FujiFilm FinePix F601 ZOOM User manual

Fujifilm’s 3rd Generation
Super CCD System:
Raising FinePix Digital Cameras
to A New Level
FinePix S602 Zoom FinePix F601 Zoom

Expanding the Possibilities of Digital Photography:
Ultra-high Sensitivity and
High-quality VGA Movie Recording
In 1999, Fujifilm announced the successful devel-
opment of its Super CCD image sensor. Ever since,
Fujifilm has applied this sensor technology exten-
sively and introduced a wide range of digital cam-
eras to both the consumer and professional
markets, opening up new possibilities in digital
photography.
In 2002, the 3rd generation Super CCD system
further expands the possibilities of FinePix digital
cameras by achieving an outstanding ultra-high
ISO sensitivity of 1600 and high-quality VGA-sized
movie recording.
Fujifilm’s 3rd generation Super CCD is not just a
new CCD, but instead reflects a comprehensive
improvement in overall image quality through con-
sideration of the complete system including the
CCD and the new LSI featuring an advanced image-
processing algorithm.

In traditional film photography, ISO 400 or 800 high-speed
films are often used for their advantage in affording the
widest selection of shutter speeds. This allows the user to
shoot under most lighting conditions and capture fast moving
subjects, and helps to reduce the problem of camera shake in
hand-held picture taking. The 3rd generation Super CCD sys-
tem offers users the same advantages in digital photography.
Although Fujifilm’s Super CCDs have always had a
higher sensitivity than conventional CCDs, the 3rd genera-
tion Super CCD system further enhances this characteristic
to realize a wide range of sensitivities up to an ultra-high
ISO speed of 1600. It achieves this highest ISO speed of
any compact digital camera* through further development
and refinement of the CCD and the LSI.
Generally speaking, increasing the sensitivity of a
CCD amplifies the noise in the images. However, with the
3rd generation Super CCD system, this problem has been
resolved through the use of Fujifilm’s new Noise
Reduction Technology which utilizes a new LSI to process
both the luminescence and chroma information from cap-
tured images. As a result, the 3rd generation Super CCD
system offers high sensitivity shooting while maintaining
outstanding picture quality. Fujifilm has also newly devel-
oped a Pixel Data Coupling Technology that is applied by
the new LSI to realize the higher ISO sensitivities of 800**
and 1600**.
* As of January, 2002
** In 1280 × 960-pixel mode only
Ultra-high ISO Sensitivity of 1600
Benefits of the 3rd Generation Super CCD System: 1
ISO 200 ISO 1600
Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/20 sec., F5.6, Manual exposure mode
Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/20 sec., F5.6, Manual exposure mode
GB
RGB
R
2832 pixels 1280 pixels
2128 pixels
960 pixels
The newly developed LSI’s advanced image-processing algorithm combines the
information from each group of four adjacent pixels into single pixels, realizing
the higher ISO sensitivities of 800 and 1600.
Benefits of shooting at ISO 1600:
1. Allows non-flash shooting under low lighting conditions
Pixel Data Coupling Technology

Consequently, in addition to realizing superior image
quality and natural colors under normal lighting situations
at ISO settings of 160, 200 and 400, the new Super CCD is
also suited to taking superior quality high-speed or low-
light photographs when set to higher ISO settings of 800
and 1600. These higher ISO settings allow users to shoot a
wider range of photographic subjects and situations includ-
ing non-flash shooting under low-light conditions and fast-
action shots, and also help to eliminate camera shake from
hand-held picture taking.
ISO 200 ISO 1600
ISO 200 ISO 1600
Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/125 sec., F8, Manual exposure mode
Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/60 sec., F2.8, Manual exposure mode
Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/60 sec., F2.8, Manual exposure mode Normal mode, 1280 ×960 pixels, 1/1000 sec., F8, Manual exposure mode
Benefits of shooting at ISO 1600:
3. Captures more background detail
Benefits of shooting at ISO 1600:
2. “Freezes” quickly moving subjects

