Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR review

There’s a wide range of continuous shooting modes that balance speed against resolution and number of shots; highlights include 7.2fps for eight shots, or 10.2fps for 16 shots at 8 megapixels. However, it took around 16 seconds to save these photos, during which time the controls weren’t accessible. The F600EXR also exhibited a common problem with Fujifilm cameras, whereby menu buttons were unresponsive while photos were being saved, even in the single drive mode. While it could take photos just over a second apart, taking a photo and then accessing exposure compensation, for example, took nearer four seconds.

1080p videos are the norm these days but the F600EXR’s aren’t the best around, with slightly blocky details. The stereo soundtrack was crisp and clear, but the focus and zoom motors impacted fairly heavily. This is a video mode we’d be happy to use but rival cameras handle video capture more effectively.

When low light demands fast ISO speeds, 8 megapixel shots are far less noisy than 16 megapixel shots at the same settings – click to enlarge

Our photo tests were initially a little disappointing, too. The lens’s focus was soft towards the corners of frames at the extremes of the zoom range. Even where focus was sharp, fine details looked a little vague. However, switching from 16 to 8 megapixels made corner focus less of an issue, improved the clarity of fine details and still delivered enough pixels for big prints. Automatic exposures were expertly judged, and benefited from a new Motion Detection feature that increased the shutter and ISO speeds to avoid motion blur when it detected a moving subject.

Shooting at 16 megapixels simply reveals the limitations of the lens, as well as making noise reduction gloss over subtle details – 8 megapixel photos tend to look better, even in bright light – click to enlarge

Shooting at 8 megapixels delivered far less noise in low light – compared not just to its 16 megapixel shots, but also to most other compact ultra-zoom cameras. Only the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS exhibited slightly lower noise, although this was partly down to its heavier noise reduction that softened details.

Shooting in raw mode and processing in the bundled Silkypix editor gave some flexibility to balance detail and noise levels in low light, but the results weren’t significantly better than from the camera’s JPEGs. That’s a little disappointing, but it’s also testament to the high quality of the camera’s JPEG processing.

It’s a tough call choosing between the F600EXR and the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS. The Canon has the advantage in quality – both excel in low light but the Canon is sharper in bright light and it shoots better videos. The Fujifilm is faster, even with its post-capture unresponsive buttons, and it looks considerably smarter. Both are packed with features including manual exposure control, sharp 3in screens and GPS. Ultimately, the Canon holds onto its Best Buy status by virtue of its lower price, but if and when the F600EXR’s price comes down, choosing between them will be a matter of personal priorities.