The Fujifilm Finepix F31FD is a 6.3-mega pixel compact camera with a 3x optical zoom, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. It has video capability included and built-in flash. Unbeatable has reviewed the Finepix F31FD and they write: “There are some great features on the Fuji F31FD and because of this we struggled to decide which to write about first.

As there are many similarities to the Fuji F30, we decided to start with the differences, the main one being the Face Detection Technology. This intelligent feature is an amazing leap for Fuji and the results we have seen are just fantastic and it works in the way that it will focus individually on each face that it detects (up to 10) in an image and then optimises the camera’s exposure and focus settings to fit those faces. Therefore, the faces in your images will be sharper and better exposed than if the FD wasn’t used. We took test images of before and after and a clear difference could be seen. It is very easy to use too, as all you have to do is switch it on and away you go. There is a shortcut button on the back of the camera so you don’t even have to find it in the menu.

Another great feature is the high ISO settings that go up to 3200. Fuji are the only manufacturer that have produced settings this high and we were wary of the images it would produce, but we were pleasantly surprised as there was minimal noise at this setting and below were just even better. The rest of the features are pretty standard and mirror its older brother the Finepix F30, with 6.3 mega pixels, 3x zoom and a 2.5” LCD screen, it even looks quite like it. Unfortunately, the Fuji F31FD doesn’t sport the impressive Image Stabilisation that is such a must in a digital camera today, we looked for it, but it just wasn’t there. However, the high ISO more than made up for it.”

“With slightly above average lag times, the Fuji Finepix 31FD could do with improving its pace. The start up to shoot time was 2 seconds, with 2.5 seconds between shots without the flash on and a little longer at 2.7 seconds with the flash. The shutter lag was a tremendously quick 0.4 seconds with it slowing slightly in low lit conditions to 0.9 seconds. Continuous shooting was pretty impressive with the choice of settings, you can choose from Top 3 or Final 3, where the camera will continuously shoot 40 images and choose either the best three or the final three depending on your subject. Simply choosing the Sports mode will automatically select this mode for you. The images we achieved with the Fuji F31FD were of a particularly high standard and we did struggle to find many faults. The colours were accurately reproduced and were sharp and bright, but also soft in the right places. The higher the ISO setting the more noise crept in, but we did expect this as with all digital cameras and as we said before it was only minimal and images taken at these setting could be used. The rechargeable battery that was supplied with the F31FD managed to take around 575 images before it flaked, which impressed us.”