Test driving the Fuji F550EXR camera

Fuji F550EXR

About a year after I started blogging, my friend Michelle suggested I start a weekly wish column, so I did. My intention was to highlight products I liked (sort of like Bargainista’s version of Oprah’s Favourite Things) and shower some link love on brands doing cool things in the social media space. Weekly wish was never really meant as a call out for brands to shower me with free gifts but one such brand, Fuji, showed they were listening and the next day decided to offer me a camera. For three years, I used that Fuji FinePixZ10 religiously. It took amazing photographs for a digital point and shoot but I’d been ogling DSLR cameras from my photoblogger friends for those times when I’ve wanted to try a bit more advanced photography.

A few months ago, Katie Noble at MS&L asked if I’d like to test drive a Fuji camera while vacationing over the summer. I jumped at the chance. I had the choice of three models and selected the Fuji F550EXR because I liked the combination of its compact size and DSLR features. I’m not sure I took advantage of all it had to offer but it took excellent pictures and when we visited Vermont, otherwise known as The Green Mountain State, the panoramic feature was amazing – even if spinning in circles made me dizzy. ;)

And more pics...

Flowers left at the top of the hill after the hurricane. 

A cowboy and his horse in Stowe

View from the mountain top.

Here’s the blurb Katie sent me about the F550EXR:
“The F550EXR is fully equipped to give you the best photos in low light or split-second action scenes. With High Speed Shooting at 11fps, the unique EXR-CMOS Sensor Technology and 15X Super Wide Angle Optical Zoom, this camera gives you unprecedented performance to capture clear subjects and vivid backgrounds. And Fujifilm’s latest GPS technology automatically geo-tags your photos and identifies over half a million locations.”

With an MSRP: $349.99, I think the F550EXR is a pretty sweet deal but would be sweetened with the addition of a travel case. (Thanks Fuji!) Don’t ask what I carried it around in while visiting Nova Scotia, Vermont and Montreal. ;) Hint: It wasn’t this large spy suitcase thing accompanying it when it arrived at my house.

I felt like a secret agent for a minute.