Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

May 08, 2006 - By James Murray
Positioned in the lower echelons of Fujifilm’s F-series, the FinePix F470 has a retail price of $279 and a stripped down style that emphasizes simple controls and a basic point-and-shoot aesthetic. The F470 features a 1/2.5 inch, 6 MP CCD, 16 MB of internal memory, a 3x optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch 115,000 pixel LCD screen, a handful of preset shooting modes, and a full auto mode. Manual controls aren’t overwhelming on this model, although it comes with ISO and exposure compensation in addition to preset white balance modes. The F470 does have hybrid functionality and will shoot video clips at a resolution of 640 x 480 at 30 fps with simultaneous, though not stunning, monaural audio. With an intuitive menu structure and understated design, the F470 has features that appeal distinctly to the beginners’ market.
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Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix F470 offers a stripped down exterior layout that follows the Bauhaus edict of “less is more” quite closely. While the exterior, which blends matte silver with polished highlights, is attractive, its slender rectangular design is nothing new. Components on this camera tend to be a bit loose: an easily unhinged and battery cover and a loose lens barrel that moves when jostled are both detractions Having just handled the Olympus Stylus 720SW, we find that this camera pales considerably in comparison in terms of construction. While the F470 has a clean design, the camera’s sub-par construction and lack of innovation stop this camera from standing out from the competition this year.

Size / Portability (7.5)
Weighing 5 ounces, including battery and memory card, this small, slender camera isn’t going to slow users down. A wrist strap eyelet makes it even easier to carry in one hand; when not shooting, users can easily fit the F470 into a back pocket. Since the lens retracts fully into the camera body, there are no features that are going to snag. The camera measures 3.6 inches in length, 2.3 inches in height and is 0.8 inches thick, creating a silhouette only slightly larger that that of a cassette tape case.

Handling Ability (7.0)
The slick, smooth surfaces of this point-and-shoot camera aren’t going to win the Fujifilm FinePix F470 any handling awards. The rectangular frame of the F470 only boasts marginal amounts of grip and control features. Its major advantage over cameras like the Sony CyberShot DSC-T9 is an extending zoom barrel that limits the likelihood of fingers obscuring the lens. The F470 also has a slightly thickened right side with a sloping edge, which provides a slight grip for the fingers of the right hand, and a.raised FinePix logo helps add grip to this otherwise sleek surface. A scalloped circle with a raised right edge helps further, providing a grip for the thumb.


The controls on the back and top of the camera are well placed for comfortable access without strain and are few enough to avoid overwhelming the user. When on a flat surface, the camera does have a tendency to tip onto the lens: while not particularly damaging when in the center of a desk, this could lead to potentially disastrous results.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.5)
Controls on this small point-and-shoot are pleasantly well spaced and sized. A stripped down external control layout, as is found of the Fuji F470, generally makes finding and activating appropriate controls a simpler and more intuitive process for beginning users. Essential controls like the zoom buttons are spaced for precise control and shouldn’t impede the functionality of this digital camera. The four-way controller may be a bit small for users with larger fingers, though, and the left arrow’s close proximity to the LCD frame occasionally blocked this reviewer’s thumb.

The controls for the Fujifilm FinePix F470 are well labeled with symbols and intuitive icons. The shutter button is comfortably positioned on the top of the camera, and the mode ring surrounding it can be altered without shifting the right hand. Photographers who are used to this design being used to control zoom levels may be confused, but will become less so with time.

Menu (7.5)
A semi-transparent series of overlays in the middle of the LCD comprise the F470’s menu structure. These overlays provide users with a continual live view for adjusting image parameters. For instance, shifting through the exposure compensation scale will immediately result in a darker or lighter image on screen. With the abundance of live view menu options on the F470, users will ultimately be able to make better and more informed decisions when shooting.  

As users scan menu options, the corresponding highlighted section’s full text title will appear in a horizontal bar at the top of the LCD screen. The information changes with the sub-menu, providing users with information such as the numerical position of the selector within the exposure compensation scale. This should be particularly helpful to beginning users, who may find certain icons to be either misleading or confusing.  Fujifilm has kept these menus short and simple, with an intuitive interface and a coherent format that will allow quick access to manual controls and other options.  

The Fujifilm FinePix F470 has a dual menu structure that can be a bit confusing at first, as users need to remember which menu offers access to which manual controls.  A menu/ok button located in the center of the four-way control allows users to access the larger of the two shooting menus and provides control over modes, exposure, white balance, and burst settings. This menu also offers users access to the camera’s set-up menu structure. 

Shooting Mode
Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Beach & Snow, Sunset,
 
Museum, Party, Flower Close-up, Text, Manual
Exposure Compensation
+ / - 2
White Balance
Auto, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent Light-1, Fluorescent Light-2
 
Fluorescent Light-3, Incandescent
Continuous
On/Off
Set
Enters Set-up menu

Pressing the F button, located directly above the four-way control on the back face of the camera, accesses the second shooting menu. This menu is short and possesses the same structure found as the shooting menu, allowing users a live view screen beneath semi-transparent overlays.   

Quality
6M F, 6M N, 3:2, 2M, 03M
ISO
400, 200, 100, 64, Auto
FinePix Color
Standard, Chrome, Black & White

The playback menu also appears as a semi-transparent overlay.  While underdeveloped in terms of digital effects, review options and in-camera editing abilities, the playback mode and menu of the F470 shouldn’t be confusing for beginners.   

Erase
Frame, All Frames
Image Rotate
Set
Print Order
With Date, Without Date, Reset All
Protect
Frame, Set All, Reset All
Playback
Normal (Short), Normal (Long), Fade-In (Short), Fade-In
 
(Long), Multiple, Clock
Voice Memo
On, Off
Trimming
Set
Copy
Set
Set
Enters Set-up menu

The only menu which appears with an opaque screen is the setup menu. Options listed in this menu structure deal more with the camera system and not the imager or photos being captured. While visually different from the other three menu structures, the setup menu continues the same logical list style that expedites navigation and alterations. With consistent and basic menus for shooting, playback, and set-up, the F470 allows easy interactivity regardless of the user’s skill level. 

Image Display
3 seconds, 1.5 seconds, Off
Shutter Volume
High, Medium, Low (Icons), Off
Beep Volume
High, Medium, Low (Icons), Off
Playback Volume
Set
Frame No.
Continuous, Renew
LCD Brightness
Set
Digital Zoom
On, Off
Auto Power Off
5 Min, 2 Min, Off
LCD Power Save
On, Off
Format
Ok
Date/Time
Set
Time Difference
Set
Language
English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, Italiano,

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