After my sony unfortunately went down for the second time in four months I decided to resort to a more reliable camera. I made a trip to a local mall called Saturn (http://www.saturn.it) there I started looking for digital cameras.
I didn’t like too much the real Reflex cameras (Canon EOS and Nikon D40 mostly) that pro photographers use. Mostly because they lack the live preview while shooting and you need that to properly compose a picture or take a shoot from any pose that requires the camera not to be at the eye level.
After the Reflex the other cameras that got my attention where a Pentax and a Fuji S9100. I quickly discarded the Pentax because it was looking too much like the sony-h2 and took in my hand the fuji.
The Fuji camera had the same exact presence, weight and sturdy body of the other Reflex cameras! I was amazed and in love with it. So I got back home and started looking for a real Bargain for this camera model (which at the moment was the S9100 and costed 480€ at the shop). On the net I found that the S9000 had a fifth generation Super CCD. On the other hand there was a more recent model, the S6000FD which sported a sixth generation Super CCD and a max ISO Rating of ISO3200!!!
Dilemma: S9100 or S6000FD?
So the dilemma was to get a 9Megapixel at 380€ (Yes, on the net you can find it 100€ less than the store) or get a 6Mpixel with a enhanced sensor and some different characteristics at 270€. I had to look hard for a S6000fd review on the internet and finally found one on this website: http://www.dcresource.com/
Basically the S6000FD has 3Mpixel less than the older model, can’t mount a external flash nor a remote shutter switch, a lesser Electronic Viewfinder, a fixed LCD screen and can’t use CF cards. But it had a automated system for focussing on faces and a higher sensitivity sensor. The lens assembly was exactly the same! Based on my previous experiences with digital cameras I choose to save 100€ and get the S6000FD (S65000FD here in Europe).
My choice was based on those facts:
1) A new sensor means less noise on the pictures and faster shutter speeds.
2) Lesser megapixels is better for optical resolution. The drawback being that you are limited in the size you can print out of it before pixel start to show up.
3) New shooting modes introduced and autofocus on faces which is the best for my activity
It is now 2 weeks that I use intensively this camera and now it is time for the actual review:
Package and accessories
The package is a nice box. Could be better because actually you have manuals and some accessories on the top layer of the package rattling. But it is just an impression, the camera is well protected on the inside and the whole box is adequate to be sent by regular mail. (I got it this way). I also got included a 256 MB XD card which came as a total surprise as it was not advertised.
Unfortunately Fuji does not include 4 rechargeable batteries nor a charger. There are some 4 alkalines. That’s the only drawback I could see.
Camera Body
The camera body is the best I could see in a Bridge Camera. (Bridge cameras are those digitals between a Reflex and a compact). It is made of plastic with the lens assembly being made of metal. Thought it is plastic this is very good plastic! Black and rugged, looks like the same I had my army rifle made of (Some Polycarbonate alloy). Much better than most of the competition!
The XD card holder has a micro switch inside that locks all camera operations when it is open. The input-output plugs are covered by a rubber flap, not that I use that much anyway because of a issue that I am going to write later on.
The battery compartment also looks sturdy. It lacks a lock switch but so long I didn’t experience problems with the door opening abruptly in a shoot session. (but it did when I was riding on the bike and the camera was in the helmet box).
You surely couldn’t help to notice the laser-cannon barrel slightly left of the lens assembly. Yes I called that LaserCannon but it is actually the autofocus assist light. Be careful not to watch it at close range as it is a little bit too strong.
Overall the camera body is not only not disappointing but the best I had so long.
Lens Assembly
The lens are Fuji. Optics range from 28mm to 300mm a digital zoom equivalent of 10x. The optics have a mild barrel and pincushion distortion and a negligible blooming. The lens are also very luminous with a F2.8 at wide angle and F4.9 at telephoto.
You can mount any 58mm filter if you happen to have any. I would suggest a polarizer or a clean one to protect the lens. The lens cap is not always intuitive to use as it grips only for a few millimetres.
The best part about the lens is that the Zoom is 100% manual! Rotating the barrel you decide the level of zoom you want to attain and framing the subject has never been easier and faster!
There is also the option to use the other ring for setting the focus manually. I have to warn that even if you get a focus assist display the process is not really easy. I don’t usually resort to manual focus because the Face Recognition and the overall focussing ability of the camera are more than excellent.
The lens assembly lacks the image stabilization of the competition. Fuji makes a poor excuse stating that high ISO sensitivities make up for the lack of it. Mostly fails both because at ISO3200 there is noticeable noise and at 10X zoom camera shake is unavoidable. For telephoto a tripod is needed.
Sensor
The thing I am usually sceptic the most about any Fuji camera is the sensor. From its previous incarnations anyway the Fuji Super CCD strategy looks like it is paying off! Since the S5000 the quality improved dramatically!. I don’t know what are the differences between the fifth and sixth generation of the sensor but the results are amazing.
