Customer Reviews

Fuji FinePix F20 Digital Camera

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

PROS
Excellent high ISO images, nice LCD, variety of user adjustments, solid body

CONS
Occasional purple fringing, uses less popular xD memory

COMMENTS
After much research, I purchased a Fuji F20 in order to shoot in low light conditions without flash. The F20 (and its virtually identical sibling the F30) includes Fuji's 6th generation SuperCCD sensor that promises high sensitivity in low light conditions without the usual image noise associated with conventional digital camera sensors. The F20's ISO range of 100-2000 turns out to be quite useable throughout the range. I've taken hundreds of pictures in low light at ISO 800, 1600, and 2000 and the images are simply unmatched for their clarity, color fidelity, and lack of noise. There is no other point-and-shoot camera that can hold a candle to the Fuji sensor's low light capabilities. The noise "grain" at high ISOs has none of the multicolored pixels that dominate the high ISO images from competitive cameras. In addition, the Fuji comes wrapped in a nice, solid body with good ergonomics and features for its small size.

Prior to purchasing the F20, I've been using a Canon A610 (an excellent camera all around) and have been spoiled by the fine Canon image quality under normal lighting conditions (using ISO 50-200). It's hard to beat the Canon in daylight using its low ISO settings. When pushing the Canon to its ISO 400 limit, the images are very good but the multi-colored pixel noise is obvious if not distracting. The Fuji F20, on the other hand, produces images at ISO 800 that are easily comparable to the Canon's ISO 400 and, in many cases, even its ISO 200 setting. The Fuji can snap photos under low, natural lighting that the Canon can't even attempt without using its flash. At normal print sizes, I find the F20's ISO 1600 images completely printable and useable. Several professional reviews have compared the Fuji F20/F30 image quality at ISO 800/1600 against digital SLR output at similar ISOs and found the Fuji output to hold its own remarkably well. Now that I've used the F20 in a variety of shooting conditions I can say that its low light output indeed sets a new industry benchmark. The Fuji F20/F30 has opened up a whole new range of shooting modes that have simply not been possible without investing in high-end SLR equipment.

For those who've been wondering whether to go for the F30 or save some dough with the F20, here's my take. First, the F20 and F30 share the exact same 6MP sensor, processor, and lens. There will be no difference in image quality between the two cameras. What the F30 offers is aperture or shutter priority modes, a higher resolution LCD monitor, ISO 3200 instead of 2000, and a longer battery runtime. However, the F30's pseudo-manual mode may only be marginally satisfying to those craving full manual control since, like most point-and-shoot digitals, the f-stops are limited by the zoom setting you've chosen. I have seldom relied on using aperture or shutter priority modes in my point and shoot cameras since the program modes are excellent for most of my shots. As for the LCD, I have compared the F20 and F30 side-by-side and there's little to differentiate them especially since the F20 includes a 153,000 pixel LCD that is already at a higher resolution than most other 2.5-inch screens on competitive cameras. The LCD alone should not be the deciding factor. Battery life is very good on the F20 and typical of most consumer cameras at about 250+ shots per charge; however, the F30 nearly doubles the capacity per a single charge and this can be significant for many users who don't wish to have a spare battery on hand. Personally, I like to have a spare battery handy since I may not always have a full charge on the in-camera battery when I go shooting. That's just my preference to safeguard against being totally stuck. Finally, the F30 has an ISO 3200 at its top end compared to the F20's ISO 2000. But nearly everyone is of the opinion that the F30's ISO 3200 is much less useable than the F20's ISO 2000 (and this may explain why Fuji reduced the F20 setting to something more realistic). All the other controls such as ISO selection, focus modes, scene modes, LCD refresh rates, and low-light ("anti-blur" as Fuji likes to call it) are the same between the F20 and F30. To summarize: The F20 and F30 are identical cameras in terms of image quality. The F30 comes at a competitive price with some nice additions (though not quite deal-breaking if image quality is your goal). But the F20 value is simply remarkable and the price difference goes a long way towards buying you a 512 MB xD memory card and spare battery.

