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Fuji FinePix 40i Look! There in your pocket! It's a camera! It's an MP3 player! It's... The Fujifilm Finepix 40i! Select a topic 13. Reference: Datasheet 14. FinePix 40i Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:Optics Review First Posted: 11/03/2000

Optics
The FinePix F40i features an 8.3mm, fixed-focal-length, Fujinon EBC lens (equivalent to a 36mm wide-angle lens on a 35mm SLR). It has a fixed aperture of f/2.8, which is large by normal lens standards, but should provide adequate depth of field for such a short focal length lens. The focal range is 1.6 feet (50cm) to infinity in normal shooting mode and 2.3 inches to 1.6 feet (6 to 50cm) in Macro mode. (Note: The Macro feature is accessible through the Record menu by using the right arrow button to scroll to the Focus Menu option, toggling the Zoom switch up or down to select On or Off, and then pressing the OK button.) The F40i features Autofocus capability, which means that it automatically focuses on the object in the center of the viewfinder or monitor. You can lock the camera's focus (AF lock) on an off-center subject by reframing the image so that your target subject is in the center of the viewfinder, then holding down the shutter button halfway, returning to your original composition, and firing the shutter. The Autoexposure (AE) lock function works in the same manner.

Although the F40i does not feature an optical zoom lens, it does provide a digital zoom function in two of the camera's three file sizes: 1,280 x 960 or 640 x 480 pixels. The maximum zoom capability varies with file size - 1.88X for 1,280 x 960 pixels and 3.75X for 640 x 480 pixels - and is controlled by the Zoom toggle switch in the upper right corner of the camera's back panel. A Zoom bar on the left side of the LCD monitor indicates the degree of zoom as you toggle. But remember, while the Digital Zoom function does "zoom-in" on your subject, the effect is created by enlarging the center of the CCD image, not by increasing the focal length of the lens. Therefore, it will degrade the quality of your image to some degree, depending on the amount of zoom. Image degradation usually appears in the form of increased noise and/or softer resolution. (We would prefer to see a minimal amount of an optical zoom provide, rather than just straight digital enlargement.)

Optical distortion on the F40i is moderately high, as we observed approximately 0.43 percent barrel distortion in our testing. Chromatic aberration, on the other hand, is low, with only about 0.5 pixels of coloration on each side of the black target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight color fringe around objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)