Fujifilm FinePix S20 Pro Review

(Note: All of these screens can be displayed on either the EVF or LCD)

"P"rogram mode allows for many more options to be changed. Program is like AUTO in that the camera selects the best combination of shutter speed and aperture automatically. You can "shift" to other combinations by rotating the command dial. See the menu below for the record menu options available in Program, Shutter speed priority, Aperture priority and Manual mode.

The "S"hutter-speed priority mode allows you to select a given shutter speed and the camera will automatically select the proper aperture or warn you to choose a faster/slower shutter speed. Rotate the command dial to change shutter speed values. Slower shutter speeds will "blur" fast-moving objects, faster shutter speeds will "freeze" them, etc.

The "A"perture priority mode allows you to select a given aperture value and the camera will automatically select the proper shutter speed or warn you to choose a different aperture value. Small apertures (higher F number) yield a larger depth of field (range of focus), large apertures (lower F numbers) produce a shallower depth of field for blurring the background in portraits and etc.

In "M"anual mode you adjust the shutter speed and aperture until the onscreen exposure meter indicates a near center position for the proper exposure value.

Record Menu options (P, S, A, M modes only):

• Selftimer - 2 or 10 seconds delay
• White Balance - Auto, Fine, Shade, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, Incandescent Light, Custom1, Custom2
• AF Mode - Multi, Center, Area
• Metering - Multi, Center-weighted averaging or Spot
• AE Bracketing - Bracketing offset (+/- 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV)
• Sharpening - Hard, Normal, Soft
• Multi Exposure - On or Off
• Flash Output - (-0.6, -0.3, 0, +0.3, +0.6EV)
• External Flash - On or Off (enables hot shoe and PC-sync port)

Photo mode options (accessed with the button):

• Quality - 6M Fine, 6M Normal, 3M, 2M, 1M
• ISO - 200, 400, 800, (200 not available in Auto, 1600 only in 1M quality)
• Color - B&W, Chrome (vivid color), Standard (color)

With the Mode Dial on the SP (Scene Program) setting you can quickly choose one of four pre-programmed scene modes using the Command Dial (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Scene.)

To override the metering system you press and hold the button on the top and rotate the Command Dial. This is the on-screen display showing the +/-2EV range divided into 0.3EV increments.

You can manually select one of 49 focus areas by choosing the "Area" option in the AF menu and then pressing and holding the AF start button and moving the AF target mark with the 4-way selector. The screen is divided up into 7 rows by 7 columns and any one of those points can be selected. Note that regardless of the AF focus area, the exposure is always based on the center of the frame. You can set the exposure for the selected AF point by using the AE-Lock function and then recomposing the frame.

Manual Focus lets you adjust the focus by turning the ring on the lens barrel. To aid in critical focusing press the Focus Check button to magnify the center 50% of the display. While turning the ring you will see a yellow arrow point left or right - the direction to turn the focus ring to get the right distance. When you get it just right a yellow circle icon will appear. To assist in manual focusing press the One-Touch AF button (in the center of the AF/MF switch) to get you near the proper distance quickly.

In any record mode other than AUTO or Movie you can press the INFO button to display the ISO speed, Photo mode, metering, white balance, image sharpness and flash exposure compensation settings.

Press the DISPlay button to clear the overlay information from the EVF or LCD or to display the grid overlay which can be used as a composition aid.

Press and hold the SHIFT button to bring up this menu. Press SHIFT plus the DISP button to change the LCD brightness or press SHIFT plus the AE-L button to enable self-timer and etc...

The Super Macro mode allows you to shoot from 0.4 - 7.9 inches, the optical zoom is fixed in this mode. The regular Macro mode has a range of 0.3 ft - 2.6 ft and allows for an optical zoom of range 35mm to 80mm.

Movie mode is capable of capturing full motion video with audio at 30 frames per second in 640x480 VGA or 320x240 QVGA resolution. The length of these movies are limited only by available storage space. (Fuji only guarantees the 30fps movie capability when using xD-Picture Card or Microdrive media.)

As with most digicams that offer a movie mode with sound, you cannot use the zoom during recording - you can preset the zoom where you want it before you begin recording.