By Leonard Goh
09/03/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39005881,44528101p,00.htm

Since the introduction of the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd, the Japanese company's shooters have been synonymous with excellent low-light photography. Fujifilm's niche lies in producing great-looking night images with little digital artifact, and its cult-like fan following proves it. However, the company somehow didn't quite manage to replicate the success of the F31fd with its next two iterations, the F50fd and F100fd.

Last year, Fujifilm introduced the Super CCD EXR at Photokina. This technology enables the sensor to adapt to different shooting conditions to produce the best-looking pictures. We saw some initial sample images and were astounded by the high dynamic range and low noise levels. However, the skeptics in us would not be convinced unless we managed to achieve the same results ourselves.

The FinePix F200EXR is Fujifilm's first point-and-shoot to utilize the Super CCD EXR technology. As promised, the shooter delivered lovely pictures consistently, and it's the first time we relied so much on an automatic mode because we trusted it. Although it lacks fancy features such as HD video recording, the image quality more than makes up for the lack and that's what matters most in a digital camera. For that, we awarded this camera our much-coveted Editors' Choice.

Design

The design of the F200EXR remains the same as its predecessor, the F100fd. We wonder if this is a template which Fujifilm is drafting onto each of its flagship shooters. With its boring black (or silver) casing and slightly pudgy footprint, it probably won't appeal to fashionistas who fancy slimmer cameras such as the Cyber-shot series from Sony.

While the chassis of the F200EXR has a glossy overlay, it didn't leave much fingerprint smudges when we were using it.

An issue we have with the camera is the flash placement. It is located near the grip and some people tend to cover the flash when holding it. This is the same problem we had with the F100fd, and Fujifilm's response was that if the strobe was placed close to the lens, it might cause lens flare.

The rear estate of the F200EXR is mainly taken up by the 3-inch LCD, an upgrade from the 2.7-inch display we saw on its predecessor. On the right of the screen are the controls which include a mode dial, four-way clickable directional pad and four buttons for commonly used settings, playback, display setting and face detection options. We missed the scroll wheel which was seen on the F100fd, and wondered why Fujifilm didn't include this feature on the new point-and-shoot. One possible explanation could be that the implementation of the mode dial took up additional space and made it less practical to introduce a smaller scroll wheel for navigating menus.

Features

The highlight of the F200EXR is the Super CCD EXR technology which fervent Fujifilm fans are curious to find out if it can supersede the performance of the almost legendary F31fd. In Super CCD EXR mode, the 12-megapixel sensor changes the way its pixels work according to the lighting conditions. You have a choice between High Resolution, High ISO/Low Noise and D-Range Priority modes, or you could set it to auto and leave the shooter to decide.

In High ISO/Low Noise setting, two pixels will act as one in order to allow more surface area for light to fall onto. According to Fujifilm, this also reduces the noise levels at high ISO sensitivities.

For D-Range Priority, adjacent pixels will each take a shot of the same scene in different exposure settings. The camera will then combine the images into one that has higher dynamic range. This means details in highlight and shadow regions are better preserved. The only limitation for these two modes is that the image resolution is capped at 6 megapixels.

What really impressed us was the Automatic EXR mode. This option accurately switches the EXR settings according to different lighting conditions the camera was pointed in. In fact, after a few shots in this mode, we were so convinced that we left it in this setting, so that all we had to do was literally point and shoot.

The optics on the F200EXR remain the same as the F100fd. There is a 28mm lens with 5x optical zoom. However, we noticed there was significant barrel distortion at the widest end of the lens in our shots. Also, there were a few instances where we detected hints of minor chromatic aberrations, but you probably won't notice these unless you scrutinize the files at 100 percent on a PC screen.

The FinePix camera comes with a manual exposure option which is aimed at enthusiasts. While there is a wide range of shutter speeds to choose from, there are only two aperture settings. Also, the user manual states that the snapper uses a neutral density filter to reduce the intensity of the light coming into the camera, which means you won't be able to achieve different depth-of-field effects.

Video-wise, the F200EXR can record in only VGA (640 x 480-pixel) resolution. Compared to some other high-end shooters which can capture HD (1,280 x 720-pixel) clips, the Fujifilm camera is at a slight disadvantage here since consumers are looking out for point-and-shoots that can record higher-resolution movies. However, when recording video in dark environments, the autofocus (AF) illuminator for the F200EXR will turn on automatically to light up nearby subjects and make them more visible. This is a nice touch which we seldom come across on other point-and-shoots.

There is also the usual package of face detection, sensor-shift image stabilizer and scene modes for amateurs to use. But one new feature is the Film Simulation mode which mimics the colors and tones of Fujifilm's film, such as Provia, Velvia and Astia.

The F200EXR has 48MB of internal memory, and the memory card slot can accept either an SD/SDHC media or xD-Picture Card. The shooter is powered by the NP-50 rechargeable lithium-ion battery which is the same as the F100fd's.

Performance

The F200EXR was quite speedy in our tests. It took less than 2 seconds to start up, which was slightly faster than the 2.56 seconds clocked on the F100fd. Shutter lag measured around 0.05 second. These timings are typical of point-and-shoots in this class and we have no gripes about it.

Focusing was fast and the F200EXR locked onto subjects with ease under sunlight. However, it struggled a bit when we were taking pictures at night and there were a few occasions when it focused on the wrong subject.

The FinePix shooter also didn't exhibit any difference in processing/writing time between the normal mode and in EXR mode, which we thought could probably take a longer period to churn out the image. That's impressive.

Image Quality

It would be impossible to talk about the image quality of the F200EXR without mentioning how well the Super CCD EXR function worked. Sure, it may not be of dSLR quality, but it certainly ranks tops among the current crop of midrange compact cameras.

First, we analyzed a night shot taken in High ISO/Low Noise mode. The camera chose an ISO sensitivity of 1,600 (a setting we seldom use for point-and-shoots) and the picture turned out beyond our expectations. In the lighter areas, color gradation and tones were natural with a very decent amount of details being retained. This is exceptional for a compact digicam. Although the darker regions were speckled, it was kept to a minimum.

In D-Range Priority mode, we could tell that the brighter parts of the pictures were toned down. We called up the Levels tool in Adobe Photoshop and it showed that the D-Range Priority shot held more details in both light and dark regions without over- or underexposing the scene.

The F200EXR did well in our ISO tests. At IS0 100, the picture was smooth and there wasn't any hint of digital artifact. At ISO 200 and 400, we could tell that some noise was generated, but it wasn't severe enough to warrant attention from us. Going on to ISO 800, we detected light specks on the picture, but when we compared it to other point-and-shoots such as the F100fd and Lumix DMC-LX3 in similar settings, we were convinced the F200EXR performed better.

Color has always been one of Fujifilm's forte and this showed in the pictures we took with the new FinePix shooter. The hues were not overly saturated, yet were pleasing enough. Skin tones appeared natural, too.

Conclusion

The FinePix F200EXR is a compact camera we'll recommend to discerning shutterbugs who demand high-quality images. The Japanese company has delivered what it promised with the Super CCD EXR, and this technology will certainly give it an edge in the midrange compact camera class. So far, we haven't seen similar implementations in other brands' point-and-shoots, though we think it's only a matter of time before they catch up.

Although the F200EXR lacks an HD video-recording function, it makes up with the glorious photos it can produce. Leaving the shooter in auto EXR mode wasn't an issue for us because the shooter had proven in our tests that it is intelligent enough to differentiate scenes and optimize the settings for the shot.

At S$549, this FinePix point-and-shoot is certainly not the cheapest snapper around. However, given that it deploys the latest sensor technology which works great, we think the price is justified. With its wealth of features, the F200EXR is targeted more at enthusiasts, though amateurs should do just fine with this camera, too, by starting with the auto EXR mode.