 You
are here: Home
>
Digital Camera Reviews > Fujifilm FinePix
S9100 |
Fujifilm FinePix S9100 Review
|
Review
Date: Feb 27, 2007 |
Category:
Prosumer
- Advanced Amateur
HANDLING & FEEL
The Fujifilm FinePix S9100 incorporates
the new 6th Generation Super CCD HR image sensor
and a larger 2-in. LCD monitor with 235K pixels
resolution. Otherwise, the FinePix S9100 is basically
unchanged from the S9000 it replaces.
The camera is very well designed and this is
apparent from the moment you pick it up. Controls
click precisely and rings rotate smoothly. Overall
construction feels solid and the build is very
good. There is a large and deep rubber-coated
handgrip (though your little finger will be tucked
under the camera) and the camera looks quite professional
in its black high-impact polycarbonate body.
Startup time is fast at less than 1 sec. and
there is no practical shutter lag. Autofocus is
fast and precise, and shot to shot time is approx.
1-2 sec.
| STYLE |
| - |
Colours: overall black with silver
and chrome accents |
| - |
Looks: professional, DSLR-look, very
attractively designed |
| |
|
|
| FEEL |
| - |
Comfortable to hold and operate |
| - |
Non-slip rubberized handgrip |
| |
|
|
| DIMENSIONS &
WEIGHT |
| - |
Best way to carry this camera is slung
over the shoulder or around the neck |
| - |
Dimensions: 128W x 93H x 129D mm /
5.0W x 3.7H x 5.1D in |
| - |
Weight: 645g / 22.9oz. (excluding
batteries and xD-Picture Card) |
| - |
Takes 4 AA type alkaline batteries
(included) or 4 AA rechargeable NiMH
batteries (optional) |
| |
|
|
| SPEED OF OPERATION |
| - |
Fast startup - no lens extension required
and LCD turning on in less than 1 sec. |
| - |
Shot to shot time in about 1-2 sec. |
| |
|
|
Included in the box are 4 AA Alkaline batteries;
we recommend purchasing rechargeable NiMH batteries
and optional battery charger. The Fujifilm S9100
has dual memory card slots and accepts both the
xD-Picture Card and CompactFlash (CF) memory cards.
Controls
The circular projection between the flash and
the handgrip is the AF-assist illuminator (which
also does double duty as Self-timer lamp). The
AF-assist illuminator (green light) is very effective,
allowing focus even in near complete darkness.
You have to remember not to get your fingers in
the way; also, the relatively long lens barrel
can be in the way of the AF-assist light illuminating
a subject that is very close (e.g. in macro photography).
Besides the AF-assist Illuminator is the External
AF Sensor.
Below them, near the bottom, is the Flash Synchronizing
Terminal, which is covered with a rubber plug.
| FRONT VIEW |
| - |
Shutter Release button
is angled; has a release socket for
a cable release |
| - |
External AF Sensor |
| - |
AF-assist Illuminator (also Self-timer
lamp) |
| - |
Flash Synchronizing Terminal |
| |
|
|
There are lots of control buttons. The Mode Dial
has the standard AUTO, PASM (Programmed Auto,
Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority, and Manual)
modes, plus Movie mode and 5 Scene Modes: Picture
Stabilization, Natural Light, Portrait, Landscape,
Night.
The Mode Dial is rotated with the thumb and has
a positive locking click to it. It freely rotates
both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
The Natural Light Scene Mode started on Fujifilm
digital cameras and has now been copied (using
other similar sounding names) by other brands.
It disables the flash (even if it is popped open)
and takes full advantage of the low-light capability
of this camera (made possible by the use of Fujifilm's
6th Generation SuperCCD HR image sensor and Real
Photo Technology) to capture an image that retains
the natural ambience of low-light photography
(indoors, by candlelight, in restaurants and museums).
The Picture Stabilization scene mode is now also
extensively used in many other cameras, and is
variously known as 'Anti-Blur,' 'Digital Image
Stabilization' and other such names. It is not
true optical or CCD-shift image stabilization,
but a scene mode that favours a high ISO so that
a high enough shutter speed can be used to negate
the blurring effects of camera shake and subject
movement.
You can record movies with monaural sound at
either 640 x 480 pixels 30fps (you'll be able
to record about 14m 34s on a 1GB CF card) or 320x240
30fps (record about 28m 40s on a 1GB CF card).
