Fujifilm FinePix F50fd

Model Design / Appearance (6.75)
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd is a thin, plain-looking camera. The metal housing is sleek and there are a few highlights on the sides and back, but the front looks a bit tacky with all the logos and text.

This camera is designed to be portable above all else, with mostly flat surfaces. Many cameras this size also opt for trendier shells that come in multiple colors. The F50fd comes only in silver. Fujifilm leaves the trendier look to its Z-line of digital cameras. The FinePix F10fd, for instance, comes in five colors, including Wasabi Green and Sunset Orange.

Size / Portability (7.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd is 0.2 inches shorter lengthwise than its predecessor, but otherwise shares the same measurements. The camera is 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches, so it doesn’t quite qualify as an ultra-skinny model. The camera’s surfaces are fairly flat, so it is easy to cram into a pocket. The camera is a bit heavier than anticipated for its size: the 6.2-ounce weight isn’t going to cause any damage, but makes the camera feel like a substantial chunk of metal.

Handling Ability (6.5)
Handling isn’t as much of a priority as portability and convenience on the FinePix F50fd. There is hardly anything to hang onto. The front of the camera has a lump that is hardly a ledge; it is supposed to be a finger grip but is too shallow to provide any actual comfort.


The index finger sits on the shutter release button and the thumb supports the back of the camera around the mode dial, although this feature doesn’t really provide much protrusion or texture. The camera can either be held with one hand or two, although if held with one hand the palm will have to lend support to the bottom, as the weight seems to be more concentrated in the left side.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (7.0)
The small camera and large LCD screen don’t leave much room for buttons and controls. The power button on the camera’s top is tiny, as is the image stabilization button. The image stabilization button is also located on the far right edge of the top – traditionally where the shutter release button sits. The button is so tiny that it can’t be mistaken for the larger shutter release button to its left, though.

Around the shutter release button is a zoom ring that is small, stiff, and uncomfortable to use. On the back of the camera is a mode dial that is very convenient for locating exposure modes. The dial is small, but large enough to easily read the icons and text on it.

The multi-selector is a traditionally styled single ring surrounding a menu/OK button. The ring doesn’t provide much tactile feedback or differentiation of directions, so navigation is a gamble at times. There are icons labeling each direction; they are at least intuitive, as are the rest of the buttons on the back of the camera.

Menu (7.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd’s menus are typical of those on other F-series digital cameras. The text in the menus is spelled out in all capital letters. This may be personal preference, but all capital letters bother me. Fujifilm seems to have cursed its cameras with the all-caps text, but its split menu system makes it easy to access a few items. The button to the upper right of the multi-selector is labeled with an "F" for the "F-mode menu."

F-mode Menu
Power Management	Power Save, Quick AF, Clear Display
ISO	Auto 1600, Auto 800, Auto 400, 6400, 3200, 1600, 800, 400, 200, 100
Quality	12M F, 12M N, 3:2, 6M, 3M, 2M, 03M
FinePix Color	Standard, Chrome, Black & White

The ISO and quality options are appropriately placed in this menu. The Color modes probably won’t be accessed as much by most users, but may be used often by some. The placement of the power management option is puzzling. It’s hard to imagine users will actually tweak the refresh rate of the display more often than the White Balance or Burst modes. Most digital cameras bury this feature in the Setup menu, so it’s odd that it’s the headliner in a menu that should include the most frequently used features.

The standard menu system is available by pushing the button in the center of the multi-selector. When the mode dial is turned to the manual position, the following options are available. Less options are available in more automated modes.

Shooting Menu
Photometry	Multi, Spot, Average
White Balance	Auto, Custom, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, Incandescent
Continuous	Final 12, Top 12, Long Period, Final 3, Top 3, Off
AF Mode	Center, Multi, Continuous
Setup	(portal to Setup menu)

The Setup menu is accessed from the bottom of the Recording menu. Once in the Setup menu, five tabs appear across the top of the screen. The first two tabs have camera icons, and the last three tabs have wrench icons. All options under each tab can be seen in a single screen, so users need only to scroll left and right through the tabs to find a feature, rather than scrolling up and down through a massive list. This makes navigation a bit easier, a plus since the multi-selector’s shape doesn’t give the user tactile feedback.

Camera Menu
Image Display	Zoom (Continuous), 1.5 sec, 3 sec
Frame No.	Continuous, Renew
Dual IS Mode	Continuous, Shooting Only
Save Org Image	On, Off
AF Illuminator	On, Off
Digital Zoom	On, Off
Long Exposure	On, Off
Setup Menu
Date/Time	YMD order selection, set date and time
Operation Volume	Off, Low, Medium, High
Shutter Volume	Off, Low, Medium, High
Shutter Sound	Sound 1, Sound 2
Playback Volume	0-10
Blog Image Size	640 standard, 320 small
LCD Brightness	+/- 5
Format	OK, Cancel
Language	Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Swedish
Auto Power Off	5 min, 2 min, Off
Time Difference	Home, Local (set date and time)
Background Color	Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Green, Black
Guidance Display	On, Off
Video System	NTSC, PAL
IR Communication	Standard, IrSS
Reset	OK, Cancel

The standard menu isn’t convenient if users are trying to access and change more than one feature; it kicks users out of the menu after a single option is accessed. The display/back button doesn’t take users back a step in the menu, rather it returns users to the live preview, as does the shutter release button. This is annoying if trying to change a few options in the same menu; it’s not possible.

Ease of Use (6.5)
The mode dial on the F50fd makes it simple for beginners to pick up the camera, find and select the Auto mode, and take a picture. Figuring out how to take pictures in the Priority modes is more difficult. The Aperture and Shutter Priority modes share the same position on the mode dial, so the desired mode must be selected in the Recording menu and the manual exposure setting selected with the top portion of the multi-selector. That’s not very intuitive.

The Fujifilm F50fd has a few features that enhance ease of use. There is a "virtual mode dial" that appears on the LCD screen when the physical dial is rotated. The virtual dial shows larger icons and an explanation for the selected mode. This is very helpful for beginners.