Fujifilm FinePix E550

-Excellent resolution for sub-$300 point-and-shoot -Fast start-up and recording speeds
-Large and well-spaced LCD screen
-Manual control features are easily accessed through menu with live-time background
-1/1.7-inch, 6.3 MP CCD at a reasonable price

-Zoom lens barrel blocks lower left corner of viewfinder
-Flash is low quality and easily broken
-Undersized four-way controller
-Thick frame contradicts overall design

Conclusion
The Fujifilm FinePix E550 has a 1/1.7-inch, 6.3 MP CCD, a large 2.0-inch LCD screen, and manual control over white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, focus, aperture, shutter speed, light metering settings, and flash. It captures video in two ratios at 30 fps, and still images in five resolutions. The controls and the main LCD Menu are logical and simple to navigate. However, the camera only has four scene modes; this, when paired with the numerous manual controls, appears to place this camera into a gray area within the general point-and-shoot grouping.

The camera has the potential to be a great choice, with its sizable CCD contrasted with online prices as low as US $287.95. The manual controls are great; they’re simple to set up and initiate. The LCD screen is large and easy to view, and the overall body and style of the camera is laid out for maximum efficiency. There are, however, several flaws in design throughout the body of this camera. The zoom lens barrel blocks the window of the real-image optical viewfinder, making its already low accuracy rating of around 77 percent even lower. Secondly, the mechanism on the flash feels like a loose baby tooth; flimsy and ready to fall out. Thirdly, the port cover on this camera is, when not in use, completely detached from the camera body. However, everything comes at a price and the positive attributes of the FinePix E550 strongly outweigh the few design imperfections. For the price, the expansive array of manual control options, strong resolution capabilities, and rapid speeds of the Fuji FinePix E550 creates a new class among sub-$300 cameras and ensures the camera will be accessible to many consumers this holiday season.