Fujifilm FinePix F600 EXR shows you the way with augmented reality GPS
The new Fujifilm FinePix F600 EXR includes a 15x zoom, an EXR sensor for decent pictures in low light, and even GPS that shows you which way to go.
There are three grim inevitabilities about holidays: sunburn, foreigners, and never knowing where anything is. We can't help with the first two, but the new Fujifilm FinePix F600 EXR compact superzoom can take care of the last one.
The F600 includes GPS to tag your snaps with a location which can be plotted on a map of your holibobs, and borrows a technology from the mobile phone: augmented reality. The augmented reality landmark navigator automatically locates places of interest from a built-in database of around 1 million locations, and shows you where they are and how far away they are, right on your camera's 3-inch screen.
Gone are the days of striding purposefully in one direction while trying to conceal from the wife and kids you don't know which way round the map is supposed to be. And once you've found your way to your destination, the F600 includes a 15x zoom, EXR sensor and motion detection for crisper pictures.
The 16-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, first seen in the Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR, combines a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor with EXR triple-filtered technology. Backside illumination has nothing to do with thinking the sun shines out of its CMOS, but rather that the circuitry bits and pieces are on the back of the sensor so more light falls on the front.
And EXR is Fujifilm's solution to grainy pictures in low light, altering the way the sensor handles light depending on lighting conditions. It's rather tasty in cameras such as the FinePix HS20EXR and Z800EXR -- and the F600 adds motion detection.
The new motion-detection feature automatically spots that a subject is moving, and keeps a high shutter speed to freeze the action, coupled with higher ISO to ensure the picture isn't too dark. If there's no movement in your picture and everyone's standing nice and still -- probably grinding their teeth and muttering "cheese", or "sex" if your photographer's a bit ker-razy -- then the camera goes for a lower ISO, keeping a lid on the amount of image noise.
Other features include aperture and shutter-priority, manual control, and raw shooting. Burst mode fires up to 8 frames in a second, and there's a panorama option too. Video is 1080p high definition with stereo sound.
The Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR comes in red, black and white, and goes on sale at the end of October for around £270.