Fujifilm F60fd Optics

Zoom
A standard 3x optical zoom lens with fair performance. Digital zoom performance is soft at full size, but results are passable for smaller print sizes.

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd's optical zoom range covers the equivalent of a 35-105mm zoom on a 35mm camera, which is a typical range for a consumer digital camera. Results at full wide angle are fair, with moderate coma distortion and fairly strong blurring along the left side of the frame. Details are pretty well-defined throughout the center of the frame, however. At full telephoto, detail definition is a little stronger, though corner softening is again visible on the left side of the frame. There's also some noticeable chromatic aberration around high contrast areas. The camera's 8.2x digital zoom shows some losses in resolution and fine detail, though overall results are still a little better than average.

Macro
About average macro area, with slightly soft detail overall. The flash has trouble up close, though.

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd's macro setting captured a larger-than-average minimum area measuring 2.54 x 1.91 inches (65 x 48 millimeters). Resolution and detail are both high, though details are slightly soft throughout the frame. That said, the FinePix F60fd produced less blurring in the corners than we're accustomed to seeing here. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode.) The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd's flash had some trouble throttling down for the macro area, and produced an uneven exposure with strong highlights and a dark shadow from the lens. Thus, you'll need to stick to external lighting for macro shots with the F60fd.

Geometric Distortion
Lower than average barrel distortion at wide angle, and only a tiny amount at telephoto.

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd's 0.6% barrel distortion at wide angle is actually lower than average compared to most consumer digital cameras, though the effect is still somewhat noticeable. At the telephoto end, the FinePix F60fd's less than 0.1% barrel distortion (actually only about one pixel) is low and barely noticeable. Distortion is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

Chromatic Aberration
Moderately high distortion at wide angle in terms of brightness and pixel count. Less distortion at telephoto.

Chromatic aberration is moderately high at wide angle, with bright pixels of coloration on both sides of the target lines. At telephoto, distortion is not as strong or bright, though the distortion on the left side of the frame is exaggerated by blurring from the lens. Chromatic aberration is a form of distortion visible as a slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.

Corner Sharpness
Fairly strong blurring in the corners of the frame at wide angle and telephoto.

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd produced soft corners of the frame at full wide angle and telephoto, though effects were much stronger at wide angle. In both zoom settings, the degree of blurring remained fairly consistent between the four corners, but blurring extended much further toward the center of the frame along the left sides.

Coverage
Very good accuracy from the LCD monitor.

The Fujifilm FinePix F60fd's LCD monitor showed about 102% coverage accuracy at wide angle, and about 99% at telephoto. Great results!