Introduction

Ease of Use

The Fujifilm Finepix S200EXR is virtually identical to the previous S100FS model in terms of its external design. The biggest changes are the removal of the tiltable 2.5 inch LCD screen in exchange for a slightly larger but fixed 2.7 inch screen - we'd rather have the S100FS' smaller but more flexible screen - and a slightly less wide-angle lens (30.5-436mm equivalent in 35mm terms).

Offering itself as a jack-of-all-trades solution to the photo enthusiast, the S200EXR is a DSLR-styled camera with a non-interchangeable 14.3x zoom lens complete with manual zoom and focus rings. This versatile lens isn't particularly wide at 30.5mm, but it does offer respectable maximum apertures of a bright f/2.8 (wide-angle) to f5.3 (telephoto). Unlike some rivals the manual zoom and focus can also be accessed in the Motion JPEG format movie mode (offering 30 frames per second and VGA picture quality) with constantly adjusting auto exposure and focus, although disappointingly there's no HD movie quality on offer. JPEG or RAW images are committed to SD and SDHC cards (xD-Picture Cards are no longer supported) although there's no card supplied out of the box, with just the 25MB internal capacity to fall back on.

To help avoid blur resulting from camera shake when shooting in low light or at the telephoto extremity of the zoom, Fujifilm have added a 'belt and braces' solution of high (ISO) sensitivity, here stretching up to ISO 12800 if you don't mind a resolution drop to three megapixels at that setting to limit the visibility of noise. Also accessible at this resolution is a 6-frames-per-second capture speed, up to a maximum of 24 continuous shots. As you'd expect from a camera that falls between two stools, users also get the ubiquitous hand-holding features of face detection technology - Fujifilm's variety claiming to still be able to detect faces in profile or when shot from awkward angles, and up to 10 at a time in just 0.05 seconds - plus auto red eye removal, which saves both the original image and corrected file. You can get as close to your subject as 1cm thanks to the S200EXR' Super Macro setting (or 10cm in regular macro mode).

Front	Rear

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR looks, feels and handles very much like a mid-range DSLR – indeed the inclusion of a wide dynamic range of 100% to 800% and film simulation modes to achieve subtle changes in tone ape the manufacturer's one-and-only and very specifically targeted S5 Pro digital SLR – with a weight and a solid-feel build quality also that will withstand a few glancing knocks in the heat of the action. Overall the moulded curves of the body and matt black finish deliver a look that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical, with nice chunky controls and an ergonomic layout that allows both quick and easy access to functions and a firm steady grip into the bargain – though this is a camera for which you will very much need to use both hands at once.

As we've established, from the front the S200EXR looks like a serious bit of kit, and indeed requires a degree of familiarization with the manual to get the best from, that large optically stabilised zoom lens dominating proceedings (with clip-on lens cap and strap provided). Above this and extending out across the lens barrel, which boasts a textured surround allowing you to get a good firm grip and achieve a smooth, steady zooming action, is an attractively sloping ridge that conceals the pop up flash (when not in use). Following the line of the slope to the right reveals a dedicated button for activating said flash. Still viewing the S200EXR from the front, bottom left of the 13-element lens is a sync terminal for additional flash, above which, and just snuggling into the top edge of the nicely-defined hand grip (with rechargeable battery pack at its base and indentation into which a middle finger slots comfortably), is the familiar dual purpose AF-assist illuminator and self-timer lamp.

Looking down on the top of the camera we find a clearly labeled and logically laid out control set, with a chunky, ridged mode dial holding court in the absence of a top plate LCD display panel that might commonly be found on a DSLR in this price bracket. Ranged around the dial, which turns with just the right amount of resistance for it to lock firmly into place at each setting, are the expected shooting options, such as full auto, program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes, along with two customizable modes (C1 & C2) via which favoured shooting settings can be saved for rapid access, plus a video mode and a scene position ('SP') mode pre-optimised for sixteen common subjects.

