Fujifilm FinePix F810 review

At first glance FujiFilm's FinePix F810 looks no different from the older F710, but underneath the attractive brushed steel finish and retro-angular styling there are some fundamental changes.

At 6.3 megapixels, the F810 provides double the resolution of the F710. As with all FinePix cameras, it records images at double its sensor resolution by using interpolation between the CCD's hexagonal pixels. This gives a 12-megapixel output (4,048x3,040), large enough to fill the supplied 16MB xD card in three maximum resolution shots.

This is the debut for FujiFilm's new Super CCD-HD technology. FujiFilm claims a larger dynamic range with the new technology, meaning that pictures with high contrast can still be taken without losing detail at either extremes of dark and light. Our tests confirmed this, with deep shadow areas containing more information than we would normally expect from a £300 camera.

Unlike many digital cameras, the F810 is ready for action almost immediately after it's switched on thanks to a fast action 4x optical zoom lens. There's no focus ring around the lens itself but the F810 has a manual focus function. Aperture, shutter speed and focus can all be manually controlled via a well-placed thumb wheel. Although not as precise as a mechanical manual focus, this unconventional approach works fine after some practice. There is a continuous auto-focus mode as well, allowing you to track objects before shooting.

The F810 can also shoot movies in widescreen. Unfortunately, this is achieved by cropping the top and bottom, something that can be achieved in still image and video-editing packages.

The F810 is incredibly versatile for its size, giving the photographer bags of control while producing excellent results even in full auto mode. The interface is efficient, providing quick access to all camera functions and it is light and slim enough to carry in a pocket. This is a great choice for the digital photography enthusiast on the move.