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Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 15 September 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 16 August 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 28 July 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 18 June 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 11 May 2009 - |
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- 5 |
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- 30 April 2009 - |
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- 4 |
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- 24 April 2009 - |
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- 5 |
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- 11 April 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 10 April 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 18 March 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
Imaging Resource 's conclusion / rating - 15 September 2009 |
“ There's some to-die-for technology going on behind the lens of the F200EXR. The pixel-level control of the sensor is well implemented, with even an Auto option that intelligently selects the best exposure method.
The concept reminds us of Shree Nayar's bracketed exposures, which we wrote about in the Sept. 22, 2000 issue of the Newsletter. In fact, that's exactly what it is. Exposing adjacent pixels differently to extend dynamic range. But back then, sensors were not packed with 12 megapixels. In the end, the F200EXR doesn't outperform its predecessors, nor its peers.
And the camera itself 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.
Though we thought for sure that the Fujifilm F200EXR's image quality would earn a Dave's Pick, it doesn't quite measure up, and its difficult personality keeps it from our top recommendation... ”
Imaging Resource's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
DigiCamReview 's conclusion / rating - 16 August 2009 |
“ The Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is a noticeable improvement over the F100 in a number of areas: the controls are greatly improved, the screen is bigger, the camera now features manual controls, and the EXR sensor offers better dynamic range and low noise at 6 megapixels. However the new sensor is not as good as the older 6mp cameras from Fuji such as the F30, which is a shame, and the price seems to have increased. Perhaps Fuji could release a 6mp version of this camera with the sensor from the F30 for the ultimate low light pocket camera? The Fujifilm F200EXR is a compact camera with a high quality LCD screen, 12 megapixel sensor, a wide angle 5x optical zoom and image stabilisation. 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... ”
DigiCamReview's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DPInterface 's conclusion / rating - 28 July 2009 |
“ 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. Don’t forget to check out the new prosumer super-zoom S200 EXR and compact mega zoom F70 EXR cameras that Fujifilm recently announced as well!... ”
DPInterface's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraInfo 's conclusion / rating - 18 June 2009 |
“ The Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is a camera that offers a tantalizing hint at a possible future technology. The new EXR sensor has the potential to be very useful, as many current cameras keep adding megapixels to the detriment of image quality. The ability to increase noise performance or dynamic range,even at the expense of a lower resolution setting, is a fantastic one, but it's a shame it doesn't do more right now. The noise advantage in low noise mode isn't huge, and the dynamic-range boost helps a little, but only in over-exposed areas. This is a technology that we feel may improve significantly over the next few generations of camera, and might some day become a deciding factor in a purchase. However, at present, it doesn't work well enough to justify the $400 sticker price.
That's not to say it's a bad camera, which it isn't at all. 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 640x480, 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... ”
DigitalCameraInfo's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
LetsGoDigital 's conclusion / rating - 11 May 2009 |
“ Fujifilm is still able to step into the spotlight. Of course, there are more branches in which Fujifilm is very active, however, solely looking at the camera industry, we have to conclude that Fujifilm is in some kind of a split. The expectations of the consumer and the specialist are high, and many are disappointed that Fujifilm is no longer active in the DSLR market. What remains is the compact camera segment and Fujifilm's increasing aim at the amateur. Even innovative technologies such as the Super CCD EXR are directly applied to the compact camera, which also goes for the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR.
The Fujifilm F200EXR is a compact camera with emphasis on simplicity and ease. Yet there is a lot of technique hiding in this small camera, among which is the EXR technique. And although an auto EXR mode is integrated, enough extra options are left to be able to work independently. However; I wonder how the user that Fujifilm is targeting, is ever going to find his way around all the options, since there are many modes and programs of which it is not always clear which function is deactivated or not. Some modes are restricted and it is not always clear why, and at other settings there are extra possibilities available.
I can very well imagine the user leaving the EXR in auto mode and leaving the other functionalities for what they are. And this is also what the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is made for. Activating, zooming and pressing the shutter button to take a picture; nothing more, nothing less. Either that, or Fujifilm should be clearer and design an advanced compact camera with the Super CCD EXR onboard and its functionality integrated; I can certainly see such opportunities. The remaining standard functions are clear and do what they are meant for.