There is very little to dislike about the F20. Fuji's 6th generation sensor delivers on its promise for high ISO performance. Some folks think that Fuji's color saturation is understated but I find it quite natural and more representative of the original scene. The preference for enhanced color saturation is nothing new -people like "better than real life" colors and so many manufacturers boost the saturation in order to generate what the customer believes looks good. To address this, the F20 provides a "FujiChrome" color setting to boost saturation but I find the Standard setting to be the most accurate.

As for lens performance, I have found moderate amounts of purple fringing in the high contrast areas of some images. I'm sure Fuji will eventually solve this problem as some other manufacturers have. I have been impressed at how my Canon A610 is totally free of purple fringing at all focal lengths. Keep in mind that this purple effect is usually only noticeable when you view the remote details of your images at full size on your computer screen. You will seldom detect it in printed photos unless your prints are huge or highly cropped. Focusing performance has been very good with only a few mis-focused shots in very low light settings with the flash disabled. Nothing unusual here.

On the controls front, Fuji has provided a good range of controls such as exposure compensation, multiple scene/low light modes, various flash modes, and an unbeatable ISO range. There's a really neat mode called Natural+Flash that shoots your scene with and without flash with a single shutter press. This ensures that you'll always get a good picture to choose from and you won't have to ask people to wait while you change camera modes. Very, very clever. I also find Fuji's menu system to be fast and logical to manipulate which is especially useful since most modes are accessed (quickly) through the menu system.

Besides manual ISO settings, Fuji also includes a couple modes called AUTO (400) and AUTO (1600) that limits the highest ISO that the camera can select. I really wish they would have thrown in an AUTO (800) setting since I have no problem allowing the F20 to select up to ISO 800 for just about any photo purpose. Just remember to dial in -1/3 or -2/3 compensation if you'll be shooting in bright outdoors -you'll help avoid blown highlights that can never be recovered in pp.

The only other minor issue is that Fuji is still sticking it out with xD memory while the rest of the world has virtually standardized on SD cards. Not a major deal, but it will probably require you to buy an xD card (I had to) and possibly a new card reader if you're coming from a different brand camera. I will probably buy the reader since I'm not fond of downloading images by plugging in the camera to my PC every time. It would also be nice if Fuji included a separate battery charger instead of requiring the camera to be plugged in for charging. But this is the concession for making this camera available at such a low price and so I won't blame Fuji for that.

Having owned three Canon digital cameras (S10, A60, and A610) I thought long and hard about the switch to Fuji. The Canons are superb cameras and you're hard pressed to get a bad image from them. However, I've increasingly found that I prefer to shoot natural light/low light scenes without flash and it is under these conditions that the limitations of conventional imaging sensors become apparent. This is where the F20 shines and I haven't found any competitive sensor technology that comes close.

Fuji is poised to introduce some amazing cameras using this 6th generation sensor. But they will need the commitment to make sure that their entire camera line-up performs well from the lowest model to the highest. Success can't be built on just one or two successful models amongst a line-up of average offerings. This may well explain the success of Canon -every one of their cameras is a generally a high performer in its market segment. If Fuji implements their remarkable new sensors across the board and standardizes on SD memory, just imagine the choices we'll have! I applaud Fuji for bringing revolutionary CCD technology (that delivers on its promise) to the low-end market.

After much research, I decided on this F20 rather than the F30. Buying the F20 saves approximately $100 or more and only had to give up:

1) manual shutter and aperture priority (which I wouldn't use anyway in a basic point & shoot)
2) some LCD screen resolution (which is still better than many other cameras and doesn't affect picture quality at all)
3) some battery life (still takes approximatly 300 pics on one charge - plenty for me)

I appreciate Fuji putting this version out allowing us to save a little money for features that we might not use or that might not matter much for the extra money. Now I can take that savings and put toward a nice camcorder!

The real selling point for me on this camera though was the picture quality! The F30 (which this F20 is the same internally) is known for excellent low-light pics - giving great photo quality even at higher ISOs when pics usually begin to get 'fuzzy' (aka 'lots of noise'). And that was super important to me considering many pics are usually taken indoors anyway. The ISO 800 quality for this camera is equivalent or better than ISO 400 pics of many other cameras in it's class/price point.

Even when knocking the pic quality down to 3 mp, the detail and clarity of my first shots amazed me! Just as expected, indoor shots came out excellent - the flash backfills really well. And I found the controls easy to learn. I really love this little camera, and I'm picky when it comes to my electronics.

You will need to pick up an XD card though, as this camera doesn't have much internal memory. I found the 1GB card on sale, but probably would have been just as satisfied with the 512 mb - especially since I will take lots of pics on the 3 mp setting for email purposes.

For those on a budget and looking for a high-ISO capable compact digicam, this now available Fuji F20 does a wonderful job. Fuji took the internal picture quality essentials of the highly-regarded F30 (arguably one of the best overall P/S compact digital cameras) and made a budget version in the F20. This camera includes the same superb lens, low noise sensor and processor of the F30 while using a lower resolution (153K vs 230K) 2.5" LCD screen and a smaller battery. No shutter or aperature priority modes, either.

I have spent two days with this camera and its sharpness, color rendition, and amazing low light capabilties are identical to the F30. Resolution is high. Colors are natural and not overly saturated (like many Canons and some Sonys). For low light, non-flash photos, the least useful ISO3200 mode of the F30 has been limited to ISO2000 in the F20 which helps, though noise does start to creep in. Bypassing the "Anti-blur" feature and simply using the auto ISO (up to ISO1600) keeps noise manageable and pics are very clean. I have not yet noticed he much-discussed chroma problem -- aka purple fringing -- nor the tendency of the F30 to blow highlights in bright, contrasty outdoor scenes.

Shutter response is excellent. Handling is a bit different from the F30 -- noticeably lighter and the feel is not as substantial (it fits in my hands differently). The lower resolution screen seems to have a more limited field of view and is not as clear as the F30, though images are bright.

Overall, a great package for novices and advanced photographers needing a compact, affordable, well-designed camera that produces amazing results under varying conditions.

I really like this camera and at it's current price it's hard to beat. There's been a lot said already but I think what it boils down to when choosing between the F20 and F30 is - do you want to pay more for a "dial" - more about that later.

PROS (in order of importance to me)

1. Excellent low light shots! I cannot emphasize this enough. But please don't compare it to a DSLR - that's simply not fair. I compared it to a Canon SD700 IS - I carried both for testing and took identical shots. The Fuji outperforms the Canon hands down in this department. The Fuji took clear shots inside libraries and museums using natural light which is specifically what I wanted. The Canon produced photos in natural light that were grainy and blurry. I prefer to use natural lighting as much as I can so this is probably the most important factor to me.

2. Out of the box simplicity. I read somewhere someone saying this was not a good P&S. I do not agree with that. My SO was visiting DC and the Baltimore area and I debated which camera to give him - the Canon or the Fuji. This is the most un-technical person I know - he still has trouble with the whole "holding the shutter halfway down to focus" on digital cameras. However, knowing he would be in museums, memorials, etc, I gave him the Fuji and made sure that after I played with it, it was all set back to auto. He came back with beautiful clear shots! Far nicer then anything he's been able to achieve with previous digital cameras. Most indoor photos used natural light and his flash and outdoor photos came out great - all set on AUTO.

3. Nice size and solid construction. This is not a "plastic" camera like a couple others we have in our house that cost nearly the same. It's metal and feels solid in your hands. It's not as compact as others (like the Canon SD700) but actually for me, it's better. I don't have big hands at all, but some of the smaller cameras are just too small even for me. It's small enough for a pocket or purse.

4. Lots of scene selections for when you want to experiment. This camera gives you a lot of pseudo-manual controls to play with but not like an SLR where you can adjust shutter/aperture. It gives you enough to experiment with and manipulate. Read the specs - I won't go into them all here except to say that the Natural/Flash mode is genius!

Which leads me to CONS

1. Nearly everything is menu driven. I find this cumbersome at times. I think I would be happier with the F30. But I was new to Fuji and didn't want to sink that much money into a camera brand that I was unfamiliar with so c'est la vie. Here's an example of how it's annoyed me: We're in the forest and I've gone thru the menus to select the macro setting - minimum 6 clicks in the menu system. I am taking closeups of some foliage when behind me, my golden retriever does something comical that I would have loved to take a picture of, but I don't even try the shot knowing that in macro mode, there's little hope of a good outcome and it would take too long to get it back in auto mode using the menu system. With the Canon, I could have quickly moved the external dial to AUTO and tried the shot. I know that this is a bit of an extreme example but I wanted to share it knowing that a lot of you, like myself, want to experiment with the scene selections but will also use AUTO. If you think you're going to use AUTO most of the time, then it's probably of little consequence to you. But you may want to consider the F30 for this reason. Now there *is* a button on the back called f-mode which is there to allow you to make some quick settings changes. It's basically a smaller selection menu which means you'd get your settings done quicker, but what Fuji chose to place in this shorter selection menu is befuddling to me. I can see the value of the ISO setting there but honestly, the other two settings are (IMO) dumb. Picture quality (choosing between Normal, Fine, and a few others) is something I usually set once and forget about. This belongs only in the longer more tedious menu selection. Same with the other selection - Finepix Color where you can choose Normal, Chroma, and B&W. If I'm setting those I'm thinking about the shots - they don't need to be in the "quick pick" menu. I think Fuji should replace one of those with a quick pick setting that puts the camera in all auto mode. Maybe I just haven't found the way to do it - if there is a simple fast way to get into AUTO mode, then someone please tell me. One of the few external buttons is the anti-blur button and it is very handy.

2. Like everyone else - I dislike the charging system. You can purchase a standalone charger however.

3. xD card - everything else I have in life takes SD cards. My card reader doesn't read xD. A mild annoyance.

4. I don't particularly like the slow zooming when in playback mode.

5. Slower then other camaeras when deleting photos in camera and formatting the card.

The rest - LCD quality, no optical viewfinder (the Canon has one but it is so tiny it's hardly worth it) the battery life, zoom, macro mode are all good enough - not spectacular on the F20, but not bad either. They really weren't much of a factor in my buying decision.

All in all - I really like this camera and use it a lot. There are some annoying quirks but they simply don't overshadow the wonderful photos it produces - especially in low light when compared to other compact cameras.

This little champion wins best in class for compact all purpose camera. It tackles just about any situation with its lens and processor and gives you great pics all the time. If you have not had the pleasure of shooting pictures without a flash, you haven't seen what perfect natural light photos look like. The F20 - like so many of the FinePix cameras - surpasses other manufacturers and models and really shines in this dept.

Here are the highlights:

Compact. This is a durable go anywhere camera.
Fast. Setup and shutter lag are minimal so you won't miss a pic.
Programs. An excellent range of programmed settings to cover a wide range of photographic sceanrios - comes in really handy for those tricky lighting situations like fireworks.
Low Light. Works superbly in low light. Pictures are so much more attractive without flash.
Flash. If you ever need it, is powerful enough to handle most situations.
Battery Life. Built-in rechargeable Lithium ion does the job for hundreds of pics on one charge.
Display. Bright and crisp but has a narrow angle - you need to look at it head on.
Picture Quality. Excellent. FujiFilm camera have always had great color saturation to look like actual film.
Interconnections: Plugging the USB and Power cable into the side of the camera takes a little getting used to.
Price. You can't get a better value for performance. At $172 you're getting a great deal on some of the best photo technology around.

The Fujifilm F20 is a good basic P&S digital camera that seems very solid and well built - only the battery/memory hatch could be a little more substantial. Image quality is OK, just be sure to dial down the exposure compensation about -2/3 stop (in manual mode) on bright, sunny days- like a previous reviewer has noted. This camera does not hold shadow or highlight detail very well at all in high contrast scenes. I find I have to do a lot of post processing with photoshop to get the images up to par. Low light performance is very good as advertised however. It is a 'fast' camera; it powers on quickly, very little shutter lag - although the autofocus can be just a tad slow. Battery life is very good. The Manual mode and Anti-Blur mode seem a little gimmicky; it's not a true manual mode where you can control shutter/aperature combinations, just ISO and exp. compensation. Anti-Blur uses ISO 2000 to get a faster shutter speed, however, with the noise it is not very useful, I don't think. There are several other competing cameras worth taking a serious look at before you buy... Canon A540, Panasonic FX-01, Nikon P4, and Olympus SP-350... all of these cameras have their quirks too; there is no "perfect" camera... yet!

