Fujifilm FinePix F31fd Digital Camera Review

Model Design / Appearance (7.25)

The Fujifilm FinePix F31fd is thick and homely compared to other digital cameras. It is 1.1 inches thick, and it comes in the traditional silver color seen on almost every other digital camera. This model doesn’t distinguish itself in its looks. However, it is much cooler than it looks. It has IrSimple communication and face detection technologies. Fujifilm’s F-series is more about function than form anyway, much like Sony’s W-series or Canon’s A-series. The F31fd isn’t considered sexy by any means. Between the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd and the F30, there aren’t many physical differences. The only visible change is the finger grip on the cameras. The F30 has a oval-shaped chrome grip that was hardly functional and not very attractive either. The F31fd has a squatty rectangular-shaped chrome finger grip with a bump and a trapezoidal rubber grip in its middle. It provides much more substance and is placed much better than the F30’s “grip.” Overall, the F31fd is only slightly improved in terms of outward physical function, but its looks belies its more attractive features.

Size / Portability (6.75)

The F31fd has a thick body with measurements of 3.6 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches. These dimensions used to be considered slim, but the average digital camera has slimmed down in width within the past few years. Many competing models measure around 0.8 inches thick. The Fujifilm F31fd fits into a pocket but not comfortably. The camera is also a bit heavy for its size. It weighs 5.5 oz without the card and battery, but the included battery adds a few ounces. The battery isn’t enormous, but it is larger than most which is a trade off well worth it because of its 580-shot lifetime. The camera has a wrist strap eyelet on the right side of the body, and it comes with a very thin strap to attach to it. The strap isn’t comfortable and dangling this model from a wrist seems a bit careless. Still, the F31fd is plenty portable.

 

Handling Ability (7.0)

In terms of handling, the FinePix F31fd is slightly improved. It has a better finger grip than the F30’s chrome oval-shaped finger grip. The F31fd’s grip is made of rubber material, which obviously provides a much more stable surface for fingers than a slippery chrome surface. The new grip is placed more comfortably too. On the back of the camera are seven rubber bumps below the zoom control where the thumb can rest and keep the camera from slipping. All of the buttons on the back are within easy reach of the thumb, and the buttons are properly sized and spaced so there shouldn’t be any accidental activations. There are only two potential handling problems. First, the left fingers curl around the camera and grip where the flash is placed which could block the flash and cast unwanted shadows on subjects. Second, the right side is considerably heavier than the left side because of the battery compartment. Unfortunately, the tripod socket is located on the lighter left edge, so it could be a problem trying to keep the camera level on a tripod plate.

 

The Fujifilm FinePix F31fd has three buttons atop the camera and a slew of them on the back. The three on top are the power, mode dial, and shutter release buttons. These are nicely sized, with the only concern being the undersized stub on the mode dial. It is there for rotation and isn’t the kind of mode dial that hangs over the edge and is turned from the side. Users have to jam their fingernails into the top of the mode dial to twist it into position. The buttons on the back of the digital camera are properly sized and spaced, and are all placed within reach of the thumb. The layout is the same as the F30, but the button to the bottom right of the multi-selector has several purposes. It activates exposure compensation in some modes and the face detection auto focus in others. The only issue with the buttons on the back of the camera is the abundance of icons: They are everywhere! At first glance, the buttons may look intimidating to beginners. There are icons surrounding the multi-selector with icons next to it as well as on every button. This might be a turnoff to some consumers.

Fujifilm breaks up its menu options with more frequently used settings located in a special menu accessed by the “F” button. This menu has only three options shown below.

 

 

There are only three options, but one or two more could still fit comfortably – and then perhaps the manufacturer wouldn’t need so many icons surrounding the buttons on the camera body. All of the menus are typed in all capital letters and in a font reminiscent of old-school Atari games. There is a live view in the ISO and FinePix Color options in the first menu with more live views available in the shooting menu which is accessible from the OK/Menu button.

 

 

There are live views in the photometry and white balance sub-menus which makes it easier for beginners to select the proper settings. The live view in the photometry sub-menu is behind the menu overlay, but the white balance sub-menu makes the main menu disappear entirely. Instead, the sub-menu appears on the far right edge of the LCD screen and leaves a nice and large area to preview the modes. The setup menu is divided into three tabs that are labeled numerically but not necessarily by function.

 

 

 

 

The numbered pages keep all of the options within easy access. It’s much better than scrolling down a single page forever and ever for that one option at the bottom of the page that you want. The setup menu is a bit frustrating if you want to access more than one feature. For instance, if you would like to change the LCD brightness and the video system output, then you would need to change the brightness first. You would then be kicked out of the menu structure, have to re-enter it with the Menu/OK button, scroll to the setup menu within the main menu, scroll to the third page, and down a few clicks to the bottom. Whew. There is a Disp/Back button that works in the shooting menu, but it doesn’t provide any functionality in the setup menu.

 

Overall, the menu system is just average. It is composed mainly of text, so it is easy to use. However, some users don’t like the split structure with the separate “F” menu and others don’t appreciate getting kicked out of a menu every time an option is selected.

 

The Fujifilm FinePix F31fd is fairly easy to use, but it does have quirks like the aforementioned setup menu snafu and split menu system. The camera does have more positive aspects than negative ones. It includes live views in the menus to help photographers make proper selections. It also provides nearly all-text menus. It showcases a mode dial that allows users to select the auto mode for just pointing-and-shooting. In addition, Fujifilm has made its fancy technology surprisingly accessible by including a button on the camera that activates the face detection auto focus mode. Its IrSimple technology is also very easy to use within the playback menu. It is simpler than creating a print order.  

 

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