The Fujifilm Finepix F50fd is a solid performer in its price-range and intended audience. Not for the professional photographer looking for total control over the entire photographic process, but then again at the price that should not be expected. It provides solid performance for novices and amateur photographer looking for more than point-and-shoot. It incorporates several functions from higher end SLR digital cameras, but it's easy to use interface allows for the novice to take quality pictures with little effort. For a compact camera at its price level it provides good performance at high sensitivities and they have incorporated a image stabilization feature that is a solid performer providing high light sensitivity and a CCD shift stabilizer system. For the price, size and performance it is among the tops in its class.

I've now played with my F50FD for about a week. It's very easy to use, and I'm happy with it overall- it will serve me well as a extremely portable grab-n-go camera. (It fits in my jeans pocket *with* my cell phone and keys. It's very thin!)

The user interface is clean, easy to use, with helpful on-screen reminders that manage not to get in the way. Other pluses: the battery charger is travel-friendly (no cord), and there's no lens cap to lose. Autofocus performance is quite good-- hugely better than my previous Optio 555.

But my expectations were high, and it hasn't met them all. As we all feared, image quality above ISO400 is a disappointment. ISO800 is marginally useful, but at higher resolutions, the distinctive "oil painting"-style artifacts caused by their noise reduction algorithm become increasingly significant. At ISO1600+, your photo may be 12MP, but the effect of the noise reduction is that there's probably only about 1MP of actual information in the photo. I would much prefer that Fuji allow us to save photos in RAW format, so that we could use better noise reduction algorithms ourselves. The higher ISO modes should be viewed as a novelty.

Flash performance is mixed: red-eye hasn't been as bad as I feared, but the flash seems a bit weak. On sunny days, I could not coax the camera to adequately fill in the shadows on a subject's face from a distance of about 7'. On the other hand, the camera seems to be able to reduce the flash power as needed, making it usable at close ranges without burning out the subject.

The image stabilizer was of course a big draw, and there's definitely some improvement with it. There are no miracles here, but it's good for an f-stop or two.

Other nits: movie mode disables the zoom (grr!), and I cannot imagine a use for the IR transfer feature.

Overall, it's a fine camera and I'm happy with it. It didn't live up to all my expectations, but this camera had a lot of (perhaps unrealistic) buzz to live up to.

I must say that I was very negative about this camera when it was just announced. Why? I've got one word for you - Megapixels! I realize that for a regular consumer the more megapixels in a camera, means better picture quality. But if you know even just a little more about the digital technology and how it works, then you know that the above statement is nothing but simply a myth. The more megapixels on the same size sensor only means that you can blow up the picture that you've taken to a larger size. But what good does it do for you if the picture quality is actually worse?! By "worse" I mean that there is more digital noise present in photographs at higher ISO's. Several months ago I actually considered getting an F30, and the only reason I didn't was because it uses the stupid, and very slow xD card format. I have waited for Fuji to fix this "mistake" and implement the somewhat standard nowadays SD format, but they didn't with F31fd. Then shortly thereafter came F40fd, and I almost wet my pants out of excitement when I found out that Fuji finally did include the support of SD, in addition to xD format. They did of course increase the number of megapixels from 6 to 8, but they also put a larger sensor in it, so that was actually not a bad thing. However, I was extremely disappointed when I found out that not only the picture quality slightly decreased for some reason (judging by the samples that I've seen), but also Fuji decided to eliminate the manual controls (shutter and aperture priorities) from it as well. Why, for crying out loud?! So my quest for the "perfect" compact digital camera continued, and I ended up with Panasonic LX2, which I'm still very happy with. However, since I've decided to replace my wife's Casio S770, and always wanted to have something better for low-light situations, I kept my eyes open on Fuji's line of F-cameras, which are considered to be the best in its class for that type of photography, mainly due to the Super CCD sensor that they use. And from what I've seen in the past, I wasn't very surprised when I heard the announcement of a new F50fd camera soon. I was expecting more megapixels, but I was still a bit upset to see a jump to 12MP. Believe me, unless you're printing poster size pictures, 6MP is more than enough! So my expectations of the camera were very low, despite the fact that Fuji kept the support of SD card format, and even brought back the manual controls! I was waiting for some samples/reviews to show up on the web, but up until now haven't seen any, probably due to the fact that the camera hasn't been sold anywhere yet (Amazon lists October 1st as a shipping date). So imagine my surprise when I saw it at a local Best Buy store this afternoon. I happened to have my SD card with me, so in it went into the camera, and half an hour later (I didn't have more time as I was on my lunch break) I came out of the store having a card with a bunch of samples. After I came back to work, I loaded the sample images from the card onto my computer, and all I could say was WOW! Even at large magnifications, the pictures still maintained a good amount of clarity and detail. I was really amazed. I'll break it down to Pros and Cons again for the ease of use:

PROS:
Ergonomics - Very well designed and solidly built. I don't think I would add and/or subtract anything from it. The form, the lines, the button layout were certainly very well thought of by Fuji engineers, so the camera is easy and pleasant to use.

