Fujifilm won a great many fans with its F30 and F31fd models, which combined slightly larger than average sensors containing fewer pixels than their competitors with some clever image processing, to produce some of the best high ISO images we'd ever seen from a compact camera. In fact, three years later, there are very few compacts we can think of that do a better job once the sun goes down.
While playing lip-service to the needs of low-light photography (and continuing to produce cameras whose processing give them a slight edge over their contemporaries), Fujifilm didn't appear to make further progress in the direction the F30 had pioneered. With the F200 EXR, Fujifilm seems to suggest that it wants to regain its low-light crown, based on a novel sensor technology it has developed (explained on the next page). In a time when compact cameras are becoming increasingly commoditized, it's interesting to see a company trying to use more than just marketing to differentiate its products.
And, even without its EXR cleverness, the F200 EXR is still a fairly well specified camera. It has one of the largest sensors used in any compact camera (it's a 1/1.6" type, which means it has a surface area of around 0.45cm2) combined with a lens that offers a very useful range, equivalent to 28-140mm in 35mm film terms. To put this in perspective, most DSLRs are supplied with lenses covering a roughly 28-85mm range. It's not the fastest (brightest) lens in the world but it's not excessively slow compared to its peers.
The F200 also offers image stabilization, which is one of the best features for ensuring consistently sharp images, along with modes that allow a reasonable amount of control over the camera and ones that take care of everything for you.
- 12MP Super CCD EXR sensor with 6MP dynamic range and high sensitivity modes
- Dual Image Stabilization (High sensitivity + CCD shift)
- 5.0x optical zoom (28-140mm equiv)
- 3.0-inch TFT screen with 230.000 dots
- ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution
- IR Communication (IR simple™/IR SS™)
- VGA movie capture of 25 frames per second with sound
- Micro thumbnail view (up to 100 thumbnails visible)
- 5fps continuous mode (3MP, 12 frames max)
- Aperture priority modes
Changes over the F100fd
Looking at the differences between the F100fd and the F200 EXR (if you can find them), you very quickly come to the conclusion that the F200 EXR is essentially an F100fd with a clever new sensor inserted. This is no bad thing, since the F100fd was a pretty popular camera and change of sensor may well address the most discussed shortcoming (pink banding appearing in high-ISO shooting).
 Fujifilm F200 EXR |
 Fujifilm F100fd |
|
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | • 1/1.6 Super CCD EXR |
• 1/1.6 Super CCD VIII HR |
| Lens | • 28-140 mm (35mm equiv) • 5x optical zoom • F3.3 - 5.1 |
• 28-140mm (35mm equiv) • 5x optical zoom • F3.3 - 5.1 |
| Digital zoom | Up to 4.4x | Up to 8.2x |
| Maximum Image Size | 4000 x 3000 |
4000 x 3000 |
| Sensitivity | • Auto • ISO 100-12800 • Up to ISO 3200 at full res |
• Auto • ISO 100-12800 • Up to ISO 3200 at full res |
| Continuous Shooting | 1.4 fps max 3 images 5.0 fps max 12 images at 3MP |
1.7 fps max 3 images 5.0 fps max 12 images at 3MP |
| Shutter speed | 8 - 1/1500 sec | 8 - 1/1500 sec |
| Flash range, Auto ISO | Up to 4.3m (wide) | Up to 4.3m (wide) |
| LCD screen | • 3.0-inch TFT • 230,000 pixels |
• 3.0-inch TFT • 230,000 pixels |
| Battery life (CIPA standard, using LCD) | 230 | 230 |
| Image stabilization | Dual-IS (High ISO + CCD Shift) | Dual-IS (High ISO + CCD Shift) |
| Face detection | Version 3.0 | Version 3.0 |
| Movie mode | 25fps | 25fps |
| Dimensions | 98 x 59 x 23mm (3.8 x 2.3 x 0.9in) |
98 x 59 x 23mm (3.8 x 2.3 x 0.9in) |
| Other | EXR modes: |
FinePix F200 EXR specifications
| Sensor | • 1/1.6 " Super CCD EXR |
|---|---|
| Image sizes | • 4:3 : 4000 x 3000, 2816 x 2112, 2048 x 1536 |
| Movie clips | • 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels @ 30 fps • AVI (Motion JPEG ) |
| File formats | • JPEG (Exif Ver. 2.2 ) • Movie : AVI (Motion JPEG ) with sound • Audio: WAVE format, Monaural sound |
| Lens | • Fujinon 5x Optical zoom lens |
| Image stabilization | CCD-shift |
| Digital zoom | Approx. 4.4x |
| Focus | Auto Focus |
| AF area modes | • Center |
| AF assist lamp | Yes |
| Focus distance | • Normal: Wide angle: Approx. 45cm / 1.5 ft to infinity Telephoto: Approx. 80cm / 2.6 ft. to infinity • Macro: Wide angle: Approx. 5cm/ 0.2 ft. to 80cm / 2.6 ft Telephoto: Approx. 50cm / 1.6 ft to 1m / 3.3 ft |
| ISO sensitivity | • Auto |
| Metering | TTL 256-zones metering |
| Exposure modes | Programmed AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual |
| Shutter speed | Auto : 1/4 sec to 1/1500 sec All other modes : 8 sec to 1/1500 sec |
| Aperture | Wide: F3.3 – F9.0 Tele: F5.1 - F14 |
| Shooting modes | • Mode dial: EXR, P (Program), M (Manual), Movie, SP (scene modes), Natural Light, Natural Light with Flash, Auto • SP: Portrait, Portrait Enhancer, Landscape, Sport, Night, Night (Tripod), Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Underwater, Museum, Party, Flower, Text |
| White balance | • Auto • Presets: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light, Underwater • Custom |
| White balance fine tune | No |
| Self timer | Approx. 10 sec./ 2 sec. delay |
| Continuous shooting Modes | • Top-3 (1.4 fps for 3 frames) • High-speed Top-12 (5 fps for 12 frames, 3MP only) • Final-3 (1.4 fps for 3 frames) • High Speed FInal-12 (5 fps for 12 frames, 3MP only) • Long-period |
| Flash | • Auto flash Effective range: 4.3 m |
| LCD monitor | • 3.0 inch |
| Digital input/output | • USB 2.0 High Speed |
| Video output | NTSC / PAL selectable |
| HD OUT | Analog component/HDC-1 component video cable for digital camera |
| Storage | • Internal memory (Approx. 48 MB) • xD-Picture card(16MB-2GB) • SD/SDHC memory card |
| Power | • Rechargeable NP-50 Li-ion battery (included) |
| Weight (no batt) | Approx. 175 g |
| Dimensions | 98 x 59 x 23mm (3.8 x 2.3 x 0.9in) |
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