Fujifilm's face-finding FinePix: the S6000fd

With some extreme ISO action, and a flashy face-recognizing auto focus feature, Fujifilm has quite an alluring offering in their new FinePix S6000fd (known as the S6500fd globally). The 2.5-inch LCD and 6.3 megapixel CCD shouldn't turn too many heads, but the wide-angle manual control 10.7x zoom lens and the 100-3200 ISO sensitivity is nothing to sneeze at. Fujiflim's hardware-based Face Detection tech allows the camera to zero in on the sentient humans in frame -- instead of that wall behind them -- and does its focusing mojo in a mere 0.04 seconds. This, combined with other automatic enhancements, allows Joe Hobbyist to take advantage of the camera's advanced optics without having to fiddle with manual controls, promising better lighting and less blurring in more situations. Unfortunately, "Picture Stabilization," which merely bumps the ISO automatically is a lame substitute for actual optical image stabilization, but there aren't many other cut corners, and Fujifilm has managed to get the price pretty low. The S6000fd should be out in September for around $500.

[Spear @ Jul 13th 2006 12:08PM]

ISO 3200??
i guess some people like a serious lack of detail in their pictures.....

[PodMonkeys @ Jul 13th 2006 12:39PM]

If the face detection is based off the stuff I saw when I was working for FujiFilm Software CA, it'll be some neat stuff. It had a few limitations but was able to detect within a certain degree of portrait, as well as upside down, and rotatetd at 45's and 90's. But that was the test software/algorithms running on a PC. Very cool stuff tho.

[NeoteriX @ Jul 13th 2006 12:39PM]

Don't 'dis the magic of SuperCCD technology... it really works.

Fujifilm has THE best high ISO images I've seen in a fixed lens camera.

[OlivierB @ Jul 13th 2006 1:01PM]

I was pretty excited there for a second thinking that Fuji had come out with a $500 Digital SLR. Unfortunately you get a high-end compact with non removable lens, and a small sensor.
FOr that sort of price, you would be better off with Canon's Powershot S3 with 12X zoom, Optical Image Stabilisation, more MPs, etc..

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 1:47PM]

Fuji has been making the some of the best CCDs since day one. I’ve been a fan since I paid big bucks for what I believe was the first 1MP digital camera sold in America, the MX700, back in 97. A link to a macro shot from that auto focus fixed length cam is in my name, pretty sweet I think.

Unfortunately Fuji insists on using non standard XD memory cards, so I’m now in the Canon camp.

[Nate @ Jul 14th 2006 12:03AM]

"FOr that sort of price, you would be better off with Canon's Powershot S3 with 12X zoom, Optical Image Stabilisation, more MPs, etc.."

Actually, Canon's S3 doesn't have a higher mp sensor. They're both 6mp. Also, the Fuji's sensor is reportedly based off of the same one in the F30. If you look at a review of the F30 here:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_f30-review/

And compare that to the S3 review here:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s3-review/

You'll see that the Fuji totally wipes the floor with the Canon at high ISO settings.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about this. I was going to pick up the F30, but I might just have to wait now.

[Jeff @ Aug 9th 2006 12:55AM]

Few cameras offer the wide angle (equivalent) 28mm-300mm lens - OR standard AA batteries.

These are the biggest selling points for me (and price).

I've been a big fan of Canon's - it's what I own and have recomended.

We've been looking to finally upgrade and I know of no other recent DSLR-style camera that has these features.

How big a deal is the xD card limitation?

[Connor Ryan @ Oct 26th 2006 6:05PM]

Hi guys,

I just bought a Nikon D70s about 3 months ago. I LOVE IT! I sold my Fuji s5100 and bought a SLR. For only $750 you could get a D70s, a sigma 70-300 and a sigma 28-90. The D70s take much better pictures than any "super zoom crap". In other words save your money and get a D50. D50 (or any other SLR although I like Nikon)

Connor


BTW: The D50 is a great camera also.

[mark hill @ Nov 13th 2006 5:23AM]

The Fuji camera has a 1/1.7 sensor and the canon has 1/2.5- sensors are everything here. Also the canon S3 has the extendable lens which takes time( minor detail but important). 28-200mm on the Fuji- its all in one really. 2 major problems with the fuji is no image stabilization, and the heavy noise reduction but you can take photos in Raw format and post process (yes a pain but it shows the flexibility of the camera). I bought one anyway. so many manual features and i was looking for picture quality.