Display - The LCD is big and bright. It's got the same number of pixels as previous models, but it's slightly larger, 2.7" vs. 2.5", and it's a welcome upgrade.

Image Stabilization - YES!!! Finally, Fuji decided to implement this very important feature in this model. It really helps if your hands are a little shaky, and/or when shooting in dim light.

Picture Quality - As I already mentioned, I didn't expect this to be the case, but the picture quality is actually very, very good. I was really surprised to see an output like that from a tiny compact digital camera, especially considering the amount of megapixels that they've managed to squeeze into such a small sensor. The colors were very natural, the pictures looked very sharp all throughout, properly exposed, with good amount of detail, even when enlarged at 100%. Hats off to Fuji! However, if you are expecting to see less noise at higher ISO's comparing to F30/F31fd models, you will be disappointed - it's actually noisier. But no doubt that those who approach it with lower expectations will be delighted.

CONS:
Wide Angle - I'd love to see the lens that starts at more than just 35mm. I think it's very much doable, and wouldn't require a lot of effort on Fuji's side. Why didn't they do it? I don't know. But it sure would be nice to take beautiful panoramic shots with this camera.

Zoom - 3x Optical Zoom just doesn't cut it these days. We need more!

Menus - Perhaps I just got spoiled with Casio's controls and navigation menus, but some of the ones that I've seen on this Fuji just didn't seem very logical to me. It's probably just a matter of preference and getting used to though, since I've never owned a Fuji camera before.

Megapixels - Yes, the picture quality is excellent. I could only imagine though how much better it would be if this was only a 6MP camera! Too bad, but I understand why they did it - market demands.

SUMMARY:
To summarize, I'm going to repeat myself here, but I didn't expect much of this camera when it was announced. However, after I got a chance to evaluate it, I must say that my opinion has changed dramatically. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the picture quality that this camera is capable of producing is on par, and even better than most of the top point and shoots out there, and in competent hands will produce stunning results. However, I'd recommend to wait for some professional reviews, as well as compare samples so you can judge for yourself prior to making a purchasing decision.

I have not purchased the F50fd. Given my love for the F30, I was tempted to buy this without waiting for more reviews to come in. I'm going to resist the temptation given the early reviews reporting higher noise levels at even ISO400. If so, I'm really disappointed at Fuji for forgetting what made them so highly regarded in the first place with the F30 -- class-leading low noise pictures in low light and going with the 12MP crap. Alternatively, request to Fuji: please just refresh and continue selling the F30 with its 6MP SuperCCD and maybe update it with SDHC, OIS and (if not too much to ask) 28mm wide angle.

If the 12MP F50fd just takes good pictures without the superb low-noise at higher ISO and low-light performance, then there's no compelling reason to choose it over Canon, Panasonic or Sony (all getting better at low-light shots).

The image quality is poor, even at low ISO. The picture to picture time is too slow. The macro mode is bad. The auto-focus is weak. The interface is confusing. It's very difficult to take semi-long exposure pictures (if you set it to a low ISO, it simply takes a very dark picture instead of using a longer exposure). My older Canon seems better in every way, unfortunately.

I bought this product from Best Buy and returned back in 2 weeks. Over and over I tried every mode and light conditions and unfortunately I couldn't get a very good picture in low ISO settings (100,200). I've had several point and shoot Canon's (powershots) and the only reason I wanted to buy this camera was the good reviews about F31,F40 and their low light performance which is a big weakness in Canon's. Yes for sure it delivers much much better pictures in higher ISO settings, 400,800,1600 then any Canon Powershot machines but unfortunately the noise in low ISO settings is simply unbearable. I wish I searched the internet earlier to see that it's a known issue with some Fujifilm cameras, it happens because of the noise cancellation technology and it leves digital artifacts on the picture. I'm not a pro nor prosumer but I know a good picture when I look at, eventhough the build of the camera and everything seems very good the low ISO performance is not good at all, so I guess I'll need to stick with my Canon's for a while.So let's hope either Fujifilm solves this problem or Canon or someone else comes with better performering point and shoot cameras in low light settings.

This camera arrived a few days ago. I expected at least a decent camera, but what I got was a camera that can't even produce images at any iso that aren't completely speckled. I've taken about 50 pictures with it trying to find some redeeming quality. If it was only mostly bad I would keep it, but it's all bad. I have one word for this camera: HORRIBLE
I've had 2 powershots and 1 hp camera. They were all excellent compared to this camera. I would suggest trying this camera out at a local retailer before buying it as restocking fees apply where I bought this camera. I'll be replacing this camera with another powershot.

The Fuji Finpix 12mp camera is fantastic. It has a large screen with sharp crisp images. Easy download and a smart camera too. It is just good old fashion Fantastic!

