Fujifilm Finepix F660EXR review

Videos are recorded at 1080p and 30fps, but when we compared clips of the same scene taken with rival cameras, the Fujifilm’s clips were closer to 720p than other 1080p-capable cameras in terms of detail. Autofocus was quick to respond, but it was temperamental, sometimes losing sharp focus when the subject was relatively static. The soundtrack was a little muffled and picked up whirrs from the zoom motor.

The 8-megapixel EXR mode helps to deliver low noise while maintaining reasonably crisp details in low light – it’s the best we’ve seen from a pocket ultra-zoom camera – click to enlarge

The F660EXR fared much better in our photo tests. Telephoto shots were consistently good and often excellent, but it excelled in low light. Its 8-megapixel photos at ISO 1600 were incredibly clean and sharp, surpassing those of the superb Canon PowerShot SX260 HS and even the F770EXR, which is surprising because they use the same sensor. The difference was subtle but consistent across our tests. However, one area where it failed to shine was wide-angle and medium focal-length shots, where detail levels were a little below average. Even so, it wasn’t far behind the leaders.

The 15x zoom range is relatively modest but the F660EXR resolves plenty of fine detail in telephoto shots – click to enlarge

There are cheaper pocket-sized ultra-zoom cameras, but of those that excel for image quality, the F660EXR is by far the least expensive. It’s a fast performer too, but its quirky controls let it down slightly. If taking photos in low light is more important than video capture, this is the camera to buy.