Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Review

8 Megapixels8 MegapixelsVGA Video: 640 x 480 or more but less than 1280 x 720.VGA Video: 640 x 480 or more but less than 1280 x 720.Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Spot MeteringSpot MeteringAccepts Secure Digital (SD) memory.Accepts Secure Digital (SD) memory.Accepts xD memory.Accepts xD memory.Neocamera detailed reviewNeocamera detailed reviewDiscontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.Discontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.

Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Introduction

With the Fuji Finepix F40fd, Fuji augmented the resolution of its very successful F-series of ultra-compact digital cameras. Without compromising too much, the F40 boasts a maximum ISO of 2000 at its full 8 megapixels resolution.

This ultra-compact camera is clearly aimed at beginners. It hash a minimal set of controls with exposure and focus being fully automatic at all times.

As a point-and-shot camera, the Fuji Finepix F40fd keeps everything just as simple as its feature-set. The main features are:

  • 3X Optical zoom, equivalent to 36-108mm.
  • Selectable ISO sensitivity: AutoAuto limit can be 400, 800, 1600 or 2000, in natural light mode., 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.
  • White balance: Auto, sunlightLabeled Fine, cloudyLabeled Shade, fluorescent3 Types, incandescent and custom.
  • Exposure compensation: -2..+2 stops, 1/3 stop increments.
  • Shutter speeds: 1/2000s-3s.
  • Metering control: Evaluative, average or spot.
  • Drive modes: First 2-frames, last 2-frames, long continuous or self-timer2 or 10 seconds.
  • Focus modes: Center, multi-point, continuous.
  • Focus distances: normal, high-speed, macro.
  • Color modes: Standard, Chrome and Black & White.
  • Unlimited 640x480 30 FPS Movie mode with sound.
  • 2.5" LCD with 230K Pixels.
Fuji F40

Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Suitability - What is it good for?

The Fuji F40 only provides point-and-shoot modes. Its shutter-speed range is fast enough for action but not enough for night photography. In the non-night modes, the minimum shutter-speeds is further limited to 1/4s. In the night modes, a maximum shutter-speed of 3s can be used, although it must be selected automatically at the ISO chosen by the camera. The zoom range, equivalent to 36-108mm, is good for portraits and close subjects. The F40fd's macro mode can focus as close as 7cm (2.6"). This is good enough for the average flower but not enough for tiny subjects.

Fuji Finepix F40 Top

The F40 has several exposure modes but they are all automatic, even though one of them is called Manual mode. In AUTO mode, even the ISO, the exposure compensation, the metering, the white-balance and the focus-mode cannot be set. The Manual mode must be used to change any of those settings, since all Scene-modes restrict settings. Thus, for low-light photography, the camera has complete control, not even exposure-compensation can be set.

With ISO sensitivities up to 2000, the Fuji Finepix F40 is well suited for indoor shots with moving subjects such as people. Additionally, Fuji's flash system called i-flash is designed to achieve correct exposure when insufficient light is available without overwhelming the foreground and still maintaining background details. In practice, it works well when the scene is missing one stop or less of light to achieve a shake-free exposure. Beyond that, it just behaves like most flash systems.

Among ultra-compact cameras, the F40 is reasonably well-suited for indoor photography, though it is not perfect in that area. As long as a tripod is not necessary, the F40 performs very well due to its high-ISO capabilities. When light is very low, the F40's lack of manual controls and long-shutter speeds get in the way.

Fuji F40 Top

The other notable feature of the F40 is its first-rate movie mode. Only a few other digital cameras offer 640x480 30 FPS movie mode with no time or file-size limits.

As for drive modes, they are not really useful. The fast modes shoot only at 1.3 FPS and saves up to 2 images. That is pretty pathetic. The slow mode, called long-period, is rather slow and not much faster than the F40's shot-to-shot speeds.

Fuji Finepix F40

There is some value in providing such a limited feature set. It is for people who simply want to point and shoot and obtain the best possible automatically-controlled photograph. After all, there are people who wish their camera had only one button, the shutter-release. The F40 is not that simple, but it gets close and it does not get in the way due to its good image quality and speedy performance.