In recent years, there has been a growing crossover
between digital still and digital video cameras. Digital still
cameras now offer a movie recording function, while digi-
tal video cameras provide a still picture-taking function.
This is in response to user requirements for a single camera
that is capable of taking both still and moving images.
However, compared to the camera’s main still or movie
imaging function, these “additional” functions have not yet
been fully developed. For digital still cameras, whose
CCDs have many more pixels and give higher image quali-
ty than those in digital video cameras, maintaining the
same quality in movie recording requires extremely high
speed image processing technology.
The 3rd generation Super
CCD system has a greatly
improved movie recording
function. This realizes high-
quality VGA-sized movie
recording at a higher frame rate
of 30 frames/sec. in the FinePix
S602 Zoom and 15 frames/sec.
in the FinePix F601 Zoom
through a world-leading break-
through in horizontal and verti-
cal direction Pixel-Mixing Technology, realized by the
Super CCD’s unique interwoven pixel arrangement. The
technology combines pixel information in the vertical and
horizontal directions, realizing higher frame rates and high-
quality VGA movies with enhanced brightness in captured
movie images.
In the 3rd generation Super CCD System, improvements in
image quality are not limited simply to the CCD and image
processing. Other factors that greatly influence digital cam-
era image quality such as the white balance, automatic
exposure and focusing performance have also been fully
revised. As a result, the Super CCD System lets users take
successful pictures in most situations through support by
technology inside the camera for the high image quality
realized by the Super CCD. This technology includes Super
Intelligent Auto White Balance, which automatically and
precisely determines the lighting conditions and faithfully
recreates natural, bright colors, and Super Intelligent
Automatic Exposure (AE) which precisely calculates the
exposure to allow capturing of images that are correctly
exposed both close to and far from the camera. The
Automatic Focus (AF) system also realizes more accurate
focusing than ever before.
Digital Camera Image Control Technologies
High-quality VGA-sized Movie Recording
Benefits of the 3rd Generation Super CCD System: 2
Benefits of the 3rd Generation Super CCD System: 3
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+
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Horizontal direction
Pixel-Mixing
Vertical direction Pixel-Mixing
VGA movie (FinePix F601 Zoom) on
TV monitor QVGA movie (previous model) on TV monitor
VGA movie (FinePix F601 Zoom) QVGA movie (previous model)
The Super CCD combines data of each two vertical pixels into single data, and
then similarly combines data of each two horizontal pixels into single data.
This near-instantaneous processing allows reading of most pixel information,
resulting in higher frame rates and high-quality VGA-sized movies with
enhanced brightness in the captured movie images.
Pixel Mixing Technology

Conventional CCDs
tend to have smaller
pixel sizes due to
the necessity to
pack pixels more
closely together in
order to achieve
higher resolutions.
This leads to sacrifices in sensitivity, signal-to-
noise ratio, dynamic range and
color reproduction. The Super
CCD, on the other hand, realizes
beautifully balanced images by pro-
ducing higher resolutions while
improving the various features
related to image quality.
Fujifilm’s Super CCD features
unique octagonal-shaped photodiodes in an inter-
woven arrangement that realizes a larger photo-
diode for each pixel. The sensor shape and
arrangement of the Super CCD increases sensi-
tivity, improves S/N ratio and offers a much wider
dynamic range, an attribute that produces digital
images with richer, true-to-life colors and
sparkling clarity. Further, the innovative interwo-
ven pixel arrangement
increases resolution in
the vertical and hori-
zontal directions, result-
ing in
higher
overall
resolu-
tions. The
Super
CCD cap-
tures data
at 12 bits for each RGB
and records it at an
optimal 8 bits, depend-
ing on the situation.
In this way, the
Super CCD delivers
outstanding high quality
image files.
Conventional CCD
Super CCD
Pixel
Photodiode
Charge transmission path
Control signal path
Pixel Layout Comparison
Conventional CCD
With conventional interline CCDs, pixel
pitch in the diagonal direction is nar-
rower than in the horizontal and vertical
directions, resulting in higher diagonal
resolution.
Super CCD
By rotating pixels 45 degrees to form
an interwoven layout, the Super CCD’s
pixel pitch in the horizontal and vertical
directions is narrower than in the diag-
onal direction, achieving higher hori-
zontal and vertical resolution.
FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
26-30, NISHIAZABU 2-CHOME, MINATO-KU, TOKYO 106-8620, JAPAN
Ref. No. EB-206ER(SK·02·03·DT·MW) Printed in Japan © 2002 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
ADVANTAGES
OF
FUJIFILM’S
SUPER CCD