The Natural Light mode forces the S200EXR to select a fast shutter speed in order to freeze subject movement more effectively, whilst setting a fast ISO speed without firing the flash for more natural results. It's an effective automatic way of taking photos of children indoors, for example. Natural Light and Flash is a little more exciting. When selected, the camera instantly takes 2 photos, one with flash, one without, giving you the option of which one to choose later (both are saved by the camera).

Front	Side

The EXR shooting mode is by far the S200EXR's most exciting, headline-grabbing feature. There are three different EXR options. Resolution Priority (HR) mode uses all 10 megapixels to capture the highest resolution image, much like any other camera. High ISO & Low Noise (SN) mode combines adjacent pixels to create larger photodiodes and improve low-light quality, producing a 6 megapixel image that makes dark scenes as bright and detailed as possible with minimal noise. D-Range Priority (DR) mode simultaneously takes two images at different exposures and then combines them to produce a single 5 megapixel image with increased dynamic range (up to 800%), preserving detail in the shadow and highlight areas that would otherwise be lost. If you can't decide between the three modes, EXR Auto will automatically select the correct one for the current scene. In practice, EXR Auto picked the mode that I personally would have chosen about 90% of the time, so you can safely leave the S200EXR on this setting and not worry about having to keep changing the EXR mode.

You can see the results of using the the different EXR modes for yourself on the Image Quality page. There is a side-by side comparison of the ISO speeds in Resolution Priority (HR) and High ISO & Low Noise (SN) mode, two examples which were shot using each EXR mode, with links to the original full size images, 100% crops and histograms, and an example which was shot using D-Range Priority (DR) mode at each % level, with links to the original full size images and histograms. Setting the camera to High ISO & Low Noise Mode produces slightly less noisy images at each equivalent setting, but the image resolution drops to 6 megapixels, the range is only 100-1600, and to be honest the difference between the two modes isn't as pronounced as we'd have hoped. The D-Range Priority (DR) mode is much more successful, resulting in images that have noticeably more dynamic range that those shot in the Resolution Priority (HR) mode, and far surpassing other compact cameras. If you want to shoot images that retain detail in both the highlight and shadow areas, this mode and this camera are made for you.

The Pro Focus and Pro Low-light modes are also brand new additions to the S200XEXR, using multi-bracketing technology to create DSLR-like effects. Pro Focus takes up to three different exposures at different focal points and aligns them to produce a single frame with a shallow depth of field, while Pro Low-light takes a series of four high sensitivity/low-noise shots in quick succession and combines them into an image with less noise than the single exposures. You can see examples of both shooting modes on the Image Quality page.

Things also get get interesting when we come to the next and last mode on the dial – namely FSB, or 'film simulation bracketing', which, as it suggests, allows the same image to be captured in different colours or tones, ape-ing the looks of Fuji's popular Provia or Velvia film (the latter offering higher brightness and sharpness), or alternatively opt for 'Astia', providing a romantic look with muted colours. Fujifilm have also added Black & White and Sepia modes to the S200EXR. Arguably this is one of the key features that sets the S200EXR apart from other contenders, and could be a decider for those who want that Fujifilm signature look and feel from a digital camera.

Pop-up Flash	Top

Super Intelligent Flash is a rather grandiose sounding feature that is a little more specialised that its name suggests. It essentially throttles down the flash when taking macro shots, so that the subject isn't over-exposed by a blinding white light. Integrated into the Auto shooting mode, in practice it does produce quite effective close up shots that don't suffer from over-exposure, and which exhibit much less camera-shake when you're shooting hand-held (although ideally you should use a tripod for ultimate sharpness).

To the right of the mode dial, looking down on the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR, is a command dial for scrolling through features and captured images in a thrice that will feel immediately intuitive to just about anyone who has handled a DSLR. The same dial is also used to scroll through the available ISO settings, for which there is a dedicated button provided just in front of the dial. You hold this button down with your forefinger and give the dial a flick with your thumb. Adjacent to this is a second button for adjusting exposure compensation, which provides a visual of a slider graph on screen accompanied by a live histogram, a dual touch that is both unusual yet welcome. Alternatively, hold this same button down in playback to display capture information – again including a histogram.

