Fuji FinePix S7000Fuji's latest electronic SLR offers a larger, 6.3-megapixel CCD that interpolates to 12.3 megapixels - one of the highest resolution consumer models we've tested to date!<<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:ViewfinderReview First Posted: 01/16/2004 |
Viewfinder
The S7000 offers an "electronic" optical viewfinder, essentially a smaller
version of the 1.8-inch LCD monitor that's viewed through the camera's eyepiece.
The 0.44-inch optical viewfinder display has the same detailed information display
as the larger LCD monitor, complete with exposure information such as aperture
and shutter speed. In a nice upgrade from the previous 602, the micro-LCD used
in the S7000's EVF offers very high resolution at a whopping 235,000 pixels. This
makes it much more useful for focusing, particularly in conjunction with the 2x
focus-assist magnification feature. The added resolution is also welcome when
it comes to reading menu items. A firm but resilient eyecup surrounds the viewfinder
eyepiece, and shouldn't cause any problems for eyeglass wearers, given the S7000's
fairly high eyepoint. A diopter adjustment dial on the left side of the eyepiece
adjusts the focus of the display across a fairly wide range, so most eyeglass
wearers should be well accommodated. (By way of reference, my own vision is a
myopic 20/180 or so, and the dioptric adjustment just manages to accommodate my
unaided eyes at the "nearsighted" end of its range.) An EVF/LCD button
on the back panel switches the display between the viewfinder eyepiece and the
larger LCD monitor.
The
1.8-inch, low temperature TFT LCD monitor comes on automatically when
the camera is turned on, but goes to sleep quickly if the camera remains
inactive. A display button just below the EVF/LCD button controls the
level of information displayed on both viewfinders. The first press
enables the information display, while the second pulls up an alignment
grid that divides the image area into thirds, both horizontally and
vertically. A third press of the button cancels both the information
display and alignment grid, providing a full view of the subject area.
For a quick rundown of the exposure settings, a press of the Info button
on the side of the camera reports various menu settings, as well as
shows a small live histogram display. (The histogram is only available
in the Single AF mode.)
In
Playback mode, the Info button shows a histogram of a captured image, and
reports exposure information as well, though the display reverts to normal
shortly after you release the button. Also in Playback mode, the Display button
enables the nine-image index display mode.
Activated through the Setup menu, an Image Review function automatically displays
the last captured image on the LCD monitor as it's being recorded to the
memory card. The Preview option lets you delete the image before it's saved.
An interesting feature here is that Preview mode lets you enlarge the captured
image and double-check framing or exposure details (using the zoom control
to enlarge and the arrow keys to move the view). If you're not happy with
the shot, simply erase it and start again. Preview mode also lets you select
specific images from a series to record, such as those from one of the Continuous
Shooting modes. You can thus save memory card space by keeping only the frames
you want.
Another
useful feature on the S7000 is the Focus Check button (just to the right of
the LCD monitor), which enlarges the central portion of the image on the LCD
display 2x. This makes manual focusing quite a bit easier, as you can clearly
see the finer details as they sharpen.
The S7000's electronic viewfinder system is very accurate,
showing 99+ percent of the final frame area at both wide angle and telephoto
zoom settings. (The lower measurement line was just barely cut off at the
telephoto setting, but accuracy was still pretty good.) The LCD monitor is
also very accurate, since it shows the same view, just on a larger screen.
Given that I like LCD monitors to be as close to 100 percent accuracy as
possible, the S7000's LCD monitor is essentially perfect in this regard.
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