Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

Review Index – (updated 16 September’09)

ImagingResource
“The camera is too difficult to use. The poor zoom control, and horrible menu system make it not fun to use, let’s say. And competing technology, while not as glamorous perhaps, is generally more competent at extending dynamic range if not reducing noise.”

DigicamReview
“The Fujifilm F200EXR is a compact camera with a high quality LCD screen, 12 megapixel sensor, a wide angle 5x optical zoom and image stabilization. Image quality is very good, with low noise, when compared to other digital cameras and the option to capture a wide dynamic range is a very welcome feature. Battery life was lower than I had hoped for. Overall the camera works well and produces very good images in a number of situations, and is recommended!”
Rating:  

DPInterface
“The FinePix F200 EXR certainly isn’t a flawless camera, but is nevertheless a good one. The camera’s main advantage/appeal is that it excels in taking pictures, especially in low-light, and offers noise levels which are one to two stops better and more usable than the competition. If your utmost important criteria in getting a compact camera is “high quality images” and you care less about other aspects, then the FinePix F200 EXR should be at the top of your consideration list.”

PCWorld
“Though the FinePix F200 EXR is a great little point-and-shoot, it has some surprising limitations. Low-light images are excellent without the flash, colors are vibrant, and the F200 EXR has some top-notch A.I.; but flash exposures are disappointing, and I had hoped for greater visible variation between the look and feel of its sensor-tweaking shooting modes.”
Rating:  

CNET
“Without the Super CCD EXR sensor, the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is a very good 12-megapixel compact camera with a lot of shooting options. However, the extra flexibility of the sensor and the wide-angle 5x zoom lens pushes it beyond that, making it one of the best in its class. And you’re not paying more for the privilege.”
Rating:  

DigitalRev
“With the right knowledge, the LX3 will outperform the F200EXR most of the time without fail. However, that is not to say the F200EXR is inferior. It is easy to use and gives consistent results. In the right situation, it can better the LX3’s results.”

IT Reviews
“The overall result is a much greater range of shooting possibilities and a high percentage of high quality stills with a plethora of shades and tones to suit the occasion. In addition, you have various film simulation modes which will make your images look more vivid, softer, monochrome or sepia. The only omission that might be missed by the increasingly demanding target audience is the absence of HD recording.”

DigitalCameraInfo
“It’s not a bad camera. The resolution and color performance were both very good, and the noise levels are decent too. It has plenty of controls, including a manual mode lacking in similarly-priced models, and we were generally pleased with how it performed. However, the menu interface is set up poorly, the video mode is limited to 640×480, and the shot to shot speed was a letdown. It’s a decent camera that takes good pictures, but for $400 there are a lot of alternatives out there.”

Cameras.co.uk
“This camera offers something a little different to most digital cameras. It has a few interesting features added in and takes a good photo. If you are looking for a compact camera with a some more advanced features then take a look here.”
Rating:  

LetsGoDigital
“The image quality is excellent. How strongly the Super CCD EXR is actually influencing the end result did not become clear to us. It turned out that features such as dynamic range and signal/noise ratio are better than just average, which is a great achievement for a compact camera.”
Rating:  

InfoSync
“The ultimate test came down to darkness, for so far the Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR had greased our wheels and blasted our rocketships with a magnificent all-around image performance. Well, even in low light the Finepix F200EXR was a fireworks finale. We closed the aperture down all the way and went with a long shutter for the first image, and the colors and detail look amazing.”
Rating:  

TechRadar
“Things take a turn for the better in Wide Dynamic Range mode, which really does work effectively. The effect can be applied automatically or manually, with two increasing strengths available in most modes to best suit the scene, and three strengths on offer in EXR Wide Dynamic Range mode.”
Rating:  

DPReview
“Ultimately, even without the EXR modes, the F200 is a nice and well-specified camera. It’s built around a very useful lens (28-140mm is not a range you’ll find matched by other cameras this small), and offers image quality at least up to the standards of its contemporaries. And the EXR modes are worth having – the high-ISO ‘SN’ mode may not be world-beating, but the dynamic range mode is astonishingly capable if you’re happy with the 6MP output (which is plenty for most applications).”
Rating:  

Luminous Landscapes (As compared to the Canon G10 and Panasonic LX3)
“The SX200 is the largest of the three cameras, by a small margin, and quite attractively styled. As mentioned above, its worst design flaw is the pop-up flash which can not be convinced to lay down. On the plus side, its top-mounted mode dial has definitive click stops, and is the least likely to be accidentally moved to the wrong position. Like far too many cameras today the mode dials on the Fuji and the Panasonic are almost certain to be in the wrong position when the camera is removed from a pocket.”