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. However, if we take a look at the FinePix cameras of previous generations, like the F31fd, it seems a repetition of technique and result, only in a different package. Don't get me us wrong; the Fujifilm FinePix F200eXR is an excellent camera and you will obtain excellent results, however, whether we have truly experienced the power of the Super CCD EXR to the fullest, remains a question to us. Although the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR does stand out from the masses, it is indeed a recommendable camera!... ”
LetsGoDigital's rating: |
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- 5 |
Complete review here
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 30 April 2009 |
“ Followers of Fujifilm's compacts will see the F200 EXR as sitting in the shadow of the much sought-after F30 and F31fd, but for the wider market it's undoubtedly a much improved camera. It may not quite match the F31fd's noise performance at ISO 800 and upwards (or indeed its impressive battery life), but it's got a much nicer user interface, a considerably more flexible lens and accepts a wider range of memory cards. Also, as our comparisons against the Panasonic LX3 and Canon SD 960 IS show, the rest of the market has improved enough (particularly in terms of sophistication and subtlety of noise reduction), that just matching F31fd performance isn't enough to make the F200 stand out.
Thankfully, the F200 EXR proves itself to be a very pleasant camera to use. You can leave the dial set to EXR, and it'll do all the thinking for you - produce reliably good images without you having to understand color filter arrays or worry about what's going on behind the scenes. The way the EXR Auto system works lends itself particularly well to users that don't want to post-process (nor worry about what post-processing is), but just want clean photos from family get-togethers and holiday snaps with fewer bleached-out white skies. There are also some nice simple-to-use touches such as the unique-to-Fujifilm favorite 'Natural light and flash' mode that makes getting a good low-light shot easier.
Alternatively you can specify which EXR mode the camera uses, adjust more of the settings and take a bit more control of your shooting. If you choose to do this, there are enough inter-dependant settings to make it worth occasionally checking what the camera's up to (it's not impossible to find that you've taken a 6MP image using the 'High Resolution' mode, or limited the DRange to 100% in 'Dynamic Range' mode), but on the whole it's a camera that can be trusted to help rather than hinder your photographic ambitions.
So it's both a camera for the family and one that a keen photographer can enjoy and get some great results out of. Those enthusiasts may find it's more of a 'carry with you at all times' all-rounder than a dedicated 'I want to go out shooting with something that handles like my DSLR' camera though. The limited aperture choice (two at each focal length) will frustrate some users, even though specialist/niche cameras such as the Canon G10 and Panasonic LX3 don't really give much greater control over depth-of-field despite offering full aperture control.
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).
The question is whether this is enough to make it stand out over more conventionally-designed quality compacts. So long as the price is in line with the competition, we have no qualms about recommending the F200 highly. While it's not the breakthrough camera we hoped it might be, we have to award Fujifilm full marks for cleverness (and hope it is able to develop this technology even further). The F200 EXR is not earth-shattering, but it's at least as good as its peers and occasionally better... ”
Complete review here
NeoCamera 's conclusion / rating - 24 April 2009 |
“ 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.
While image quality is at its best, with exceptionally low image noise, excellent dynamic-range, accurate colors and good image sharpness, this is one of the most complex ultra-compact digital cameras. Its large number of modes and settings are highly interdependent and items disappear from menus regularly, depending on which other option has been selected. It gets really twisted as settings sometimes change unexpectedly, although it does inform the user of changes to resolution and dynamic range well.
With a 12 megapixels sensor, a stabilized wide-angle lens and manual controls in an ultra-compact body, the Fuji F200 EXR simply has no competition. Add low image noise and superb dynamic-range and you get a unique package. Even though it is not perfect and has its quirks, the F200 stands against cameras outside its league like the Panasonic LX3 and the Canon G10, both of which have far more manual controls than the F200 EXR but significantly lag behind it in terms of image quality... ”
Complete review here
DCResource 's conclusion / rating - 11 April 2009 |
“ The Fuji FinePix F200EXR is a capable compact camera whose best trait is its ability to take better high ISO photos than other cameras in its class. It also the ability to capture more details in bright areas of your photos, though it doesn't do much to boost detail in shadow areas. Throw in a 5X, wide-angle lens, a 3-inch LCD, limited manual controls, and generally snappy performance, and you've got a camera that's worth taking a close look at. The F200EXR isn't perfect though: images are soft at full resolution, there are only two apertures available at any one time, you can't use image stabilization in movie mode, and battery life is below average. Despite that, the F200EXR is worth your money, especially if you take a lot of low light photos.
