Fujifilm FinePix F470

Model Design / Appearance
Fujifilm’s F-series is quite slim, so the F470 fits right in. This model is marketed as being stylish, but doesn’t really stick out in the lineup. Its body is a plain lightly brushed silver with a slight slope for a right-hand grip. The lens is on the right side of the front, which is a very traditional look for digital cameras. The body is built from plastic but has a durable metal overlay, so users can only see the plastic when opening the battery and port doors. The body looks fairly durable and the lens even has two panels that snap shut over it for protection when powered off. Overall, the design is quite boring but beneath it is still a functional, slim digital camera.

Size / Portability
The Fujifilm F470’s slim size is one of its best features. Its 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.8-inch measurements show that this model is made for portability. It is mostly flat with only a slight right-hand grip. The grip won’t stop users from stuffing the F470 into a tight pants pocket though; this is one tiny camera. Still, it is a bit hefty for its size – certainly not enough to cause injury but enough to wonder whether the 5-ounce specification is correct. The camera weighs 5 ounces loaded and 4.3 ounces without its card and battery according to Fujifilm. This FinePix is portable via a pocket or a wrist with its tiny eyelet and wrist strap. The eyelet will require a magnifying glass and a lot of patience to string, but will be handy once set.

Handling Ability
The Fujifilm FinePix F470 is an ultra-slim camera that has fairly flat surfaces with the exception of its right-hand grip. The grip isn’t very pronounced, but is a little sloped so that fingers can comfortably wrap around the right side. The fingers sit on a textured FinePix logo and the thumb rests in a wide divot below the zoom toggle. The index finger sits atop the camera on the shutter release button, which is comfortably smooth. The F470’s features are smartly positioned so that fingers won’t wander in the way of the flash or lens. The camera is adequately sized and comfortable to hold, but still isn’t designed for lengthy photo shoots. The buttons are smartly positioned so they are all within reach of the thumb. Overall, the handling of the FinePix F470 is comfortable.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Consumers with petite hands will appreciate the F470, but larger-handed consumers will shun it. The buttons are crammed in closely so big fingers could easily end up pushing a few buttons at a time. This is especially true of the multi-selector, which is a bit undersized. The multi-selector is made up of a central Menu/OK button and a surrounding single ring with four arrows on it. This ring can be pressed in any direction, but only navigates when pushed directly on the arrows. When pushed halfway between two arrows, the menu doesn’t respond at all – which is just what we like to see. Some navigational controls will continue to scroll around in random directions. The multi-selector is also however a bit crowded with the icons around it.

The Fujifilm FinePix F470 has a mode switch that surrounds the shutter release button and accesses the Auto, SP (scene position), and Movie modes. This button is easy to operate and not too stiff. Overall, the buttons are squeezed onto the back and cramped just a touch, but there are no major issues with the controls.

Menu
The menu system on the F470 is very similar to the system on other Fujifilm models. The selected option’s text title appears at the top of the LCD and the list of other options appears below in icons. As users scroll and highlight different icons, corresponding titles appear at the top and its options appear in icons to the right. All of the text is typed in all caps in a tall-looking font. Behind all of the text and menus is a gray background and behind the background is the live view. Selected options are highlighted in blue. When users scroll through the exposure compensation, white balance or color mode options, the camera's live view changes to illustrate the highlighted option. For example, the view turns black and white when that color mode is highlighted.

There is a Menu/OK button in the center of the multi-selector that grants easy access to the menu system. The menu that appears depends upon the mode selected on the mode switch. When the Auto mode is selected, there are only two choices: Continuous and Setup. When the SP mode is selected, a longer list appears: Shooting Mode, Exposure Compensation, White Balance, Continuous, and Setup. The movie mode only lets users get to the setup menu.

The Setup menu is extremely lengthy and thankfully broken into three tabs, although the groupings don’t seem intuitive at all. The Setup menu consists of the following options: Image Display, Shutter Volume, Beep Volume, Playback Volume, Frame Number, LCD Brightness, Digital Zoom, Auto Power Off, LCD Power Save, Format, Date/Time, Time Difference, Language, USB Mode, Video System and Reset.

Fujifilm has a somewhat unique way of dividing its menus up so that some of the options are found when the ‘F’ Photo Mode button is pushed. This is where the Quality, ISO and FinePix Color options can always be found. The Playback menu has these choices: Erase, Image Rotate, Print Order (DPOF), Protect, Playback, Voice Memo, Trimming, Copy and Setup. Overall, the menu system is easy to navigate, the icons are intuitive and the font easy to read.

Ease of Use
This bare bones digital camera really isn’t difficult to figure out. Once new users figure out what the ‘F’ Photo Mode button is for, there shouldn’t be much of a learning curve. The auto mode is easily accessible for beginners and the scene modes aren’t too far off either. There are live previews in the menus to help users choose appropriate settings within white balance and exposure compensation. The FinePix F470 has a right-hand grip to aid in handling, making it a breeze. The only issue could be that the buttons are a bit crammed and the multiple icons crowding the space don’t help visually. Still, the Fujifilm F470 is easy to use.