New Fujifilm low-light digicam - game changer?

[bmattock]

Interesting new camera from Fuji, which gave us the well-regarded F31fd high-ISO digicam.

Fujifilm launches FinePix F200EXR with innovative sensor

The F200EXR's headline feature is its 12 megapixel/1.6 inch Super CCD EXR sensor. Using this newly developed imager technology, the F200EXR provides three distinctly different capture modes. In Fine Capture mode, the F200EXR functions like a normal 12 megapixel camera. Pixel Fusion mode combines the output of two adjacent pixels, creating a sensor with six million larger photosites to increase sensitivity and "produce low-light shots of extraordinary quality with minimal noise and grain," according to Fuji.

Most interesting, though, may be the F200EXR's Dual Capture mode, in which the camera captures two 6 megapxiel images at different exposure levels and then combines then, producing an image in which both shadows and highlights are correctly exposed – even in high-contrast situations.

Building on this technology, the F200EXR offers several unique capture options, including dynamic range bracketing, a wide dynamic range shooting mode that claims to provide up to 800 percent expansion for reeling in more detail in both highlight and shadow areas, and high-sensitivity shooting to ISO 12,800.

 

[Avotius]

Interesting? Kind of. Game changer? Certainly not. Why? Because it is a point and shoot or as they so eloquently call them here in China "idiot cameras"

ISO 12800 shooting on a D700 is impressive, 12800 (at 3MP by the way) on this thing will be impressively horrid. You can quote me on that.

 

[Tuolumne]

And a MSRP of just $399.95. Wow - P&S HDR photography. Even if this first generation camera doesn't get it right the future is bright, clear and unlimited. Imagine a sensor like this in the micro4/3rds format.

/T

 

[bmattock]

Interesting? Kind of. Game changer? Certainly not. Why? Because it is a point and shoot or as they so eloquently call them here in China "idiot cameras"

There were more than a couple people getting some impressive photos out of the f10, f11, and f31fd - idiot camera or not. If it fits a niche, it fits a niche. I note that it also offers aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual exposure settings - something of a nod to those who are not just happy snappers.

ISO 12800 shooting on a D700 is impressive, 12800 on this thing will be impressively horrid. You can quote me on that.

I don't know what ISO 12800 will look like on this camera yet. My guess is that you don't either. But thanks for the thoughtful commentary.

 

[dfoo]

...Imagine a sensor like this in the micro4/3rds format.
/T

Who cares about micro 4/3rds? We need bigger sensors, not smaller ones.

 

[pvdhaar]

Pixel Fusion mode combines the output of two adjacent pixels, creating a sensor with six million larger photosites to increase sensitivity and "produce low-light shots of extraordinary quality with minimal noise and grain," according to Fuji.

Sounds exactly like when I set the ISO dial of my Nikon P5100 to ballistic (sort of 3200). That too comes at the expense of a whole lot less megapixels.. And indeed, it gets me minimal noise and grain. The only downside is that it comes with minimal detail as well.

 

[bmattock]

Who cares about micro 4/3rds? We need bigger sensors, not smaller ones.

Bigger being relative - the Fuji sensor in this camera is quite a bit smaller than a 4/3 sensor - which is the same as a 'micro 4/3' sensor.

Yes, 4/3 would be nice, APS-C nicer yet, FF even better. Each relative to the preceding.

 

[bmattock]

Sounds exactly like when I set the ISO dial of my Nikon P5100 to ballistic (sort of 3200). That too comes at the expense of a whole lot less megapixels.. And indeed, it gets me minimal noise and grain. The only downside is that it comes with minimal detail as well.

It's a different kind of pixel binning, and a double-exposure. It is not at all like previous digicam high-ISO solutions, which is why I thought it was interesting.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092210fujifilmexr.asp

 

[ampguy]

Looks interesting to me. I like larger sensors, but have a lot of great 8x10 photos from a super tiny 1/2.5" sensor based camera, 3MP, and have really enjoyed the lot of 1/1.6 or 1/1.8"s of the f30, f31fd, f40, f50 series (started getting worse after the f31fd though).

 

[kshapero]

Innovation is part and parcel of the past and future path of photography. Anything new, even if a little suspect, is always welcome. IMHO.

 

[noimmunity]

you should refer to a previous thread in which there was a link (?) or at least comments upon sample photos from the new camera, which were not thought to be that great in terms of detail smoothed out.

i use my fujif20 a lot. i expressly chose the "idiot" version F20 because it was dirt cheap and the times when i use this camera are exactly the times when i just wanna point and snap.