Fujifilm intros ISO 12,800 pocket cam, more
updated 08:00 am EST, Wed February 4, 2009
Fujifilm F200EXR and F150
Fujifilm today had its turn at pre-PMA expo launches with three compact cameras, including one it says is the most flexible ever. The FinePix F200EXR's 12-megapixel sensor is adjustable in a special EXR mode that lets users either opt for the full resolution or else step down to 6 megapixels for difficult conditions: it can either switch to a high-sensitivity mode for low light or a wide dynamic range mode to bring out detail in shadows or bright lights. A second drop down, to 3 megapixels, will let the camera shoot as high as ISO 12,800 in extreme conditions where flash isn't an option.
The camera brings a 28-140mm, 5X zoom lens with hardware stabilization and has improved software features over earlier cameras, including better face detection that captures off-angle heads as well as presets that recreate well-known film stock like Provia or Velvia. Recording of images or 640x480 videos is sent to either SDHC or xD cards.
In more conventional launches, the A150 and A100 are both starter cameras with 10-megapixel sensors, 3X zoom lenses and up to ISO 1,600 sensitivity; the A150's advantage is a larger 3-inch preview LCD versus the 2.7-inch LCD of the A100. They both run on AA batteries and use 52MB of internal memory plus SDHC cards for storage.
Fujifilm hasn't provided release dates or pricing beyond promising a US release.
A150 and A100




Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
scary
Yeah, right, ISO 12,800 with a sensor probably as big as my thumbnail. I wonder if you'll be able to make out anything in the resulting pictures, besides the noise.