FUJIFILM XF1

FUJIFILM XF1

• SPECIFICATIONS

Rs 33,989

www.fujifilm.in

Dimensions (WxHxD): 108 x 62 x 33 mm;   

Weight: 255g;   

Sensor size: 2/3-inch;

Resolution: 12 MP;   

Focal length:25-100 mm;   

Optical zoom: 4x;   

Aperture: f/1.8-f/4.9;

Shutter: 30-1/4000 sec;   

ISO: 100-12800; 

Display:3-inch, 460K dots;   

File format: JPEG and RAW;   

Video:1920x1080 @30fps.

The leatherette-clad Fujifi lm XF1’s
boxy design is reminiscent of
a retro camera. Its entire shell
is crafted from aluminium, and the
silver top panel, base and lens housing
lend good contrast. The top panel
houses the mode dial, shutter release,
a tiny customisable Fn button and
pop-up type fl ash that releases with
a gentle slide of the lever below it.
Fujifi lm has devised the lens barrel to
sink inside the shell. If you carefully notice
the top panel, you’ll fi nd the zoom lever
and the on/off button missing. The zoom
is completely manual and you get good
fl exibility to frame scenes/subjects as
there’s no question of zoom steps. The
lens extends from 25 to 100mm, which
translates to a mediocre 4x optical zoom.
However, the bright f/1.8 aperture at the
wide end and optical image stabilisation
are nice to have in low-light surroundings.
The 12 megapixel sensor is of the
2/3-inch type, which is about 50 percent
larger than the standard 1/2.3-inch type.
The large sensor goes a long way in
capturing less noisy images at higher ISO
speeds. Also, the shallow depth of fi eld or
background blur is much pronounced.
The rear of the camera is dominated
by a fairly large 3-inch display that has a
resolution of 460K dots—looks good, but
for a premium camera it’s fair to expect
at least a 920K dot screen. The control
panel includes two dials—a clickable
horizontal one at the top and the other
around the 5-way D-pad. The D-pad
off ers quick access to EV, fl ash, self-timer
and Macro. Around the D-pad are buttons
for video recording, E-Fn, Display/Back
and Playback.
Besides the Auto, Scene and PASM
modes, the XF1 off ers two customisable
modes, Advanced Filter and EXR auto
modes. The EXR auto mode is similar
to smart auto. In addition to recognising
the type of scene and subjects, you can
prioritise on the dynamic range and keep
the noise level low. Also, like program
mode, you have complete control over
white balance, metering, focus mode and
fl ash intensity.
The user interface of the XF1 is very
intuitive. We liked the provision of the
E-Fn button that extends the function of
the D-pad and the two buttons (playback
and video recording) above it. It brings
up an overlay of alternative functions
mapped to the D-pad and the buttons
around it.
The XF1 is an incredible low light
performer. The large f/1.8 aperture and
optical image stabilisation allows for
shooting in very low light without having
to use fl ash and boosting the ISO too
much. The noise is handled extremely
well up to ISO 800, beyond which it’s
noticeable. The reproduction of colours
and details is excellent and compression
artefacts are negligible. Shooting is most
enjoyable at 25 mm, f/1.8 where the
background blur is most pronounced,
especially for portraits and close ups.
At such a high price, it’s fair to expect
premium features such as a 920K dot
screen and GPS. The XF1 is worthy of
consideration as an alternative to a DSLR
(provided you don’t intend to invest in
additional lenses) or as a secondary
enthusiast-class digital camera in

addition to a DSLR.

Consumers aren't using the features of their Smart TVs: survey

Barely 60 percent of smart
TV owners in the USA who
have connected them to the

Internet use them for anything
other than streaming video.
Only 60 percent users do
anything other than watch
video broadcasts and around
15 percent use audio streaming services. Fewer than 10 percent
use Facebook, play games, shop, or use any of the other
built-in apps. Smart TVs still sell, but most of the buyers are
purchasing them for features such as video and audio quality
rather than Internet connectivity. NPD points out that the TV is
still the dominant screen for video consumption, but says that
manufacturers are failing to make "smart" features resonate
with users. The survey also accounts for Internet usage through
connected Blu-ray players, game consoles and set-top boxes. The
survey report suggests that confusion regarding how to use such
appliances and an abundance of choice are the main factors at
play. The NPD report specifi es that only TVs connected to the
Internet were accounted for; other uncited reports say as many
as 50 percent of smart TVs sold aren't even connected.

Facebook Graph Search takes on Google, surfaces potentially volatile personal information

Facebook has revealed what might be its
biggest weapon against Google. The new
Graph Search tool allows users to construct
complex queries that surface information
about what users do, what they like, where
they go, and who they know. The tool can
create an elaborate stack of fi lters allowing
users to fi nd all their friends who live in a
certain area, restaurants that lots of people
like, all photos uploaded by a group of
people, or even combinations of things such
as friends who are from a certain place,
living in another place, and like something in
particular. Facebook executives including CEO
Mark Zuckerberg were quick to point out
at the launch event that only information
that person has already made public can
be surfaced in Graph Search, and is still
only visible to people it was ever visible to.
However, concerned users should once again
look through their privacy settings carefully,
since it is now much easier to fi nd sensitive
information that was inconsequential before.
A blog, actualfacebookgraphsearches.tumblr.
com, contains screenshots of potentially
compromising searches including "Employers
of people who like Racism" and "Single
women who live nearby and who are
interested in men and like Getting Drunk!".
Users can sign up for the limited rollout at
www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch.

Malware ring targeted military, diplomatic agencies over 5 years.

Kaspersky Lab has published a report describing a malware ring in operation for the past five years that specifically targets military, diplomatic, scientifi c research and other government agencies across the world. The malware targets Eastern European and Central Asian countries, but has been detected in other places as well. Kaspersky reports 14 infections in India. The "Rocra" malware is able to spy on specific encrypted formats used by NATO and European Union agencies. In addition to PCs and network
infrastructure, the malware also targets smartphones.

DNA HDDs could last 10,000 years

DNA HDDs could last 10,000 years

Researchers at the European
Bioinformatics Institute have
developed a method of
encoding digital data in strands
of DNA, which would take up
only a fraction of the physical
space today's hard drives do
and could last for thousands
of years without a source of
power. Data fi les synthesized
onto pieces of DNA no larger
than specks of dust were able
to be decoded perfectly after
being sent from California to
the institute in Cambridge,
UK Taking advantage of
DNA's physical structure, data
was translated from binary
to trinary. The researchers
estimate that 2.2 Petabytesof
data can be stored per gram
of DNA; millions of times more
dense than hard drives today.

Getting Started With Autodesk 3DS Max 2014

Exploring the Interface

1) Learning the interface elements.

• Title bar and menus: This is the default source for most commands but also one of the most time consuming interface methods. The title bar and menus are found along the top edge of the 3ds max windows.
• Toolbars: 3ds Max includes several toolbars of icon buttons that provide single click access to features.These toolbars can float independently or be docked to an interface edge. The main toolbars and the viewport layout toolbars are visible by default.
• Modelingribbon: Located under the main toolbar, the modelling ribbon provides quick access to the polygon modelling features, including the graphite modelling tools. It is populated with panels,buttons,and menus when a modelling object is selected.
• Viewports: Four Separate views into the scene show the scene from different points of view including top, front, left, and perspective.
• Command Panel: The major control panel located to the right of the four viewports, it has six tebbed icons at its top that you can click to open the various panels.Each panel includes rollouts containing parameters and settings.These rollouts change, depending on the object and tab that is selected.