Fujifilm FinePix F · announced July 2007
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd: the 12-megapixel follow-up to the low-light favourite
We found no other regional name for it; Fujifilm USA's press release and Imaging Resource use the F50fd name.12
In July 2007 Fujifilm doubled the F31fd's resolution, added image stabilisation and a better face detection system, with low light as the question mark. Reviewers praised the design, face detection and stabilisation, but the sensor at ISO 400 and above was the main complaint, and they did not agree about how bad it was or about the speed and flash.
- Launched
- July 2007
- Sensor
- 12 MP CCD
- Lens
- 35–105 mm, 3×
- Card
- xD-Picture Card, SD, SDHC
- Battery
- NP-50
Fujifilm FinePix F50fd specs: sensor, lens, battery, memory card and cable
The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd is a 12 MP CCD compact camera with a 35–105 mm (35 mm equivalent) 3× zoom lens, launched in July 2007 at $299.95. It runs on the NP-50 battery. Sources
- Sensor
- CCD, 1/1.6", 12 MP source
- Lens
- 35–105 mm equivalent, 3× zoom source
- Memory card
- xD-Picture Card, SD, SDHC source
- Battery
- NP-50 source
- USB / A/V cable
- See our Fujifilm cable page
Meet the camera
It is a small compact, about 92.5 by 59.2 by 22.9 millimetres and 155 grams without battery and card.4 PhotographyBLOG called it a sculpted departure from the boxy F31fd, in a two-tone champagne and black finish that looked and felt more expensive than it was.3 Imaging Resource called the styling smooth and rounded, but found it lacked a good gripping surface and often used two hands and the wrist strap.5 There is no viewfinder; the 2.7-inch screen, with about 230,000 dots, does all the framing.34
Fujifilm USA announced it on 26 July 2007 at $299.95, for sale from September;12 Imaging Resource's specification table lists availability from 30 September 2007 at the same retail price.6 Imaging Resource said it was one of five cameras Fujifilm announced that day, and that it followed the F10, F30, F31fd and F40fd.2
Why this one was interesting
Twelve megapixels from a big chip
The F40fd before it had 8 megapixels on the same-size sensor, and Imaging Resource's announcement listed the extras: four more megapixels, a 2.7-inch screen up from 2.5, 25 MB of built-in memory up from 10, a longest shutter speed of 8 seconds instead of 3, and aperture-priority, shutter-priority and "manual" modes.2 In the review, Imaging Resource noted that a 1/1.6-inch sensor is large for a pocket camera, compared with the 1/2.5-inch chips in most digicams of the time.5
Stabilisation, finally
Fujifilm called it Dual Image Stabilization: a sensor that shifts to cancel shake, plus a mode that raises the ISO for faster shutter speeds.25 Imaging Resource said the F-series had ignored mechanical stabilisation for several generations in favour of high ISO, and that this was the first time the two appeared together in an F-series compact.5 PhotographyBLOG added that the camera adjusts ISO by itself only in Auto or Picture Stabilisation mode, and that leaving stabilisation on did not hurt battery life.3
Face Detection 2.0
Fujifilm's press release said the new version finds up to 10 faces, including profiles and faces tilted over a total range of 270 degrees, and removes red-eye automatically, saving both the original and the corrected file.2 PhotographyBLOG found it faster and more accurate than other face detection it had used, and noted it worked on moving subjects and turned heads.3 Imaging Resource also found it handled closed eyes and profiles, but struggled when people stood just inside the minimum focusing distance.5
The earlier cameras in the family are covered in our reviews of the FinePix F30, F31fd and F40fd; the later F100fd and F200EXR are the next steps in the same line.
What was lost
PhotographyBLOG put it bluntly: the F31fd had earned its Highly Recommended award and praise for low-light performance, and the F50fd was no longer that camera.3 Imaging Resource's list of cons began with a big dip in high-ISO performance against the F31fd, and also named slow operation and a battery that did not match its predecessor's.5 Imaging Resource's announcement text said the camera offered only 256-zone multi metering, without the F40fd's centre and spot options, but its own spec table in the same article lists Multi, Spot and Average, so the sources conflict.2
The dark: its weak point
PhotographyBLOG saw no noise at ISO 100, some already at 200 in shadows, a big drop at 400 as the camera blurred detail to hide noise, a smudgy mess at 800 and an "impressionist painting" at 1600; it called only ISO 100 to 400 usable.3 Imaging Resource found noise acceptable at low ISOs, pronounced at 400, much worse at 800 and sandpaper-like by 1600, yet its table of pros says ISO 400 prints well at 8 by 10 inches and ISO 1600 gives usable 4 by 6 prints.5 What Digital Camera was kinder, saying noise stayed well controlled up to ISO 800.7 PhotographyBLOG explained its view of the cause: the jump from 6 to 12 megapixels, which it called the cost of the megapixel war.3
Real photographs taken with this camera. The sensitivity shown is recorded in each file's own EXIF data; ISO 6400 is only available at 3 megapixels or lower.4
Like that look? See recent eBay sold listings for this camera ↗
On eBay right now
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The little wins
Portrait Enhancer
New in this model: Imaging Resource said it applies extra noise reduction to detected faces, softening skin, and judged it a successful quick fix.5
A stabiliser that works
PhotographyBLOG found the difference noticeable and said it made the camera stand out from its competitors.3 Imaging Resource got sharp pictures at 1/20 second, and sometimes 1/15, at full telephoto and one-handed.5
Controls that make sense
PhotographyBLOG judged the new mode dial and a more responsive push-pull zoom lever clear improvements on the F31fd, with a straightforward menu system.3
How it drew the picture
PhotographyBLOG rated image quality 3.5 out of 5 and called the 12 megapixel files sharp enough out of the camera, with chromatic aberration only in high-contrast areas near the edges.3 Imaging Resource disagreed on that point, finding chromatic aberration high at wide angle, and measured barrel distortion of 0.5 percent at the wide end.5 Imaging Resource found colour neutral with slightly low saturation, and the highlights in its snowy test scene completely blown out, while What Digital Camera praised sharpness into the corners and few image issues.57 Imaging Resource saw blurring from noise suppression even in ISO 100 shots, and listed lost fine detail in low-contrast areas among its cons.5
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Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.