Unlike most recent digital cameras, the Fuji F40 does not automatically rotate images taken in portrait orientation. This missing feature is partly compensated by a very efficient system for rotating multiple images without exiting and re-entering the menu between each image.

Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Usability - How easy is it to use?

The Fuji F40 is mostly a point-and-shoot digital camera. As such, it is very easy to use. The menu system is simple and easy to navigate. There are a few obscure items though. Understanding them requires a reading the manual. The Power Management options for example are: Power Save, Quick AF and Clear Display. The other obscure setting is Illumination (On or Off). It is located just below the AF Illuminator option, so it is easy to know what it does not do!

There are two position on the mode-dial for scene modes, so the menu is used to select which one is active. The two positions are actually identical in behavior except that they each remember the last chosen scene mode separately.

Fuji F40 LCD

Framing is done using a nice 2.5" LCD which can be brightened momentarily by pressing the up-arrow. This works exceptionally well, even in extremely bright conditions. In low light, the LCD gains up very well and remains steady. Otherwise, the LCD is very sharp and very fluid.

In continuous shooting modes, framing is more challenging since both the first-2 and last-2 modes show images only after they are taken, while the long-period mode shows images before they are taken. In both cases, there is a significant time-difference between what is shown on the LCD and what is pictured. Since there is no optical viewfinder, following a moving subject is very difficult.

After each picture is taken, the F40 displays it except in the long-period continuous mode. There is no way to turn this off. There are 3 display options: 1.5s, 3s and zoom. The zoom option shows the image completely zoomed for inspection of fine details. The 1.5s and 3s option each dismiss the image automatically after the specified time. In all cases, the display can be interrupted after about 1.5 seconds. This has the unfortunate consequence of making the F40's shot-to-shot time a longer than the top competing models. In long-period mode, the image is not displayed after each shot but the screen remains black for a about 2 seconds.

The shutter button has a nice feel. It, is not too small and has a distinct halfway point. The zoom controller is wrapped around the shutter button. The zoom controller has a nice feel too but provides too few zoom steps to be able to tightly frame a particular subject. The metallic F40 feels completely solid and has a refined appearance. Even the shutter-like lens cover is metallic which is more sturdy than most competing models.

A slight protrusion on the front of the camera serves as a grip. This grip, and the fact that one can firmly press on the camera's rear with the thumb, makes holding the Fuji Finepix F40fd feel quite secure. Furthermore, Fuji supplies a sturdy wrist-strap and we highly recommend people to use it. The strap also has a tightening element which can be used to securely attach the camera to your wrist.

The Fuji Finepix F40 has a limited number of external controls. The only 3 functions which can be used without entering some kind of menu are macro on/off, flash-modes and the self-timer. Other functions are reached either by the F button or the Menu buttonLocated in the center of the 4-way controller. The F button is a Fuji classic, it serves to enter a small menu of commonly used settings. In this menu, the F40 provides 4 settings: power management, ISO, image quality and color mode. Notice that ISO is the only truly common setting in this menu? We had the same complaint for the F10 and the F30, so Fuji did not learn this yet. In this menu, most users would expect to see at least white-balance, metering and exposure-compensation (plus ISO, of course). There is clearly room for adding these 3 settings without removing the rarely used ones. How often does one change the power-management mode?

The full menu of the Fuji F40 is called by the Menu button. It is organized as a single-level menu system with one of the options activating a 4-page setup menu. Several common settings such as exposure-compensation, white-balance and metering require the use of this menu.

There is a button to enter playback mode. Playback mode is generally speedy and well implemented. The only slow playback feature is scrolling around a zoomed image. Press the shutter-button halfway to rapidly exit playback mode.

Fuji F40 Open

Unlike its predecessors, the Fuji F40 comes with a charger for its battery. This is much better than in-camera charging which locks down the camera while a battery is being charged. The battery goes in using a plastic door that also covers the memory card slot. Fortunately the battery compartment does have a latch, so it will not fall out while changing memory cards.

