Fujifilm Finepix F50fd Review

Review Date: October 25th 2007
Author: Mark Goldstein

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Conclusion

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-Use	4.5
Image Quality	3.5
Value for Money	4

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. We whole-heartedly gave the F31fd a Highly Recommended award one year back at the start of 2007, commenting "this compact camera still has no rivals in terms of low-light performance". This time around, the F50fd is no longer the low-light leader that the F31fd was. The dramatic increase in megapixels from 6 to 12 is most definitely a bad thing. Whereas the F31fd produced good images at ISO 1600, the F50fd struggles to achieve similar quality at ISO 400, and the faster speeds of 800-6400 just aren't worth using. The addition of an effective image stabilisation system partly makes up for this sorry predicament, but what could have been the ultimate low-light camera if Fujifilm had stuck with, say, an 8 megapixel sensor is now only on a par with its main competitors. Such is the cost of the ongoing megapixel war. The loss of this significant advantage means that the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd is now a fairly run-of the mill compact digital camera with the advantages of aperture and shutter priority modes and an excellent face detection system, but it's no longer the de facto pocket camera for the aspiring photographer. The faster and more accurate Face Detection system, more stylish design and much improved zoom lever and mode dial are all very welcome, but not at the expense of the superlative high-ISO pictures that the older F31fd produced. As an all-round package the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd still comes recommended, but if image quality is your number one priority, then look elsewhere.

PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.

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