Plain Jane Looks, Clark Kent Performance

This camera might look Plain Jane, but it’s really Clark Kent. Beneath its unassuming exterior lie a bevy of options that make the E550 an ideal choice for the intermediate-to-advanced shutterbug.

The E550 uses Fuji’s fourth-generation Super CCD image sensor, which has a native resolution of 6.3MP (2848x2136). This renders the camera capable of making prints as large as 11x14 inches. The “Super” comes from Fuji’s proprietary in-camera interpolation function, which effectively increases the megapixel count to a whopping 12.3 (4048x3040). In-camera interpolation results in less image noise at higher ISO settings and in less-than-ideal lighting situations.

Unfortunately, you’re forced to shoot at the storage-consuming 12.3 Fine setting (interpolated raw-image mode) to get the camera’s highest-quality images—at an XD storage-consumption rate of 13MB per shot! Normal and Fine settings for the 12.3MP image size are offered, but Normal’s the only choice for all other sizes and resolutions. This really isn’t a huge deal, because image quality is still superb at the Normal 6MP setting. Still, considering the generous amount of control you have over the camera’s other features, this rigidity is a notable aberration.

Programmed auto, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, and manual-exposure modes are available at the turn of a dial, as are manual, multi-weighted, spot, and center-weighted focus options. (Limited burst-mode options are included as well.) The bright, sharp, and colorful 2-inch LCD also lets you shift the area of focus manually, or you can select continuous auto-focus to track a moving subject. The E550 is the only one of the three cameras here to offer an 800 ISO setting (in addition to 100, 200, and 400).

The E550 is also the only camera here to come with rechargeable AA batteries—carry a spare set of regular AAs and you’ll avoid being left high and dry if you lose power in the field. The trade-off is a body that’s the bulkiest of the group—you won’t be cramming this camera in your jeans pocket. We also didn’t like the awkward flush-mounted controls and the twitchy zoom. And, like the Fujifilm S5100 we reviewed in March, the E550 uses only XD memory cards.

The E550 offers one of the strongest bang-for-the-buck ratios we’ve seen.
—Steve Klett

+ FAT TIRE ALE: Lots of advanced and manual control options; good digital zoom; excellent image quality.
- BUDWEISER: Can only select image quality at highest resolution; bulky design.

Month Reviewed: May 2005
Verdict: 9
URL: www.fujifilm.com

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