are trying to freeze action, but anytime the light is not perfect noise will start to creep into the shot. Only use higher ISO ratings when there is no other way to get the shot.

Overall
I am very happy with my test results. Both the level of detail and the colours the camera produces are impressive.

The time taken to capture a single photo is very good at 0.2 seconds. Five photos took 12.57 seconds. With flash the times are still good at 0.34 seconds for one photo and 13.83 seconds for five.

It took 3.09 seconds to turn the camera on and take the first shot.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

This camera is not as stylish as some compact cameras. It has a slight slope on the top of the camera and a very small grip on the front. You can buy either a black or silver version.

92.5 x 58 x 22.9mm

163g

Lithium ion (NP-50). Fuji supplies both a battery and charger.

As with other Fuji digital cameras the Finepix F60fd is compatible with SD, SDHC and xD cards. Fuji have built 25mb of memory into the camera. This is enough for around 8 photos.

Click here to save money on memory cards..

Very good. Despite have shutter and aperture priority modes available the Finepix F60fd is simple enough to use.

Colours - detail in photos - shutter lag speeds

Nothing springs to mind

Another good quality compact camera is the Panasonic DMC FX150. The DMC FX150 has a manual exposure mode.

The Fuji Finepix F60fd offers a good quality alternative to other, perhaps better known brands such as Canon and Sony. I found it hard to find fault with this camera and I have enjoyed using it.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Fuji Finepix F60fd