Any camera can take good shots outdoors. But I have never been able to get the quality I need for indoor, still life photography. I'm an online seller. I have a busy web site. More than that, I want to improve the quality of my photos so I can write a book. I have a background in desktop publishing so I know what the photos need to be like. And my Sony has not delivered.

My Sony DSC H5 is a very respectable camera, but I was not getting the quality I needed from my home studio. I bought this Fujifilm camera specifically for indoor shots under a homemade light tent. I'm not a Pro but I do have an artistic eye and I know what I want. After 9 years of using Digital cameras (good ones!) I am really VERY happy with what this Fujifilm Finepix F50FD is able to do for me.

I don't need 12 megapixels very often. I don't need low ISO. I usually shoot 3 or 6 megapixels, at 400 ISO, and exposure of 2/3 or 1, and white balance on auto. No flash. My pictures are sharp with accurate color. Very little or no adjustments required. I'm thrilled.

Now, nothing stands in the way of getting the photos I want for the projects I need to do.

The negative reviews were true. I'm a low light level nut, so I had to buy the FD50. Alas, in manual mode ISO 6400 in an ordinary livingroom I found that any table lamp in the picture darkenned everything else out to near black. On my computer, adjusting the gamma could not bring back the dark areas. There was just nothing there. My Kodak .25 megapixel camera from 8 or 9 years ago did better.

The ad I saw said 12 megapixels. The manual says 12 "effective" megapixels. I agree with the review that said this looked like 1 megapixel. This is just an opinion. Fuji please don't sue me.

The optical image stabilization combined with digital image stablization worked perfectly.

The F50 outside case and controls are a thing of beauty.

I had an F30. The F30 worked great. I sold it on eBay.

Let me start out by saying, I'm very picky on the way my photos look. Probably more picky than I should be. Recently, I have purchased the Canon SD850 and SD900, as well as the Sony DSC-T100. All three cameras were extremely disappointing and got returned after one week. My previous camera was a cheap little 3 megapixel Fuji. I wanted something newer and faster, but after side by side comparisons of photo quality, the three cameras I purchased could not compare to my six year old clunker. I decided to keep my old camera and watch for new models.

Now, onto this camera. Wow. I can't say enough about it. The pictures are beautiful, even in low light. I'm not sure where the bad reviews are coming from...from picture number one to the pictures I took tonight, they have turned out very perfectly (except for a few of my errors every now and again).

I initially held out on Fuji because of the lack of the optical viewfinder and the slow XD card format. So far, I haven't found lack of the optical viewfinder to be an issue for me. Beginning with the F40 (which I didn't want because of bad reviews and it doesn't have the manual controls), Fuji now supports SD and XD formats alike.

I have an active two year old son, so the speed of the camera matters to me. The Fuji F50SE (or F50FD, they are the same) gives me just what I wanted. I'm using a 2GB Sandisk SDHC card and the writing speed is super quick (comparable to all of the other major competition).

The manual controls were a big selling point to me, but I also wanted a camera that would perform well as just a point and shoot. Once again, on full auto mode, the pictures come out great.

As far as the interface, I have had no problems just picking up and using the camera. Maybe it is because I have owned a Fuji before, but I really don't think so. A lot has changed in 6 years (as I hope it would), but the features and menus are very easily accessed. I really like the fact that with the press of one of two buttons, you can turn on and off the face detection and image stabilization. To review the pictures, there is a playback button on the back of the camera (much easier than a wheel) and to get out of playback mode, you press the shutter down halfway. Very handy and intuitive.

Face detection on this camera works about as well as the Canons. It doesn't always lock on to faces, but that is to be expected. 2 times out of 10 it won't recognize a face. Not a big deal. When it does, it will snap the shot and immediately thereafter show you a close up of the eyes and will remove any red eye that it finds. This has worked flawlessly for me so far. With the Canons, you have to review the picture and then go into a separate menu to correct for the red eye (or just do it in a photo editor), but I found this to be painfully slow and most of my shots ended up keeping the red eye. With the Fuji, this is a two second automatic process (when you have face detection on).

Battery life seems to be about average for this type of camera/battery. As with all of the major manufacturers, the batteries are proprietary and I would recommend getting a second battery for backup.

The features can just go on and on. The two main things I wanted in a camera were photo quality and speed. Isn't that what everyone wants? I never realized how hard it was going to be to find. Now that I've been playing with this camera, I keep finding little things that make me smile and thank Fuji for a job well done.

All in all, I would recommend this camera to anyone and everyone. Most Best Buy stores have them in stock, so you can go play with the floor model before you buy. I'm extremely pleased with my purchase and hope that my year long camera ordeal will help others to not have to go through the same.

Any camera can take good shots outdoors. But I have never been able to get the quality I need for indoor photography. I'm an online seller. I have a busy web site. More than that, I want to improve the quality of my photos so I can write a book. I have a background in desktop publishing so I know what the photos need to be like. And my Sony DSC H5 has not delivered.

My Sony is a very respectable camera, but I was not getting the quality I needed from my home studio. I bought this Fujifilm camera specifically for indoor shots under a homemade light tent. I'm not a Pro but I do have an artistic eye and I know what I want. After 9 years of using Digital cameras (good ones!) I am really VERY happy with what this Fujifilm Finepix F50FD is able to do for me.

I don't need 12 megapixels very often, if ever. I usually shoot with 3 megapixels, at 400 AUTO ISO, and exposure of 2/3 or 1, and white balance on auto. No flash. My pictures are sharp with accurate color. Very little or no adjustments required. I'm thrilled.

The camera is especially intuitive when it comes to adjusting the white balance. The best I've ever seen, it amazes me how good the white balance is. Which is critical with indoor lighting.

Now, nothing stands in the way of getting the photos I want for the projects I need to do.

I needed another battery and a 2gb SD card right away. If you plan to use the camera much, might as well buy them along with the camera. Battery life is about the same or a little better than any other camera, but the tiny little wafer sized battery sure is cute. The camera is very small, too. I'm amazed that such a good camera comes in such a small package.

I originally had the Fujifilm F10, which I liked for the long battery life and ISO 1600 capability. I bought this product in spite of the 12MP, not because of it; who needs the extra pixels, they presumably reduce battery life and quality? The rated battery life is a bit tight at 230 shots per charge (vs 500 shots for the F10). So I cannot travel with abandon as before without the charger because sometimes I end up in the 300-350 shots per trip range. But the 230 shots will allow me to go all day without worrying about the battery.

I like the double photo with/wo flash feature.

I did some testing at ISO 100-200. I rate the photo quality as "high", but then I'm a snapshotter, not a National Geographic photographer.

I did some testing at ISO 6400. The quality certainly degrades, and because of this, I wouldn't rely on high ISO as a crutch for situations where a tripod cannot be used. However it allows me to get some very nice low light shots without flash that would be completely impossible otherwise. I can proceed in a much darker environment than the ISO 1600 I previously used on the F10.

The legendary Fuji Finepix F31fd made huge waves in compact/ultra compact digital camera market since it was announced. It got 5 stars rating on all reputable DP review web sites: DPreview.com, DCRP.com, Cnet, consumersearch.com, digitalcamerainfo.com, digitalphotographyblog, you name it. Today, it costs you $590 to $730 for a new/used one if you still can find it on Amazon or eBay. I have been waiting for its successor, F50fd. After long waiting, I finally got one from Amazon on Oct 6, 2007 although there were a lots of mixed comments on F50fd. I decided to test it by myself. Here are my findings:

PROs
1. super resolution (12 mpix)
2. i-flash does help to improve accurate exposure
3. great aperture and shutter priority manual controls make serious shooter's dream come true.
4. effective red-eye remove feature
5. very accurate light metering
6. with reliable face detection combined with accurate light metering even beginners make great people/portrait shots.
7. very attractive price. Packing up so many fancy features together in a ultra-compact body, Canon product probably will charge you $400-450.
8. Double image stabilizers.

CONs
1. noticeable noise level starting with low ISO 200. Noise is skyrocketing after ISO 200. Comparing with F40fd I owned, the 8 mp brother does much better in noise reduction. F50fd definitely is not a good low light performer.
2. Slow response: starting the very first shot, from shot to shot, saving image, starting displaying images. I can live with this if everything else with F50fd could up or close to F31fd.
3. yellow/brownish tint on most low light flash shots. I suspected it was cause by inaccurate 'auto white balance'.
4. image colors are not impressive comparing with Fuji's first rated compact cameras and most similar Canon product.

In current 12 mp ultra-compact camera hot racing, reduction of high noise is a tough challenge facing all manufacturers: Canon, Fujifilm, Pentax, Casio, olympus.....So far no winner yet. More research on noise reduction and data transferring speed is needed

I returned my F50fd to Amazon after 2 weeks testing. Here are some thoughts on my mind. Fujifilm should get out '12 mp hot racing' and cool down. Return to basics. First, reopen F31fd model product line. Starting from there, develop a new 8 mp model with all attractive/reliable features/functions on F30fd.

I would recommend a sound review for those who are interested in purchasing Fuji F50fd:
http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Fuji-FinePix-F50fd-Digital-Camera-Review-16019.htm
The review is based on scientific/quantitative procedures.

I have owned an Olympus Stylus 600 (which i love, too). The Fuji is awesome. The ability to shoot at 1600 ISO in automatic is great. You can bump it up to 3200 in other shooting modes. The display is bright even in full sunlight. Color rendition is right on.

I recently had a bad experience with a "competitive" merchant, which I purchased the Fuji F50fd from. I opted to buy the camera locally, expressly so if there was a problem with the unit, it can be exchanged or serviced on the spot. I thought I got a defective unit, but the merchant in its own "inspection" decided the camera was OK, and the service people there opted to breach the "customer is always right" protocol, in telling me I'd be charged a "restocking fee" because I sought to exchange a "perfectly good" unit.

