Fujifilm 16MP FinePix F600EXR 15x Zoom Review by CNET US With Rating 3.5/5

The FinePix F600 EXR features a 15x optical zoom, which offers the 35mm equivalent of a 24-360mm lens. With intelligent digital zoom, the F600 EXR's zoom range offers double the telephoto power. Cameras featuring a conventional digital zoom functionality boost sharpness during processing by enhancing the edges of all objects in the frame. However, this also increases noise in unwanted areas of the image, leading to lower quality results. Fujifilm's intelligent digital zoom assesses areas of contrast within an image and applies selective processing to the sections of the image where sharpness can be boosted without lowering image quality. This ensures that digital noise is not increased uniformly across the frame so results are much improved. The camera also features a new EXR Auto mode with a Motion Detection capability, making it better at deciding whether it needs to raise the ISO sensitivity to capture a blur-free shot in a low-light situation. The GPS Landmark Navigator helps you pin-point interesting landmarks around you and shows you where they are in relation to your current location. Additionally, the Fujifilm FinePix F600 EXR offers an enhanced Motion Panorama mode for 360° panoramic images and a continuous shooting mode with frame rates up to 8fps at full resolution. For users preferring to capture video footage, the FinePix F600EXR offers full HD 1080p movie capture with stereo sound and a high speed movie option for freezing fast moving action at up to 320 fps. The F600EXR is listed with a retail price of $350, same as the previous F550EXR model. The FinePix F600EXR is currently selling at around $239. Here's the summary of review by CNET US, giving the camera a rating of 3.5 out of 5:

"As with most compact cameras, photo quality really comes down to expectations and what you plan to do with your photos. In general, the F600EXR's photos are very good and it is capable of taking some excellent shots. However, it may take a lot of adjusting of settings, shooting in raw, or experimenting with its EXR modes to get the best results. If that's not something you're willing to do, this probably isn't a good choice. Its EXR Auto mode is very good as auto-shooting modes go, but even tweaking that mode's settings can get you better shots. The biggest issues with its photo quality are noise and sharpness. Even at ISO 200 photos look soft and there is visible noise when photos are viewed at full size. As ISO sensitivity increases you'll see more noise, but moreover, photos start to look a little like paintings. Now, if you're not going to do enlarging or heavy cropping, this won't matter much. Its colors are very good right up to ISO 800, too--natural and bright--and because of its dynamic range capabilities, you can somewhat avoid the extreme highlight blowouts typical of small-sensor point-and-shoots. The lens has very good center sharpness, but gets much softer out to the sides and in the corners. Fujifilm keeps barrel and pincushion distortion under control as well as fringing. Shoot in raw and you can see the corrections it makes when processing JPEGs in camera. 

Video quality is on par with a basic HD pocket video camera; good enough for Web use and nondiscriminating TV viewing. Panning the camera will create judder that's typical of the video from most compact cameras. The zoom lens does function while recording, but in quiet scenes you will hear its movement and if you have the camera set for continuous autofocus you may hear it focusing, too. Along with settings for full HD and 720p at 30 frames per second, the F600EXR can record at up to 320fps for slow motion clips, though the resolution is pretty bad at 320x112 pixels. The Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR is a nice compact megazoom and I liked shooting with it. However, you'll have to be willing to really dig into its features and settings to get the the best results."

The battery kills it, Jon - Apr 30 2013
This would be a nice camera except for the horrible battery performance. The battery seems to drain even if the camera isn't in use, so that when you bring it along to a special occasion and haven't used it in a month, it can die within half an hour of use. It's too bad because the picture quality, focus speed, and delay between pictures are all very good....

Nice travel camera, C. Wayne Cornell - Apr 15 2013
In 2007 we went on a European tour and I took a Nikon D100 DSLR and a couple of lenses. Got decent images but hated hauling the gear around--especially through airport security. In 2008 we went to China. I had upgraded to the Nikon D300. I got great pictures but it was even heavier than the D100 and taking it up the side of the mountain at the Great Wall wasn't a lot of fun. In 2011...

Goog choice, Tiger - Apr 08 2013
I was looking for a camera with acceptable price. And I am very satisfied with my choice. Pictures are very natural. The camera is light enough. I love it....

Excellent camera, Zelia Montteiro "Zelia New Yorker" - Feb 24 2013
I bought to give to somebody who knows the camera and wanted one. She is loving the camera. Good very good...