FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO: Shigetaka Komori) is proud to announce the launch of the FinePix F600 EXR — a model that defines new picture-taking possibilities for a compact camera. Despite being no bigger than the F550 EXR it supersedes, the FinePix F600 EXR boasts exciting new technologies that improve the user experience and make it the ideal camera for photographers who like to travel, as well as those who simply want high quality results from a camera that fits into a pocket.

The FinePix F600 EXR uses key aspects of the specifications first seen on the F550 EXR, but adds extra functionality. The pioneering 16-megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor now features new EXR Auto with a Motion Detection capability to virtually reduce subject blur in lighting conditions. The built-in GPS functionality adds a Landmark Navigator feature to help photographers pin-point locations, and the 15x wide-angle optical zoom lens now doubles its telephoto power thanks to the new intelligent digital zoom mode. It all stacks up to make the FinePix F600 EXR a dynamic package and one that will set new standards in the premium compact camera market.

Intelligent Digital zoom pulls in the most distant details

The FinePix F600 EXR is no slouch when it comes to zoom capability. The camera features a wide-reaching 15x optical zoom, which offers the 35mm equivalent of a 24-360mm lens. This ensures that users can capture a wide range of images from landscapes through to tightly framed details.

Thanks to the inclusion of intelligent digital zoom, however, the F600 EXR's zoom range offers double the telephoto power. With intelligent digital zoom, even the most distant objects can be turned into frame-filling close-ups, greatly extending the creative uses for the FinePix F600 EXR.

Intelligent digital zoom is an enhanced digital zoom function. Cameras featuring a conventional digital zoom functionality boost sharpness during processing by enhancing the edges of all objects in the frame. However, this also increases noise in unwanted areas of the image, leading to lower quality results. Fujifilm's intelligent digital zoom assesses areas of contrast within an image and applies selective processing to the sections of the image where sharpness can be boosted without lowering image quality. This ensures that digital noise is not increased uniformly across the frame so results are much improved.

Enhanced sensor technology = improved low light pictures

The bespoke ½" 16-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor in the FinePix F600 EXR was first seen in the F550 EXR and combines Back Side Illuminated CMOS (BSI-CMOS) and EXR technologies to deliver superb results across a wide range of lighting conditions. This is possible due to the design of the sensor, which improves light transmission to boost performance, most notably in low light conditions. On the F600 EXR, however, low light results are further improved thanks to the new EXR Auto mode that now offers Motion Detection.

The new function enables the FinePix F600 EXR to tackle motion blur on three fronts with mechanical image stabilization, high ISO sensitivity and the new Motion Detection capability working together. In low light conditions with EXR Auto mode selected, the FinePix F600 EXR will automatically identify if the subject is moving. If it is, the camera deploys Motion Detection and a higher ISO to ensure the subject is captured with reduced blur. If no subject movement is identified, the FinePix F600 EXR will automatically keep the ISO lower and use image stabilization for noise reduction.

This new functionality is in addition to the EXR sensor's unique technology. Leave the operations to the FinePix F600 EXR in EXR Auto and it will select the best option to deliver a great result. But users who prefer to take more control themselves can choose from:

• EXR HR (High Resolution) priority mode where the sensor utilizes every one of its 16 megapixels for the highest quality results.
• EXR DR (Dynamic Range) priority mode where two images are captured and then merged together to produce superb results on high contrast scenes.
• EXR SN (Signal to Noise) priority mode in which pixels are doubled up to increase sensitivity and give better results in low light conditions.

Additionally, thanks to new Motion Detection, available shooting types, come from recognized scenes and automatically optimized EXR modes, have expanded into 99 patterns in EXR AUTO mode.

Landmark Navigator – the next level of GPS

GPS tagging is the latest must-have feature on compact cameras and after introducing the functionality on the FinePix F550 EXR, Fujifilm has taken the technology further with the introduction of a Landmark Navigator on the FinePix F600 EXR.

Imagine you're visiting a city that you've never been to before. You want to be sure of taking in all the famous sites – or simply want to know where they are in relation to your current location. Landmark Navigator enables you to do just that. The FinePix F600 EXR automatically locates places of interest from its on-board database of around one million locations before displaying these points on the camera's LCD, showing their relative position, distance from your current spot and type of location depending on a range of category icons. Users can also add and edit location names.

This exciting new feature is offered in addition to the GPS functionality introduced in the FinePix F550 EXR. This includes Photo Navigation to help users to find their way back to a previously-photographed location and Tracking Data where users can create a route of their travels – along with pictures taken along that route – once they return home using Google Maps*1.

• *1 Installation of “MyFinePix Studio” is required.