Product Description

Fuji's new F31fd Finepix Digital Camera gives you the best possible results, in any shooting conditions. It features Face Detection, a new technology designed to significantly improve your picture taking by identifying human subjects' faces in the frame (up to 10 faces) and in real time, determining the optimal focus and exposure settings. Fujifilm's new Picture Stabilization mode eliminates blur due to subject movement and camera shake; even in low light backgrounds. Simply select the Picture Stabilization icon on the dial on top of the FinePix F31fd, and you're ready to shoot. A new 6th generation Super CCD-HR to capture more light with less electronic noise. ultra-high sensitivity means you can capture the perfect picture, even in low light, just as your eye sees it. The 2.5" LCD has 230,000 pixel resolution and a fast refresh rate giving you smooth, clear viewing in high resolution color. The FinePix F31fd delivers an astonishing 580 shots per charge, which means you're always ready for that next photo opportunity. Auto Flash with Red-Eye reduction & Slow Synchro Shutter Speed - 15 sec. to 1/2000 sec. Movie Recording - 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames/sec. in AVI format with monaural sound Preset & automatic White Balance Exposure Modes - Programmed AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE Voice Memo - Up to 30 sec. recording, in WAV format 26MB internal storage Stores photos on xD-Picture Card (up to 2GB) Color modes - B&W/Chrome/Standard Photography functions - Face Detection, High-speed shooting, Best framing, Frame No. memory 2/10 sec. Self-Timer USB high-speed input/output Dimensions(WxHxD) - 3.6 ? 2.2 ? 1.1 (with no accessories/attachments) Weight - Approx. 5.5 oz. (unloaded)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28040 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Fuji
• Model: F31FD
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 2.23" h x 3.65" w x 1.09" l, .34 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 6.3-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
• Face Detection Technology built-in to the camera’s processor
• ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution; VGA movie capture of 30 frames per second with sound
• Powered by NP-95 Li-ion battery (battery and power adapter included); stores images on xD-Picture Card (26MB internal memory included)

From the Manufacturer
The Fujifilm Finepix F31fd is Fuji's first pocketable digital camera to feature hardware-based Face Detection technology. Face Detection has great impact on people photography, ensuring the camera automatically focuses on and exposes for faces rather than details that can confuse other cameras. Coping with up to ten faces in a frame, it ensures photos of friends and family are crisp, clear, and perfectly exposed no matter what the occasion. Because Fujifilm's Face Detection technology is built-in to the camera's processor, it is able to identify faces, optimise settings and take the photo within just 0.05 seconds.

The F31fd features unrivalled low-light performance of ISO 3200 at full resolution, made possible by Fujifilm's acclaimed Real Photo Processor II, combines with Face Detection to make the FinePix F31fd the ultimate compact for people photography. With a Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, 6-megapixel Super CCD HR VI, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and unique Fujifilm technologies such as Intelligent Flash, the FinePix F31fd is perfect for anyone looking for a camera that will rise to any occasion.

The camera's fast response times, 0.01-second shutter lag, and 1.5-second start-up time ensure it will catch all the action and spell the end of missed photo opportunities. Its 580-shot battery life makes it an ideal constant companion for days out or weekends away without the worry of missed photo opportunities thanks to a spent battery.

New Face Detection Technology
The new F31fd Finepix digital still camera features Face Detection, a new technology designed to significantly improve your picture taking by identifying human subjects' faces in the frame (up to 10 faces) and, in real time, determining the optimal focus and exposure settings for the absolute best results possible in any shooting conditions. Behind Fujifilm's Face Detection technology is a newly developed LSI chip combined with patented software that allows the FinePix F31fd digital still camera to reach a level of performance in digital photography never before possible.

Picture Stabilization
Blurry images are the most common complaint of digital camera users. Fujifilm's new Picture Stabilization mode eliminates blur due to subject movement and camera shake, even in low light backgrounds. Simply select the Picture Stabilization icon on the dial on top of the FinePix F31fd, and you're ready to shoot. Picture Stabilization automates professional photographic techniques to deliver clear images with true color and fine detail.

The Sensitive Side
Sensitivity in photographs means you get true color, fine detail, and clear pictures. The FinePix F31fd utilizes Fujifilm's new 6th generation Super CCD-HR to capture more light with less electronic noise. Combined with the RP Processor II and an aspherical Fujinon lens system, which are used widely in professional broadcast TV cameras, the FinePix F31fd can reach ground-breaking levels of sensitivity, up to ISO 3200 with very low noise, which can cause grainy pictures. This ultra-high sensitivity means you can capture the perfect picture, even in low light, just as your eye sees it. And all with extremely fast operational and processing speeds so you never miss a shot.

Power Play
Now your digital camera will last longer than you thanks to an extended life Lithium-Ion battery. The FinePix F31fd delivers an astonishing 580 shots per charge, which means you're always ready for that next photo opportunity. And then simply connect the camera to the AC adapter to recharge and be ready for your next party, wedding, vacation, or any other picture-taking occasion.

Light up the Moment
Tired of your pictures looking washed out because the flash was too bright? Fujifilm's new i-Flash system ensures your image is always properly exposed with just the right amount of light. The results are more natural looking subjects and backgrounds that are bright and full of crisp detail, so you capture the picture just the way you see it.

Easily frame and share shots
The FinePix F31fd makes it easy to frame your shot and share your memories with a high resolution LCD. The 2.5-inch LCD has 230,000-pixel resolution and a fast refresh rate giving you smooth, clear viewing in high-resolution color. The LCD adjusts image brightness to surrounding light levels automatically. For added control in darker settings, simply press the one-touch manual gain up to increase the LCD brightness for better viewing. Bright sunlight viewing is made easy with thanks to Clear View Filter Technology. This anti-glare coating is used on millions of plasma and LCD screens worldwide, and makes the F31fd's LCD viewable even in direct light.

What's in the Box
Fujifilm Finepix F31fd digital camera, Li-ion battery NP-95, AC power adapter AC-5VC, hand strap, USB cable for the FinePix F31fd, AV cable for the FinePix F31fd, CD-ROM, FinePixViewer, ImageMixer VCD2 LE for FinePix, Owner's Manual

Customer Reviews

WOW !!! AND THAT'S FROM A DIE HARD CANON FAN
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.

Low light champion
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 :)

Incredible Low - Light Performance
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.