Model Design / Appearance(8.0)
Fujifilm put a lot of thought into the design of the F10. They wanted a slim camera that would be more durable than most waif-like cameras in its class. Fujifilm engineers crafted a monocoque design, which wraps a single sheet of metal around three sides of the camera. This same design is used to build airplanes, golf clubs, and race cars because of its strength and durability. The metal plate wraps around other plastic elements of the housing, and keeps a durable feel throughout. The F10 aims to attract the style-seeking crowd with a sleek silver casing and sharp-lined form but also strives to provide a bit more substance than some other more aesthetically-oriented point-and-shoot models. The design results in a feeling of substance and a bit of heft, but by no means is the camera heavy. The body is dense and does not feel easily breakable — an important characteristic of any electronic device intended for pocket transport. A few ergonomic features are also formed into the design, such as the thumb divot and finger grip for added control and comfort when shooting with one hand. These features are appreciated and do not compromise style for comfort.
Size / Portability (7.5)
The F10 has a compact rectangular form that looks similar to the Canon PowerShot SD400, but the Fujifilm model is a bit thicker. The SD400 measures 0.8 inches thick, while the F10 measures 1.1 inches thick. The F-10 will still fit in a pocket, but may feel bulky if you’re not sporting baggy attire. There is a slightly raised finger grip on the front of the camera, but it isn’t enough to snag your pants or cramp your style. The 3.6 x 2.3 x 1.1-inch digital camera weighs 5.5 ounces without the battery and card; it weighs 7.1 ounces with the xD-Picture Card and rechargeable lithium-ion battery included. The F10 has a wrist strap eyelet and included strap to aid in portability. While the F-10 is certainly not the smallest camera on the market, considering the additional density and durability of the frame, it might be worth the very slight inconvenience of transport.
Handling Ability (8.0)
The design of the Fujifilm FinePix F10 incorporates ergonomically pleasing features such as a finger grip on the front and a thumb divot on the back of the body to supply additional support and control when shooting. It does this without sacrificing style for comfort. The slightly raised finger grip has an embossed FinePix logo across it, which actually helps keep the fingers in place. (Blatant advertising with a secondary, surprisingly practical application - nice touch.) The grip is just large enough to supply comfort and support without adding much bulk; the height is not as exaggerated as in some compact models, such as Canon’s A-series cameras. A divot on the back of the camera provides a comfortable space for the right thumb to rest when it’s not toggling with the zoom lever just above, though unfortunately, there is no texture to the surface. These seemingly insignificant features go a long way in terms of comfort and handling aid for the F10.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.5)
Perhaps exaggerated by its large 2.5-inch LCD screen, the F10’s control buttons on the back of the camera appear slightly undersized. This would be excusable, except for the fact that all the buttons are also crammed together in the small space to the right of the display. While the handling of the camera is comfortable, actual use can be a little frustrating because of the button size and placement. Multiple buttons can easily be pressed at the same time, especially if you have large fingers. This is particularly true with the navigational dial. The F10’s navigational dial is used to scroll through menus and options and is formed around the OK or Enter button, creating the camera’s selection interface. The circular dial is formed of a single continuous piece, without any boundaries or distinctions between directions and can often create issues when making selections by feel, without looking at the controls directly. To make matters worse, the mode dial on the top is stiff and can be hard to turn.
All of the buttons are clearly intelligible except for the “F” button. This button is familiar to Fujifilm users, but may stump newcomers to the FinePix line. The “F” button is for the Photo mode, which engages an image control menu containing: Quality, ISO, and Color mode.
Menu (8.0)
There are two places to find menus on the F10: the Menu/OK button and the F button, also known as the Photo Mode control to those familiar with Fujifilm models. The menus always appear as an overlay superposed over the real-time view. The camera highlights selected options with a background color, which users can customize to be blue, purple, pink, orange, green, or black. The options within the menus are expressed with icons or abbreviations; a gray bar atop the menu displays the full text title of the highlighted graphic icon. The F10 offers live views for the exposure compensation, photometry, white balance, ISO, and color modes.
The menu options differ depending on the mode selected on the mode dial. When the “SP” (scene position) mode is selected, the F button has two options (Quality and FinePix Color) and the Menu/OK button yields the following options: Scene Position, High Speed Shooting, Set-up, and Continuous. The Auto mode has the same menu options except for the Scene Position; Auto mode does add a manual ISO selection to the F menu. In the Manual mode F menu, the following options are available: Quality, ISO, and FinePix Color. When the Menu button is pressed in the Manual mode, a short list of options appears: Exposure Compensation, Photometry, “White Ballance [sic]," High Speed Shooting, Set-up, Continuous, and AF Mode.
Yes, you read that right. White ballance, not balance. I guess Fujifilm doesn't have enough editors to produce a grammatically correct camera; a few spelling errors slipped into the first wave of cameras (one of which is the one we tested). Not only is the word “balance” spelled with one too many Ls, but the fluorescent option is labeled “Foluscent,” for all those times you're shooting in foluscent light. Oops.
When the movie mode is selected, the scant menu consists only of a Set-up option and the F button brings only a Quality option.
The Set-up menu branches off from the others with a long list of options to adjust personal preferences: Image Disp., Shutter Volume, Beep Volume, Playback Volume, Frame No., LCD Brightness, Digital Zoom, AF Illuminator, Long Exposure, Auto Power Off, Format, Date/Time, Time Difference, Language, Background Color, USB Mode, Video System, and Reset.
The Playback menu is accessed by pressing the small playback button above the navigational dial, then pressing the Menu/OK button in the center of the dial. The following options appear: Erase, Image Rotate, Print Order (DPOF), Protect, Playback, Setup, Voice Memo, and Trimming.
If users want to change white balance or ISO settings, then entering the menus becomes a necessity, as there is no other way to adjust these. Macro, flash, self-timer, LCD brightness and delete functions are available on the navigational dial — and are accessible without entering the menu.
Ease of Use (7.0)
The degree of ease depends on what you’re doing with the camera. Taking pictures is simple. Point-and-shoot functionality is easy to attain with intuitive menus, although shooting options are found in two different places: the Menu/OK button and the F Photo mode button. If users are trying to charge the battery or transfer images to a computer or printer — or really anything involving wires — the F10 gets complicated. The connection of three separate wires to charge the battery or power the camera is ludicrous. In terms of performance, the camera excels when manually pushed. In auto mode, performance is run-of-the-mill and without any major strengths other than its expanded sensitivity range, which will help minimize apparent camera shake and motion blur.