Forward of these two controls, teetering on the slope of the handgrip, is the main shutter release button encircled by an on/off power switch. Flick this to On, and the rear LCD or electronic viewfinder – depending on which one you previously had selected – blinks into life, a process taking around two seconds, which is obviously not as rapid as most DSLRs. Still, the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is lightning fast to determine focus and exposure with a half press of the shutter button – when, obviously, in AF mode – and you only have to blink between the capture of one full resolution JPEG or RAW file and the next in single shot mode. That said, shooting RAW or the new combined JPEG and RAW does cause the buffer memory to seize up after three or four successive shots, forcing a camera shutdown and wait of around 4 seconds seconds while the files are written to card (a big improvement on the S100FS). To the left of the mode dial is the hump housing the built-in flash, with two tiny (and easy to overlook) holes for the built-in microphone nestling on its ridge. Above the flash is another DSLR-like touch: a hotshoe for additional illumination. And, apart from that and loops either side of the body for attaching the provided strap, the top plate is done.

Moving to the back of the camera, your attention is immediately drawn to the 2.7-inch monitor. To the right of the LCD is a small button for swapping the display between monitor and 200k-dot resolution electronic viewfinder with surrounding eyecup, which has its own dioptric correction wheel to its immediate left. This control was far less stiff and indeed physically larger than usually found on competing models, meaning that for the myopic adjustment can be made in a faction of a second. The viewfinder display is itself large, bright and clear, though the temptation to predominantly utilise the more flexible LCD below is almost overwhelming. To the right of the screen and top right of the camera back is a self-explanatory AE lock button (doubling up as a file deletion button when in playback mode) surrounded by a ridged circular control for switching between multi pattern, spot and average light metering, which Fujifilm is calling its Photometry selector dial. By contrast to the other controls this one I found rather too small and fiddly to get an adequate purchase on, and stiff with it, though longer, stronger finger nails and less stubby fingers would doubtless help.

Memory Card Slot	Battery Compartment

Below this to the right is a playback button for retrieving captured images, sitting opposite the previously mentioned EVF/LCD selector. Below this again is a dedicated button for immediately calling up (or deactivating) face detection for portraiture, which also switches on red eye reduction. Also on the camera back is a familiar four-way controller with a dual-purpose menu/OK button at its centre. Ranged at north, south, east and west around this control are variously, a means of zooming in to check the detail of images, a means of selecting the varying flash modes on offer, selecting self timer, and a means of shifting focus from infinity to either macro or super macro. Press 'Menu' in shooting mode and you get a comprehensive choice of options from two main folders. To retrace your steps at any point there's one more dedicated button at the rear of the camera – another dual-purpose control marked display/back.

Fujifilm have included an image stabilisation system on the S200EXR. Activated via the Dual IS Mode Setup menu option, you can set the system to Continuous, Shooting Only or Off. The S200EXR's image stabilisation system uses a combination of mechanical CCD-shift and the use of high sensitivity settings of up to ISO 6400 to help keep shutter speeds high enough to avoid subject blur in low light conditions. Note that the camera will only automatically adjust the ISO speed when using the Auto shooting mode - in the other modes the ISO speed that you select will always be used, so only the mechanical CCD-shift part of the system is used. In practice I found that it does make a noticeable difference, as shown in the examples on the Image Quality page. You don't notice that the camera is actually doing anything different when anti-shake is turned on, just that you can use slower shutter speeds than normal and still take sharp photos.

The right hand flank of the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR features a flip-open compartment for the SD / SDHC card slot, while the left is positively bristling with more controls. , underneath this again is the White Balance button and a ridged circular control similar to the fiddly one on the camera back for swapping metering modes. Here it is at least less stiff and allows the user to select the varying focus modes – from continuous AF to single shot AF and then manual. Beneath this again are four strips indicating a built-in speaker, though you'd only know that from referring to the hard copy manual provided. Still at one side and just set back from these controls is a rubber flap hiding the S200EXR' various ports: from the top and running downwards these comprise a mains (DC-in) terminal, the regular AV out socket, and, thirdly, the expected USB socket.