Since the zoom is manual, you can (silently) zoom
during recording.
| TOP OF CAMERA |
| - |
Mode Dial (AUTO, PASM, Movie, Picture
Stabilization, Natural Light, Portrait,
Landscape, Night) |
| - |
Exposure Compensation |
| - |
Continuous Shooting |
| - |
Flash (only when the
flash is popped up) |
| - |
Command Dial (controls
Program Shift, shutter speed, aperture,
exposure compensation, flash, continuous
shooting) |
| - |
Shutter release button
has a release socket that will accept
ISO 6053: 1979-compliant mechanical
cable releases |
| - |
Hot Shoe accepts ordinary
external flash units (with some exceptions) |
| |
|
|
| CONTINUOUS SHOOTING |
| - |
Top 4-Frame: allows you to shoot up
to 4 frames at 1.5fps |
| - |
Auto Bracketing: takes 3 shots of
the same image with different exposure
settings (correctly exposed, over-exposed,
under-exposed). The Auto bracketing
settings can be specified in the MENU
as ±1/3 EV, ±2/3 EV, or
±1 EV; available only in PASM
modes |
| - |
Final 4-Frame: This is an incredibly
useful feature for increasing your chances
of catching action at just the right
moment. Press and hold the shutter release
button down as the action nears the
point where you want to take the shot.
The camera will take up to 40 shots
as you follow the action. When you let
go of the shutter release button at
the right moment (say, as the puck or
soccer ball goes into the goal), the
camera retains the last 4 shots. |
| - |
Long Period: allows you to take up
to 40 continuous shots (max. 1.1fps);
available only in AUTO and Scene modes |
| |
|
|
| EXPOSURE COMPENSATION
/ HISTOGRAM |
| - |
Once set, the Exposure Compensation
Indicator conveniently stays displayed
on screen until it is reset to "0" |
| - |
Range: -2 EV to +2 EV (13 steps in
1/3 EV increments) |
| - |
The screen brightness will increase
or decrease to reflect the value you
use |
| - |
Note: the exposure compensation value
selected is retained even when mode
is changed or camera is turned off (so
remember to reset to "0" after
using it or the next time you turn the
camera on, your shots may be over- or
under-exposed.) |
| |
|
|
Playback is on the power switch around the shutter
release button between OFF and ON (which Fujifilm
calls, Photography Mode).
|
|
| BACK OF CAMERA |
| - |
Photometry (Light Metering) Selector
Dial (a bit difficult to turn) with
AE-Lock button in the middle |
| - |
EVF/LCD monitor selector |
| - |
Focus Check (magnifies central portion
of image) |
| - |
Photo (F) Mode: Image Quality, ISO,
Color (Standard, Chrome, B&W) |
| - |
4 Way Arrows (Digital Zoom) |
| - |
MENU/OK |
| - |
DISP/Back |
| - |
Diopter Adjustment Dial besides EVF |
| |
|
|
The Chrome color option gives a more saturated
image. If anyone at Fujifilm is reading, a number
of readers have written to express the desire
to also have a Sepia color option.
| SIDE VIEW |
| - |
Flash (manual pop-up
button) |
| - |
INFO button |
| - |
Focus Mode Selector Switch (difficult
to select) with One-Touch AF button
in the middle |
| - |
Macro/Super Macro button |
| - |
Rubber Terminal Cover for access to
USB, A/V, DC IN |
| - |
LCD pulls out for easy view looking
up above crowd or looking down for ground
level shooting |
| - |
Focus Ring (thin, closer to the body)
is fly-by-wire |
| - |
Zoom Ring |
| |
|
|
LCD & Menus
There is an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with
a large eyepiece and diopter correction, as well
as a 2.0 in. LCD monitor with a standard 115,000
pixels resolution and approximately 100% coverage.
The EVF and LCD are clear and bright. The diopter
adjustment dial works very well (which cannot
be said for many cameras) and is easy to rotate
and adjust.
The LCD has a fast refresh rate for a smooth
display. It gains up slightly in low-light situations.
You can also brighten the LCD monitor (and, by
extension, the EVF) by holding the Exposure Compensation
button down and pressing DISP/BACK. This is not
the same as the LCD 'gaining up' in low-light;
you are literally adjusting up the brightness
of your monitor. This feature is also useful when
the sun is shining on the LCD, and increasing
the brightness of the LCD helps you view the image.
The LCD tilts from 0° to 90° up, and
0° to 45° down.
A great feature is the AF Area focusing mode
with (7 horizontal x 7 vertical =) 49 positions.
You can move the AF target point to any of these
49 positions and the camera will focus where the
AF target point has been moved. I find this very
helpful in macro photography and whenever the
subject is off-center. Select AF Area mode in
the MENU to turn this feature on. When you want
to move the AF frame around, simply depress the
One-Touch AF button and use the arrow keys to
move it around the screen. Note that, regretably,
exposure is always set using the area in the center
of the screen.
