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Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £258
inc VAT

The photos have their strengths and weaknesses, but this is still one of the best compact ultra-zoom cameras currently available, if a little expensive.

Specifications

1/2in 12.0-megapixel sensor, 15.0x zoom (24-360mm equivalent), 195g

http://www.parkcameras.com
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Otherwise, the camera was responsive, capturing a photo every 1.6 seconds, rising to 5.8 seconds when the flash was fired at full power. Settings couldn’t be adjusted while the camera was saving a picture, though. We could quickly take another shot then, but had to wait to adjust the ISO speed, for example.

Videos are recorded at 720p in Motion JPEG format, which produced big files at around 180MB per minute. Brightly lit scenes suffered from noise, while indoor scenes were both noisy and woefully underexposed. The soundtrack was detailed but it was spoiled by the chatter and whirr of the autofocus and zoom motors.

Photos were much better than videos. The lens achieved sharp focus throughout its generous zoom range, only trailing off a little in the corners at the maximum telephoto setting. Colours were equally impressive, with natural skin tones and flatteringly rich colours in landscape shots. The reworked image stabilisation performed well, but Canon, Nikon and Panasonic’s cameras still have the edge for reliably sharp images at telephoto settings.

Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR (top)

Noise levels were, as ever, our main bone of contention. Testing the camera alongside the F200EXR, pictures were blotchier and noise reduction smeared fine details such as foliage, even at ISO 100. Switching to 6-megapixel mode lowered noise levels but they remained problematic at anything above ISO 400. The Pro Low Light scene mode gave usable results at ISO 1600 by aligning and superimposing four shots, but this relies on a static subject.

Fujifilm’s EXR technology has another trick up its sleeve, and this was more successful. Its Dynamic Range mode effectively uses a variable ISO speed within a single frame to capture highlights and shadows that would otherwise be lost. Because this works at sensor-level rather than in software, it successfully rescued over-exposed skies and murky shadows without introducing artefacts.

Fujifilm has a frustrating habit of flirting with large-diameter sensors but then losing interest and failing to follow it up. There’s plenty that has improved here compared to the now-discontinued F200EXR, but frustratingly, image quality has regressed.

However, judge the F300EXR against its peers and the story is much rosier. Virtually all other compact big-zoom cameras use even smaller 1/2.3in sensors, and the F300EXR’s photos are no noisier than the best of its rivals. Its 15x zoom is as big as they come, it’s a nippy performer and its controls and screen are excellent. Videos are disappointing, but the main drawback is the price. The similar Samsung WB600 costs around £180 while the Panasonic DMC-TZ8 costs £195. If the F300EXR’s price comes down to nearer these, Fujifilm will have a hit on its hands.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ****
CCD effective megapixels 12.0 megapixels
CCD size 1/2in
Viewfinder none
Viewfinder magnification, coverage N/A
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 460,000 pixels
Articulated screen No
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 15.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 24-360mm
Image stabilisation optical, sensor shift
Maximum image resolution 4,000×3,000
Maximum movie resolution 1280×720
Movie frame rate at max quality 24fps
File formats JPEG; AVI (M-JPEG)

Physical

Memory slot SDHC
Mermory supplied 40MB internal
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 250 shots
Connectivity USB, AV, micro HDMI
Body material plastic
Lens mount N/A
Focal length multiplier N/A
Kit lens model name N/A
Accessories USB and AV cables
Weight 195g
Size 59x104x33mm

Buying Information

Warranty one-year RTB
Price £258
Supplier http://www.parkcameras.com
Details www.fujifilm.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed 8 to 1/2,000 seconds
Aperture range f/3.5-10 (wide), f/5.3-16 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 100 to 3200
Exposure compensation +/- 2EV
White balance auto, 7 presets, manual
Additional image controls dynamic range, film simulation
Manual focus No
Closest macro focus 5cm
Auto-focus modes multi, centre, face detect, tracking
Metering modes eg: multi, centre, face detect
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer

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