Finally, the base of the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR features a screw thread for a tripod and a sliding door hiding the compartment for the chunky rechargeable NP-140 lithium ion battery back stored within the handgrip. Thankfully Fujifilm have addressed one of our main criticisms of the S100FS, namely its below-par battery life. Despite using the same battery, the S200EXR achieves 50% more shots per single charge, so you can expect to get over 350 shots with use of either the rear LCD or EVF.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4Mb.

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR produced images of excellent quality during the review period. The 12 megapixel sensor produces noise-free images at ISO 100-400, with some limited noise starting to appear at ISO 800. ISO 1600 exhibits fairly visible noise and loss of fine detail but is still very usable, while the fastest 3200 setting is even noisier. The fastest but reduced-resolution settings of ISO 6400 and 12800 aren't really worth using.

Setting the camera to EXR - High ISO & Low Noise Mode produces slightly less noisy images at each equivalent setting, but the image resolution drops to 6 megapixels, the range is only 100-1600, and to be honest the difference between the two modes isn't as pronounced as we'd have hoped. The D-Range Priority (DR) mode is much more successful, resulting in images that have noticeably more dynamic range that those shot in the Resolution Priority (HR) mode, and far surpassing most other compact cameras. If you want to shoot images that retain detail in both the highlight and shadow areas, this mode and this camera are made for you. The new Pro Focus and Pro Low Light modes are useful additions, although their reliance on combining multiple exposures limits their versatility.

The S200EXR suffered from chromatic aberrations, with obvious purple fringing effects appearing in high contrast situations. The zoom lens also exhibited fairly obvious barrel distortion at the 30.5mm wide-angle setting. The pop-up flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and adequate exposure. The night photograph was good, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds allowing you to capture enough light in most situations. Anti-shake works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the 14.3x zoom range. Macro performance is excellent, allowing you to focus as close as 1cm away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the camera and ideally require further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, although you can also change the in-camera setting if you don't like the default results.

Noise

There are 6 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting. On the right are 100% crops showing the ISO range of the EXR - High ISO & Low Noise mode, which captures 6 megapixel images from a more limited ISO range of 100-1600.

Program Mode	EXR - High ISO & Low Noise Mode
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR's 14.3x zoom lens offers a very versatile focal range, as illustrated by these examples:

30.5mm	436mm

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft and ideally benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR handled chromatic aberrations fairly well during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Example 1 (100% Crop)	Example 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR offers a Super Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is just 1cm away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot	100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR are Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction Auto, Red-eye Reduction & Forced Flash and Red-eye Reduction & Slow Synchro. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (30.5mm)	Forced Flash - Wide Angle (30.5mm)
Suppressed Flash - Telephoto (436mm)	Forced Flash - Telephoto (436mm)

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Forced Flash setting or the Red-Eye Correction option caused any red-eye.

Forced Flash	Forced Flash (100% Crop)
Red-eye Reduction Auto	Red-eye Reduction Auto (100% Crop)

Night Shot

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual mode, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 20 seconds at f/8 at ISO 100. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.

Night Shot	Night Shot (100% Crop)

Anti Shake

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR has an anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, I took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results. As you can see, with anti shake turned on, the images are much sharper than with anti shake turned off. This feature really does seem to make a difference and could mean capturing a successful, sharp shot or missing the opportunity altogether.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length	Anti Shake Off (100% Crop)	Anti Shake On (100% Crop)
1/5th / 30.5mm
1/5th / 436mm

EXR Mode

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR's offers three EXR options. Resolution Priority (HR) mode uses all 10 megapixels to capture the highest resolution image. High ISO & Low Noise (SN) mode combines adjacent pixels to create larger photodiodes and improve low-light quality in the resulting 5 megapixel image. D-Range Priority (DR) mode simultaneously takes two images and then combines them to produce a 5 megapixel image with increased dynamic range. Here are 2 examples which were shot using each EXR mode, with links to the original full size images, 100% crops and histograms.

