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Fuji FinePix 4900 Zoom Fujifilm extends its consumer digicam, with a 6x optical zoom lens and extensive exposure controls. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet FinePix 4900 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 4900 Zoom Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 10/7/2000

Camera Modes and Menus

Capture Mode: Controlled by the camera mode switch on the top panel, Capture mode sets up the camera for recording images in one of the following seven exposure modes:

• Manual Mode: Allows you to set the aperture (from f/2.8 to f/11.0) and shutter speed (from three to 1/1,000 seconds) independently, as well as control the flash, white balance, metering mode, ISO, and sharpness.
• Aperture Priority Mode: Lets you control the lens aperture setting, while the camera selects the best corresponding shutter speed. You have control over flash, exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, metering mode, and sharpness.
• Shutter Priority Mode: Lets you control the shutter speed setting while the camera controls the lens aperture. You have additional control over the same exposure features as in Aperture Priority mode.
• Program Mode: The camera maintains control over aperture and shutter speed, only now you can select from a range of equivalent exposure settings, depending on the type of exposure and effect you're looking for. As with Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, you have control over exposure compensation, flash, white balance, ISO, metering, and sharpness.
• Automatic Mode: In this mode, the camera controls all aspects of the exposure, with the exception of flash mode.
• Scene Program Mode: For specific shooting situations, Scene Program mode offers four preset shooting modes:
  • Portrait: Uses a large aperture setting to blur the background and place the primary focus on the subject.
  • Landscape: Employs a small aperture setting to ensure that the background and foreground are both in focus.
  • Sports: Utilizes fast shutter speeds (as high as 1/2,000 of a second) to freeze action.
  • Night Scene: Works with a slower shutter speed to allow more ambient light into the image. Combining this mode with the Red-Eye Reduction and Slow Sync flash mode sets up the camera for night portraits.
• Movie Mode: Sets the camera to record up to 160 seconds of moving images, without sound, at approximately 10 frames per second.

Record Menu: Pressing the Menu button while in Capture mode (in Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure modes) displays the following on-screen menu options:

• Flash Brightness Setting: Adjusts the flash intensity level from -2 to +2 in 1/3 EV increments.
• White Balance: Sets the camera's color and white balance to match a variety of light sources. Options are Auto, Custom, Outdoors - Sunny, Outdoors - Cloudy, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, and Incandescent.
• Photometry: Selects exposure metering options. Choices are:
  • Average: Averages the exposure value for the entire image.
  • Spot: Takes the exposure reading from the very center of the image.
  • Multi: Automatically assesses the entire scene and selects the optimum exposure.
• ISO: Adjusts the camera's sensitivity setting to 125, 200, 400, or 800 ISO equivalents.
• Auto Bracketing: Activates the camera's auto bracketing feature, and allows you to set the varying EV increment at plus or minus 1/3, 2/3, or 1 EV.
• Sharpness: Increases or decreases the camera's image sharpness setting, options are Hard, Soft, or Normal.
• External Flash: Enables (or disables) the camera's connection to an external flash.

Playback Mode: Also accessed through the camera mode switch, Playback mode allows you to scroll through captured images, as well as delete, protect, resize, and set up images for subsequent printing on a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatible device. Movies can also be played back in an index display mode, which allows you to edit out individual frames.

Playback Menu: Pressing the menu button in this mode calls up the Playback menu, with these offerings:

• Erase: Erases a single frame, all frames, or reformats the SmartMedia memory card, for both movie and still images.
• Automatic Playback: Automatically plays back still images in a slide show format, or initiates the movie playback, with a variety of transition styles available.
• Resize: Resizes captured still images from 2400 to 1280, 1600 to 1280, or 1280 to 640 pixel sizes.
• Protection: Allows you to write protect individual images or the currently displayed image. Write protection prevents accidental deletion, but doesn't protect against card reformatting. There's also an option to unprotect all images.
• DPOF: Sets up images for printing to a DPOF device. You can set how many prints to make of each image, whether or not to include a date and time stamp, and even crop images. (This last is quite unusual among cameras we've seen thus far. - October, 2000.)
• Index: For movie files only, this option lets you create an index of all frames in the movie. Through the index, you can edit frames and review individual images from the series.
  

Setup Mode: The camera's Setup mode is accessed through the exposure mode dial, when the camera is in Capture mode only. Activating the mode instantly displays the following settings menu:

• File Size / Quality: Sets the current image size and quality setting. Size options are 2400 x 1800, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480. Quality options are Hi, Fine, Normal and Basic. Available quality settings depend on the image size selected.
• Preview: Enables or disables the Preview option, which briefly displays the captured image before saving it to the memory card. Preview mode gives you the option of deleting an image immediately if you don't like it, rather than having to do so later in playback mode.
• Auto Power Save: Turns the automatic shut down feature off, or allows you to set a time limit of two or five minutes of inactivity before the camera shuts itself off.
• Beep: Adjusts the camera's beep sound to High, Low, or Off.
• Date / Time: Sets the camera's internal date and time.
• Frame Number: Renews the frame numbering with each new SmartMedia card, or continues the numbering from card to card.
• Language: Switches the camera's menu language to English or French. (Models built for other markets will likely have other and/or more extensive language selections.)
• Reset All: Resets all of the camera's settings to their factory defaults.