Digital Camera News

September 24, 2006

Fuji Announces its First Face Detection Point-and-Shoot F31fd

Cologne, Germany, September 25, 2006 – For the first time in its line-up, Fujifilm announced today their first pocket-size point-and-shoot with face detection technology, in the FinePix F31fd. Modeled after the FinePix F30, the new 6.3-megapixel F31fd borrows its high ISO range and feature set, while adding the facial recognition technology. The F31fd will retail for $399 when it becomes available in December.

Following the FinePix F30 announced in February, the F31fd comes with equal resolution and is offered at the same introductory price. The new F31fd has a 1/1.7-inch Super CCD sensor and shares the same 3x optical zoom and 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel LCD monitor. The F31fd also borrows its precursor's expansive ISO sensitivity range - extending up to ISO 3200 - a range Fuji first introduced to their entry-level cameras with the F30.

Above the other features, the new camera offers Fuji’s face detection system, first introduced in Fuji’s SLR-styled compact FinePix S6000fd in July. The face detection system can read up to ten faces in a scene and automatically set focus and exposure within 0.05 seconds, according to today’s press release. Based on an algorithm to identity a subject’s eyes and mouth, the camera is geared towards making portrait photography easier and more precise.

"With the addition of Face Detection Technology to an already outstanding camera package, the FinePix F31fd will turn just any picture-taker into a top-notch picture-taker into a top-notch photographer," stated Fuji senior product manager David Troy in the release.

Like its predecessor, the F31fd is equipped with a Picture Stabilization mode dial that automatically boosts the camera's ISO to gain faster shutter speeds. The new FinePix also has Fuji’s familiar dual shot mode that captures two images, one with Fuji’s i-Flash, one without and allows the user to decide which they prefer post-capture. The F31fd has VGA-sized video functions at 30 fps like the previous model.

The Fuji FinePix F31fd is compatible with xD cards and carries a higher 26 MB of internal memory over the F30’s 16 MB of built-in memory.

The new Fuji F31fd camera "has a tremendous impact on the quality of ‘people pictures,’" stated the release.