The FinePix F200EXR shares much of the same design of its predecessor, the F100fd. The camera is well built, though the door over the memory card slot really needs a lock, and I'm never a fan of plastic tripod mounts. The F200EXR is a small (but not tiny) camera with a 5X, 28 - 140 mm lens and sensor-shift image stabilization. The lens is a bit on the slow side, with a maximum aperture range of F3.3 - F5.1, though that's not uncommon for cameras in this class. The image stabilizer does a good job with reducing blur in still photos, though you cannot use it in movie mode for some reason. On the back of the camera is a 3-inch LCD display (up from 2.7" on the F100fd), with 230,000 pixels. The screen has decent outdoor and low light visibility. As with all cameras in this class, there's no optical viewfinder to be found on the F200EXR.
The camera has be fully automatic, and there's a decent (but incomplete) set of manual controls, as well. The F200 has a regular automatic mode, plus an EXR mode, which is how you'll access the three different sensor modes: resolution priority, high sensitivity & low noise, and dynamic range priority. Resolution priority is the standard 12 Megapixel mode -- nothing fancy there. High sensitivity & low noise cuts the resolution in half, but gives you high ISO shots that easily best the competition. Dynamic range priority also lowers the resolution, and it helps to bring back highlights that were overexposed to the point of being "clipped". Unfortunately, the DR priority mode does little to improve shadow detail. If you don't know what of those modes to choose, just use EXR Auto and let the camera figure it out for you.
If you want manual controls, you'll have to give up those EXR modes (though you can sort of replicate them in other modes), but you do gain the ability to adjust the aperture and shutter speed. Well, sort of. Since the camera is using a neutral density filter, you can only select from two apertures at any one time. The F200EXR doesn't have a manual focus feature either, and while I'm at it, how about support for the RAW format? The F200 has an elaborate face detection system, which can detect faces at any angle. It can reduce redeye automatically as the photo is taken, as well. The camera's movie mode is nothing to get excited about: it's a simple VGA mode with no use of the optical zoom or image stabilizer... ”
Complete review here
DigitalCameraReview 's conclusion / rating - 10 April 2009 |
“ 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. Today, Fujifilm and a few others are changing the way in which an image sensor is used in point-and-shoots, and it's an exciting time to be in the market with so many options available. As digital cameras have made leaps and bounds since the explosion in the late 90s, we are still making leaps and bounds today.
With a 12 megapixel 1/1.6-inch Super CCD EXR image sensor, flashy 3.0 inch LCD, and manual exposure control, the FinePix F200EXR could be accused of having too many bells and whistles. But in the field, Fujifilm's latest proves to be a capable camera with an array of attractive new features that are true assets to a photographer... ”
DigitalCameraReview's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 18 March 2009 |
“ In a world of look-a-like digital cameras with ever-increasing megapixel counts, the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is a veritable breath of fresh air. If you're even remotely interested in getting the best-quality photos straight out of the camera, then the F200EXR is for you.
The new EXR mode is as effective in practice as it is revolutionary in principle. The D-Range Priority (DR) mode in particular is literally a real eye-opener, recording much greater dynamic range and preserving more detail in the shadows and highlights than either the F200EXR's own high-resolution mode, or any other compact camera that we've ever reviewed. EXR - High ISO & Low Noise Mode is admittedly less successful, producing slightly less noisy images at each equivalent setting than Resolution Priority mode, but this is tempered somewhat by the latter mode's excellent results from ISO 100-800, a much more versatile and usable range than most compacts offer. In essence the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR takes both high-resolution photos with relatively little noise at the ISO speeds that you'll use most often, plus the added bonus of smaller 6 megapixel images with dynamic range to die for. Even if you can't decide between the different modes, the camera does a great job of picking the right one for almost every situation that you'll encounter.
The Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR is heavily based on the previous F100fd model, offering the same body, versatile 28-140mm 5x zoom lens and a very similar control layout. Thankfully Fujifilm have reinstated a key feature that made the F-series cameras so appealing to serious photographers, namely the A / M creative shooting modes that give you more control over what the camera is doing. This is a very welcome step, although the lack of a shutter-priority mode and only offering two possible aperture settings does leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth. The long-standing absence of a histogram in either shooting or playback mode and any bracketing options also grates, and many would-be-buyers will be instantly put off by the lack of a RAW mode. The potential combination of EXR and RAW is certainly mouth-watering, and one that we would love to see in a future Fujifilm camera.
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... ”
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
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