Trusted Reviews
“The Fuji FinePix F200 EXR is well-made premium compact that represents a major technological breakthrough in terms of sensor design and performance, and a welcome return to form for Fuji’s flagship compact series. It is capable of taking good quality pictures in virtually any light conditions, and has better high-ISO image quality and low-light focusing than any other compact on the market. It is expensive at the moment, although the price will almost certainly fall over the next few months.”
Rating:  

Neocamera
“There is a new champion among ultra-compacts, the Fuji Finepix F200 EXR. Not only does it equal in terms of noise the performance of the F100fd, it adds improved dynamic-range, faster performance and more advanced controls.”

DPExpert
“This is a wonderful little camera. Subjectively we feel that we had a much higher ratio of successful photos to duds than we usually expect in compact photographic testing. The F200EXR is different, but not in a gimmicky way. It is different and better. It sets new standards of image quality by employing clever technology. We hated to send it back.”

DCResource
“Photo quality was very good in most respects. At the normal, full resolution setting, the F200EXR’s photos are well-exposed (though there’s some highlight clipping), with pleasing, vivid color. I do feel that images are on the soft side, though, and some fine details aren’t as crisp as I’d like. Don’t be surprised if you see some jaggies or other weird artifacts, either — they seem to come with the territory on SuperCCD-based cameras. Noise levels are low through ISO 800 in good light, and ISO 400 in low light — a full stop better than the competition.”

DigitalCameraReview
“The Super CCD EXR sensor alone is the F200EXR strongest selling point, and primary differentiator from the F100fd. With a broadened dynamic range that most digital compacts can’t even touch, the technology behind the sensor is certainly innovative and worth trying for yourself.”

Photoxels
“The Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is once again the compact consumer camera to beat. Not only is it a very good low light compact digital camera, it now adds the ability to capture images with a wide dynamic range. It gives excellent image quality shot after shot with point-and-shoot simplicity in all lighting situations.”

GoodGearGuide
“Nevertheless, if you care about taking great looking photos with a minimum of fuss, the FujiFilm FinePix F200EXR is definitely worthy of consideration. It might not be the sexiest camera on the market, but its superior imaging performance makes up for this superficial shortcoming. Highly recommended.”
Rating:  

CNET UK
“Fujifilm’s always banged on about how overall picture quality is more important than megapixels, but its cameras haven’t always driven the point home. The FinePix F200EXR is different. It’s a decent camera in its own right, but the new EXR sensor is the real star of the show and really does deliver image quality that its rivals can’t.”
Rating:  

Pocket-lint
“This isn’t the smallest camera out there, however the in-camera technology and features make this a very versatile camera indeed. If you are looking for a camera that is compact and virtually guarantees you’ll get a decent image at the end, this is certainly one to look closer at.”
Rating:  

PhotographyBlog
“For now, though, the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR produces fantastic out-of-the-camera JPEG images with low noise and amazing dynamic range. Sure, the pay-off is physically smaller images in some instances, but if you want to literally see the finer details in all areas of your photos, that’s a price well worth paying in our book.”
Rating:  

PhotoReview
“Backlit subjects were competently handled and extreme backlighting produced little flare, even with the non-EXR shooting modes. The autofocusing system was reasonably fast and usually accurate with subjects that were centrally located. However, with the default Centre AF mode, subjects that were only slightly off-centre were slightly soft.”
Rating:  

ePhotozine
“Noise is dealt with very well at low ISO which is the mark of good hardware and a larger sensor. It’s not until ISO400 that it starts to become evident on the image but it then starts to deteriorate as the sensitivity increases.”
Rating:  

CNET Asia
“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.”
Rating: