Reviews
Fujifilm
E550
A clear winner
Fuji
and Kodak are fierce competitors in the film business and both
are determined to extend past success into the digital era. This
involves a lot of experimentation to find the sweet spot in the
market. With the E-Series of digital cameras that was introduced
last summer, Fujifilm aims for ãconsumers who are interested in
growing their photography skills.ä Which means the E-Series models
are nice, compact point & shoot cameras that also have some advanced
features for those ready to take the next step in digital photography.
So these cameras let you experiment with white balance and ISO
settings and learn about shutter and aperture priority and shooting
in fully manual modes.
There
are three E-Series cameras that look the same÷the FinePix E500,
E510 and E550. They have 4.1, 5.2 and 6.3 megapixels and list
for $299, $349 and $499. The price gap between the two top models
indicates that the E550 should offer a lot more than its lesser
sibling. In this article we determine if it does.
The
550's little brother, the FinePix 510, is a nicely designed midrange
camera at a low-end price. It's small and handy, offers excellent
ergonomics in its design and clearly structured onscreen menus.
It has a somewhat unusual 28-91mm zoom lens, a good auto focus,
and none of that annoying purple fringing. And picture quality
was very good. So what is it, other than the jump from 5.2 to
6.3 megapixel, that justifies the big price premium the E550 carries
over the E510?
The
first clue comes when you take a closer look at the seemingly
identical cameras. The E550 is actually a bit larger in every
dimension, and it weighs an ounce more. Look again and you find
many details that are different. These are two cameras that look
the same, but they really aren't the same at all.
One
reason for the size increase is a bigger lens. It is a full 4X
optical Fujinon zoom lens that's a 32.5-130mm 35mm equivalent.
Multiply that by a 6.3X digital zoom for a maximum combined zoom
of 25.3X. The two lesser models have 3X lenses and half the combined
optical/digital zoom.
The
most interesting difference is inside: the E550 uses Fuji's proprietary
Super CCD High Resolution sensor system that uses octagonal instead
of square pixels. According to Fuji, those can be placed closer
to one another in a sort of honeycomb layout that is much like
the sensors in the human eye. This way, a larger percentage of
the CCD surface area can be taken up by actual pixels. Fuji also
claims that Super CCD allows digital zooming without image quality
deterioration, better full motion video, and generally to create
images of higher resolution and quality than what you'd get from
a standard CCD with the same number of pixels.
The
E550 uses Fuji's fourth generation 6.3 megapixel Super CCD HR
that not only has the octo pixels, but also can create 12.3 million
ãrecordedä pixels via a special processor. This sounds like interpolation,
but when we enlarged 6 and 12 megapixel pictures of the same subject
we found much more actual detail in the 12 megapixel versions.
The F550 is still a 6-megapixel camera, but its 12 megapixel mode
definitely lets you zoom in closer and create larger prints. Whatever
Fujifilm did with its Super CCD HR system, it really works. The
same can be said about the E550's ability to record 640 x 480
movies at a high frame rate and with sound. Finally, the image
processor results in overall quicker operation. There is virtually
no shutter lag.
For
RAW mode enthusiasts, the E550 does let you save images that way.
In most other respects, the E550 is no different from the two
lesser models. There is a nice, large 2-inch fixed LCD display
with 154k pixel resolution that also works outdoors. It is not
as readable in direct sunlight as a reflective or transflective
display, but it remains readable.
The
E550 stores its images on xD-Picture cards. If you have a collection
of Compact Flash or SD cards you have to start over. The camera's
controls, including the on-screen menus, are simple and logical.
We appreciate the use of standard AA batteries because you can
find them anywhere, but a camera this powerful should have four
instead of two. The 550's body looks large enough to accommodate
four, so we wish Fuji's designers had done so. Also, there is
no retainer for the batteries. They fall out when you open the
door to insert or remove a storage card.
The
FinePix E550 is a desirable camera with a perfect blend of ease
of use and advanced features. Controls and menus are simple, ergonomic
first rate. And the 550's Super CCD HR technology makes for excellent
quality prints, very fast operation, and the flexibility to use
that ultra-high recorded pixel mode. For that and the larger zoom
you pay $150 extra over the also very nice 5.2 megapixel FinePix
E510. It is worth the higher cost.
öKirk Linsky
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