Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

I bought my Fuji Finepix F200EXR after I have returned my Nikon Coolpix S70 (not satisfied with the picture quality). I previously owned a Fuji Finepix 3800 which I really liked that's why I decided on… getting another Fuji Finepix. The picture quality of the F200EXR is really good considering it's a compact camera. It can really take good pictures even in low light conditions. I also like the macro mode. What I don't like is the noise it makes when you are on EXR mode. It also drains the battery quite fast. You really have to keep another extra battery on hand. The video quality and the sound is not that good, you cannot make HD movies. Well, I bought this camera for taking pictures, not videos, so it's not that bad I guess. Price range is okay compared to other compact digital camera. Overall, I'm satisfied with my Fuji Finepix F200EXR.

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I RESEARCHED CAREFULLY AND DECIDED THAT THIS CAMERA WOULD BE WHAT I WANTED FOR MY PURPOSES. IT IS SIMPLE TO USE, ALL CONTROLS ARE INTUITIVE, IT IS SHIRT POCKET SIZE, AND HAS MACRO SETTING.. IT WAS… EVERYTHING I EXPECTED IT TO BE EXCEPT THAT WHEN IT IS DIPLAYED ON TV, THE PICTURE IS GRAINY ON ANY SETTING AND VERY DISAPPOINTING ESPECIALLY WHEN I SEE FINE DISPLAYS FROM A MUCH CHEAPER KODAK EASY SHARE.. I DOWNLOADED THE SOFTWARE FROM THE DVD AND FROM THE WEBSITE AND IT HAS NOT FUNCTIONED TO DISPLAY A PICTURE YET. A CAMERA IS PURPOSED TO CAPTURE A SHARP PICTURE SO I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED ON PICTURE QUALITY FURTHER. NAIVELY I THOUGHT ANY CAMERA TODAY WOULD GIVE A DECENTLY SHARP PHOTO. LIVE AND LEARN

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Battery use is drastically affected in ers mode. Battery becomes warm and usage is shortened. Other than that big flaw, camera does well. Recall time/shutter speed is not as good as previous 800 series… canon. Actualy canon has performed better and is better. I was brought in by the 5X optical and the 12 megt . Haven't had camera for a long time but would suggest canon 870 as better alternative if meg were larger and optical zoom better, your call. Pam

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After purchasing my first DSLR several years ago I have become "snobby" about point-and-shoots (P&S) and generally cringe when I see the photos I have taken with a P&S knowing how much better they "could… have been." It should also be noted up front that I HATE flashes on P&S cameras as they tend to blow out the color in the photo and bleach out expression and detail. When I was offered to review this camera I really wanted to test it out in a variety of environments, giving it a fair shot, before reviewing. I have been using this camera for 7 ½ months and feel as though I have a good idea of what it is capable of now. Had I reviewed it in the first couple of days/weeks my review would have been much lower as it took awhile to tweek the settings to make me happy. At first I found that I was having a hard time getting consistently good shots and was frustrated over the lack of control I felt. After trial and error I now get consistently good shots every time. What I enjoy: - It offers options for both the novice user and those who want some control over the settings. - Face detection - when the camera detects you are shooting a face, or multiple faces, the LCD zooms in on the faces after the shot is taken for a close up (quick check if anyone blinked, spinach in the teeth, etc.). If someone blinked you know right away and can attempt the shot again without missing the moment. - IS (image stabilization) works well especially in low light conditions - The "Natural Light and with Flash" mode. This mode takes two photos rapid fire... one with flash and one without. I, again, am not a fan of P&S flashes for the aforementioned reasons but sometimes I misjudge what this camera is capable of shooting without a flash (often it results in more blur than acceptable). This mode allows me to capture the shot both with and without a flash nearly simultaneously and I can make the decision of which I like better when I get back to my computer. Standing "O" on this idea! - While I have Photoshop and Lightroom at home, for those who don't, it is a neat little feature to add "Film Simulation Mode" when you want to capture a subtle change in color. Wish there were more "films" to choose from as I think this is a fun alternative for those who don't want or can't afford Adobe's products. - Held up to my abuse (it's so small I would forget about it in my scary purse for weeks at a time) What could have been improved: - NO VIEWFINDER!!!! Seriously... they are necessary despite what the majority of people seem to believe. When holding a camera away from your body it is less stable (which equals more blur). Also, in certain lights LCD screens are hard to see. - Shutter lag is longer than I would have liked - Takes nearly three seconds to turn on to first photo - More noisy ("grainy") at ISO 800, 1600, 3200 (low light shots) than I would like... but noise is better than glaring flash in most situations IMO - Location of the flash as it can be easy to cover with a finger (not a problem in the long run but it may accidentally occur at first use.) - Speed at which the camera zooms... it's too fast. I often find myself over zooming and having to recorrect. Perhaps because I am used to manually zooming on a DSLR? But still... it seems to fast. While I did initially state that this is a great camera from a novice... it still requires that someone be willing to learn through trial-and-error or the manual before getting ideal shots. This is not a camera you purchase in hopes of pulling it out of the box and taking amazing shots. There is a learning curve and amazing shots are very possible with practice.

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