Fuji S6000fd

Viewfinder (5.0)
The Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd has an electronic viewfinder, but its resolution is so poor that no one will want to use it. The 0.33-inch viewfinder has only 115,000 pixels. The component itself is very comfortable with a rubber eyecup that protrudes enough to keep noses from rubbing the LCD screen below. On the left side of the viewfinder is a diopter adjustment that takes some force to rotate. Once users put enough elbow grease on to move the dial, it stops at eight positions. As it is rotated, users can see the glass element move just inside the viewfinder window – and can definitely tell the difference as it blurs and focuses to users’ eyeglass prescriptions. In general, viewfinders are a good idea in bright outdoor light when it’s hard to see the LCD screen. I tested this at an outdoor concert on a sunny day. Sure enough, it was hard to see anything on the LCD because of the glare. But when I switched the view to the viewfinder (using the convenient EVF/LCD button), the contrast was good but the resolution was so poor that I was still shooting blindly. I aimed the S6000fd at the stage and the singer’s face made up about four pixels; there’s no way I could tell if he was in focus or not. Overall, the electronic viewfinder has a plush component but still makes a terrible viewing device.

LCD Screen (7.5)
This camera has a 2.5-inch LCD screen that is framed in black with a white Fujifilm logo at the bottom and is set beneath a protective glass sheet. This surface won’t be easily scratched, but it doesn’t make viewing easy either. The glass catches glare from strong lighting, so it’s nearly impossible to shoot outdoors when the sun is up. The amorphous silicon TFT LCD has great resolution at 235,000 pixels and a refresh rate that can be set to the standard 30 fps or the above average 60 fps. These features make the view on the LCD screen very smooth. The screen is accurate too, with its image showing 100 percent of what is recorded. The view can be switched from the electronic viewfinder to the LCD screen with a push of the button to the right of the screen. Just below that control is another button that has a magnifying glass icon on it; it magnifies the center of the live preview by 2x digitally so users can better see what they’re focusing on (if it’s in the center).

 The display information on the LCD can be changed with the Disp/Back button to show a blank screen, file information, file information with a “rule of thirds” grid, and a blank live preview on the right side of the screen with the last 3 pictures taken on the left side. The LCD screen’s brightness can be changed to +/- 5 in full steps in the setup menu, although this doesn’t make it any easier to view in bright daylight. The screen catches glare from all angles, and solarizes at extreme vertical angles (held above or below the head). The screen’s brightness can also be boosted by pushing the exposure compensation while simultaneously pushing the Disp/Back button; this function certainly isn’t described on the camera body, so unfortunately only those who delve into the user manual or this review will know about this function. Overall, the LCD’s resolution and features are impressive and make it one of the best viewers on the market for indoor shooting. Once the S6000fd is under the sun though, the value of the LCD screen goes way down.

Flash (7.75)
The Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd has a flash unit directly above the lens that pops up when called upon from the right side of the multi-selector. The following flash modes are available from there: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, On, Off, Slow Synchro, and Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro. The red-eye reduction modes fire one very distinct preflash before a quick series and the final flash; this worked well. When the flash was forced on without the red-eye reduction, several of my pictures showed up with red eyes – so don’t forget to activate it!

The built-in flash cannot be manually pulled upward, the camera must release it with a latch that is hidden beneath the closed component. This setup is supposed to keep photographers’ hands where they should be supporting the camera rather than fidgeting with the flash. However, the first picture captured with the flash will take a little extra time because it takes about a half-second for the flash to pop up and boot up for the shot. The only way to avoid this lag is to snap a throw-away shot and get the flash unit popped open long before it is actually needed.

Fujifilm calls this flash system i-Flash, or Intelligent Flash. The system purportedly measures the amount of lighting both on the subject and in the background; it then adjusts the flash output in order to retain details in the background and on the subject. This system worked especially well with portraits, keeping the background lit while also keeping skin tones on the face vibrant and properly exposed. The flash output can also be manually adjusted +/- 2/3 in steps of a third within the recording menu. The difference is definitely noticeable between these steps. The S6000fd’s flash reaches from 1-18.4 ft in wide and 2-9.8 ft in telephoto using the automatic ISO setting. Using the high sensitivity option of ISO 1600, the flash is effective from 2-27.2 ft in wide and 6.6-15.1 ft in telephoto. This is an exceptionally good range and since the flash unit stands so tall above the lens when opened, the flash is effective from very close to very far away. This allows flash photography for everything from that macro shot of Beatles records for the online auction to the faraway family portrait with spouses and grandkids included.

The FinePix S6000fd has a dual shot mode called Natural Light & With Flash that snaps two pictures in a burst, the latter firing the flash. This saves time for users who aren’t sure whether to use the flash. When taken, the pictures are displayed next to each other for a few moments. Both are saved, so users can pick and choose later. The only caveat to this mode is that it is hidden in a menu when the Natural Light position on the mode dial is engaged.

Zoom Lens (7.25)
The S6000fd has a large lens on its front with 10.7x of optical zooming capability. The Fujinon lens has focal lengths from 6.2-66.7mm, which is equivalent to a 28mm-300mm lens in 35mm format. The lens barrel is large with a 58mm filter diameter threading at the end. Currently, the only conversion lens available for fitting onto the S6000fd is a 0.8x wide lens equivalent to 22.4mm. Most consumers won’t need this though, as the camera’s lens is considerably wide alone. The long lens has wide apertures of f/2.8 in wide and f/4.9 in telephoto.

The lens is controlled by the zoom and focus rings on the barrel itself; the zoom ring is very wide and textured with tiny rubber pyramid-like structures. The focus ring has the typical lined edge seen on most interchangeable lenses. Indeed, the Fujinon 10.7x zoom lens looks like it could be taken off and stored. That is not the case though; it remains fixed to the camera body. The zoom ring setup is great for making very fast changes with great accuracy. And because there is no motor to move the lens, there is no motor noise like on many compact cameras with zoom lenses. The ringed setup has its drawbacks though, mainly in the movie mode.

The lens is fully functional while recording movies, but it is difficult to smoothly rotate the zoom ring without going too fast and making viewers ill. The major problem with the lens, and by extension, the camera, is the lack of image stabilization. Without a stabilization system, users will have to be skilled and keep their hands steady when shooting anything in telephoto mode – especially movies. On this camera, this is all but inexcusable, as the rest of the industry is beginning to view some form of stabilization (beyond higher sensitivity settings) as a standard on long zoom cameras.

Overall, the Fujinon 10.7x optical zoom lens is a great feature to have around, but lacks the essential component that nearly all of its competitors carry – image stabilization.  

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