I was so miffed at the service dept. in the store, I opted for the full refund instead. The restocking fee was exactly the same, and I didn't want to deal with this merchant anymore. (I don't know if the problem was chain policy or the individuals at that particular store. Hence I'll reserve disclosing the name of the chain. Any further details is beyond the scope of the review.)

I probably would not have posted a review for this camera, and would have likely purchased another F50fd (at Amazon.com), had it not been for what I found out what "dual" really implied for the new model's "dual image stabilization". It isn't what a lot of people think. The second part of the "dual" is *not* optical image stabilization.

There is one real "positive" with this camera. In looking at sample images on the web, I realized that the "higher noise levels than expected" were due to the F50fd applying less "internal noise reduction" to the images..... The images are somewhat closer to "raw" than other cameras of its class. (This is why I've shied away from the Canon models, which tend to overdo the internal noise reduction.) The resultant resolution, provided the auto focus actually "locks on" properly, is stunning for a compact.

The problem with my particular unit (which made me think it was defective) was the inability to get clear shots without some concerted effort. I thought my unit had excessive vertical "blue noise streaks" at higher ISOs (not the same as the vertical purple streaks from bright light), which may have compromised the "auto focus", picture brightness, and color saturation. The camera had a hard time "locking focus" on the intended objects. The excessive noise also made the camera "think" there was more light than actually present, and under both high and low light conditions, the images were "darkened" and colors were "faded" relative to the demo camera in the store. And due to the questionable decision by the merchant and subsequent refund, I will not have the opportunity to verify the alleged defect by trying an alternative unit.

After returning the camera for a refund, I opted to try something else (a Nikon Coolpix S700), because the F50fd's "dual image stabilization" is still the lesser software-based "picture stabilization", similar to Fuji's previous models, not the true "optical stabilization" that's present on the Nikon S700 and the Canon SD950IS. (I have the "jitters" and "IS" is a big deal for me.) For when light levels were low, it became disabled. Real optical image stabilization does not have such restriction.

The rating is conditional. If I had a defective unit and exchanged it for a good one, I would have likely given this camera four stars. Provided the auto-focus problem was also because of the noise defect. But this camera does *not* have true optical image stabilization that some here may have thought, and better you be informed about it here than finding out after purchase.

This is a great point and shoot digital camera, very easy and friendly to use and the features are amazing, also it is extremely versatile since you can use two types of media (SD and XD) so it makes easy to find additional storage media everywhere. It has a good lasting battery and the quality of the pictures is incredible.
In addition, the double shoot feature, with and without the flash, is excellent when you are in low light situation and allows you to decide, in a single moment, which of the takes looks better.

To sum up I recommend this camera to everyone looking for a high quality easy to use device.

I bought this for taking pictures behind the sceans at our Shrine Circus. I have to be careful not to spook the animals. It also allows me to use natural light to get no posed shots of kids having fun. The stabelity control allows me to ge non blured action shots. Takes pictures as good and any of the big camerias - but easy to carry.
Popular Science pick this as the best new cameriaa this year!

Got the camera a month ago for my wife. She is very happy with it-- extemely user friendly and takes great pictures. I was suprised by the quality of the video feature--better than I expected.
Overall great buy.

Arthur Schopenhauer once wrote: "Truth goes through 3 stages: First it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as self-evident truth."

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
- Francois Voltaire

UNLIKE YOUR AA BATTERIES, THE PROPRIETARY BATTERY MUST BE RECHARGED EVERY NIGHT OR YOU WILL END UP WITH .....A DEAD CAMERA!


What you'll read below is more than merely my opinion. What you'll read are factual statements about this camera.


This camera has no wide angle lens, no optical viewfinder and it uses a proprietary expensive and hard to find battery. A better choice is The Nikon Coolpix P50 which costs about $30 LESS!

So, why give it one star, you ask? I give it one star because, for me, I would NOT buy this camera in preference to the Nikon P50. Because I would not buy this camera, for me it only rates one star. That does not say that it is a "bad" camera regarding its picture taking capabilities. You may love the camera and if it was the only camera on the market I might also. But, for me and possibly for you, The Nikon P50 is a better choice, in my opinion. If you wanna see some photos I took with the Nikon P50 email: boland7214@aol

Regarding the proprietary battery as compared with AA batteries, when you are out on safari in Africa living in a thatched hut or tent and your proprietary battery runs out of power, do you want to be running all over the jungle at night in a fruitless attempt to find a battery at a local "sari-sari" store while you hear lions and hei-enas roaring and sounding off all around you? With the Nikon P50, you can easily carry enough AA batteries with you on your trip so you won't have to risk your life searching for the proprietary battery all over the jungle on those cold nights with wild animals searching for YOU! Got it? :o)

