Fujifilm FinePix F505EXR review

I'm not one to brag about a product unless that product blows me away somehow. Those who know me also know I am not easily impressed. But I have to say, on record, I am throughly impressed by my new little compact camera; Fujifilm's FinePix F505EXR.

I have never owned a compact camera, ever. In the film days when 120mm cameras were all the rage I lugged around my Canon AE-1 program. When I made the transition to digital I went with the larger Kodak EasyShare before upgrading to the dSLR system. A more familiar format for myself. So what made me purchase such a small camera, you ask?

Two reasons; the first one is Bill Dillane. Bill is known to be attached at the hip to his little pocket camera. He is constantly posting images taken with that camera and his ability to 'get the shot' has always impressed me. Which only confirms the saying, "the best camera to have is the one that is in your hand."

The second reason is twofold; as a photography instructor running a photo group I should be (need to be) familiar with this format as well as the dSLR cameras. After all, point-and-shoot photographers are the most common type of photographer out there. If you don't believe me check out the vast amount of images being posted to social sites like Facebook. The cell phone camera is the number one most popular type of camera. I have also been asked to run some adult education classes on digital photography so...

I had originally purchased the newer F600EXR model as an open box discounted item. Unfortunately when I received the camera I realized the flash did not work and I was forced to return it. Live and learn. The only difference was that unit had a GPS built in. A nice feature but not a deal breaker for me. I had no plans to use the GPS feature anyway.

Out of the box the F505EXR was super easy to use. A quick and simple setup and I was up and running (after charging the battery). The LCD display is super clear, large and high definition. It is a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor though small compare to a dSLR, the image quality is pretty impressive. The real seller for me, aside form the 16MP, is the fact that it shoots in RAW and has a built in HDR feature.

The image at left is the waiting room of my studio. It is usually fairly dim and often lit by two overhead fluorescent recessed fixtures. Not the most ideal lighting. This shot is straight out of the camera, no post processing at all except for resizing.

Another really impressive feature is the auto-stitch panorama capabilities. It has several formats from short panos to full 360 degree panos. All done in-camera. Here is one, also shot in my studio.

As with any good compact camera the lens is phenomenal. From close ups to landscapes this little camera is proving to be able to handle so many different shooting situations. I'll leave you with this last image. I was literally three inches from the deodorant,

The nice thing about compact cameras is the convenience of having a camera available in a small, portable package. While I may never use this for my commercial work I like the fact that it has the power to be able to handle a wide variety of 'problem' shots. So next time you see me at an event don't be surprised if I pull this little gem out.