Fujifilm FinePix F60fd

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd is compact, at 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches (92.5 x 59.2 x 22.9 mm) and 5.7 oz. (163 g), but feels substantial and solidly built, with a body mostly made of metal instead of the all-too-common cheap plastic . The camera is available in both silver and black. We received the black version as our review unit, and prefer its subtler, more sophisticated look. But then again, we're subtle, sophisticated people; while bright, shiny people will probably gravitate to the other version.
 

Front (8.25)
There's a handsome little design touch at the top left of the camera front, a sloping edge that reveals a slice of the contrasting gray/beige metal used on the top and left side. A subtle raised ridge on the left doesn't protrude very far, but it does make a useful resting spot for the fingers of your right hand, positioning your index finger directly over the shutter and offering a bit of purchase as you move the camera around. The slender flash is positioned smack dab in the middle of the camera, with the auto focus assist / self-timer lamp directly below. The lens is surrounded by a thick metal ring. The lens description, 'FUJINON ZOOM LENS  3x f=8-24mm 1:2.8-5.1' is printed in black around the lens opening, which is automatically shielded by a built-in lens cover when the camera is powered down. As for verbiage, the FUJIFILM logo appears in raised silver type, FINEPIX 2.0 MEGA PIXELS in white below, and the SUPER CCD logo appears in the bottom right corner.
 

Back (6.00)
A bright 3-inch LCD display, with 230,000-dot resolution,dominates the back of the camera. To its right is a slightly recessed panel festooned with smallish controls. At the top is the mode dial, with eight positions, for Scene Recognition Auto, Auto, Natural and Flash, Manual, Aperture Priority/Shutter Priority, Movie, Scene Position and Natural Light modes. Beside the dial is a small indicator lamp.
 

Below the dial is a typical four-way controller, albeit notably lilliputian, with four buttons positioned around it. The four-way is imprinted with icons representing (from the top, clockwise) Delete, Flash, Timer and Macro. The Delete direction is also used for exposure compensation, as indicated by the silver icon above it. In the center of the four-way controller is the MENU/OK button.
 

As for those four buttons, the top left is for Playback (with the standard VCR-style icon). To its right is the F-Mode button, emblazoned with a Fujifilm italic F. Below the four-way are two dual-purpose buttons. The one to the left is labeled DISP / BACK, the other has a face-detection logo on its surface and an eye icon (for red-eye reduction) below.
 

Nice big screen,itty bitty controls

Right Side (6.25)
The gray/beige right side is home to a securely fitted plastic door shielding a proprietary AV / USB connector. The odd-looking bump in the middle has holes top and bottom for threading the included wrist strap, none too easily. The small black square at the bottom right serves as the clasp for the sliding battery cover on the bottom.
 

Bottom (6.25)
The tripod socket is centered below the LCD screen. It is unfortunately made of black plastic, making us nervous every time we screwed a tripod mount in place. On the right side is the battery chamber compartment cover,which shifts right and springs out to reveal the battery and a slot that accepts both xD memory cards and standard SD cards, a nice nod to the realities of the marketplace from an early xD supporter. The battery is held in place by a spring-loaded clip that strikes us as a bit fragile, but effective. And while the battery looks symmetrical at a glance, it can't be inserted the wrong way.
 

Tripod users beware: the plastic socket feels flimsy