Design and Performance

Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR review – Design

With the exception of the little bump in the top-plate that houses the GPS unit, the design remains virtually identical to the F300EXR that precedes it. It’s a relatively sleek looking piece of kit, with small proportions considering the zoom range and features on offer.

There’s a pleasing, but small non-slip rubberized grip on the body, while the flash is stowed neatly in the body, popping when the camera is switched on. There’s also an angled mode dial, set roughly at 45 degrees, to make it more comfortable to switch between settings.

Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR review – Performance

The Hybrid AF system works very well – AF acquisition is fast and precise using the central point, while the AF tracking mode does a solid job of trying to keep focus on your moving subject. And if you pair the focus tracking with the Best Frame Capture – 8 images captured at almost 8fps, or 16 images at 11fps with a resolution of 8MP, then you should easily be able to grab an action shot or two. If you opt to shoot in Raw however, expect a 5 second write time, and take a couple in quick succession, and you have to wait while the images are cleared off the buffer before you can carry-on shooting.

A Fujifilm compact wouldn’t be complete without a range of film simulation modes to choose from – Provia/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, Astia/Soft, B&W and Sepia. These are accessed via the F mode button, which also features ISO, Image Size, Continuous shooting and location search for GPS.

If you’re shooting in Aperture or Shutter priority, the scroll-wheel at the rear of the camera is used to toggle though the settings, while in Manual mode, the Exposure compensation button is used to swap between the two settings. Dip into the Advanced shooting mode and you’ve got the choice of either a panorama (settings of 120, 180 or 360), which works by sweeping the camera from left to right, while Pro Focus blurs the background to mimic the effect of a shallow depth-of-field shot typical of DSLRs. While it’s easy to be cynical about it, it does do a pretty good job of blurring the background, with the difference clearly noticeable compared to shooting without it. The Pro low-light mode is supposed to enhance clarity in low-light shots, but our tests showed a minimal difference.

The rear screen is incredibly bright and crisp, making composition and reviewing images a pleasure, while the menu system itself is easy to navigate.