It is possible to save images in the RAW file
format. It takes about 7 sec. to save an image
in RAW. Continuous Shooting is not available for
RAW.
There are 2 MENU screens and 4 SETUP screens.
The user interface is well implemented.
 |
MENU 1 of 2
- Self-timer: 10 sec. or 2 sec.
- White Balance: AUTO; Custom 1; Custom
2; Fine (Sunny); Shade; Fluorescent Light
1, 2, 3; Incandescent
- High-Speed Shooting
- AF Mode: Center, Multi, Area
- Flash Brightness Adjustment
- SETUP
|
 |
MENU 2 of 2
- Sharpness: Hard, Standard, Soft
- Saturation: High, Standard, Low
- Contrast: Hard, Standard, Soft
- Auto Bracketing Setting: ±1/3 EV,
±2/3 EV, ±1 EV
- Multi-Exposure
- External Flash (On/Off)
|
 |
SETUP 1 of 4
- Image Display
- Shutter Volume
- Beep Volume
- Playback Volume
- Frame No.
- LCD Brightness
|
 |
SETUP 2 of 4
- Media (xD or CF)
- CCD-RAW
- EVF/LCD Mode (30fps / 60fps)
- AE-Lock Mode (AE-L 1, 2)
- AF Illuminator
- Auto Power OFF (5m, 2m, Off)
|
 |
SETUP 3 of 4
- Format
- Date/Time
- Time Difference
- Language
- Background Color
- USB Mode (DSC/PictBridge)
|
 |
SETUP 4 of 4
- Video System (NTSC/PAL)
- [Ni-MH] Batteries Discharge
- Reset
|
 |
Photo (F) Mode - Image Quality
- Ships from factory set to 9M N
|
 |
Photo (F) Mode - ISO
- Ships from factory set to ISO 200
- No AUTO ISO available in PASM
|
 |
PROGRAMMED AUTO MODE
Clockwise from Top Left:
- Macro ON
- Multi Pattern
- Auto Bracketing
- High-Speed Shooting ON
- Image Quality 9M F
- Available frames: 222
- ISO 80
- Camera Shake warning
- AF target point (middle)
- Shutter Speed and Aperture values (Program
Shift)
- Exposure Compensation Indicator
|
 |
NATURAL LIGHT MODE
- Camera disables flash and selects a higher
ISO for correct exposure
|
 |
Picture Stabilization MODE
- Camera selects a fast shutter speed to
reduce camera shake (aperture and ISO are
adjusted accordingly for correct exposure)
|
 |
AF AREA
- Select AF Area in the MENU
|
 |
AF AREA
- You can move the AF target point to any
of (7 horizontal x 7 vertical =) 49 positions
on screen
- Very useful anytime your main subject
is off center, esp. in macro photography
- Framing Guide displayed
- Manual Mode with Exposure Indicator
- Press the Info button to display the Live
Histogram
|
 |
INFO (Playback)
- Displays when you press the Info button
- Besides a Histogram, Highlight Warning
will flash the areas that are overexposed
|
 |
MANUAL FOCUS
- Press the Focus Check button to magnify
central portion of image
- Press One-Touch AF button for a quick
AF, then turn focus ring in the direction
of the Focus Indicator Marks (yellow arrows)
to achieve focus
- Focus Check not available in High Speed
Shooting and/or 60fps LCD
|
 |
FLASH MODES
- Auto flash
- Red-eye reduction
- Forced flash (fill-in flash)
- Slow synchro
- Red-eye reduction + Slow synchro
|
 |
CONTINUOUS SHOOTING MODES
- Top 4-frame
- Auto bracketing
- Final 4-frame
|
 |
LCD BRIGHTNESS
- Hold Exposure Compensation button down
and press DISP/BACK button
|
 |
MODE WHEEL DISPLAY
- When you turn the Mode Dial, it displays
on the monitor
- This is very convenient when it's too
dark to see the markings on the dial or
simply not to have to take your eye off
the monitor/viewfinder as you select a different
shooting mode
|
The Fujifilm FinePix S9100 is a well-designed
long zoom digital camera with excellent handling
and fast operations. It has excellent proportions
and successfully captures the DSLR-like handling.
A couple of often-used features are still menu-bound
and would gain much in practical usability if
they were more directly accessible. All in all,
a very well designed and thought-out digital camera
which feels and handles as you would expect a
professional digital camera to.
|
|
|
