Fujifilm has launched an enhanced version of its TIPA award winning F30 camera.
The F31fd features almost identical specifications to the F30, but offers a key addition in the presence of face-detection technology. Fuji describes this feature as the ?the world’s fastest Face Detection technology?, which will combine with the camera?s existing 6MP, 3x optical zoom specifification. The F31fd will go on sale alongside the F30, with pricing to be announced nearer to the model?s November launch.

PRESS RELEASE

Fujifilm launches the FinePix F31fd with the world’s fastest Face Detection technology

World’s fastest Face Detection technology at the time of research conducted by Fujifilm in July 2006

Fujifilm today announced the launch of the FinePix F31fd, its first pocketable digital camera to feature hardware-based Face Detection technology, which debuted with the announcement of the FinePix S6500fd in July 2006. Face Detection has great impact on people photography, ensuring the camera automatically focuses on and exposes for faces, rather than details that can confuse other cameras. Coping with up to ten faces in a frame, it ensures photos of friends and family are crisp, clear and perfectly exposed no matter what the occasion. Because Fujifilm’s Face Detection technology is built-in to the camera’s processor, it is able to identify faces, optimise settings and take the photo within just 0.05 seconds.

The FinePix F31fd inherits its feature set from its older brother, the TIPA and DIMA award winning FinePix F30. In particular its unrivalled low-light performance of ISO 3200 at full resolution, made possible by Fujifilm’s acclaimed Real Photo Processor II, combines with Face Detection to make the FinePix F31fd the ultimate compact for people photography. With Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, 6 megapixel Super CCD HR VI, 2.5 inch LCD screen and unique Fujifilm technologies such as Intelligent Flash, the FinePix F31fd is perfect for anyone looking for a camera that will rise to any occasion.

The camera’s fast response times, 0.01 second shutter lag and 1.5 second start-up time, ensure it will catch all the action and spell the end for missed photo opportunities. Its 580-shot battery life makes it an ideal constant companion for days out or weekends away without the worry of missed photo opportunities thanks to a spent battery.

Face Detection
Fujifilm’s Face Detection technology was originally developed for the company’s photofinishing division, where it was used for reproducing the fine detail in people’s faces in print. In developing the technology for use in FinePix cameras, Fujifilm’s research & development team’s challenge was to make it fast, otherwise the feature would never be anything more than a novelty. In achieving a response time of 0.05 seconds, Fujifilm’s Face Detection becomes a genuinely useful tool for capturing photos of friends and family that are perfectly focused and exposed to prioritise the people in the frame.

Face Detection works by triangulating eyes and mouth, using an algorithm to optimise focus and exposure for up to ten faces in a single frame. A green square surrounds the face of the primary subject on the camera’s LCD screen, whilst white squares identify up to nine other subjects. Movement tracking keeps the camera ‘locked on’ to its subjects until they move out of the picture. The technology works irrespective of the subject’s position in the frame, and is not confused by spectacles.

In Playback mode, Face Detection will automatically zoom in to subjects’ faces and trim the shot for optimum portraits.

A low light landmark
The launch of the FinePix F30 set standards for low light photography, with sensitivity at full resolution of ISO 3200. With the launch of the FinePix F31fd, Fujifilm’s compact digital cameras remain leaders in their class for low-light performance. These qualities, combined with the camera’s Anti-blur mode, mean that subject and camera movement do not result in blurred images.

Fujifilm has identified low light photography as one of the true benchmarks of a digital camera’s performance, as most images are taken when the light is limited and flash often leaves subjects looking bleached white, whilst rendering the background invisible. The product of over 60 years’ accumulated sensor technology, Fujifilm’s Real Photo Processor II enables the ISO 3200 sensitivity of the original FinePix F30, and now the FinePix F31fd. This makes flash-free photography possible with natural illumination, balanced foreground and background exposure and no subject blurring, in even the dimmest conditions. Fujifilm’s Real Photo Technology means images taken at the highest sensitivity of ISO 3200 suffer from less noise than some others at 1600. Furthermore, because the camera requires no decrease in resolution at its highest ISO setting, images can be printed at previously unachievable sizes with no loss of quality.

For those occasions when flash is required, Fujifilm’s Intelligent Flash system sets flash power output to achieve natural foreground illumination with balanced background exposure. Avoiding both the messy background blur of ‘slow-sync’ flash, and the stark contrast of conventional flash, Intelligent Flash results in visibly more pleasing, natural looking photos. For times when a decision about lighting could mean a missed photo opportunity, the FinePix F31fd’s Natural Light & Flash mode takes two photos in quick succession, one with flash and one without, then displays them side-by-side for instant comparison.

2.5 inch LCD screen
The FinePix F31fd features a large 2.5 inch, 230,000 pixel LCD screen, which is coated with Fujifilm’s proprietary CV film. This minimises glare and reflections so that images can be viewed from any angle and even in sunny conditions, when glare would usually be a problem. In addition, the screen’s brightness adjusts automatically, depending on the amount of light available, to further enhance ease of viewing.

Special scene modes
The camera’s 15 scene positions include beach, snow and fireworks for optimum photography, no matter what the event. Its underwater scene mode acts in the same way as a red filter and, when teamed with the WP-FXF30 underwater housing, ensures underwater images from diving and snorkelling are as colourful and vibrant as the human eye sees them.

Adrian Clarke, Fujifilm’s Director of Photo Products, said: “The FinePix F31fd has a commercially successful and award-winning predecessor but still manages to build on this high standard. We introduced Face Detection in July this year with the launch of the FinePix S6500fd. However, the FinePix F31fd marks its first appearance in a pocket-sized digital camera. This is a significant step because it introduces high-level photographic technology to a wider market of digital camera buyers. It is a quick, efficient and user-friendly detection system. Add this to award winning features such as ISO 3200 at full resolution and you have an incredibly powerful camera married with absolute convenience and pocketability.”

FinePix F31fd features at a glance
Face Detection Technology built-in to the camera’s processor
Real Photo Processor II and new Super CCD HR VI
ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution
6.3 million pixels
3.0x optical zoom
Long-life battery (up to 580 shots)
IR Communication (IR simple)
VGA movie capture of 30 frames per second with sound
PictBrdge ™ compatible for direct printing without a PC
Quick response times (0.01 second shutter lag and 1.5 second start-up)

Availability and pricing
The FinePix F31fd will be available from UK retailers in late November 2006. Pricing and stockists will be announced nearer to the date of retail launch.
More information is available at www.fujifilm.co.uk