Fujifilm FinePix F550 Digital Camera - Black (16MP, 15x Optical Zoom) 3-inch LCD

So many rave reviews glorify the one-trick-pony fixed-lens Fuji X100. This little pocket-sized Fuji F550 is VERSATILE (15x zoom, equivalent to 24mm-360mm on a full-size camera) and shoots terrifically detailed, noise-free low-light pictures by seamlessly blending three shots into one. It can produce 'high dynamic range' pictures within the camera itself (without fiddling afterwards with Photoshop), shoots ISO up to 6400 (a bit speckled) - and even (more speckled) 12800(!) at a pinch. (AUTO ISO up to 1600 gives excellent fleck-free images in low light, and then 'Advanced' mode on the dial gives those stunning low-light pics with extreme detail.)
It has full White Balance selection (AUTO is excellent, too) and various scene modes, Portrait and Panorama modes.
But it also shoots RAW, if you want, for extreme versatility in 'post-processing' after you've shot ..and has GPS (you can switch that off) to identify WHERE pictures are taken.
'P A S M' gives full Aperture-priority, Speed-priority, Manual or Program/Personal/Pro settings, and Movie mode offers FullHD at 1920x1080 30 frames per second.

This is a small, light, inconspicuous pocket camera, with performance up to - or exceeding - many big bulky SLRs or small interchangeable-lens 'Compact System Cameras' like the Sony NEX, Panasonic compacts, etc. Anti-shake, perfect fill-in built-in flash, excellent auto white balance, very quick and accurate auto-focus, SDXC (enormous storage capability) memory card compatibility, compact size, light weight, self-timer, macro/close-up facility, this is a fraction of the size of the Fuji X100, but with many more capabilities and a 15x zoom, but with a physically-smaller sensor. Brilliant for everything!

(The cheaper F500 is identical, but without RAW and GPS.... The F505 has identical RAW, but no GPS.) Read more ›

What can't I say about this superb little digicam. A month ago, I was looking for a less than £300 compact that took great pics .. picture quality is key for me. I'm an Olympus and Canon fan, but when I researched for the best new compacts of 2011 it came down to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 and the FujiFilm Finepix F550 EXR. After reading some reviews from industry experts and regular users, I chose the F550 based on the impressive image quality I saw when using the 15x optical zoom compared to the TZ20. I can confirm that it is definitely impressive. I have taken this camera on vacation and have taken a variety of pics in different type of settings and I am very happy with the image quality of my pics. I love the wide angle, the zoom, the Full HD video and all the little features like the 360 panoramic feature. The EXR and Auto setting, which lets the camera do all the work, is so easy to use for any beginner or intermediate photographer in taking great pics; such fun to play with all the settings. I especially love the fact that I can zoom and take pics when using the HD video and reviewing these pics and videos on my HD TV afterwards in such great clarity .. amazing!
If there is anything negative about this camera (and I am really nit-picking here) it would be ... (1) battery life - one day if taking lots of pics and using the GPS, which I turn off now, (2) placement of the pop-up flash - slightly annoying but you get used to it, and (3) the autofocus when using the video - best to keep the Movie AF Mode on Center. Very minor issues to me because as I said earlier .. image quality was the key feature for me and is probably for every photographer. All in all, this purchase was so worth it and I would highly recommend it to all my family and friends.

I have had normal digital cameras, and really enjoy taking photos while away, so i decided to look into a purchase a camera which offered that little bit more.

On extensive searching a product review checking i settled for the Fuji over the nixon or lumix and am not disaapointed. The camera is weighty giving a solid reassure and the design sits perfectly in the hand, which cannot be said for the other models i looked into.

The camera offers really crisp pictures as a point and shoot and has the ability to choose and modify the settings for those a bit more experienced. The zoom is amaazing and pictures stay crisp and sharp. The variety of different features are really inovative and the panorama function has to be a high selling point.

Overall this camera can provide great pictures for those not really used to high spec cameras and has the ability to keep more advanced photographers happy, and at the price (199.99) when purchased, I feel it is a bargain when compared to similar modules on the market.

I would definately recommend the camera

Have had my F550exr now just over 3 months and loving it!
After hearing all the problems people were having with GPS and batteries soon after release, I have to say I was a little concerned and disappointed, but then a few firmware updates were issued which sorted most of them out and some people started to make it shine!

I was looking for a back-up cam to my HS10 for travelling, the 15x lens, multitude of modes (both manual and auto) Raw if needed, macro and with GPS in a very compact form seemed the ideal partner, especially when carrying the larger bridge (or dSLR) for evenings out, would be out of the question for safety/practical reasons!

I have used the F550 in many types of situations, days out in London and Bristol, the Chelsea Flower Show, a Paul Simon concert, nature walks and a short holiday to Portugal, and it proved up to the task in most cases (long distant animals and birds really needs the extra reach of the HS10)
Some of the results can be seen on my blog; [...] and dpreview's Fujifilm forum.

There is a slight learning curve to master and a few settings that I found helped a lot, first, this is not really a 16mp camera, much better results can be had when in the M mode (8mp) as some here have already mentioned.
Secondly, try and get out of the Auto modes, they are fine for the odd quick shot, but the manual modes really start to make the images stand out from the crowd. I like the Vivid Film Simulation and Auto iso800 in P mode for most of my shots, and use the quickly adjusted -+EV to suit each scene when needed....
The digital zoom is more handy than could be expected, I was quite surprised at how good it is, even with hand help shots, on screen it says it goes to 62x equivalent, and although IQ suffers as would be expected, when used sensibly, it's a very handy tool to have!

GPS is another great tool, and I know some found that it will not often get a fix or work at all, having had similar problems with my Smartphone, I knew only too well that I might have trouble too.
To start with, it took quite a while to get a fix, even with a clear sky above, but once it did, subsequent fixes were faster and more accurate. Leaving all 3 GPS modes turned on, drains the battery quicker than you can say "Fuji Finepix", so I set them to "on" only when needed.
In Portugal, fixes were delivered after a minute or so, and with destination info of place, area, country etc., but if you switch the camera off, drive 10-20 miles, switch back on and take a quick snap before the following fix is made, it will embed the same info from the last point!
In other words, a certain amount of patients is needed!

As with every camera ever made, there are some compromises to be made, and given the currant crop of superzoom compact travel cams there are at the moment, I think this little Fuji makes the top 2, the Sony HX9V being the other, it does not have Raw, but the HD video is better by all accounts (Sony are renowned for that) so it's down to personal preference which one you go for!

The recent price drop makes this a super bargain, and I am constantly amazed at how much is crammed inside such a small and fun package. I have added a brilliant little accessory too, the Flipbac 3" Angle Viewfinder and LCD Screen Protector, great for macro's and those arty compositions!
As you can probably tell, I'm very happy with my purchase, so much so, I even left my trusty HS10 at home for the Portugal trip.......enough said! :-) Read more ›