	Example 1
Resolution Priority (HR)	High ISO & Low Noise (SN)	D-Range Priority (DR)
Full Size Image	Full Size Image	Full Size Image
100% Crop	100% Crop	100% Crop
Histogram	Histogram	Histogram

 

	Example 2
Resolution Priority (HR)	High ISO & Low Noise (SN)	D-Range Priority (DR)
Full Size Image	Full Size Image	Full Size Image
100% Crop	100% Crop	100% Crop
Histogram	Histogram	Histogram

Dynamic Range

When the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR is in EXR - D-Range Priority (DR) mode, you can set the Dynamic Range to either 100%, 200%, 400% or 800%, or Auto.

When the camera is in the Program / Aperture-priority or Manual shooting modes, you can set the Dynamic Range to between 100%, 200% or 400%, but the full range is only available if the ISO speed is also increased (ISO 100 only allows 100%, ISO 200 allows 100% and 200%, and ISO 400 allows 100%, 200% and 400%).

Here is an example which was shot using EXR - D-Range Priority (DR) mode at each % level, with links to the original full size images and histograms.

100%	200%
Full Size Image	Full Size Image
Histogram	Histogram
400%	800%
Full Size Image	Full Size Image
Histogram	Histogram

Pro Focus

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR's Pro Focus scene mode creates images with a shallow depth of field, with the camera taking a rapid series of exposures at different focal points and aligning them to produce a single frame showing a sharply focused subject against a soft, out-of-focus background.

Pro Focus Off	Pro Focus On

Pro Low-Light

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR's Pro Low-Light scene mode produces better image clarity at high ISO levels, with the camera taking a series of four high sensitivity/low-noise shots in quick succession which are then combined together using in-camera processing into an image with less noise than the single exposures.

Pro Low-Light	Pro Low-Light (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Fujifilm RAW (RAF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera / Pop-up Flash

Isometric View

Isometric View

Rear of the Camera

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

Rear of the Camera / EXR Menu

Top of the Camera

Bottom of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Battery Compartment

Memory Card Slot

Conclusion

The FinePix S200EXR builds on the successful design of the previous S100FS with the logical addition of Fujifilm's exciting EXR technology, although we miss the tiltable LCD screen and slightly wider-angle lens of its predecessor.

The S200EXR is one of the best bridge-style cameras that we've reviewed, with the manual zoom and focus rings almost replicating a true DSLR experience. If you want the handling of a DSLR but can't stomach the expense of buying extra lenses or the bulk of a comparable system, then the S200EXR is almost the perfect match. It's certainly not the most portable super-zoom around, but that just adds to the general feeling of excellent build quality and well-thought-out design. As with the virtually identical S100FS, the design and layout can't really be faulted, save for that slightly stiff and tricky to turn control for switching between metering modes at the rear, and the larger but less flexible LCD display. Important improvements from the previous model include extended battery life, much faster processing times particularly for RAW images, and the ability to shoot RAW and JPEGs at the same time, although the lack of HD movies is a disappointment.

All of our previous lavish praise about Fujifilm's EXR mode applies equally to the S200EXR - it is as effective in practice as it is revolutionary in principle. The D-Range Priority (DR) mode in particular is literally a real eye-opener, recording much greater dynamic range and preserving more detail in the shadows and highlights than either the S200EXR's own high-resolution mode, or any other compact camera that we've reviewed. The EXR - High ISO & Low Noise mode is admittedly less successful, producing slightly less noisy images at each equivalent setting than Resolution Priority mode, but this is tempered somewhat by the latter mode's excellent results from ISO 100-800, a much more versatile and usable range than most compacts offer. In essence the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR takes both high-resolution photos with relatively little noise at the ISO speeds that you'll use most often, plus the added bonus of smaller 6 megapixel images with dynamic range to die for. Even if you can't decide between the different modes, the camera does a great job of picking the right one for almost every situation that you'll encounter.

In summary the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR brings the EXR success story to a new audience, offering a compelling combination of excellent image quality and handling at a more affordable price than before.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4.5

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR from around the web.

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