Fuji FinePix F20 First Impressions Review

by Richard Baguley
Published on October 10, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design / Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion

 

Version 5.2 of the FinePix Viewer software is bundled with the camera, along with the ImageMixer video editing program.

Jacks, Ports, Plugs
Both the USB cable and the A/V output cable connect to the single socket under the plastic cover on the left side of the camera. While this isn’t a huge problem (you aren’t going to want to connect both at the same time), it is a little annoying as the special socket means that if you lose the USB or A/V cable, you’ll have to buy a new one from Fujifilm.

Direct Print Options
The usual suspects are here: DPOF print ordering lets you decide which images to print when you take the memory card out and pop it into a printer, while PictBridge allows the camera to connect directly to a printer without a PC in between them.

Battery
The small lithium-ion battery fits into the compartment next to the memory card, and Fujifilm claims a battery life of 300 shots. We weren’t able to test this, but previous Fujifilm cameras of this type have proven to be very efficient. This battery is different than the one included in the F30, which can snap more than 500 shots per charge. The camera comes with a battery charger too.

Memory
A rather paltry 10MB of memory is built into the Fujifilm FinePix F20, which explains the limited performance with shooting more than one image in a sequence. xD-Picture cards of up to 1GB are supported, and a 1GB card could hold up to 341 images at the maximum size and quality settings. Images and videos can be copied from the internal memory to the xD card and vice versa within the playback mode. 
 

 

Picture Stabilization – The F20 includes a picture stabilization mode, but this does not use any form of electronic or optical image stabilization. Instead, it increases the ISO rating of the camera up to 2000 and increases the shutter speed. We were not able to test this feature, but we would be surprised if it was as effective as the electronic and optical stabilization systems found on more expensive digital cameras.