Last Updated on 01/07/2013 by Julius Motal
This may not be the Fuji announcement that we have all been waiting for but they are new cameras nonetheless. We have a few different models with a recurring theme of feature packed big zooms. What you have ahead of you is a consumer pocket camera, rugged tough cam, and three bridge cameras each with ridiculous optical zooms.
Fuji T550
The Fuji T550 will be the cheapest of the bunch but it still has features that impress. The camera will come with an impressive 12x optical lens which comes out to a 24-288mm equivalent. That is the feature that I wouldn’t have expected in an entry level camera which does not appear from its looks to have the ability to zoom that far. When you are zoomed in you will be happy to know that the camera has optical image stabilization especially when you are using Fuji’s 24x Intelligent Digital Zoom. Fuji also claims that the cameras autofocus is 20% faster than previous models.
The cameras 16mp CCD sensor is capable of low light shooting up to ISO 3200. Unfortunately the camera can only record 720p video. In my opinion, 720p is the new standard definition and should be an option to shoot at but not the only resolution. Stills can also be shot while recording video but will be saved in a 16:9 ratio like most other cameras with this feature.
An interesting new feature of the camera is something called Instant Zoom. This feature will show your composition area on the screen as well as the area outside of the frame. This allows you to see objects coming into your frame on the 3” 460k dot screen.
The FinePix T550 will be available March 2013 at the price of $159.95 and will be available in
black, white and red.
Fuji XP60
The XP60 is the newest rugged cam from Fuji, a series that have been around for awhile now. This little guy is waterproof down to 20ft, shockproof from 5ft, freezeproof down to 14°F as well as dustproof.
Besides being tough this camera has a couple tricks up its sleeve. The camera using its 16mp 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor can capture a rapid burst of images. The camera can either do 10fps in full resolution or 60fps 16:9 ratio images up to 70 images. Capturing a rapid succession of images can be done with the dedicated burst mode button on the camera. To get the image the XP60 has a reinforced 5x optical Fujinon lens (28-140mm). Fuji’s Intelligent Digital Zoom can take the image up to 10x even under water.
For fast paced video the camera can record in a few different high speed frame rates starting off at 60fps at 1080i and up to 240fps at an unsaid resolution. Fuji has also stated that they have a new anti-reflective 2.7” screen that can set automatic brightness which is easily viewable in bright daylight.
The FinePix XP60 will be available in March 2013 at the price of $199.95, and will be available
in yellow, blue, red and green.
Fuji S8200 and S8300
These are the newest bridge cameras by Fuji and each of them offer fast apertures and big zooms. Each of these camera come with optical image stabilization and offer 40x (S8200) and 42x (S8300) massive optical zooms. In the 35mm world these lenses would offer you 24-960mm and 24-1,008mm respectively which is quite impressive when paired with the fast (for what they are) apertures of f/2.9-f/6.5. These lenses also consist of 17 elements in 12 groups including an aspherical and ED element to help reduce aberrations and improve image quality. These cameras are also no slouch in the speed department with a start up time of 1 second and AF speeds down to .3 seconds. Bursts can also be done up to 10fps at full resolution and ultra-high-speed shooting of up to 60fps (max 60 frames, image size 1280 × 960) and up to 120fps (max 60 frames, image size 640 × 480).
The camera features a 16MP 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor which will produce detailed images even in low light up to ISO 12,800. Along with the 3” 460k dot display the camera will also include an electronic viewfinder with a 200k dots.
A macro mode down to .39” is available as well as full P/A/S/M modes for manual exposure. Surprisingly the cameras will be powered by 4 AA batteries which will only last for about 300 exposures so make sure you stock up on some rechargeables.
The FinePix S-Series will be available March 2013 at the price of $299.95 (S8200) and $309.95 (S8300).
Fuji SL1000
When it comes to these “bridge cameras” I’ve never seen the light but I am warming up to the idea thanks to the SL1000 and its ridiculous optical zoom lens. The number of magnification that Fuji has achieved is 50. That’s an incredible 50x optical zoom (24-1200mm) and when you dare to use the new Intelligent Digital Zoom you can get up to 100x zoom which effectively doubles the maximum optical length (2400mm). The lens includes the previous mentioned optical image stabilization as well as an extreme macro ability down to .39” from the subject. The lens also packs a fast aperture of f/2.9 to f/5.6 when fully extended, it has 17 elements including an aspherical and ED in its small form factor.
The SL1000 uses a 16mp 1/2.3-inch backside illuminated CMOS sensor with the ability to capture bursts of 10fps and single images in low light up to ISO 12,800. Along with manual photo controls the camera can also capture images in RAW as well as JPEG (or both). 1080i video can also be recorded at 60fps with stereo sound. High Speed Movies can be recorded at the following speeds and sizes: 480fps (240 x 180 pixels), 240fps (320 x 240 pixels), 120fps (640 x 480 pixels).
Physically the camera features a hotshoe attachment for an external flash, 3” tilting 920k dot display with the same resolution viewfinder and a programmable Fn button. The battery on this model is a standard rechargeable type which will get you 350 shots.
The FinePix SL1000 will be available March 2013 at the price of $399.95.
Fuji HS50EXR
The HS50EXR is the newest top of the line consumer camera from Fuji and has some features that make it a very compelling choice for those considering a DSLR. To start off the camera has a new 16mp ½” EXR CMOS II sensor which gives faster processing speeds compared to previous models. The sensor combined with a new Intelligent Hybrid Autofocus system that automatically selects between phase detection or contrast in low light for fast optimal focus. The HS50EXR is said by Fuji to have the fastest autofocus in its class thanks to its new technologies.
As it seems to be common in todays announcement this camera also packs a large optical zoom of 42x in the HS50EXR and 30x in the HS35EXR model. Both cameras have optical image stabilization throughout their entire aperture of f/2.9 to f/5.6. The camera can be pushed beyond 42x to 84x with Intelligent Digital Zoom.
Like the previous model the HS50EXR features a 3” 921k variable-angle display and a detailed 920k dot EVF. The EVF is the beginning of a list of professional features more advanced than the previous models. Previous models seemed to only offer 1080i but this one finally offers full progressive HD at 1080 while offering phase detect AF, the ability to plug in an external microphone and focus peaking. All of the cameras before offered the ability to do “advanced filters” but this is the first one to offer Film Simulation Modes which simulate 10 films including Velvia, Provia and Astia. This model also offers a hotshoe, RAW capture and a new battery which will last you 500 shots.
The FinePix HS50EXR and HS35EXR will be available in March 2013 at the price of $549.95 and $399.95 respectively.
Please Support The Phoblographer
We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.