Pictures taken at ISO400 with this camera are comparable to those taken at ISO200 on the Sony H2, so in respect a good noise ratio. Usability of pictures goes up to ISO800 for small prints. Other cameras at this level give out only garbled noise with traces of your image in between. But afterall we are still dealing with a sensor that has the pixel shaped as octagons and interlaced in a non square pattern. The resulting JPGs are looking somehow weird when watched at pixel level.
The camera has the option of saving the pictures as RAW. The included Fuji program is Garbage. But using Adobe LightRoom or Photoshop those files can be rendered and they give mostly amazing results even for shots taken in harsh conditions with a wider dynamic range than I could expect. Also this way the camera does not do Noise Processing and I can get a more pixellated file (more noise but more details as well).
Anyway the Super CCD does not do miracles and at ISO1600 and ISO3200 there is a lot of noise.
Flash
The flash is adequate. It takes 4 to 6 seconds for charging according to the preset power. While recharging the screen or EVF might be shut down temporarily
Shooting Modes
At this point the camera can start to be confusing. I will briefly talk about them, this is not a course on photography, I will explain better the new ones and those that need a extra bit of unbiased info. Starting with the info:
The preview is misleading! When shooting in manual mode for instance the preview does not reflect the final result – Luminosity levels are changed to make you frame the subject, there is no way to get a WYSIWYG live preview or histogram.
* AUTO – Camera does almost anything. You just set the flash.
* A – Aperture – You set the aperture and the camera does the best to get a good picture
* P – Program – Basically You set the shutter speed and the camera copes with the other parameters
* S – Somehow like priority – You Select the shutter speed
* M – Manual you set almost everything on your own. This is the one that once mastered gives the best results.
(note In P- S – A modes you can set the desired exposure, useful on scenes with strong contrasts.)
* Natural Light Mode (and Flash). In this mode the camera takes 2 pictures. The first one is a high shutter speed high ISO picture, the second one is a Flash Picture at lower ISO. It gives poor results by default. The first shot is at ridiculous high speed and shows noise, the latter usually has a overexposed flash look with whites showing up on faces.
* Antishake mode – The camera takes a picture at ridicule high ISO and fast shutter speed to prevent camera shake. The results are almost always disappointing.
* Portrait mode – Set the camera to catch better looking portraits, never used
* Panorama mode – For distant panoramas and buildings… this one is weird since the camera actually focuses for a while instead of setting itself to infinite focus.
* SP – Scene preset. Accessing this you are menu granted a choice of 10 additional scene modes. The only useful I found were sports and beach. I’d like to point out the unusefulness of the Party mode! Gets blurred picture anytime, much better to do a Natural shoot or Manual.
I found that using Photoshop you can somehow manage to superimpose the two pictures from the Natural Light mode and the result is somehow pleasing. But be sure not to move the camera or the subjects while shooting.
Software and Issues
The included software is crap. When you insert the disk fuji requires you to install a USB driver a viewer program a hidden RAW converter and a CD mastering programme. I needed none of them. And even if I installed them the \connection the camera via the USB cable didn’t work. It is actually a problem between my home pc and the camera as the laptop without any driver recognizes and reads the pictures on the fly.
I didn’t like the transfer system anyway. The Fuji has not the “mass storage device” profile. You can’t copy the Jpg or Raf files by yourself but have to use the Windows import picture wizard that coincidentally discards all the information about the serial number of the picture (that I use to keep them ordered).
The EVF has a low pixel count and can't be really useful if you plan on doing manual focus with it.
I had to buy a external XD card reader at another mall (12€+) – I also got a carry bag (another 19€) because I didn’t want to experience bruises or damage to the body as with previous sony camera. Also I got a compact recharger and 4 Aas to carry in the bag to fuel the camera.
Conclusions
Overall the camera is bang for the price.
Image quality is very good. Construction is one of the best of the market and can rival any pro SRL. I witnessed pro photographers looking how to detach the lens assembly while they were thinking that this was also a reflex camera, priceless their faces when I said this was a bridge camera J
Battey life is excellent, up to two days shooting more than 400 pictures on a 2400 mha batteries. Speed is blazing fast with startup time of less than a second (you need more to shoot cold start with the flash).
If I have to find defects, then there is the weight and the fact that to get the best out of it you need to go into the settings and the M mode. This concluded my review. You are welcome to read my other digicam review on epinions:
SONY H2
http://www.epinions.com/content_342441954948
FUJI A500
http://www.epinions.com/content_313100504708
SONY DSC P-93
http://www.epinions.com/content_183530851972
PENTAX OPTIO 30
http://www.epinions.com/content_153171168900
HP 735 Digital Camera
http://www.epinions.com/content_149950860932
HP 720 Digital Camera
http://www.epinions.com/content_134196661892