I was looking for a small, relatively inexpensive digital to take on trips and carry around in my pocket. (I already have a Canon Digital EOS Rebel but don't care to schlep it around the world!) After much research this seemed to have the right features at the right price. At under $200 on Amazon and with a couple of gift certificates, the price was easy on the wallet.

The performance was good. Without the image stabilization on I was able to take good daylight pictures but indoors the slightest movement caused some blurred shots. The image stabilizer seems to work adequately; although I did a comparison of indoor tripod shots without stabilization and hand-held with stabilization. The shots without were much crisper and more well-defined but the stabilized shots were very good but just didn't seem to have the same focus quality.

Where this camera really earns its keep is in low light situations. I was shooting without flash in museum that did not allow flash photography and was amazed at the results that I got in very low light conditions. Noisy images were a problem when the light level was very low but I must say that with a certain minimum level of light the pictures were very good!

Indoor flash photography leaves me wishing for a little better performance. The images are a bit washed out and the flash is not well diffused. My wife has the Canon SD800 IS and side-by-side comparisons of the flash photos shows quite a decided performance difference. Perhaps not a fair comparison given the Canon is twice the price but I think the Fuji should perform a bit better than it does.

The speed of the camera is good and I never found myself waiting on the camera to take the next picture or come on. Power it on and start shooting! Ergonomically the controls are well positioned and easy to use and understand. The 'feel' of the F20 is solid and and well crafted.

Simple put, this is the best camera out there for taking pictures in poor or no lighting conditions. Pictures are crisp, sharp and clear. Definately cannot find anything bad to say about this camera except that it scratches pretty easily but then that has been a problem with all cameras i've owned to date.
This is a must buy for any picture enthusiast especially point and click photographers since it has a very good auto option. Also, nothing can move fast enough to cause pictures to look blurry. This camera is awesome

I am a professional graphic designer, and I am very good with digital cameras. That being said, you might not think this camera is as good as I do if you don't have extensive digital photo training and experience and don't know how to take advantage of it's powerful imaging sensor.

I have been able to coax a lot out of this little camera in the short time I've owned it. One of the ways to do that is to work with the white balance, bracketing and image settings. Also using the manual ISO setting is important in getting excellent pictures. I havent even gotten to take advantage of the continuous shot mode, but looking forward to it.

The sharpness on this thing even at 400 ISO is phenomenal. Macro setting is super sharp as well. I'm just blown away by the detail this thing captures.... for $140!!!!!!!

Seriously, I'm sure the F30 would be even better with the full manual settings, but knowing how to coax out the best from this camera, all I need is that super CCD image sensor and the high ISO settings and I can get what I need. I might even use this for some professional work, I'm sure it will be good enough quality for print.

I didn't even charge up the battery before turning it on, and the thing still took about 50 pictures before needing to be recharged... So I'm sure the battery life is ridiculously good.

Ease of use is great, buttons and menu are intuitive. Wish it used SD flash memory, but thats cool, it's still great.

I call cameras like this PhD's (Push Here Dummy) because I can not work a camera with more than the simplest of systems. This camera works great for me. Very compact and light with good battery life. It works in low light and bright and the image stabilization work well and I get nice sharp pictures now.
The display on the back is nice and large given the small size of the camera.
The image on the display is clear and bright even in the brightest light outside.

I wish there was a docking station like I had with the Fuji Finepix F410. It was a great gizmo and made charging the camera and down loading the pictures very easy

Buy it and enjoy it and if you are like me, overwhelmed by complicated gizmos, this is a simple straight forward camera to use.