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Fujifilm FinePix 4800 Zoom Fuji updates their SuperCCD pocket camera with improved color and a hot-sync cradle! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet FinePix 4800 Zoom Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on FinePix 4800 Zoom Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 08/16/2001

Viewfinder
The 4800 Zoom has both a real-image optical viewfinder and a color LCD monitor for composing images. The optical viewfinder, which zooms in and out with the telephoto lens, features a black outline circle in the center of the view, indicating the autofocus and autoexposure target area. A set of black crop marks, offset on the right side of the viewfinder display, indicate the framing for Macro (close-up) shooting, which we found to be fairly accurate. Though the 4800 Zoom does not feature a diopter adjustment dial, it does have a reasonably high eyepoint. We were able to see the full viewfinder image at a fair distance from the eyepiece, meaning that even users with fairly thick eyeglasses should be able to view the whole scene comfortably.

A small lamp display on the left side of the optical viewfinder serves as a status indicator, reporting various camera states. For example, a solid green light indicates that focus and exposure are set and the camera is ready to shoot, while a flashing green light warns of slow shutter speed or that the autofocus and autoexposure systems are still processing the scene. The lamp flashes green and orange when the camera is writing information to the SmartMedia card and lights solid orange when an image is being recorded and the camera is unable to perform other operations. Finally, a blinking orange light indicates that the flash is charging or that PC communication is in progress, and a flashing red light reports a problem with the SmartMedia card or lens. For all error warnings, a detailed message appears in the LCD monitor, if activated.

The two-inch, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD monitor is made up of 130,000 pixels. It's controlled by the Display button just over the top left corner, which is used to turn it on or off in Photography mode, and to change the information display. Pressing the Display button cycles through three viewing options: The image with text, the image with text and a framing guideline, and no display at all. Exposure information and various camera settings are reported in the text display, and the shutter speed and aperture settings appear when the Shutter button is halfway pressed. The framing guideline divides the image area into thirds horizontally and vertically, to help line up shots. The viewfinder display changes to indicate the camera's operating mode as well, with different displays for each setting on the Mode dial.

When you depress the Shutter button halfway to take a picture, the camera settings displayed across the top of the LCD vanish, and are replaced by the aperture and shutter speed at the bottom of the screen. The central autofocus target also shrinks slightly. After the shutter is snapped, you have three options for review (selected through the Set-up menu): No post-capture display, a Postview display that briefly flashes the image on-screen, and a Preview display which shows the photo and gives you the option to either save or discard it. (During image Preview, you can zoom, in as described below, to check minor details before deciding whether or not to keep the image.)

In Playback mode, the Display button also controls the LCD monitor display, showing image information (such as the file name, date and time, etc.) and the Multi-Frame Playback option, which shows as many as nine thumbnail images on the screen at a time. A Fast Forward function, activated by holding down the right Arrow button, displays three thumbnail images at the bottom of the screen (with the last selected image in the background), and enables you to quickly scroll through the saved images along the bottom of the LCD monitor. There's also a Playback Zoom, which enlarges images as much as 15x, depending on the resolution setting. This magnification amounts to a 1:1 pixel ratio between the LCD screen and the captured image. At any zoom level, pressing the Display button switches the four soft keys to panning controls, allowing you to move around within the magnified image. We really like seeing this much playback magnification, as it makes checking critical focus very easy. (Other manufacturers take note!) Enlarged images can also be cropped and saved as smaller files, at either the 2-megapixel, 1-megapixel, or VGA file sizes.

LCD brightness is adjusted through the camera's Set-up menu.

In our testing, the FinePix 4800 Zoom's optical viewfinder was quite "tight", showing only about 80% of the final image area. Most digicam viewfinders show about 85%, and we personally really prefer to see viewfinder coverage closer to 90%. The optical viewfinder on the 4800 does much better though, at 96% coverage. For any critical framing, be sure to use the LCD.