When I first saw a prototype Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR at PMA I knew it was going to be a cool point and shoot and one I'd want to get a chance to review. I've been a big fan of the low noise at high ISO of the Finepix cameras ever since the venerable Finepix F30. But a couple of its successors didn't really surpass its performance, so I wanted to see for myself whether this new generation of sensor would deliver the promised performance....

In short, its images do live up to the hype. It has expanded on the excellent low light performance of previous Finepix models with a flexible sensor configuration that provides options depending on your shooting needs. The first very interesting option on the F200EXR sensor is its ability to capture flash and non-flash images of the same scene. The most obvious capability this allows is choosing whichever image looks better--so that you can decide after you shoot whether you wished you had used flash. Less obviously you can layer the two images in Photoshop and then selectively mask them. That would enable you to use the properly lit portions of the background along with flash lit portions of the subject as needed. Unfortunately the two images aren't taken simultaneously so if the subject is moving that technique will not work as well. I'm not a big fan of "Best Shot Selector" modes as especially with slower cameras your best bet is to take the right picture at the right time rather than count on a burst. But the F200 does offer some nice extensions to the traditional best shot modes. You can ask it to take 3 or 12 images keeping only the best.

The Magic of the F200EXR Sensor

Okay--now on to the magic. The proprietary Fujifilm EXR technology allows the sensor to operate in one of three modes--Full Resolution, HDR (High Dynamic Range) or SN (Signal to Noise). Full Resolution is a standard 12MP image, the default. HDR mode uses the sensor as two banks of 6MP with different light sensitivity. This provides a larger dynamic range. However, since the camera only outputs JPEGs you can't harness the full HDR range of the sensor. Instead you are left with the output after the camera does the tonal mapping from its HDR sensor to the JPEG format. But you do get the best dyanmic range I've ever seen on a compact point and shoot. Finally SN mode bonds the sensor's pixels together in pairs to maximize their ability to sense low light. That provides more signal (image) and less noise in the shadow areas and effectively increases the ISO you can use without getting too much noise. The Barn Owlets and the interior shot accompanying this article are a good example of an image that would be hard to make with any other point and shoot. They were both captured at ISO 1600 with no flash in the near dark. The concert photo was captured at ISO 800. I don't know of any other point and shoot that can perform that well--certainly there is noise but not much more than you'd expect from a mid-level D-SLR and certainly less than we'd see in another point and shoot at that ISO--especially when fully extended to its maximum focal length like this one was for the barn owl and concert photos.

[img_assist|nid=251|title=Concert Photo taken at night--showing Low Noise of Fujifilm F200EXR|desc=Concert Photo taken at night--showing Low Noise at high ISO coupled with excellent dynamic range of the Fujifilm F200EXR|link=popup|align=center|width=640|height=504]

This concert photo shows both the low noise mode of the F200EXR and its native excellent dynamic range as details are visible in the face and white suit and also in the unlit instruments in the background. Motion in the scene made using ISO 800 a must as even so the shutter speed was only 1/25s.

High Dynamic Range and High ISO Performance

The new "EXR" sensor really comes into its own in Dynamic Range and High ISO performance. The camera supports ISOs up to 3200, a capability normally reserved for high-end D-SLRs costing many times as much. I didn't find a huge difference between the "normal" High ISO performance of the camera--which is excellent, as we've become used to with the Fujifilm sensors--and the High ISO setting. Interestingly the internal noise elimination is also not nearly as aggressive as it could be. Running a post-processing pass with either Neat Image or nik dFine is well worth the trouble. The High Dynamic Range mode is also unique. By using some of the pixels to capture the highlights of the images and others to capture the shadows the camera can bring out shadow and highlight detail that would normally be lost. The attached photo of the interior of the Inn at Chachalaca Bend (our favorite new Bed & Breakfast) demonstrates the dynamic range capabilities--as even the outside garden is visible and not blown out while we can also still see detail in the interior shadows. That image was actually taken at the full 12MP resolution, without even using the highest setting for dynamic range expansion. Importantly, note that because the high-dynamic range mode and the low noise mode use multiple pixels the resulting images are only 6MP.

Adjustable Dynamic Range

Similarly the Dynamic Range is adjustable thanks to the intelligent modes in the EXR sensor. In the sensors' normal modes the D-Range can be set from 100% to 400%, although the manual is not clear on what those settings correspond to in real "D-Max" or contrast ratio terms. Typically letting the camera pick the one it needs to capture the scene (just like the traditional Tone=Auto) is probably fine. But because the sensor can use different pixels differently the camera can also be set to a D-Range of "800%." I've put the percentage in quotes because of course the actual value doesn't mean anything to anyone. From reading the Fujifilm documents on the EXR sensor it would seem like 800% would mean that the low-light half of the array would be exposed at up to 3-stops more than the other half, but that wouldn't explain how they could get up to 400% without using the new split image technology. The key takeaway is that it is a better dynamic range than has been possible with other point and shoot cameras. This allows the capture of high contrast images like those in bright backlight or indoor scenes which are partially sunlit that previously would have required two frames and some post-processing to merge them together.

