Fuji has been upgrading the long zoom family every 6 months like clockwork. The F550EXR (with F500 and F505 variants) were a truly massive upgrade on the F300EXR and those that came before. The new CMOS EXR sensor at 16mp and many new and improved features from bracketing to video made those cameras very interesting. Quality control hampered their acceptance on the major forums, but they still remain excellent cameras, especially when shot in RAW.
So along comes this new pair of cameras. Comparing them to each other yields exactly two differences:
- The 605 has the landmark navigator, while the 600 does not
- The 605 is a tiny bit taller, no doubt to make room for the improved GPS functionality
They are otherwise identical.
How do they compare to the F550EXR?
Well, there is a new black rubberized body as an option. And there is … landmark navigator I suppose. Otherwise, this is as minor a refresh as I have ever seen. The F200 –> F70 brought a nicer body and much longer lens, and unfortunately dropped the larger sensor. The F70 –> F80 brought an orientation sensor (!) and an extra megapixel, which hurt high ISO performance a bit. The F80 –> F300 brought the longer reach and nicer body with pop up flash. The F300 –> F550 brought a raft of changes and allowed the flash to be stowed when not in use.
This transition seems to bring … nothing.
More when I know …
p.s. There is a minor error in the DPReview announcement. They list 720p @ 60hz as a video mode, but that mode does not appear in their main page for the cam, not does it appear on Fuji’s pages.
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