So, you ask, "who needs a 28mm lens?" You do! Most people concern themselves with how LONG is their telephoto lens. But, most people who "know" know that it is the WIDE ANGLE lens that is most important---most of the "best shots" are made with a WIDE ANGLE lens. For example, you're in Europe and you are trying to "get a shot" of that Cathedral of Notre Dame over there. You NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the California Poppy Fields and you want to get the expanse of the golden-yellow poppy flowers with the huge blue sky filled with white clouds above---you need a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are sitting at thanksgiving dinner and you want to take a photo from the foot of the table with everyone sitting on the left and right---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the garden of the California Mission and you want to take a photo of the ENTIRE garden surrounded by the mission walls---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. It's Christmas day and you want a photo of the ENTIRE GROUP of visitors in front of the Christmas Tree---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. This is where the 28mm lens (or 23mm on this camera) comes in! So, you NEED THIS CAMERA! Otherwise you'll be cutting off heads and leaving Aunt Sylvia out of the "Christmas Group Photo" this year---and she'll disinherit you and you'll live a life of poverty and misery everafter! :o) If you agree or disagree or know of ANY other digital point and shoot camera that has a WIDE ANGLE lens please write, Email:boland7214@aol.

PS: There is also a Canon SD800 which has a wide angle lens and an optical viewfinder. I like that one also. But the "killer" for me on that one is the proprietary battery necessary to operate the Canon SD800 over the use of AA batteries used in The Nikon P50 that are very cheap and you can find in almost any store in the world.

PPS: Why do you need an optical viewfinder when you have an LCD screen? The simple reason is that the LCD's SOMETIMES get "washed out" in bright sunlight. And, another reason, I think, is that the optical viewfinder is "faster to use" under "pressure circumstances" like when you want to "grab" that smile on your kids face. Why not have both is my opinion. If you disagree fine, but two ways to view and take photos seems better than one. It's just common sense. (Plus, some people are "far sighted" and have difficulty clearly viewing a small LCD screen a few inches from their eyes.)

One more reason having an optical viewfinder is a good feature is that: If you don't have an optical viewfinder you'll have to use the LCD Screen ALL the time....thus using up more precious battery power--but with an optical viewfinder you can turn the LCD off and conserve battery power so you won't run out of electricity to power the camera.

I am very pleased with all the features of this camera (most of which I still have not used). For the price, I think it is totally worth it. Point and shoot is totally the only kind of camera I can use.

I purchased this camera to replace a three year old 5MP Sony Cybershot. The 12MP, stabilization, red-eye removal, and face recognition were big pluses for the Fuji F50fd, and the multitude of various settings you could manually control was very appealing. It didn't measure up - my three year old camera beats it!

When I got the camera, I tried it out at my in-laws on Thanksgiving. The light was moderate - not very bright, but certainly not dark. I tried many different settings - full auto, indoors, manual, etc. There were posed shots and impromptu. I also took some video. 80% of the photos were very disappointing.

First off, the "face detection" worked only in bright lighting - the moderate lighting of my in-laws living room (overhead and lamps) was not enough to enable its use. The red-eye removal was very spotty - sometimes it worked and sometimes not. Now let's move on to the real disappointments...

The picture quality was terrible. Most of the photos came out incredibly grainy, almost like tiny pebbles that were used in a mosaic of my loved ones. Not only that, they were dark and sometimes out of focus. And the image stabilization touted simply did not work very well. I had blurry shots, even in posed photos. This is from a line of cameras that are famous for being great low-light cameras!

Less important, the video was very grainy and pixilated. It was a little better than the Sony I have now, but not by much. I expected more from something much newer than what I had.

Look, I bought this camera having seen the other bad reviews out there, but I figured they were blowing it out of proportions, and not only that, but the camera got good reviews from a lot of people and a lot of reputable websites (CNet, for one). But I was wrong - this was a terrible camera. I'm now back with my Sony (the pictures look better than the Fuji's) until I can find a camera that beats it.

It's a very good camera.
12Mp, Fd function, small size and cheap prize. I love it sooooooo much!

The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.

I am an amateur enthusiast who owns an Olympus 7070, 8080 and Sony R1. I purchased this little camera for my parents who wanted to have a small, pocket-sized camera with image stabilization. I picked the Fuji F50 because it seemed to fit the description... however, I was in for a surprise when I received it!

First of all, I think that this is a beautiful camera. It is very well-built and the design is gorgeous. Very nice indeed. The large LCD screen is wonderful and I love how substantial it feels in my hand despite its small size. It is very different from many similar cameras that feel cheap and plasticky. The F50 has looks and feels expensive.

The menu is not necessarily the most intuitive but it's OK. I love how you can choose from many languages though.

Now, the surprising part - if you are a true casual photographer who just wants a P&S that does everything automatically for you, then this is NOT the camera you want. The automatic mode has a default ISO of 400, which makes the photo rather grainy and noisy. I see why Fuji did it, but IMHO it was a bad decision. I believe that those people who posted rather negative reviews of this camera basically have this problem. I really should have known about this before making this purchase, as my parents probably just wanted something totally automatic... sigh...

