Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I couldn't wait to use this camera for the first time. For background, I've owned digital cameras dating back to the Apple Quicktake 150 (1995) and many in-between (Olympus, Toshiba, Canon, Nikon). Current arsenal consists of a Canon Digital Rebel XT with several lenses and a Nikon CoolPix S200. I got the FinePix 550EXR with the intent of having a portable point-shoot camera for situations where the Canon SLR isn't practical and like the option of GPS tagging. I've been disappointed with the autofocus accuracy and weak flash of the Nikon Coolpix 200, hence this purchase.
Controls: 3.5
Controls are pretty straightforward. The round selector has the usual features (flash on, menu access, self timer, etc.) and also a nice jog shuttle wheel (command dial) that will scroll through menus and settings as well. The camera shipped with the GPS off.LCD image quality is very good (bright, clear). I miss the optical viewfinder of my SLR, but those are very rare these days on compacts except for certain expensive prosumer models. I would like to have the option for direct access to GPS on/off without having to access the menu. Attention camera manufacturers: provide the option for a user-programmable button where one can select ANY menu item for quick access to a 'favorite'. Charging is accomplished via an included charger. I would like to see camera manufacturers also provide the option to charge via USB with the battery left in the camera. Many other devices already do this and this is very helpful when you need to travel light. Else, people use horrible cell phone cameras due to their portability. The charger in this case for example is nearly the same size as the camera itself. (Fujifilm, take note; Canon and Nikon also are making this same mistake).
GPS: 3.5
Be sure to confirm the menu settings for the GPS to turn it on. One setting has the GPS set to "permanently on", which means it is using battery even with the power off to determine the GPS location. While this is useful for if you intend to spend a day on the run and want quick acquisition of the signal for photos, it certainly has impact on battery. I suggest keeping it to "when switched on" if you are willing to wait for a few moments for the satellites to be acquired. I found that it does work indoors (tested in a single story home), although with a weaker signal reception as compared to my cell phone or Garmin GPS. Best results are outdoors for sure. There is an icon of a satellite that blinks while it is acquiring the signal and a signal strength displayed in bars. I found that the GPS data does properly come through to applications like Aperture, iPhoto, etc. There is a great deal of useful metadata that the camera provides for the photos. The "location" option will display a text name of a nearby location in the camera's database. In my case, it named a park about 1 mile away and you can also view the Long/Latitude. Note it appears that per the manual - the GPS location database is not able to be updated by the user. In my case it is from October 2010. I wish that there was a utility where this can be updated via USB and also the user can store their own location names. (I.E. Home, Grandparents Home, etc.) Perhaps this will be a future option. That said, there are utilities where you can add this feature to your photo's metadata once the image is on your computer. The GPS does have an impact on battery life. If you are a heavy GPS user on the run, I suggest getting a spare battery.
Build quality/ 4.0
Build appears to be solid. The one exception for me is that the pop-up flash and its motorized function seems a bit delicate. Its location on the left is also is in a bit of an unfortunate spot as (at least for me) it is exactly where I want to place a finger (corner) to hold the camera if I am using two hands. Unfortunately the GPS receiver directly above the lens does not allow for the flash to be located elsewhere. That said, the flash is powerful and provides good coverage. The flash is motorized (up/down). You can manually disable the flash by simply closing it. The screen will then show the "flash off" symbol. One can also safely hold the camera from the corner when the flash is closed or you can move your finger to the side of the camera and still achieve 2-hand photos with the flash up - I recommend having the camera strap installed and in use to avoid any risk of dropping the camera.
Image quality, AutoFocus and Shutter Performance: 4.0
My tests are very early and limited to evening hours outdoors and indoor lighting. I will provide a more detailed review and update my rating after a trip to Orlando, FL on the weekend. Initial photo tests yield good results for this camera, although not as good as my Canon Rebel XT (not that I necessarily expect them to be as good as an SLR). Autofocus speed is excellent and accurate in my initial tests. There is no discernible shutter lag. Image quality, shutter performance and autofocus are superior to the Canon Coolpix S200. Wide, zoom, and macro focus photos are very good. For example, I get excellent focus with less than 1/2 inch from the lens to the subject! I have not tested the extent of barrel distortion / pincushion in these initial tests. The capability for RAW and RAW+JPEG files is a big benefit of this camera.
Video: April 24, 2011 update 2.9
Video quality is acceptable for a point/shoot camera. I have tested via 1080p and also via fast shutter. The camera does not ship with an HDMI cable. It does ship with a video RCA and audio RCA cable. If you are expecting video on the quality of an AVCHD video camera such as those from Canon, you will be disappointed. That said, it is acceptable in a pinch and exceeds video quality of my Nikon point & shoot as well as cell phones. (I expected it to).
Startup, Shutdown Speeds: 4.5
Press the on button and the camera is ready to take a picture in 2.5 seconds. Turning off takes about 2.3 seconds. For comparison, my Nikon Coolpix S200 is about 2.2 seconds
Overall Review: 4.0. Initial impressions are quite positive and I am happy with my purchase. April 24th: same assessment (4.0)
April 24th update: Upon return from Florida, I can share that I am still pleased with this camera. I found it to be highly versatile in multiple challenging lighting situations. As I expected, it doesn't perform as well as my Canon Digital SLR, but it is an acceptable option for those trips where I need a high degree of portability. I have posted several updated photos from more recent adventures (a few Florida samples and a recent Tulip field visit).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Fujinon 15x Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens and GPS Geo-Tagging Function
The Finepix F550EXRisa full-featured and technologically advanced camerafordiscerningpoint-and-shootphotographersorSLRuserswhowanttotravellightbutdon'twanttocompromiseimagequalityandpicture-takingversatility.Superbresultsareassuredwithexcitingnewfeaturesincludinganinnovative16megapixelEXRCMOSsensor,advanced GPS functionality, highspeedshootingcapabilities,a15xwide-angleFujinon zoomlens,FullHDmoviecapabilityandanimproveduserinterface.All this in a stylish and compact design.
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