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"F100fd, best pocket 28mm Point and Shoot right now" on by nchao
Pros: Great lens, image quality
Cons: control layout and no exposure comp in auto mode
Summary: I have owned and used more than a dozen digital cameras since 1996. At first it was just the novelty of having a direct digital image. Next it replaced my film convenient point and shoot. Then I got DSLR to replace film SLR. With the F100 I was looking to replace my DSLR for travel photos when I don't want to lug my DSLR around my neck for up to 8 hours a day. As such, I wanted the camera with the highest image quality for daytime and flash shots. Very high ISO performance was not a major concern.
On image quality, the F100 did not disappoint. Daytime image quality at low iso matched my DSLR for detail (not dynamic range which is not expected by a tiny sensor).
I posted samples pictures in the Fujifilm forum at dpreview.com
The image stabilization gives about a 1 to 2 stop advantage. Keeping all my daytime shots at or below iso 400 and indoor shots below iso 200 I get consistent good results. With image stabilization that's equivalent to iso 1600 and 800 on non stabilized cameras. I never was able to shoot such high iso in film so this camera is a marvel of miniaturization. The camera offers much higher isos but then the image quality drops.
The camera performance at the sweet 28mm equivalent wide alone is worth the purchase cost compared to fixed lens 28mm cameras such as the Ricoh GRD and the Sigma DP1 which cost more than twice as much and do not produce images with as much detail as the F100. I used to own the very expensive Nikon 28ti (still expensive used on ebay), a 28mm fixed lens film camera well regarded by even pros and I find that the F100 produces better shots consistently. The 5x zoom is nice but hard to control since it quickly zips from wide to tele. Anything in between may require more than one try.
My major gripe with the camera is the lack of convenient manual controls and lack of adjustments in any other mode except Manual. You cannot adjust, compensation, metering, dynamic range or focus mode in any of the very numerous AUTO or scene modes. I usually like to use AUTO with exposre ion for daylights scenes, manual for flash for indoors, and Natural for indoor no flash with compensations. Now in AUTO and Natural you are locked out of any image adjustments. As a result I have to use manual most of the time and with the current control layout with no dedicated knobs, I have to push a whole bunch of buttons each time my shooting situation changes.
The ultimate positive side is that this camera is always on my belt and I have the possibility not to miss any shooting opportunity with DSLR like quality without a DSLR. I used to lug a DSLR with me maybe about once a month when I went to an event of some sort.
It will not replace your DSLR yet when you want maximum dynamic range or very low light no flash or action sports shots from the grandstand where a heavy 200mm f2.8 won't be matched by any pocket camera for many years to come if ever.
I bought my F100 from Beach Camera for $15 less with free ship and I received my camera the next day. I am leery of Amazon free ship. I ordered an AA battery charger almost 2 weeks ago and still have not received it. Amazon free ship can take a month sometimes and that's a real bummer. -
"Great camera for a not yet intermediate user" on by cork2win
Pros: Great low light photos
Accurate colors
Easy to useCons: Bigger/heavier than others in same class
Summary: I read every review of this camera I could find, twice, before making the purchase. I consider myself an advanced beginner photographer. While I admittedly don't understand a lot about the finer concepts of photography, I do understand what makes a good picture and try to accomplish that for myself. That being said, so many of the reviews compared this camera to its predecessor, very unkindly, and complained about a lot of things that I honestly didn't understand, but raised concerns.. I was worried, but bit the bullet. I want to comment on this camera for "regular" folks who might just be looking for a nice point and shoot who consider things like manual control more than they're prepared to handle at this point.
I love this camera. I bought this camera specifically for the low light capabilities it was reported to have. Its sensor is the largest among any of the cameras in this group which is what I believe allows it to capture better quality photos in low light. The camera certainly doesn't disappoint. I bought a Canon 890IS and tried a few photos in the house, at night, with a few lights on (very typical shooting conditions for me) and they were absolutely horrible. I returned the camera the next day and continued my search, finally settling on the f100fd. The same photos in the same conditions were stunning compared to the canon, again, to a novice.
As much as I'd like to think I'm capable of more than point and shoot, I really just don't want to be bothered. This camera, in auto mode or one of the many scene modes, shoots great pictures. Sure, they could probably be better if I knew what I was doing and the camera had the manual control to override some of the settings, but I don't know how to do most of these things and for me, the camera does a good enough job at taking great shots on its own without any further intervention on my part.
This is a great camera that does exactly what I wanted. Takes sharp, vivid photos in low light and outdoor conditions. The battery seems to last pretty long. The menus may be a little weird, but once you learn where things are they don't seem any better/worse to me than any of the other cameras I've had. The 5x zoom was a real selling point for me and it's really great to have. The camera is a little bulky which makes it a little difficult to just stick this camera in a jeans pocket but it feels sturdy so I guess that's a trade off. The time it takes to turn the camera on and be ready for shooting is fast, as is lag between photos. However, I must admit I'm upgrading from a sony dsc-s40 which was a total snail so this camera is a cadillac in comparison but may be slow compared to other cameras out today, I wouldn't know.
Overall, for a beginner like me that doesn't want/need manual control but wants the best picture they can get on Auto, this is a great camera that has greatly improved my general snapshots. If you want manual control this probably isn't the camera for you, but for point and shoot it performs its job very well in my opinion. -
"Brilliant Camera" on by grelaz
Pros: I took this camera throughout Europe and achieved unbelievable pictures. You will not find better image quality from a compact camera. I own a Canon 450D and this is the only camera I would use instead.
Brilliant shots
Great lens
Exceptional detailCons: It is quite heavy on the battery so it is a good idea to keep it charged
Macro could be better
Menu system is overtly complicatedSummary: After owning many digital cameras from Sony, Kodak, Canon etc I was at first a little hesitant to buy a Fuji. Research from many professionals had recommended this model and loved the previous model. I also liked the idea of the camera now being able to use SD cards.
I also was going to get the Panasonic TZ5 or LX3 both are also good but my primary use was photographing outdoors all parts of Europe. This camera did not disappoint and is almost as good as a DSLR! -
"Great Camera from FujiFilm..." on by ENUO90
Pros: Takes great pictures. Wide lens is great. Good at low light but not the best but still good.
Cons: Poor battery life. Low light not so good.
Summary: I read many reviews about this FujiFilm and decided to go with it. FujiFilm makes great cameras. The pictures it takes are great. The wide lens are great and the image is good compared to other cameras like a Canon or Panasonic. I choose this over a canon because of its dual IS and Super CCD and image quality. The canon at wide pictures is not so great but the fujifilm is better.
About the Pink Band issue i have yet to notice it. I have not seen this Pink band on my FujiFilm. Also you get a $100 rebate with this camera.
Updated on Dec 7, 2008
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