[img_assist|nid=249|title=Barn Owl owlets taken in the near dark inside an un-used deer stand. No flash was used.|desc=Amazing ISO 1600 for a compact Point & Shoot -- The Fujifilm F200EXR|link=popup|align=center|width=200|height=168]

In EXR Auto mode the camera provides a unique combination of automatic scene selection and automatic sensor mode. You can leave the camera in that mode and it will typically select the correct sensor mode for the scene in front of you. It also shows you its selection in nice bright icons on the LCD in case you want to change them to something else manually. In fact one of the nice features of the F200EXR and its large LCD is that instructions and icons are nice, bright and large so it is easy to know what the camera is trying to do for you.

Film Simulation Modes

Another unique feature of the Finepix is film simulation modes. Who better than Fujifilm to provide emulation of the famous Provia, Velvia and Astia films. Obviously for many of us the "feel" of a film has been replaced by Camera Raw profiles and Photoshop actions, but when you're shooting JPEG it makes perfect sense to try to have a distinctive look through film settings the same way we each used to have our favorite slide and print films. The camera also adds a black and white and a sepia mode for those who want additional creative options.

Like many of the newest crop of point and shoots, the F200EXR includes face detection, which sounds cool but is definitely not a panacea. If a face or faces are mostly turned towards the camera and are large enough in the frame it will indeed find them and lock onto the closest one. This helps with focus, exposure and optionally adds in-camera red-eye reduction. Of course the scenes where it works best are the scenes which are the easiest to get right yourself. So it's a nice addition to the extensive arsenal of special features but unlikely to revolutionize your portrait taking.

However, one really cool aspect of the face detection on the F200EXR is that the face locations are saved with the image and are used when you do slideshow playback to control the effects to showcase the face. That is definitely very cool and something new. We all love the "Ken Burns" style panning and zooming in slideshows, but having intelligent automatic creation is a really nice upgrade. Eventually it'd be even nicer if the information was kept in a standard format (using XMP perhaps) so that any slideshow package could retrieve and use it later. If you print directly from the camera the face locations are also used for automatic zooming and trimming for prints. Face detection is also useful for taking portraits with the self-timer to help ensure that the camera focuses on the people in the frame instead of wandering off on something else.

I also like the simple Auto-Focus/Auto-Exposure (AF/AE) Lock operation on the camera. Simply push the shutter half way and the focus and exposure are locked for re-composing. Even better is the easy exposure compensation. In modes other than fully auto you simply push the thumb dial up and then select the compensation you need. There is also a Slow Sync flash mode right in the normal group of flash settings. Nice touches like these make the camera a lot more "pro" friendly for those of us who are used to having features like slow sync flash and exposure compensation within easy reach. However, you can't move the focus point manually away from the center, so you do need to get used to using the AF/AE Lock and re-composing. The results of the focus and exposure settings are displayed live in the LCD so you can double check that your image is going to work. The Macro mode focuses nicely down to just about an inch when the camera is set to wide angle.

Every camera has its limitations. For me the Finepix had a couple worth mentioning. First the large LCD takes up the entire back so like many large LCD cameras it does not feature a traditional viewfinder. For many users this won't matter but being a little old-fashioned I often prefer a traditional viewfinder--especially in bright light outdoors. Also it is a little larger than the ultra-compacts. This is more than justified by its features and resolution, but if you're looking for a tiny shirt pocket camera it will feel a little bulkier than the ultra-compacts.

Another "nit" is that the output via component video to an HDTV requires an optional $50 cable, the HDC-1. That seems a little tough for a $350 camera marketed widely as having HD support. But of course many of us don't ever use the video out feature so if it helps them keep the cost of the camera down that's a benefit. The USB/AV connector is also proprietary which is a little less convenient than being able to just slam a standard cable onto it. Personally I don't use the cables that come with the cameras (I use a card reader on my PC and likewise use the PC or other device to display images on a computer) but frequent cable users will find this a little inconvenient. The function wheel is also way too easy to bump to a new location by accident (a flaw which is not unique to the this camera). It is also not as quick or as small as some of the new Canon SD series, but it has no equal among compact point and shoots for flexibility in image options and quality.

Is it for you?

The Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR is a pricey $330 discounted, and is a little bit big for a tiny pocket camera. That said, if you want excellent image quality in a compact point and shoot, it has no equal.

For some nice photos of the EXR sensor layout and of how the three modes work, Fujifilm has put a PDF of their technical flyer online.