Digital Camera News

Fujifilm Introduces FinePix F650 With 3-Inch LCD And 5x Optical Zoom

February 14, 2006 – Today Fujifilm introduced the FinePix F650, which looks like a close relative of the F470 but improves upon it in several ways. The F650 has the same 6 megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD that is in the F470, but it tacks on a longer 5x optical zoom lens and a larger 3-inch LCD screen. This slim digital camera will be available in June for $349.

The Fujifilm FinePix F650 looks very similar to the F470 from the back, although the new model does offer a much larger screen. Still, the zoom toggle in the top right corner has a thumb divot just below it and the same set of buttons above the multi-selector. While the Fujifilm F470 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels, the new F650 has a larger 3-inch LCD and populates it with 230,000 pixels. Both models have a brightness adjustment and display 97 percent coverage of the captured image.

From the front, the cameras don’t look quite as similar. The FinePix F650 loses the right-hand grip that is on the F470 and opts for a flatter finger grip instead. The F650 looks a little more stylish with its highlights, but both models still look quite traditional.

The FinePix digital cameras both have ten scene modes, but the F650 adds aperture and shutter priority modes for more user control over the exposure and visual effects within the image. The Fujifilm F650 has maximum apertures of f/2.8 at its widest angle and f/4.7 when the full 5x optical zoom is used. The F470 has a smaller Fujinon 3x zoom lens and slightly different maximum apertures of f/2.8 - f/4.9. Both models have f/8 as their smallest aperture. The new F650’s shutter speeds range from 2-1/2000th of a second, while the F470’s range is just a bit shorter at 2-1/1500th of a second.

Both models have standard ISO settings from 64-400. They also include automatic and six preset white balance modes, though they lack a custom setting. Both have the same movie mode that records 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 pixel video with monaural audio. Neither is capable of optical zoom while recording movies. Both record 1.9 frames per second in the continuous shooting mode.

The Fujifilm FinePix F650’s big screen takes its toll on the battery life. The cameras use the same battery, but the F650 gets fifty fewer shots than the F470 at only 150 shots per charge.