Fujifilm FinePix F601

Good things come in small sizes

Small, cute and powerful: these three adjectives perfectly illustrate Fuji's latest digital cameras, the FinePix F601 Zoom. Equipped with a new CCD sensor to capture still images, the F601 can store images with a maximum resolution of 2832x2128 pixels by way of its 3.1 million pixel imager.
Numbers aside, the Fuji camera can capture excellent images, with well-saturated and very lifelike colours. Using the F601 vertically requires the user to adjust to the camera, due to its small size and unusual shape. Initial efforts may prove embarrassing, with shots out of focus and a rather uncomfortable use of the viewfinder. It is just a matter of getting used to it, and within a few days results improve Also in regards to quality, the F601 offers ISO 800 and ISO 1600 modes options that can produce digital pictures with relatively low "noise."
The machine's body is entirely made of metal, giving a feeling of robustness. The F601 Zoom employs a 3x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 36-108mm on a 35mm camera. When the camera is powered down, the lens retracts inside the camera and is covered by a built-in lens protector. A touch of class does no harm.
The flash does not work automatically like in other models, requiring manual opening to activate automatic operation. This can lead to underexposed photos if someone forgets to open the zoom in advance. As we said, using the viewfinder is not especially easy, as the camera is very small, and in most cases it is much better to use the F601's LCD screen. It offers sharp images, which is much more useful.
There are a few keys to operate, even though settings are very well controlled; this in itself gives us good reason to consider the camera well designed indeed, even if using the zoom is not always easy. The F601 can be used in manual mode, which allows you to access Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual exposure modes plus allows for customizing a multitude of parametres. Of course the camera was designed as a point-and-shoot device, but automatic operation has been boosted with manual operation and the possibility to store QuickTime movies.
As to storage, the camera comes with a 16 MB SmartMedia card. Despite the rather slow access time, storage time is acceptable. The only doubt concerns the capacity of the card itself, insufficient for those who use the camera's highest resolution.
The life of the rechargeable battery is excellent, even pulling all plugs in using the LCD screen. The proprietary format precludes replacement with standard alkaline batteries.
The F601 is compatible with both PCs and Macs (including XP and OS X), and download via USB cable often requires only installation of the right drivers.
For those who do not want to use the cables, Fuji's optional CP-FX601 PictureCradle (not compatible with OS X) allows you to charge the camera's battery quickly and conveniently and make the USB connection to the host computer or connect it to a television for image display. The camera is automatically charged whenever it is placed in the cradle. In addition, when in the cradle, the F601 can also be used as a WebCam (only in Windows mode).
In summary, the F601 Zoom is a great camera for a hobby digital photographer: small and lightweight, and with excellent performance.



For more information visit: www.fujifilm.ca

Publication Date: 2002-06-30
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1531