Manual Controls
There are a number of manual controls available to the user of the Fujifilm FinePix E550, but not all of them are easy to access or quickly defined. The user can control manual focus, ISO, white balance, exposure, metering, shutter speed, sharpness, and flash level. Some of these controls are only partially controllable, and all but the ISO are accessible through the regular menu located in the four-way controller.
Focus
Auto Focus (7.5)
Automatic focus on the FinePix E550 is rendered very quickly and gives the user the opportunity to both swiftly view and record focused images. There are several different Auto Focus settings available on the camera. When the user sets the camera to Manual, Aperture, Shutter, and Programmed auto modes, he or she can alter the focus settings of the camera. The settings in the subsection are AF Area, AF Multi, and AF Center. AF Center focuses the camera in the center of the frame within the onscreen brackets. AF Multi allows the user to focus the camera on a contrasting subject outside the center of the frame and will display the frame over the focused subject. With AF Area, the user can place the frame within the LCD screen as desired using the four-way controller. None of these effects are visible through the viewfinder window. With the continuous auto focus setting, the camera will constantly adjust to user movement, depleting power from the battery all the while.
Manual Focus (2.5)
The pseudo-manual focus on this Fuji is accessible through the Focus sub-menu. When engaged, the user must press the EV +/- button on the back of the camera, while using the wide angle and telephoto zoom controls to adjust focus settings. The focus adjustment on this camera is smooth and efficient, and is better suited for slower shots, as it does take a fair amount of finesse to settle the focus properly. In general, I don't understand why point-and-shoot manufacturers are intent on providing a manual focus feature, which like the small, novelty viewfinders are just made to augment the features description on the box. Bottom line is that any photographer who values manual focus deserves a focus ring. Fumbling with +/- controls will generally be too tedious and cumbersome to make it worth the user's time. It seems as though the effort would be more useful if directed towards improving the camera's autofocus or towards including a true manual focus feature such as a focus ring on a slim, compact frame; otherwise, why waste the time?
Metering (6.5)
The metering control on the Fuji FinePix E550 is found within the Photometry submenu. (It’s an appropriate term, but one bound to confuse many users of the E550.) The camera has an overall Average setting, Spot metering, and Multi modes. Multi mode registers the light in several areas throughout the frame, while Spot allows for specific and articulated light metering, enabling the user to select specific portions of the frame to expose for.
Exposure (7.0)
Exposure control settings are controllable through three different modes on the Fujifilm FinePix E550, which are Programmed auto, Shutter-priority auto, and Aperture-priority auto modes. The exposure compensation setting is not available in the Manual mode; there is no good explanation for this. The user can engage the EV button to the left of the LCD screen and press the left or right arrows to display the — or + engagement of this setting. Thirteen steps are available between -2 and +2 EV, in 1/3 EV increments.
White Balance (8.0)
The white balance settings are found in the regular menu on the FinePix E550. However, unlike many of the controls, they aren’t labeled with clear descriptive words or numbers, instead reverting to a symbolic system of representation. Unfortunately, the icons aren’t intuitive and take some explanation from the manual, but once decoded they allow for preset settings of Auto, Custom, Outdoors, Shade, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, and Incandescent Lighting. While most competing models will employ basically the same preset options as the FinePix E550, the key distinction here is the custom white balance setting. This feature is essential to digital photography, in terms of both accurate portrayal of the scene as well as offering creative freedom that is unique to the digital and video realms. The E550 is one of the few cameras within this price category to offer the custom white balance setting.
ISO (8.0)
For some reason, the ISO settings for the Fujifilm FinePix E550 are located in the “F” menu. The user can choose from settings of Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, and 800. This is an expansive array of setting for a sub-$300 point-and-shoot model, offering settings both below ISO 100 and beyond ISO 400. While the ISO 800 rating is only offered at reduced quality (up to 3 MP quality,) it still provides added flexibility to the shooter. The E550 provides a wide a range of sensitivity options available within this price bracket.
Shutter Speed (6.0)
Shutter Speed is controllable on the Fujifilm FinePix E550 and accessible through the Shutter-priority auto setting as well as in full Manual mode. By pressing the up and down arrows on the four-way controller, the user can dictate shutter speeds ranging between 3 seconds and 1/1000th of a second. The range offered on the E550 is not too expansive, although it does provide enough shooting flexibility for the user to stop motion as well as extend the duration of the shutter to add illumination or capture the often aesthetically-sought motion blur.
Aperture (7.0)
Aperture, like shutter speed, is customizable on the Fujifilm FinePix E550, and is engaged by turning the Mode Dial on the top of the camera body to the Aperture-priority auto or full Manual modes. To alter the F-stop settings, the user can use the arrows to toggle within the f/2.8 to f/8 range, offered in 1/3 EV increments for the Wide Angle lens, and f/5.6 to f/8 in 1/3 EV increments when in the Telephoto setting. This range will allow the point-and-shoot user the opportunity to expand their depth of field in full wide angle mode with the f/8 setting, as well as narrow the planes of depth within the frame to create a flat telephoto appearance that also acts as another means for the user to control focus and the viewer's focus within the frame.