Where it let you down
The "manual" mode is not manual: both PhotographyBLOG and Imaging Resource found that it sets aperture or shutter for you and only frees other settings.35 PhotographyBLOG also missed a histogram, a RAW mode and a landscape infinity setting, and said the camera has no manual focus mode.3 Imaging Resource's specification table lists manual focus as supported, so the two sources disagree.6 Speed is where the two full reviews differ most: PhotographyBLOG called start-up very quick at around 0.75 seconds to be ready to shoot,3 while Imaging Resource's lab timed 2.8 seconds to the first shot (the two measure slightly different things), 3.07 seconds between full-size shots and a full-autofocus shutter lag of 0.60 seconds at wide angle, 0.63 at telephoto and about 0.02 prefocused.56 Burst shooting is 2 frames per second for three shots in PhotographyBLOG's account, or about 0.34 frames per second for over 20 in Imaging Resource's longer mode, with a 3-megapixel high-speed mode of about 5 frames per second.35 The flash split them too: PhotographyBLOG said it worked well indoors with good exposure and noted vignetting at wide angle, while Imaging Resource called it underpowered, found indoor shots underexposed and saw the lens block the flash in macro.35 Imaging Resource also found the screen washes out when tilted vertically, and saw an occasional purple streak in live view with a bright light overhead.5
What the reviewers said
| Outlet | Date | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| PhotographyBLOG | 25 Oct 2007 | Design 4.5, features 4.5, ease of use 4.5, image quality 3.5, value 4 out of 5. "A frustrating beast"; still recommended as an all-round package, but look elsewhere if image quality comes first.3 |
| Imaging Resource | 20 Mar 2008 | 4.5 out of 5 and a Dave's Pick for point-and-shooters who mainly photograph people, despite high-ISO noise, slow operation and a weak flash.5 |
| What Digital Camera | Archive page dated 31 Oct 2014 | A high-spec, quality compact with fast autofocus and few image issues; a bit slow between shots. The page shows no numeric score.7 |
Only PhotographyBLOG and Imaging Resource are full test reviews. The What Digital Camera page is short, and its original publication date is not shown. We did not find a usable DPReview or other full review of this model.
The timeline
- 26 July 2007Fujifilm announces the F50fd at $299.95.12
- 30 September 2007Imaging Resource lists it as available.6
- 25 October 2007PhotographyBLOG publishes its review.3
- 20 March 2008Imaging Resource publishes its review.5
Should you buy one now?
Buy one if you want a pocketable CCD compact for people pictures in decent light, with stabilisation and a face detection system that earned praise, and you can accept soft high-ISO results. It launched at $299.95;16 what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:
- The name. Search the FinePix F50fd.12 Do not mix it up with the F40fd (8 megapixels) or the F31fd (6 megapixels).23
- The battery. It uses an NP-50;54 a fresh one is on Amazon ↗. Imaging Resource said to carry a spare on long outings.5
- The card. It takes xD-Picture Cards from 16 MB to 2 GB and SD or SDHC cards.4 See our memory card guide; Imaging Resource advised at least 1 GB for the 12-megapixel files.5
- The screen. Look for scratches. Imaging Resource also saw an occasional purple streak in live view with a bright light overhead, which did not show up in the captured pictures.5
- The lens. Check that it extends and retracts cleanly and the glass is free of scratches.
If you are wondering why cameras like this are being hunted down again, we tell that story once, in Pictures that never left the card.
See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NP-50 battery ↗
Sources
- PhotographyBLOG, Fujifilm F50fd announcement by Mark Goldstein, with Fujifilm USA's press release (26 Jul 2007)
- Imaging Resource, Fuji announces FinePix F50fd by Mike Tomkins, with Fujifilm's press release (26 Jul 2007)
- PhotographyBLOG, Fujifilm FinePix F50fd review by Mark Goldstein (25 Oct 2007)
- PhotographyBLOG, Fujifilm FinePix F50fd review, specifications page (25 Oct 2007)
- Imaging Resource, Fujifilm FinePix F50fd review by Alex Burack (20 Mar 2008)
- Imaging Resource, Fujifilm FinePix F50fd specification table (retail price $299.95, available 30 Sep 2007)
- What Digital Camera, Fujifilm FinePix F50fd review (archive page dated 31 Oct 2014; original date not shown)
Sample photographs are credited under each one, via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.