Fujifilm unveils FinePix F80EXR

FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the FinePix F80EXR, a sleek, compact digital camera that combines intuitive use with the most advanced features, including Fujifilm’s award-winning EXR technology, available in a point-and-shoot digital camera. Among its many features, the FinePix F80EXR has an impressive Fujinon 10x Wide-Angle optical zoom lens, a 12-MegaPixel Super CCD EXR sensor, a large, 3.0” High-Contrast LCD, Face Recognition, Pet Detection and HD movie capture at 720p.

Encased in a beautifully sculpted metal shell with a double coated lacquer finish and measuring only 22.9 mm thick, the FinePix F80EXR comes in black. The FinePix F80 EXR offers several enhancements over its predecessor, the FinePix F70EXR, and boasts marked improvements over competing long-zoom digital cameras, particularly in the areas of color and design, image quality and capture technology.

“The FinePix F80EXR has the same advanced Fujifilm EXR technology and 10x long-zoom that made the F70EXR so successful,” said David Troy, marketing manager, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, Fujifilm North America Corporation, “and takes it to the next level with even more features, such as HD Movie Capture and Face Recognition, for users to achieve outstanding results in virtually any lighting condition.”

Face Recognition

Now, users can register up to eight (8) faces, along with names, birthdays and categories, and the F80EXR will prioritize focus and exposure right on the faces of those special people. Users can also use Image Search to view images of a registered person. Compared to models from other manufacturers, Fujifilm’s Face Recognition has faster recognition speed, greater number of names displayed, and the ability to recall the most often shot subject.

Super CCD EXR

Long zoom compact cameras, as opposed to standard compact digital cameras, typically use a smaller sensor that is vulnerable to difficult lighting conditions since light has a harder time reaching the CCD sensor. To mitigate this vulnerability, Fujifilm has introduced its award-winning EXR technology into the FinePix F80EXR, allowing for significant improvement in image quality against the competition.

Fujifilm’s EXR technology uses the human eye as the basis for the perfect camera sensor, creating a Super CCD sensor capable of registering excellent levels of detail when switched to its HR (High Resolution) mode. The FinePix F80EXR is also capable of offering excellent quality in low light and superb highlight detail in contrast light when switched to its SN (High Sensitivity and Low Noise) mode and DR (Wide Dynamic Range) modes respectively.

Super Slim 10x Zoom Lens

In conjunction with the Super CCD EXR sensor, the FinePix F80EXR features a Fujinon 10x Wide-Angle optical zoom lens that produces crisp high resolution results throughout the focal range, from 27mm wide-angle to 270mm telephoto. The lens of the FinePix F80EXR features Super EBC Coating that keeps ghosting and flare to minimum to allow for optimal picture quality.

HD Movie Capture

With the ability to capture movies in HD quality – 720p HD – the F80EXR also has a mini HDMI Port, making it quick and easy for users to realize the full benefits of their home theater system and to share all their special moments.

Pet Detection

For those who enjoy the company of four-legged friends, the F80EXR has Pet Detection, allowing users the ability to detect up to 10 faces of dogs or cats and automatically optimize the focus. The F80EXR is programmed to recognize 57% of the Fédération Cyno Logique Internationale (FCI) Registered Dogs, 80% of the Top 20 Dogs in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Ranking and 60% of The Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) breeds1. Pet Detection works by matching various dog or cat data of facial parts with patterns to detect the dog or cat being photographed.

Tracking Auto Focus

The F80EXR also has Tracking Auto Focus, which allows users to track a moving subject automatically for still picture capture.

The FinePix F80EXR also offers these additional features:

• ‘Super Intelligent’ Flash: The FinePix F80EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Gone are the ugly washout shots where the subject is blasted with light and the background dark and unexposed. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.
• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix F80EXR is fitted with Fujifilm’s latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.
• Dual Image Stabilization: Long-zoom cameras need stabilization more than any other compact, with handshake and subject movement a particular problem in low light at telephoto range. The FinePix F80EXR reduces blur to a minimum by deploying Picture Stabilization to automatically increase shutter speeds to freeze action, and CCD Sensor Shift Stabilization to counteract the problems of handshake. By cleverly combining these two, blur is reduced to an absolute minimum.
• 3.0” High-Contrast LCD: The FinePix F80EXR is fitted with a high contrast 230K-pixel 3.0” LCD. The high contrast LCD is a considerable benefit in bright light, and means that the camera can be pitched at various shooting angles to enable framing of awkward shots. The LCD is bright and clear for beautiful rendition of shots in playback.

The FinePix F80EXR will be available in April 2010 at a retail price of $299.95.