The S6500fd incorporates a unique hardware enabled Face Detection facility. The camera knows when a face is present in a scene, it can identify up to ten faces. The camera now optimises the focus and exposure for the face. This worked very well as long as two eyes and other facial features could be clearly seen. I tested this in a number of situations and it produced consistently good exposures (with my own EV adjustment) It will be interesting to see how Fuji and other manufacturers develop the Face Detection further - I suspect it may be very useful for police cameras, especially if they can store a database of most wanted people.
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Face detection button |
Found my daughters OK |
Conclusion
I used the FujiFilm FinePix S6500fd for about three weeks. It was love at first sight, but the novelty wore thin when I started to use the camera on location. I didn't like the 1.5 seconds review time after every picture, when the "Live" picture came back either the camera or the subject had moved. Handling was comfortable and it is easy to see the entire viewfinder even when wearing glasses. The lens was more than sharp enough for most picture taking situations, but the focusing often spoilt the picture.
The camera is a great in-between camera for those who want something better than a compact camera but don't want to go the full distance for an SLR camera. At a street price of £245 it represents good value for money. Please note the US version is called the S6000 FD
Pros:
Good build quality
Face detection
Zoom range
Cons:
Focus not always spot on
Exposure
Street Price (£245 - approx. )
| Build quality |
90 |
| Features |
90 |
| Ease of use |
94 |
| Design |
90 |
| Value |
90 |
| Rating |
454 Recommended |
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UK visitors S6500fd |
US visitors S6000 fd |