However, if you actually start to use its manual settings (yes, it's nice to have manual settings for such a small, compact camera), then you can really get some great images with very little noise indeed! The colors are great and the focus is sharp. Nice white balance too. Unfortunately, for this market segment, I am not sure how many people actually bother to experiment with manual settings...

That's why this is a surprising camera. It is really way more than just a simple, regular P&S camera. In fact, you need to avoid the "auto" mode to get the best images. However, it is really in the automatic P&S category. It probably will be way under-appreciated by many who just wanted an automatic everything P&S camera. Really, it is a very nice camera, you just need to know how to use it properly. This is probably why it has received so many great write-ups by expert reviewers but the casual reviews have been rather less than stellar.

Yes, I made a mistake, I should have bought a much simpler and straight forward P&S for my parents... but it does not alter the fact that this is a great little camera.

I wonder if Fuji can do a software upgrade to change the default setting for the "auto" mode so that the ISO will be set at 100 instead? I surely hope so... in the meantime, I am trying to convince my parents to use more manual control! :-)

First time digital camera owner, fairly user friendly. Takes good, clear pictures, a little sluggish between shots. I would recommend this camera

Apart from the fact that 12 megapixel pictures just produces too big of a file and that the second highest resolution is only 6 megapixels, this camera gives me a "lens control error" half the time I power it up. That is very annoying especially considering that I've only had it for 3 weeks, now...

I typically do not write reviews, but felt compelled to write one on this camera, in hopes that someone from Fuji will read this review. First off, I have owned the Fuji F30 digital camera for over a year and have been very pleased with it's performance, especially the clarity and color of photos in almost all lighting. I logically thought that the F50 would follow in it's footsteps with some improvements made to the body, etc. The body and features of the F50 are great. It's a nice looking camera that is very easy navigate the menu's with, and also ergonomically well designed. However, that's where the improvements end. It's battery life is sub par compared the F30 and it's photos don't come close to the F30's performance in all lighting. Fuji unfortunately became caught up in the Pixel race and sacrificed quality of it's sensor in this camera, that is very evident in photo quality. Even compare to the 6.3 mega pixels photo's of the F30, this camera with 6 or 12 pixel photos could not compete. If you don't own an F30, then it will be difficult for you to understand what high quality Fuji has produced in the past. I unfortunately was so disappointed that I had to return this camera. I'm in hopes that Fuji will learn from this mistake and get back to concentrating on photo

Great little camera...Small, easy to use and has wonderful menu options. High quality photos at a bargain price...Much better product than Cannon small digital cameras.

The camera is cheaply made and poorly supported by Fujifilm. My camera has been at Fujifilm's repair shop longer than the total time I've owned it, I still don't have it back, and I've had to pay for repair work while the camera was under warranty.

After owning this camera for only six weeks, the camera stopped working. Fujifilm USA required the camera to be sent in for repair to their shop in Edison, NJ. After waiting more than *two months* without any word from Fujifilm, I received a computer printout in the mail indicating that I needed to pay $85 for repair work, though the camera was defective and under warranty. They charged me $6 for a part that needed replacement and $70 for labor while the camera was under warranty.

I would strongly discourage anyone from buying this camera.

This camera really takes awesome pictures. I got it to take pictures of my grandson and have taken hundreds already at the zoo, the museum, playing with the dogs and they allways come out perfect. There are some things you just don't want to take a chance on and capturing memories is one of them

easy to use and charging the battery is better than the long cord used with other cameras.

It's ok. The 12Mb I feel is a bit of an overkill
What I like.
* the size
* takes nice photos.

Dont like
* that the default ISO on AUTO is high.
* ISO not changeable on the N mode.
* The battery has to be taken out to be charged.

But overall, I paid USD$200 for it, I think it is exceptional value.

This was a gift to my wife. First time for her to have one and easily learned to use the digital camera. Very sharp pictures for a non-pro.
Thinking of buying one for myself.

I have had the Fuji F50fd for a few months now and I love it! Easy to use. I love the display. I love the burst mode that takes the last or first 12 shots (no flash avail on that mode please note). I even take it with me more often that my other bulky digital camera. And it's fast for poping single shots which is another major reason I got it. Been popping 6MP shots instead of going to 12MP. I think I need major important shots for that huge setting. But I like knowing it's there if I need it for more detail.

I was very excited when I got my camera, as I had previously owned a Fuji F30 (which was stolen... lucky thief!) I thought as the latest camera and with 12MP and improved face detection etc., it should be fantastic...

To be honest, I had read all the reviews and still decided to buy the camera. The face detection works pretty well, most of the time, even in low light conditions, once the subject is close and you do not have to use the zoom on the camera - you get beautiful clear portraits of people, the flower mode is fantastic and the shots in low light conditions are far superior to the F30.

Overall to be honest, I still prefer my F30 - but the F50fd has a much sleeker, more sturdy design, and is a good camera for the price.

