Fujifilm FinePix F10 Digital Camera Review

Color (6.68)
The FinePix F10 comes equipped with a Real Photo image processor, which Fujifilm claims does everything from create accurate colors and less noise to make your bed in the morning. Okay, so Fujifilm didn’t promise that last part, but we are expecting big things from the imaging processor. To test how accurately it reproduces colors, we take several well lit exposures of the 24-tile GretagMacbeth color chart. Industry professionals use this chart as a standard of ideal colors. We upload our images of the color chart into Imatest Imaging Software, which determines how accurate each color is compared to the corresponding ideal. The modified chart below shows the original color on the inner rectangle, the F10’s produced color on the outer square, and the color-corrected version on the inner square.

 The same information is displayed graphically below. The squares depict the Fujifilm FinePix F10’s produced colors. The circles represent the original ideal colors from the GretagMacbeth chart. The greater the distance between the two shapes, the greater the error of the imaging processor. Ideally, these shapes should be right on top of each other.

 The FinePix F10 performed decently, but tended to exaggerate the red colors more than necessary. Many compact models do this to enhance skin tones, but even this exaggeration is a bit overboard. Naturalistic color reproduction seemed to be the weakest performance element of the F10, which is oddly enough the case on many FinePix models. We’ve tested the color accuracy of another Fujifilm F-series digital camera, the F440, and it shared the same problem of red exaggeration, but it received a less impressive score of 4.65 because it exaggerated many cooler tones as well. The F10 makes some improvements, but still has a ways to go.

Still Life Scene
Below is a colorful still life scene photographed by the Fujifilm FinePix F10.

Click on the above image to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: The linked image is very large!)

 Resolution / Sharpness (5.47)
Fujifilm advertises the F10 with 6.63 total megapixels on its 1/1.7-inch Super CCD. Of those 6.63 megapixels, 6.3 of them are effective in imaging. To test the exact resolution of images from the CCD, we take several exposures of the International Standards Organization resolution chart and upload them into Imatest Imaging Software. The software program then determines the number of pixels used in the pictures. We report these numbers as a percentage of the manufacturer’s advertised effective megapixel count to provide a standardized means of comparison — how effective the sensor is. A camera that scores within 70 percent of the advertised count is considered "good." Within 80 percent, it is "very good." A camera that scores within 90 percent is "excellent" and rarely heard of.

Click on the chart to view full resolution image

The Fujifilm FinePix proved itself a rare find, recording 5.47 megapixels. This is 90 percent of its advertised pixel count, which has only been found in SLR cameras up until now. Previously, the Canon SD500 held the title for most megapixels recorded by a compact digital camera. It recorded 5.28 megapixels, but advertised 7.1 megapixels. The FinePix F10 outperforms the SD500 with more megapixels and an "excellent" designation.

Noise Auto ISO (3.22)
We test the automatic ISO setting in bright light, so users can see if their Florida family reunion pictures will have random purple pixels dancing across them. The Fujifilm F10 performed similarly to other compact models, most of which score in the 2-3 range. The F10 earned an automatic ISO noise score of 3.22, which is mediocre and should be the cause of some concern for straight automatic users. Unless you are shooting in bright daylight, in automatic ISO mode, the F10 will display significant noise. Note: the automatic ISO setting can be chosen at any time, but it does not automatically activate in the Auto mode; users must set it to Auto.

Noise Manual ISO (11.42)
Fortunately, the F10 performed much better when the ISO rating was manually adjusted. The FinePix F10 offers the following ISO ratings for manual adjustment: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600. This range goes far beyond what most compact digital cameras offer. To test the walk behind the talk, we tested noise levels at each of the ISO ratings and entered the data into a regression analysis to determine the overall score. The noise levels are depicted on the graph below on the vertical axis, with the ISO ratings shown on the horizontal axis.

 The Fujifilm F10 surprised us with an overall manual ISO noise score of 11.42. Most compact models score in the 4-5 range on this test, so reaching this level is pretty unbelievable. Images are virtually noise-free and they rival SLR photos. The F10 displayed less noise using its ISO 1600 than any camera released this year that we have tested at ISO 400 (including the Canon PowerShot SD500, the Konica Minolta Z5 [at ISO 320], the Kodak Z740, Panasonic FZ5, etc.). This is truly unbelievable! With results like these, you’re much better off adjusting the ISO yourself.

Low Light (6.5)
With this camera's ISO 800 and 1600 ratings, along with a Natural Light preset setting, the Fujifilm FinePix F10 is slated to be a strong low light performer. We typically test a camera's low light capabilities at decreasing light levels to highlight the sensor’s point of limitation. Each camera is tested at 60, 30, 15, and 5 Lux to see how it will perform in common low light scenes; 60 Lux equates to a moderately lit bedroom following sundown, 30 Lux is roughly the illumination given off from a single, 40 watt lightbulb, and 15 and 5 Lux are conditions approaching darkness.

Although clearly reaching its limitations at 15 Lux, the Fujifilm F10 performed admirably at all previous light levels. Images recorded at 60 and 30 Lux are sharp and defined with vibrant color tones. These are definitely the strongest low light images we have seen since we began reporting our low light results. Captured images display very limited noise, even at 15 Lux, and tonal gradations are clearly distinguishable. Issues do emerge when the available light dropped to 5 Lux, but that is expected, as very few imagers remain capable of reproducing acceptable images in those conditions. All around, the camera certainly lives up to the hype regarding low light performance, though it should be noted that these results were attained using the camera’s manual mode, ISO 1600 rating, and manually setting the white balance for each shot. When tested under the same light conditions using the camera’s touted Natural Light mode, illumination levels in the image remained the same, but color accuracy severely waned. If shooting in low light, it is strongly recommended that users opt for the manual mode and settings.

Speed / Timing
Startup/First shot (8.66)
The F10 produced the fastest startup time of a compact digital camera that we’ve tested. There is a tie for runner-up between the Konica Minolta Z20 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150, both at 1.41 seconds. Users must hold the power button down rather than tapping it, which is nice because it won’t accidentally turn on in your pocket. The power button doesn’t need to be held down long — probably only a half second. The total time for the Fujifilm FinePix F10 to turn on and take its first shot: 1.34 seconds. Quickly getting that shot of your kid doing something spontaneously cute: priceless.

Shot to shot (8.6)
The Fujifilm FinePix F10 has three continuous shooting modes: Top 3, Final 3, and 40 Frames (all titled within the camera). The Top 3 mode takes the first 3 images with 0.4 seconds in between each shot, then pauses for 12 seconds before taking its next 3-picture burst. The Final 3 mode takes pictures at a slightly slower 0.43-second clip, but only saves the last three pictures. The title of the "40 Frames" mode refers to the amount of pictures that can be taken continuously without any breaks for reading or writing to the card. The camera takes a shot every 1.4 seconds, which isn’t much of a burst mode. The scariest part of the "40 Frames" mode is the noise the camera makes when it takes a picture.

Shutter to shot (8.89)
Photographers who are tired of slow shutter lag will appreciate the F10, which only takes .01 seconds from the time the shutter button is released to the time the exposure is captured. Very impressive for a compact camera!