The Fuji Finepix F100fd is the new flagship F-series digital camera from Fuji. It combines a stabilized 12 megapixels sensor with a 5X wide-angle optical zoom lens in a body which is about 1" thick. With that come ISO capabilities up to 3200 at full-resolution and up to 12800 at 3 megapixels. This makes the F100 an instant contender for most-specified ultra-compact cameras.

 

As most ultra-compacts, the F100 is strictly a point and shoot model with a simple interface and limited external controls. This one delivers great quality images at good speeds which provides the basis for its Excellent rating. Kudos to Fuji for getting this year after year in a category that is plagued with under-performers. That being said, it is clear that Fuji is going for more consumer appeal and less advanced users than before. Compared to the Fuji Finepix F50 and F31 before it, the Fuji F100 lost semi-automatic exposure modes and single button access to exposure-compensation.

 

The downsides of the Finepix F100 are its inefficient user-interface and rather short battery-life. Whether the F100's interface is a serious problem depends on how often you use exposure-compensation, white-balance and drive mode. Those who use these features in the moment will find themselves frustrated accessing the required menu.

 

Options to weight against the F100 obviously include the Fuji Finepix F50 which has a similar sensor and image stabilization feature. On the negative, the Fuji F50 has a standard 3X optical zoom, equivalent to 35-105mm. On the plus side, the F50 has more advanced features and a less frustrating user-interface.

 

An interesting alternative in terms of features is the HP Photosmart R967. Although its image quality is not as good as the F100 and neither is its speed of operation, the R967 does feature full-manual controls and a number of interesting technologies like in-camera panorama-stitching, adaptive-lighting and a great help system.

 

See our full-length review for an in-depth look and images samples at all ISO sensitivities.