Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR

Zitat: Pro: + Low image noise in EXR-SN mode Contra: - Above average image noise at 16 MP Suitability - What is it good for? NOTE Portions of this review are taken from the Fuji Finepix F300 EXR Fuji Finepix F300 EXR review since externally the cameras are nearly identical. Jump to the performance page for something completely new. The Fuji Finepix F550 EXR is one of the most versatile digital camera which falls into the Travel-Zoom category. These are compact models best suited for travel-photography due to their powerful optical zoom lenses. In the case of this digital camera, the lens is equivalent to a 24-360mm lens in 35mm terms. This is a 15X optical zoom which starts at an ultra-wide angle and reaches well into the telephoto category. This wide range of focal-lengths is suitable for nearly all types of subject, including architecture, landscape, portraits, street photography and some wild-life. The triple-mode EXR sensor of the F550 gives it even more usability than most fixed-lens cameras: EXR-HR - High-Resolution mode produces images suitable for large prints up to 20" x 15" EXR-DR - Dynamic-Range mode for bright outdoor scenes when contrast often very high EXR-SN - Low-Noise mode to produce smoother images in low-light and typical indoor scenes The full ISO range on this digital camera goes from 100 all the way to 12800. Only ISO 100 to 3200 are available at 16 megapixels. ISO 6400 is available at 8 megapixels and 12800 is available at the sufficient-for-small prints resolution of 4 megapixels. Note that very few cameras other than SLRs can produce usable images above ISO 800, we report on that on page 3. A complex interaction between features means that not all combinations of ISO, dynamic-range and modes are available, this is discussed in details further in this review. The Fuji F550 EXR is still one of the few fixed-lens digital cameras to feature expanded dynamic range. This is achieved via a special sensor design which allows half of the photosites to be read partway during exposure. This is similar to the taking of multiple exposures for merging images into an HDR image. The difference being that the full exposure exposes for the darkest details. When the sensor is read in this way the dynamic range goes up to 1600%, which equals 4 extra stops, but image resolution drops to 8 megapixels because one half of the photosites are used to complement the other half. Outside of this mode, this digital camera can control dynamic range between 100% and 400% by using clever processing while producing a full 16 megapixels image. Specifically, the F550 can retain 2 more stops of highlight details than what is usually possible. The trade-off is that the extra dynamic range is obtained by boosting sensitivity, therefore, this approach tends to increase noise in darker parts of images.

Zitat: + Aufnahmen im RAW-Format möglich - Kein Sucher

Zitat: Pro: + zoom optique 15x + GPS intégré + capture vidéo 1080p + support du format RAW. Contra: - Flash escamotable qui s´ouvre tout seul - boutons peu pratiques et problèmes de bruit des photos à des sensibilités élevées.

Zitat: The Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR builds on the success of the previous F300 model with a new 16 megapixel EXR sensor, which expands the ISO range up to 12,800, offers fast continuous shooting speeds and slow-motion movies, and adds full 1080p HD movies. GPS functionality is the icing on a very rich cake, working well in both rural and built-up areas, something that most cameras with this feature struggle with, although it does adversely affect the battery life. It´s not all good news, however, as the 16 megapixel sensor also results in more noise and loss of fine detail than on the 12 megapixel F300, first appearing at the slow speed of ISO 200 and becoming all too obvious at ISO 400. The F550 EXR also suffers from the same slow RAW processing speeds and high price tag that adversely affected its predecessor. Just like its sister model, the HS20 EXR, the F550 EXR suffers from pedestrian writing speeds for RAW files and poorer image quality once you get above ISO 200. Having to wait more than 5 seconds between every RAW image quickly becomes annoying, despite the headline-grabbing 8fps burst mode, and noise quickly rears its ugly head at ISO 400, becoming progressively worse throughout the rest of the ISO range. The flash automatically popping up when you turn the camera on, rather than just when you´ve actually selected to use a flash mode, is also annoying, though like a partner´s annoying habit it´s a quirk that you gradually find yourself putting up with over time. The final bugbear is price. More expensive in the UK than the F300 EXR was on launch, £329 / $329 feels like a lot to pay for a compact camera, however well-specified it is. The Fujifilm Finepix F550 EXR is a stylish, full-featured and likeable compact camera, with the 15x zoom opening up a wealth of framing possibilities, but the move to a 16 megapixel sensor and the resulting drop in image quality rather spoils the party. The F550 EXR is still a good camera, with a long list of stand-out features and a logical, well-thought-out interface, but as with the HS20 EXR that we reviewed recently, we can´t help feeling that the model that the F550 replaces actually produces better photos.