Top Fujifilm Finepix F50fd Camera Reviews

Photography Blog reviewed the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd and said: "The Fujifilm Finepix F50fd is a frustrating beast. On one hand it offers a number of significant improvements when compared with the older F31fd, but on the other it takes a serious backwards step in terms of image quality, which is ultimately what every camera should primarily be judged by."

Cnet wrote a review on the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd and said: "the Fujifilm F50fd would make a nice choice for advanced photographers looking for a pocket camera to supplement an SLR."

Camera Summary:
The Fujifilm Finepix F50fd is a 12-megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom. The F50fd is designed to be a top-of-the-line compact digital camera. It features Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection 2.0, Automatic Red Eye Removal, and a fully manual mode. It can achieve ISO speeds up to 1600 with full resolution and 6400 at reduced resolution. The F50fd will be available in September 2007 at a retail price of $299.

Fujifilm Finepix F50fd News Release Excerpt:
Fujifilm Announces 12 Megapixel Compact Powerhouse, FinePix F50fd Ups Ante With Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection 2.0 Technology and ISO Levels Of Up To 6400

Valhalla, N.Y., July 26, 2007 – Digital photographers looking for a top-of-the line compact digital camera can now take advantage of the latest in Fujifilm's F-Series digital cameras with the 12-Megapixel FinePix F50fd. Following a long line of award winning F-Series models, the FinePix F50fd, like the FinePix F31fd and F40fd before it, offers consumers a super-compact digital camera that takes beautiful shots with the most advanced features and technology available, so that missing great shots is not an option.

Combining a 12-MegaPixel, 7th Generation Super CCD with a 3.0x optical zoom and a 2.7"; high-resolution 230,000 pixel wide angle view LCD, the FinePix F50fd is a compact powerhouse that incorporates all the features users have come to expect from Fujifilm's more advanced digital cameras. With the addition of Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection 2.0 Technology with Automatic Red Eye Removal function, and ISO settings of up to ISO 6400, the F50fd takes compact digital cameras to the next level, arming users with a host of new features and enabling them to take pictures never before possible.

Face Detection 2.0 – The Next Generation
Fujifilm's proprietary Face Detection Technology also gets an upgrade in the F50fd with the arrival of Face Detection 2.0, featuring Automatic Red Eye Removal. As with the original version of Face Detection, it can detect up to 10 human faces in a scene in as little as 5/100's of a second, correcting focus, exposure, and white balance automatically, regardless of where subjects are located within the frame. Face Detection 2.0 adds to this technology by being able to identify faces at much more extreme camera angles than before. No longer does the camera need a head-on shot to identify a face, because now even a profile will do – with up to 90O movement in either direction for profiles, and up to 135O for leaning or lying down in either direction, for a total range of 270O.

Additional improvements to Face Detection 2.0 include a new Automatic Red-Eye Removal feature that automatically corrects red-eye directly after the shot is taken and then saves both the original and the corrected image file.

Dual Image Stabilization
To ensure that users achieve even greater blur-free pictures, the FinePix F50fd adds to Fujifilm's Picture Stabilization mode to create the improved Dual Image Stabilization mode. This combines a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor with high ISO sensitivities for Total Anti-Blur protection. The combination of these two different approaches reduces the "blur"; effect from the photographer's hand-shake and subject movement even further to provide the highest quality digital pictures yet, with sharp, clean and clear results.

Not much light? Not a Problem!
All too often, digital photographers run into problems when taking pictures in low-light or dimly-lit situations and have to rely on the flash which can lead to over-exposed and washed-out shots. The FinePix F50fd builds on the great strides previous Fujifilm digicams have made with low light photography and allows users to effortlessly capture the moment as their eye sees it, with tremendous clarity and low noise, using Fujifilm's Real Photo technology. Thanks to the 7th generation FinePix Super CCD-HR chip and the RP Processor II, the Finepix F50fd can utilize ISO settings of up to ISO1600 at full resolution and an amazing ISO 6400 at reduced resolution, capturing stunning images even in low light while preserving the natural color and clarity of the shot.

In addition to these advancements, the FinePix F50fd possesses a number of other impressive features:

1. Portrait Enhancer Mode: Mimicking a professional photo studio setting, by using Face Detection and preset camera settings, Portrait Enhancer minimizes fine lines and small skin blemishes for smooth, natural looking portraits.

2. Dual Shot Mode: In this selectable mode, the FinePix F50fd quickly shoots two images in rapid succession -- one with the flash and one without – and saves both. This convenient function lets the user perform a comparison at their convenience and select the most pleasing image.

3. i-Flash Intelligent Flash: i-Flash (Intelligent Flash) detects subtle lighting differences within a scene and then varies the flash intensity accordingly. It also leverages the high sensitivity of the FinePix F50fd to enable the camera to use less flash, resulting in an image that displays pleasing, natural tones without a "washed-out"; effect. And with an automatic pop-up flash, it's always ready when you need it.

4. Full Manual Photographic Control: Gives the user total control with manual adjustment options for settings on the camera (resolution, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, etc), and is desirable by the photo enthusiasts/advanced photographers.

5. GUI Micro Thumbnail: A new playback feature that allows for viewing an index print on the LCD. The F50fd will show up to 100 images in micro form, then the control buttons are used to move over specific images and select them. This makes it easy to quickly find a single image by being able to jump to particular segments of images in the time sequence. So rather than using the left/right arrows to move through one image at a time, you can move up/down/left/right and then select the image you want to view. The back button takes you back to the thumbnail view in one step. The micro view lets you get close to the image you want, and then scroll to find the specific picture. As memory cards become larger, and devices become as much about sharing images as capturing them, this is a handy feature to enable the user to find specific images quicker.

6. IrSimpleTM: Infrared communication via IrSimpleTM technology for fast, easy wireless image transfer to a compatible device.

7. Special Scene and Blog Modes: The FinePix F50fd has 16 pre-programmed scenes, including a special underwater scene mode for use with a special underwater casing. In the Blog mode, the FinePix F50fd copies and automatically reduces the size of copied images for easy posting to a blog, Web page or as an attachment to email for easy sharing with friends and family while maintaining the original file.

8. xD / SD / SD-HC Compatible slot: The FinePix F50fd features a "xD/SD Compatible slot"; which accepts not only Fujifilm's traditional xD-Picture Cards but also Secure Digital (SD) and SD-High Capacity/SD-HC cards too.

9. Battery Life: Long-life rechargeable Li-ion battery (up to 230 shots).

"Fujifilm continues to push the technology envelope with the latest in a long line of award winning F-Series digital cameras,"; said David Troy, Senior Product Manager, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. "With the introduction of Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection 2.0, Automatic Red-Eye Removal, and even higher ISO levels, the FinePix F50fd provides users with a powerful compact digital camera that makes it easier than ever for any level photographer to get professional looking photographs.";

The FinePix F50fd will debut in September 2007 at a retail price of $299.95

ISO levels of 6400 are available at 3MP, or lower, resolution; ISO levels of 3200 are attainable at 6MP, or lower; and ISO levels of 1600 are attainable at full resolution.
 

Fujifilm Finepix F50fd Best Prices (When Available)