Fujifilm Finepix F40fd
Buy from these sellers: Buy From Amazon.com
By Neocamera on 2007-05-12

Please Support Neocamera

All information on Neocamera is provided free of charge yet running this website is a huge endeavor. Purchases made via affiliate links found throughout the site help keep it running and up-to-date. There is no additional cost to you, so please consider buying via these links to our affilates:

  • Photography Store Banner
  • Essential Photo Banner
  • Adorama Banner
  • BH Photo Banner

If you found any information on this site valuable and did not purchase via our affiliate links, please considering donating via PayPal:

Any amount will be greatly appreaciated. Thank you for your support!

Fujifilm F40fd Highlights

Fujifilm Finepix F40fd
Ultra-Compact digital camera

Sensor-Size: 8 x 6mm

1/1.6" Sensor

Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI

8 Megapixels Ultra CompactISO 100-2000
3X Optical ZoomShutter 1/2000-3s
1.3 FPS Drive, 2 ImagesCustom white-balance
640x480 @ 30 FPS Video RecordingSpot-Metering
2.5" LCD 230K PixelsLithium-Ion Battery
Secure Digital, xD
Internal Memory
Buy from these sellers: Buy From Amazon.com

Camera Bag

Clear

Your camera bag is empty. To add a camera or lens click on the star next to its name.

Your camera bag is empty.

Add cameras or lenses by clicking on the star next to their name.

Updates

    2023.11.20

  • 2023.11.20

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023

    Find out which are the Best Digital Cameras of 2023. All the new Mirrorless Digital Cameras from entry-level to high-end professional.

  • 2023.07.10

  • 2023.07.10

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review

    40 Megapixels APS-C Hybrid Mirrorless Digital Camera with 7-stop IBIS. Fastest shutter ever and 8K video capture. Large builtin EVF with 0.8X magnification and 5.8 MP, plus an Eye-Start Sensor. Packed with features and large number of controls in a weatherproof and freezeproof body.

  • 2023.05.07

  • 2023.05.07

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review Update Poster

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review

    Review of the unique Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G lens. The optical zoom of this lens spans ultra-wide-angle and medium focal-length coverage, making it one of the most versatile Full-Frame lenses on the market.

  • 2023.01.15

  • 2023.01.15

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review Update Poster

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review

    Review of the Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 tablet, a medium sized drawing surface with dual dials and customizable buttons. Connects via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.0 with Windows, Linux and Android support.

  • 2022.12.08

  • 2022.12.08

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip Update Poster

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip

    Find out how to pack for a travel photography trip, carry your gear safely while meeting airline regulations.

  • 2022.11.13

  • 2022.11.13

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022

    The best digital cameras of 2022. A short list of the most outstanding models in their respective categories. Choose one for yourself or as a gift.

  • 2022.09.21

  • 2022.09.21

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM, the constant-aperture telephoto zoom with the highest zoom-ratio on the market.

  • 2022.09.20

  • 2022.09.20

    Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM, the lightest professional telephoto zoom native to the K-mount.

  • 2022.09.10

  • 2022.09.10

    Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW, the widest professional ultra-wide zoom native to the K-mount.

  • 2021.11.24

  • 2021.11.24

    50 Gifts Under $50 For Photographers in 2021 Update Poster

    50 Gifts Under $50 For Photographers in 2021

    50 Gifts photographers will love. All for under $50 USD. 2021 Edition.

  • 2021.11.17

  • 2021.11.17

    Best Digital Cameras for 2021 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras for 2021

    Neocamera shows which are the very best Digital Cameras for 2021 in every category: Mirrorless, DSLR, Premium Compact, Ultra-Zoom and Rugged.

  • 2021.09.04

  • 2021.09.04

    Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW Review Update Poster

    Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW Review

    Exclusive review of the Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW professional lens of Pentax K-Mount APS-C DSLR cameras.