Fujifilm FinePix F31fd Digital Camera Review

 

The front face of the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd has the same measurements and nearly the same look as the F30. The only physical difference between the two digital cameras is the finger grip that appears on the left side of the front of the F31fd. The F30’s is shaped like a pointed horizontal oval, while the F31fd’s is a chrome-colored squatty vertical rectangle with a trapezoidal black rubber piece in the center. On the right edge of the chrome rectangle, “6.3 MEGAPIXELS” is engraved. Above the finger grip is a FinePix logo made of metal lettering, different from the F30’s printed lettering. Below the finger grip is the Fujifilm brand name. On the right side of the front is the 3x optical zoom lens surrounded by a stepped chrome ring. Around the inner barrel of the lens are the words, “Fujinon Zoom Lens, 3x, f=8-24mm 1:2.8-5.0.” In the center of the lens, two diagonally oriented doors snap close over the glass. To the bottom right of the lens are two holes that expose the built-in microphone. To the right of this feature is a Super CCD logo. To the top right of the lens is a rectangular built-in flash and a circular auto focus assist lamp. The flash is not as wide as competing models’ flashes, but it is definitely taller when compared to truly built-in units. The auto focus assist lamp is also quite large when compared with the competition.

 

Back (7.75)

The back of the F31fd has a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the left side, with the Fujifilm logo on the bottom of its frame. To the right of the monitor is a 1.5-inch space filled with buttons and controls. At the top is an inch-wide zoom lever that has a scooped out center and a “W” on the left and “T” on the right. There are seven rubber bumps below the lever to aid in gripping. There is a small LED indicator to the left of the grip that almost blends in because it's the same size. The bottom two-thirds of this side has a multi-selector with four buttons around it: two on top and two on bottom. The top left button enters the playback mode, the top right button calls up the FinePix menu that has ISO and other frequently used settings and is labeled with a capital “F.” The bottom left button changes the display information and takes a step back in the menu system. The button on the bottom right activates the face detection feature or allows the exposure compensation to be adjusted. The multi-selector itself consists of a dime-sized ring with a central Menu/OK button. There are tiny arrows engraved into the ring to show the four cardinal directions, but there aren’t cutouts or any major handling features otherwise. There are icons surrounding the multi-selector to explain the many functions. From the top, clockwise: the top is a one-touch gain-up function for the LCD backlight and acts as the delete function in playback, the right side changes the flash modes, the bottom activates the self-timer, and the left side enables the macro mode.

This side houses the connective elements of the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd. Toward the bottom is a rubber flap with a small bulge for easier finger prying. Beneath this are two ports: AV/USB and DC-in. Directly above this is a dark window that serves as the infrared sensor for the built-in IrSimple technology that can transfer images wirelessly to other enabled devices and F31fd cameras. Near the top of this side is a bolt that looks a bit out of place.

The right side of the camera bends and curves to the back side of the F31fd. There are two decorative bolts near the front of this side and two oval-shaped holes near the back side. The oval-shaped holes are shallow and connect beneath the outer housing which is for attaching the wrist strap.

The top of the camera has a printed FinePix F31fd logo on the left side and three buttons on the right. The buttons are neatly aligned with the smaller power button almost in the center of the camera. The mode dial is directly to the right while the shutter release button on the far right. The mode dial has six positions on it: Movie, A/S (aperture priority and shutter speed priority), M (“manual,” but it would more accurately titled “program”), Auto, N/SP (Natural Light/Scene Position), and Blur Reduction mode. There is a small nub above the movie mode that allows the user to turn the dial from the top.

On the far right edge of the bottom is the tripod socket, which is made of plastic and surrounded by a few plastic nubs for gripping a tripod plate. A few bolts grace the bottom too, but these bolts look randomly placed. Directly below the lens is the built-in speaker, which consists of nine tiny holes in the camera’s housing. The left side of the bottom has a camera door that opens with its joint nearly in the center. The door slides inward and then opens, but it does not have a separate lock to keep it shut. Inside the door is the lithium-ion battery and the slot for the xD-Picture card.

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