Fujifilm FinePix F30

Manual Control Options
The Fujifilm FinePix F30 has many of the same modes as the F10, but adds more manual functionality. The F30 adds shutter priority and aperture priority modes. There is a "manual" mode on the dial, but it isn’t truly manual. It is more like a program mode. It lets users access the white balance, ISO, exposure compensation and the auto focus mode, but not the shutter speed and aperture settings.

Focus
Auto Focus
The auto focus system works quite well in the F30 and is much quieter than it was in the F10. Center, Multi and Continuous auto focus modes can be selected from the recording menu. The AF illuminator can be activated from the setup menu too. The camera normally focuses from 2 ft. but shortens its range in the macro mode. There, it can focus as close as 2 inches in wide and 1-2.6 ft. in telephoto. The system works well, but users have to be careful about pushing the shutter release button halfway to focus before pushing all the way for the shot. The shutter release button pushes easily, so it is not uncommon to accidentally push all the way down and completely bypass the focus. The camera still takes furry pictures if this is done.

Manual Focus
There is no manual focus option on the Fujifilm FinePix F30.

Metering
There are live views in the metering section of the menu, making it easy for users to choose between the multi, spot and average options. The default multi option measures light from 256 zones throughout the frame and averages it for the exposure. This may not always be the optimal setting, so for subjects that create a lot of contrast, the spot and average modes will work better. Overall, the through-the-lens metering modes work just the way they’re supposed to.

Exposure
The mode dial shows the available exposure modes, including the program, shutter priority, aperture priority and several scene modes. True manual exposure is not available on the Fuji FinePix F30, but there is exposure compensation that ranges from +/- 2 in 1/3 increments.

White Balance
The white balance options can be found in the recording menu in the program ("manual") and priority modes. Auto, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent Light Daylight, Fluorescent Warm White, Fluorescent Cool White, Incandescent and Custom options are available. Selecting the right mode is made simple with the live views. The automatic setting seemed to work well, but the custom white balance is always preferred. It is easy to set with on-camera instructions. There is no box to frame a white subject in, so users must fill the whole frame with white. Once set, a "COMPLETED!" message appears that makes users want to pat themselves on the back.

ISO
The Fuji F30 has a wide range of ISO settings. In fact, it is the widest of any compact consumer digital camera. The F30 has 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 ratings, as well as two automatic modes – one for low ISOs and one for high. This wide range is made possible by a Super CCD that is 30 percent more sensitive than the F10’s sensor and a 2nd generation RP Processor that produces 25 percent less noise because of its improved signal processing.

Fujifilm takes full advantage of its wide ISO range. It is manually available, but is also used in several of the scene modes. The Natural Light mode uses the high ISOs and fast shutter speeds to reduce blur and still have an illuminated shot. The Picture Stabilization uses these features and adds a flash. So while the FinePix F30 has just one more stop at the top of the ISO range than the F10, there are many more ways to play with it on the new model.

Shutter Speed
The Fujifilm FinePix F30’s shutter speeds range from 3 seconds to 1/2000th of a second. There is also a long exposure mode that can be activated to leave the shutter open from 3-15 seconds. There is a shutter priority mode, but oddly, its range is a bit shorter than the automatic one. Users can adjust the shutter speeds from 3 seconds to 1/1000th of a second.

Aperture
The F30’s apertures can be manually adjusted in the aperture priority mode. The range is the same as on the F10. The Fujinon lens has a wide f/2.8 aperture at its wide 36mm focal length. When zoomed to telephoto though, the Fuji F30’s aperture shrinks considerably to f/5. Throughout the range, the minimum aperture remains f/8. When in the aperture priority mode, these can be adjusted in 1/3 stops.