The reason I did not give it a 5 star rating was because of the X3 zoom, it's something fuji definitely needs to address, and the 12MP - is really not anymore impressive than the 6MP I had on my F30. But I have no regrets whatsoever!

After considering Canon, Sony, Nikon I purchased the F50fd because of it's larger sensor and low light capabilities. I have not been disappointed. When used side by side with a Canon SD600 the Fuji performs much better in low light. The best results seem to be obtained when using it at 6MP resolution rather than 12 MP in low light. In normal light all resolutions are sharp. The flash could be better but it is comparable to other Ultra-Compact cameras. I would certainly recommend it especially for the price.

I purchased Fuji F50 with a 2GB XD card. I used the camera non stop during my 3 weeks of vacation. The camera is small enough to fit in your pocket. The battery life was excellent; The charger works fast and without hassel although I think it would have been better to make it a plug in charger intead of pulling the battery out and fit it in the charger unit!
Picture quality is great, movie mode is excellent. I used it to make a movie in a high speed motorcycle and it came out absolutely beautiful.
I have recommended this Fuji F50 to all my family and relatives.

Pros: 12 MP is great for zooming and zooming and not losing clarity. It is small and easy to use. Video with sound is very clear.
Cons: the display is the only viewfinder, difficult to see if you got the shot during bright sunlight.
Overall a great little 12 mp camera. I really enjoy it. I would highly recommend it to anyone beginner or advanced. The best image stabilization product I have used so far.

So far we are pleased with the camera. We had to get a ndw memory card for it, but now it is working fine.

I bought this camera because some older hands at photography were raving about it. I am in my late 50's and these guys are late 60's and still shooting a lot. Duh - I actually paid $30 more from a NYC camera shop than what Amazon is selling this gem for.

What I like are is the idea that I CAN go to 12 megapixels for a shot if I want to. Normally I capture at 6 megapixels on it.

I really like the pocket-size of the camera.

But my favorite feature is "the magic f button" to set the camera to emulate Fuji color film tones.

This is truly a pocket camera - so think about buying a hard shell case to loop around your belt as an accessory. Also look for buys in 2GB SD cards.
I use them instead of the xD cards.

I currently shoot with my Leica D Lux 3 (wunderbar but anemic flash), a Canon G7 for live theatre shots and now the Fuji for quick grab shots. I also intend to carry the Fuji in my bike bag in it's little hard shell case.

I am very happy with the Finepix f50 fd!

I was recently on a vacation in St. John USVI and was shooting with a Nikon D70 which was good for landscape and setup pictures.
It was not, however, suited for spontaneous group pictures, lowel-level light situations, and couldn't make movies. My son had a Fuji Finepix F50fdFujifilm Finepix F50fd 12MP Digital Camera with 3 x Optical Image Stabilization that shot fantastic pictures in all these formats.
When I got home I bought one and can't believe the capability from such a small camera. This week I took it to a baseball game and, sitting in the top tier, I shot a movie segment that was very good, sound and all. The 2.7 inch window is very sharp, even in bright sunlight -- much better than my Nikon.
It also produces very high resolution pictures that can be easily edited to produce sharp prints up to 8x10 inches. I take it everywhere just to try every occasion. It has all the built-in scenes that you can set for the type of picture you're taking, like most cameras but, in addition, it has two "N" settings, one that takes two pictures of the same shot -- one with flash and the other without flash so you can select either, or both shots.
The other "N" setting flattens a low-light scene without flash that normally could not be taken without producing that flash burst in the picture. In this mode the lighting from the camera produces a consistent level of light across the entire scene.
Another pleasant experience is the user guide. It is excellent! I wrote computer technical manuals for years and can tell you that it couldn't be better.
That's it! I'm still learning to use all the capabilities of this great camera.
jes

I received this camera in the mail today (fantastic quick shipping BTW) and immediately charged and use it.

The Fujufilm Finepix F50fd takes excellent pictures. Focus, image detail, color depth/accuracy, and egonomics are excellent.

HOWEVER, whoever decided on the battery and charging method for this camera hasn't ever actually used a personal digital camera. The battery is sorely small for this camera and doesn't last more than 100 or so pictures at max detail. When compared to the F10 which would take around 500 pictures, one is disappointed.

Additionally, you cannot charge the battery in the camera. You must carry around a separate, small (easily misplaced) charger or ignore the battery and plug the camera in when downloading pictures.

This is actually my third Fujifilm. The first one I had dropped and it wedged one side of the lens in so I kept getting a zoom error. This one I had the same thing happen to. I am very careful to make sure I have the string around my wrist. However with this new one that I haven't had for 2 months yet, I went to hand it to someone and the lens was already opened. It was dropped and also wedged on one side of the lens. I get the zoom error and of course can't take any pics at this time. Overall the cameras are great and I have taken make pics with them. I just wish there was a little more durablity as far as if they were to get accidently dropped with the lens open. I love how FAST it is at taking pictures, the quality of pics, and the different options it provides. Just wish it was more durable is all.