Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Fujinon 15x Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens and GPS Geo-Tagging Function

by Fujifilm

• 16-megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor; 15x wide-angle optical zoom lens
• GPS Geo-tagging function
• Intelligent Image Stabilization; 3.0-inch High-Contrast LCD
• Capture movies in Full HD 1080p resolution; mini HDMI port
• Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.3 x 2.5 inches ; 6.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B004HO58KW
• Item model number: 16113196
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,235 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 1, 2011

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The FinePix F550EXR is a sleek, compact digital camera combining intuitive use with advanced features, including a new 16-megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, FUJINON 15x super Wide-Angle lens (24-360mm equivalent) and 3.0-inch, high-contrast 460K resolution LCD, with 160-degree viewing. Features also include GPS geotagging, high speed shooting capabilities and full HD movie capture at 1080p.

Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR Highlights

EXR Sensor with CMOS Technology
With advanced image quality, improved low light sensitivity and faster performance, the EXR-CMOS sensor technology brings new advanced imaging features to the FinePix F550EXR digital camera, including:

• High-speed Continuous Shooting: Ultra-burst shooting powered by the fast CMOS sensor shoots the action at 11 fps on the F550EXR and High speed movies at 320fps at full resolution.
• Multi Frame Technology: Combined with the accelerated performance of CMOS, this feature synthesizes consecutive burst shots into a single composite image, blending the sensitivities to "smooth" the noise signature.
• High Sensitivity, Low Noise: CMOS turns the sensor upside down to let light directly strike the silicon for higher sensitivity, more uniform response and lower pixel cross talk. Combined with EXR technology, that means superior photos in low light with even lower noise.

Prized for bringing a new level of advanced image quality to the consumer compact market, Fujifilm's EXR technology has the unique ability to switch its behavior depending on the shooting conditions by automatically switching sensor modes. The FinePix F550EXR can be left on EXR Auto Mode and the camera will do all the work for you, or you can manually select one of three EXR Priority modes: High Resolution (HR); Dynamic Range (DR), which takes two pictures and combines them to provide a range of up to 1600%; or High ISO, Low Noise.

Sharp, Clear 15x Zoom Lens
Despite having a body that measures just 22.9mm wide, the FinePix F550EXR camera houses a FUJINON 15x Super Wide-Angle optical zoom lens that produces crisp high resolution results throughout the focal range, from 24mm wide-angle to 360mm telephoto. The lens also features Super EBC Coating that keeps flare and ghosting to minimum, allowing for the best image possible.

Intelligent Image Stabilization
Long-zoom cameras, especially those with 15x optical zoom like the F550EXR, need stabilization more than any other compact, with handshake and subject movement a particular problem in low light at telephoto range and in movie mode. With a highly sensitive gyro sensor, the Dual Image Stabilization system provides further improved image quality with reduced blurring and noise in still pictures and even when shooting movies at the full 15x optical zoom or in very low-light. The new mechanically stabilized sensor is able to overcome handshake and can compensate for both sharp and wide hand movements, therefore increasing ISO to freeze action is no longer so necessary, meaning sharp low-light pictures can be achieved at ISO 400, rather than ISO 800 or 1600 at night scenery. The FinePix F550EXR also works to reduce blur to a minimum by deploying high ISO sensitivity to automatically increase shutter speeds, and CMOS shift type to counteract the problems of handshake. By cleverly combining these two, blur is reduced to an absolute minimum.

3.0-inch High-Contrast LCD
The FinePix F550EXR is fitted with a high contrast 3.0-inch LCD (460K). The high contrast LCD is a considerable benefit in bright light, allowing the camera to be directed at various shooting angles to enable framing of almost any shot. The LCD is bright and clear, perfect for instant gratification of shots in playback.

HD Movie Capture
With the ability to capture movies in true, full HD quality "1080p" the F550EXR also has Mini HDMI Ports, making it easy for users to share their images and videos with loved ones through their home theater systems. Movie files (.MOV) are captured with H.264 high profile compression for smaller file sizes without sacrificing quality. With a mini-HDMI output connector, it is easy to connect and view images on your HDTV (HDMI cable not included).

GPS Geo-Tagging
The F550EXR also adds GPS Geo-Tagging. The GPS features on the camera not only tell you where you are in the world, but it also offers additional functions that are essential for outdoor shooting. Locations can be displayed either as longitude and latitude or by place name.

The FinePix F550EXR has an embedded list featuring approximately half a million places of interest across the globe. When a shot is taken, the image is tagged with location information, enabling you to quickly find shots of a place you've visited. Should users then want to create a photo book of a specific location they can do so using the PhotoBook Assist feature where you can tag images then turn the pages of the book on the camera's rear LCD.

In addition, if you visit a location that you want to return to but can't remember which way to go, the Photo Navigation mode is invaluable. Simply find a shot of the location and the FinePix F550EXR will not only tell you how far it is from your current spot, it will show you the direction you need to travel to get there.

Those wanting to draw up a map of their travels should take advantage of the F550 EXR's GPS Tracking Data function. With this feature, the camera regularly stores location data and, when you return home and download the shots to a PC, this information can be turned into a map illustrated with the pictures you took along the way.

Motion Panorama 360° for the All-Round Shot
The F550EXR sensor extends the sweep range to 360 degrees (shots can also be taken vertically). Combined with high quality Fujifilm printing, sweeping and impressive scenes can be taken, showing fine detail, low noise and high resolution at 180°, 240° or full 360° panoramic ranges.

Multi-Frame Technology
The FinePix F550EXR also sports a Pro Focus Mode which is created by using Fujifilm's Multi-Frame Technology. A burst of two or three frames is taken and by taking the distance information off, the main subject is crisply matted against a defocused foreground and background. This mode is perfect for portrait or nature photography, where professional results are needed quickly with minimal adjustment to the camera and without the need to use a PC.

Meanwhile, Pro Low-light Mode can be applied to help solve the problems of noisy low light shots. With current digital cameras, it is possible to achieve relatively blur-free low light shots using high ISO and CCD shift (or optical image) stabilization, but this comes at a cost, as the ISO 1600 setting will invariably produce distracting and ugly noise.

Once switched to Pro Low-light Mode, the FinePix F550EXR will take a burst of four high sensitivity images using Pixel Fusion Technology in quick succession. By using the camera's Multi Frame Technology, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th images are overlapped to create one image with extremely low noise.

Additional Features

• Super Intelligent Flash: The FinePix F550EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.
• Tracking Auto Focus (AF): Tracks fast moving subjects so they don't escape from the frame in a blur. Subjects will be tracked automatically for as long as it is kept in the frame and the shutter is half-pressed; when users fully press the shutter button your subject will be in the centre of the photo in perfect focus.
• Shoot in RAW: The F550EXR adds one more option, where images can also be captured in a RAW file. With auto aperture and shutter priorities, the cameras allow for users to capture every image perfectly on a compact point and shoot.
• Face Recognition: Fujifilm's Face Recognition Technology gives you the ability to pre-program 8 people into the camera. You also have the option of inputting the category to which they belong (e.g. friends/family) and the date of his/her birthday. The next time you take a photo of the same person, the camera will cleverly recognize that person and optimize the settings to ensure that exposure and focus are best suited to the individual, rather than the other people in the picture. This fun technology can recognize up to 4 pre-programmed people on screen at the same time.
• Face Detection with Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the cameras are fitted with Fujifilm's latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.
• Photo Book Assist: Photo Book Assist lets you select and organize images in your camera to create a digital photo book. You can download the photo books to your computer using MyFinePix Studio software that is included.

Product Description

The Finepix F550EXR is a full-featured and technologically advanced camera for discerning point-and-shoot photographers or SLR users who want to travel light but don’t want to compromise image quality and picture-taking versatility. Superb results are assured with exciting new features including an innovative 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, advanced GPS functionality, high speed shooting capabilities, a 15x wide-angle Fujinon zoom lens, Full HD movie capability and an improved user interface. All this in a stylish and compact design.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 86 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars First Day Impressions - Fantastic Little Camera April 6, 2011

By Karen Kelly

Amazon Verified Purchase

I chose this camera because I wanted to step up from my old Panasonic TZ5. I've had several digital cameras over the years, all of them point-and-shoot with CCD sensors. I've not used DSLRs much at all, so my perspective is different from those with high-end cameras for whom this is their portable camera. This camera lives up to my expectations, which are probably quite different from some of the other reviewers.

For my first day, I kept the camera on the EXR setting and let it make my decisions, it did a very good job of figuring out what to do in the different situations, but as I go on it will be necessary to familiarize myself with the menus and manual shooting options in order to get the results I want. I'm giving the camera 5 stars because the images I got with only a cursory glance at the manual were quite lovely, and I fully expect to be able to improve on them as I learn more about the wide variety of settings. Another reason this camera gets all 5 of the stars from me is that I'm a geek, and so the impressive amount of technical bells & whistles on the F550EXR really appeals to me.

Feel, fit, and finish: really solid little camera, emphasis on the "little" -- I have average-sized hands and the camera felt quite small in my hands, I can imagine someone with large hands would find it a bit awkward to hold. Like the other reviewers, I found the position of the pop-up flash quite awkward, it will take some getting used to. I wonder if that placement could have been better if they'd just made the camera a little bit bigger? The controls are intuitive but they are quite small, made me really glad I don't have big fingers.

Zoom: fast and fantastic. I'll post a couple of pictures when I finish to show the wide/zoom comparison. Clarity at full resolution with handheld, full-zoom shots was sufficient to recognize people standing at the end of my street, about a couple hundred yards.

Focus and responsiveness: having never owned a DSLR, the quickness of the shutter response was a little startling at first, I'm used to timing my shots to account for a significant delay, if you're coming from a CCD sensor camera this will make a huge difference for you. The focus is quick and with the anti-shake, all my handheld shots (even at full zoom) were sharp and clear. Taking pictures of a hotel about a mile and a half from here, I could read their sign.

Color: like the 'negative' review I found the colors a little bit de-saturated in many shots, but then I discovered that in EXR mode, you should select "dynamic range" priority. There are a *lot* of settings and options, do explore them. Colors and clarity in low light with no flash are quite lovely, again, comparing this to a CCD sensor, it's a whole different world. I do wish there were more than three color choices (film simulation, B&W, and sepia) -- with my last Panasonic there was a "vivid" option which would have been a good on this camera. However, I concede that the camera has abilities well beyond such a simple setting, there's just a bit of a learning curve.

Video: The full HD movies are quite good, and the sound was great, I was taking movies at the beach with a brisk breeze and the microphones picked up mostly ocean sound and very little wind noise. I was somewhat disappointed to find that the resolution for 320FPS high speed video was a very odd 320 x 112, but since this slows things down more than 10x, I don't think I'll be using that setting much. The 320 x 240 at 160FPS still slows things down more than 5X and is a much more useful resolution. Even better is the 640 x 480 at 80FPS, big enough to show detail and slow enough to capture things you can't make out with the naked eye.

GPS / Points of Interest: It may be that there aren't enough POI in my area to make that feature very useful, I pointed the camera in the general direction of (but not directly at) the City Hall and it thought I was there. Still, the GPS is very accurate and uploads to Flickr are pinpointed within a few yards.

I'll update this review as I gain more experience with the camera, but overall I have to say I'm very satisfied with my choice.

**UPDATE** I feel I was in too much of a hurry to post this review, and should have given myself some time to learn the camera. The main things I'd like to add are:

Criticism of "washed out" images -- this just doesn't apply if you use the right settings. Full manual mode yields beautiful rich tones and wonderful detail, including lovely shots with subtle bokeh at f3.5.

Macro: detail is lovely and creamy smooth, the CMOS sensor on this camera is really very wonderful.

My best advice to you is to read the manual, and take your time getting to know the features. I love this little camera very, very much on this, my third day with it.

92 of 99 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Impressions from Day One - Review FinePix F550EXR April 5, 2011

By SuperDad

Amazon Verified Purchase

11/2012 update. Unfortunately, the lens stopped retracting properly on our yellowstone trip in August and the camera was stolen from our rental car. Big bummer to have lost the photos; at least the thief got a non functioning camera. i see from later reviews that this lens problem is common. Before bashing Fuji, i see similar complaints with Canon (S100 for example). Hoping to find a viable replacement.

I couldn't wait to use this camera for the first time. For background, I've owned digital cameras dating back to the Apple Quicktake 150 (1995) and many in-between (Olympus, Toshiba, Canon, Nikon). Current arsenal consists of a Canon Digital Rebel XT with several lenses and a Nikon CoolPix S200. I got the FinePix 550EXR with the intent of having a portable point-shoot camera for situations where the Canon SLR isn't practical and like the option of GPS tagging. I've been disappointed with the autofocus accuracy and weak flash of the Nikon Coolpix 200, hence this purchase.

Controls: 3.5
Controls are pretty straightforward. The round selector has the usual features (flash on, menu access, self timer, etc.) and also a nice jog shuttle wheel (command dial) that will scroll through menus and settings as well. The camera shipped with the GPS off. LCD image quality is very good (bright, clear). I miss the optical viewfinder of my SLR, but those are very rare these days on compacts except for certain expensive prosumer models. I would like to have the option for direct access to GPS on/off without having to access the menu. Attention camera manufacturers: provide the option for a user-programmable button where one can select ANY menu item for quick access to a 'favorite'. Charging is accomplished via an included charger. I would like to see camera manufacturers also provide the option to charge via USB with the battery left in the camera. Many other devices already do this and this is very helpful when you need to travel light. Else, people use horrible cell phone cameras due to their portability. The charger in this case for example is nearly the same size as the camera itself. (Fujifilm, take note; Canon and Nikon also are making this same mistake).

GPS: 3.5
Be sure to confirm the menu settings for the GPS to turn it on. One setting has the GPS set to "permanently on", which means it is using battery even with the power off to determine the GPS location. While this is useful for if you intend to spend a day on the run and want quick acquisition of the signal for photos, it certainly has impact on battery. I suggest keeping it to "when switched on" if you are willing to wait for a few moments for the satellites to be acquired. I found that it does work indoors (tested in a single story home), although with a weaker signal reception as compared to my cell phone or Garmin GPS. Best results are outdoors for sure. There is an icon of a satellite that blinks while it is acquiring the signal and a signal strength displayed in bars. I found that the GPS data does properly come through to applications like Aperture, iPhoto, etc. There is a great deal of useful metadata that the camera provides for the photos. The "location" option will display a text name of a nearby location in the camera's database. In my case, it named a park about 1 mile away and you can also view the Long/Latitude. Note it appears that per the manual - the GPS location database is not able to be updated by the user. In my case it is from October 2010. I wish that there was a utility where this can be updated via USB and also the user can store their own location names. (I.E. Home, Grandparents Home, etc.) Perhaps this will be a future option. That said, there are utilities where you can add this feature to your photo's metadata once the image is on your computer. The GPS does have an impact on battery life. If you are a heavy GPS user on the run, I suggest getting a spare battery.

Build quality/Durability: 4.0
Build appears to be solid. The one exception for me is that the pop-up flash and its motorized function seems a bit delicate. Its location on the left is also is in a bit of an unfortunate spot as (at least for me) it is exactly where I want to place a finger (corner) to hold the camera if I am using two hands. Unfortunately the GPS receiver directly above the lens does not allow for the flash to be located elsewhere. That said, the flash is powerful and provides good coverage. The flash is motorized (up/down). You can manually disable the flash by simply closing it. The screen will then show the "flash off" symbol. One can also safely hold the camera from the corner when the flash is closed or you can move your finger to the side of the camera and still achieve 2-hand photos with the flash up - I recommend having the camera strap installed and in use to avoid any risk of dropping the camera.

Image quality, AutoFocus and Shutter Performance: 4.0
My tests are very early and limited to evening hours outdoors and indoor lighting. I will provide a more detailed review and update my rating after a trip to Orlando, FL on the weekend. Initial photo tests yield good results for this camera, although not as good as my Canon Rebel XT (not that I necessarily expect them to be as good as an SLR). Autofocus speed is excellent and accurate in my initial tests. There is no discernible shutter lag. Image quality, shutter performance and autofocus are superior to the Canon Coolpix S200. Wide, zoom, and macro focus photos are very good. For example, I get excellent focus with less than 1/2 inch from the lens to the subject! I have not tested the extent of barrel distortion / pincushion in these initial tests. The capability for RAW and RAW+JPEG files is a big benefit of this camera.

Video: April 24, 2011 update 2.9
Video quality is acceptable for a point/shoot camera. I have tested via 1080p and also via fast shutter. The camera does not ship with an HDMI cable. It does ship with a video RCA and audio RCA cable. If you are expecting video on the quality of an AVCHD video camera such as those from Canon, you will be disappointed. That said, it is acceptable in a pinch and exceeds video quality of my Nikon point & shoot as well as cell phones. (I expected it to).

Startup, Shutdown Speeds: 4.5
Press the on button and the camera is ready to take a picture in 2.5 seconds. Turning off takes about 2.3 seconds. For comparison, my Nikon Coolpix S200 is about 2.2 seconds

Overall Review: 4.0. Initial impressions are quite positive and I am happy with my purchase. April 24th: same assessment (4.0)

April 24th update: Upon return from Florida, I can share that I am still pleased with this camera. I found it to be highly versatile in multiple challenging lighting situations. As I expected, it doesn't perform as well as my Canon Digital SLR, but it is an acceptable option for those trips where I need a high degree of portability. I have posted several updated photos from more recent adventures (a few Florida samples and a recent Tulip field visit).

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Feature packed capable camera with some good and some bad April 9, 2011

By mypotbelly

NOTE: Update firmware if you have not done it already. F550 has new firmware (v1.10 at the time of writing this review) available from Fujifilm website.

This is my second review of this camera. I removed my original review to correct/update based on additional usage of the camera.
Disclaimer: Currently I have Canon SD3500 (~1 year), T1i (~2 years), and Fujifilm F550 (2 weeks).

I was looking for pocket 'travel zoom' camera for sometime to bridge between my ultra compact camera and dSLR. I love my Canon T1i but it is too bulky to carry in casual setting. I did research on several models including this camera, Sony Hx9v, Nikon 9100, and Canon SX230. After fair amount of research, I was little hesitant to purchase this camera (due to my prior experience with Fuji) but I bought this camera after going through one good review (kimletkeman's blog)... although it turns out that he did not have full review yet at the time of my purchase :)

Ok, here are some highlights:

PROs:
1. Rich feature set - wide angle, 15x optical zoom, BSI CMOS, Full HD (1080) video, RAW image, GPS, etc. This camera is feature packed.
2. Build - Build quality on this unit is very good. It looks great and feels good in hand. Mode dial is easy to control while you are taking photo/video.
3. RAW Image - Out of the rich feature set, RAW image capability requires a special mention. Among the 'pocket' Travel Zoom camera available today, this camera is the only camera that gives you ability to capture images in RAW format (.RAF file).
4. Firmware upgradeability - Yes, you can update firmware on this camera just like you can update iOS on your iPod/iPhone/iPad... yes, little more manual process is required but it is fairly simple task.

CONs:
1. Blurry photo - I hope all my camera can give good quality photo every time I press shutter button. In my experience of taking ~700 shots so far, I am getting about 5% or more of blurry photo. Based on my experience, Canon P&S camera gives far less blurry photos. Yes, I do admit that it may have to do with operator error, but you are talking about the same operator taking photo :)
2. 1080 video - there are two problems that I am experienced so far.
a) focus hunting - While you are taking video in full HD, you'll experience focus going in & out. It does not hold the focus and you'll end up with blurry video at times.
b) auto exposure - if you take video indoor, you will notice that video are dark and you do not have control. Although Fujifilm did not say that they addressed video exposure issue with their latest firmware update, it feels the video is better in dark room after the update.
3. Body design - Location of the flash may interfere with your grip, this may require you to learn to hold different way. In addition, it is not easy to take memory card in and out of this camera.
4. EXR mode - this mode is something I am still figuring out. It feels this was to be 'super auto' mode but it does not always give good results. I often have difficulty in autofocus when I zoom in somewhat. I like some pictures from this mode, but you do not have control between L and M size pictures as the camera decides the size automatically. Granted that M size is the best size to give the highest photo quality, it may not matter at the end.

Others:
1. GPS - GPS takes some time to get signal, however my portable GPS systems do that as well. So, you might not take full advantage of geotagging with this camera if you are indoor or you are in hurry to take photos.
2. Image Quality - some pictures that I took came out really great. Some photos just came out terrible with out-of-focus, etc. Yes, it may be operator error... I'll take it as half glass full. This camera certainly has potential to give good images.
3. RAW image capability may be the greatest feature of this camera. However the RAF format is not compatible with many photo editing software, i.e. Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture will not take the RAF file.

I thank kimletkeman's blog for the information on this camera. I stumbled upon his blog going through dpreview's discussion threads. If you are still thinking about purchasing this camera and need more information, look for his blog on the web.

All in all, you get lots of features with this camera. There are some good in this camera, and there are some bad... and hopefully Fujifilm can address them with their future firmware updates.

UPDATE: 11-MAY-2011
====================
I took the Fujifilm F550EXR out to San Francisco last week and used it extensively. Here are some of the experience I had:
- On bright day light, this camera does a wonderful job. My photo of Golden Gate Bridge, taken at bright day light, was clear and crisp
- Low light photo gave me some blurry photo. I believe this is limitation of the electronic image stablization system that camera uses. If you can hold your camera really steady, you can get decent pictures.
- GPS tagging info was somewhat problematic. I went over to Coit Tower and came back to Washington Square, and took some photo, and my camera still said the photo was taken at Coit Tower. I saw the camera was still acquiring the GPS signal, I would have preferred if camera didn't tag photo with old GPS info.

Comment on Electronic Image Stablization
-----------------------------------------
On the way back form S.F., I had about 40 minutes to 'kill' at the S.F. airport. I walked into an electronic shop at the airport and played with a Panasonic ZS8. It comes with Optical Image Stablization system, and I zoomed all the way out at 15x and took picture of the menu at the nearby coffee shop. When I displayed it on the camera, I was able to read the menu. Wow.

Then I took my Fujifilm F550 out and did the same. I looked at the resulting photo and image was all blurry. I took it again, and this time I really held camera steady and held my breadth, and I also used 2 second timer to limit effect of my shutter button... Well, image was somewhat better but not as good as Panasonic ZS8.

I wished my Fujifilm has the optical image stablization system as ZS8 does. At least you don't get as much of blurry photo. On the other hand, I believe Fujifilm image was little more clear when photo was taken at normal zoom. I believe Fujifilm F550 does have better "JPEG" compression engine than Panasonic.