What defines a good digital camera? If you're talking high pixels, big LCD screen, and fast response then the Fujifilm FinePix E550 is just for you. The Fine Pix E550 is the first in Fuji's E series and hopefully not the last. Costing under a hundred dollars, it comes with a ton of awesome features:



?6 megapixel great for any posters

?A big 2 inch display

?4x Optical Zoom and 6.3 X digital zoom

?Designed for both novice and intermediate photographers

?Uses XD cards and AA batteries

The Fujifilm has outdone themselves this time. The E550 has a silver colored case with textured grip and an easy to use pop up flash. With all that, the Fine Pix E550 only weighs 9.2 ounces (4.1 by 2.5 by 1.4 inches). However, the cover for the USB, A/V, and DC-power connections isn't attached to the camera making it an easy item to lose. Probably the best part of the camera is the vibrant 2 inch LCD screen that provides a sharp and accurate preview for your snapshots. Other cameras in this price range can't compete with the FinePIx E550.

The E550 has tons of great features that put it out of its league. It has four modes: Sport, Night, Landscape, and portrait that automatically adjust the ISO setting, flash, and shutter speed all with one click. If you're an expert you will like all the customized settings including the shutter priority, aperture priority, and programmed auto modes for the camera. The FinePix E550 offers an array of great focus options which include: center-weighted spot focus, manual focus, or multiweighted focus. The 4x optical zoom gives you a great range from 32mm to 130mm. With all that even the pickiest shopper would be satisfied.

When I first tried out the camera, I wasn't expecting much due to its cheap price. I was blown off my feet by its amazing speed. The elapsed time from pressing the button to the camera taking the shot is an amazing 1.8 seconds on average. Compare that to the 2.3 seconds on my old Olympus camera that was more expensive. The automatic focus works really well in both bright environments and dim environments. However, it's a little difficult to see your subject when taking pictures in dim places. What's really impressive is the LCD screen. Typically, lower end cameras have inaccurate LCD screens showing only 80% of what's in the real picture. The Fine Pix E550's LCD screen has almost 100% coverage of the real picture, so you don't have to guess or get out the Photoshop to crop.

The big question is can the E550 do all this without making you go through mountains of batteries? In recent test results, using the AA alkaline cells the E550 was able to capture 321 pictures before dying off.

The Fuji FinePix E550 is one of the best cameras in its price range costing under a hundred dollars providing a splendid LCD screen, great features, and an amazing speed, it makes a great gift for any photographer.