FujiFilm FinePix F10 August 10th, 2005 | by David Elrich

Features and Design

The FinePix F10 is slightly larger than a deck of playing cards, a bit thicker (1.1 inches) and weighs about 7.2 ounces with battery and xD Picture card.  It's definitely not the sleekest, slimmest digicam on the block, but it's easy enough to tote around.  It has a 3x Fujinon optical zoom that equals 36mm-108mm in 35mm terms, the basic zoom strength found on the majority of digital cameras.  It also has a 6.2x digital zoom boost, but we suggest that you never use this feature since it degrades picture quality.  It's far better to enlarge the image with your software at home.  When powered off, the lens retracts into the body and a metal lens cap automatically protects it. 

The top of the camera has the power button and shutter buttons as well as a simple dial to change settings to Auto, Manual, Movie mode and SP for the scene modes including the very cool Natural Light (more on this later).  On the front is the AF Assist illuminator lamp (a must-have feature in our book), self-timer light and microphone.  The back of the camera features a 2.5-inch LCD screen (rated 115K pixels), a wide/tele toggle switch, a four-way pad to change settings with a set key, and individual keys for Playback, Fuji Photo Mode, and Display/Back.  It's very clean and thoroughly understandable; unfortunately, there is no optical viewfinder to use when the LCD wipes out in bright sunlight (and it does).  The bottom has a slot for the supplied proprietary lithium ion battery and memory card.  On my unit the battery didn't snap into position but the door kept it in place.  The battery is rated 500 shots using the CIPA standard, far better than most cameras on store shelves.  There's also a tripod mount terminal.

The camera is supplied with the usual accoutrements including wrist strap, battery, a pathetic 16MB xD picture card, USB and AV cables, a nicely done 120-page owner's manual, Quick Start guide, and the FinePix Viewer 5 software bundle on CD-ROM.  It also has a somewhat awkward terminal adapter, which gets attached to the AC power cord rather than connecting it directly to the camera.  This terminal adapter also has jacks for the video output and USB cable.  Fuji said this was done to save space on the camera, but it seems like another piece of gear that could easily be misplaced.  Without it, you can't recharge the battery, a very big “oops” if you're not near home.  You can't even connect it to a computer, another reason to own a card reader.  A good suggestion would be an optional battery charger and an extra NP-120 battery, especially if you're traveling.

Photo Courtesy of FujiFilm