Digital Camera Blog

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Fujifilm first leapt into the digital SLR market in 2000 with the 3.1-megapixel S1 Pro, a respectable camera based on Nikon bodywork, but incorporating the company’s own image-capture chip, the SuperCCD.

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On the outside, there’s nothing special about the FinePix F31fd’s design. The 3.6 x 2.2 x 1.1-inch brushed silver camera could easily get lost on the store shelf among its competitors and even when set next to Fujifilm’s FinePix F30, which has the same body, six-megapixel resolution, and 3X
optical zoom. This digicam really doesn’t start to shine until you fire it up. That’s when you’ll appreciate its high ISO sensitivity (up to 3200), face-detection technology, and an intelligent flash that keeps your shots from looking washed out.

The standout feature on the F31fd is undoubtedly its face-detection capability. If you’ve ever taken a group shot-or photographed someone in a busy setting-you know that it can be difficult to get your point-and-shoot to focus on the right element. Fujifilm’s technology identifies human faces in a frame (up to ten) and automatically adjusts the focus and exposure.
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If you’re looking for a camera that lets you tweak each and every setting but aren’t ready to start toting around separate lenses, check out the Olympus SP-550 UZ. Its rubberized, gun-metal-gray body looks like a scaled-down DSLR with a large lens and a hand grip. Features include seven-megapixel resolution, an impressive 18X optical zoom, and a 2.5-inch LCD.

The top of the SP-550 UZ houses an image stabilizer, shutter button, and zoom, plus a mode dial for selecting the shooting settings. On the back, you’ll find the menu, review, display, and delete buttons, along with a four-way navigation button to the right of the LCD. Above that is a button that turns the display off and on.

The SP-550 UZ offers a whopping 30 modes, including Cuisine, Snow, and even three underwater settings. In addition to these presets, the camera has Auto, Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual modes, plus five flash settings. A few of the most interesting settings include High-Speed Sequential Shooting, which captures several images in a row, and a Pre-Capture mode, which takes five shots before the shutter button is fully pressed to keep you from missing any action. You’ll also find five ISO speeds, ranging from 50 to 5000, but at its highest settings, the resolution drops to 3.2 MP, and a decent amount of noise is apparent.
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