Camera settings unless otherwise specified

Hand Held

Centre focus

Pattern metering

Canon IS on

M mode Fuji

P mode Canon

(Cameras select aperture and shutter speed automatically, but ISO fixed)

Fuji picture expanded by 1.4x to make size comparable.

I'd like to hear your comments.

Please email your comments to hardysgarage@aanet.com.au

Why the F20 versus the a650is?

1.  Because I have them both available.

2.  Both considered class leaders by camera enthusiasts

3.  Both have larger sensors, unlike most compact cameras

Odie,  Fuji F20

What's on this page?

Comparison pictures (LEFT). 

Review (BELOW)

Lets start with Features

Fuji F20 Small, easily pocketable 6 Megapixel 3 x zoom 2.5" screen 1/1.7" size sensor No Image Stabilisation Few manual settings $120-$150 second hand or refurbished Known for excellent low light performanc Now an old model, But older doesn't always mean worse   Canon a650is Much bigger, you need large pockets. 12 Megapixel 6 x zoom 2.5" Flip screen 1/1.7" size sensor Image Stabilisation Many manual settings A newer model than the Fuji $450-$550 new.

Notes on the comparison pictures

They're not the greatest pictures but are intended to show what  results to expect from a normal person using the cameras in a normal way.  The only setting that's been manually fixed is the ISO, and both set to center focus for better comparison.

Pictures have been taken hand held, as you normally would which gives the Canon a clarity advantage due to the effective image stabilisation, especially when zoomed in or with slow shutter shots.  I have done this to show real world results, rather than lab tests mounted still on a tripod.

Which camera is best?

Both are good for different things. 

The Fuji is good for it's size, it can slip into a pocket easily for active people who might take it riding or hiking.  The small size is also good for the social occasion.  I also really like it for indoor shots, the low noise straight from the camera at higher ISO settings is good to have.  I had my friends looking at me strangely recently after taking a photo in a restaurant with no flash, which captured the natural light well.

The Canon is great for most other occasions where size isn't a limiting factor, the image stabilisation really helps get clear shots, and the face detect is good for people pics, especially when outdoors, and 6x zoom is much better than Fuji's 3x.  The Canon pictures almost always come out clearer, more detailed and better exposed than the Fuji when outdoors.  Indoors it can be hard to choose.  Read on for more.....

Likes and dislikes

Image Stabilisation.

This is almost the first thing I would look for in a camera now.  In many normal shooting conditions it can really make the difference between a clear and blurry shot.  The canon wins here with proper image stabilisation.  The Fiji has a button but all it does is up the ISO setting.

Build and handling

The Fuji feels much more solid and well put together, the Canon is a little plasticy like a kids toy.  The Canon has a nice hand grip, which is good for stability especially when the other hand is holding the flip out screen .  I normally shoot with both hands anyway and still find the Fuji easy to hold steadily.  The screens seem about the same overall.

Menu's

Generally the canon menu's have better access, even though all the options can make it feel a bit cluttered at times.  But hey, if you want the features they have to be somewhere. Sometimes it's nice to have fewer options to think about, like on the F20 and the stuff you would use 90% of the time is still there anyway.  

I think neither is perfect and they could both learn from each other, in my opinion Canon should put all the flash settings together on the down button, instead of having to select another menu if you want things like slow synchro flash.  I also don't really like using a switch to toggle between play and shoot on the Canon, its just not as quick and easy as having a button like on the Fuji.  One quick press of the Fuji shutter and you're out of play mode and ready to shoot again.  On the plus side for the Canon, most shooting settings are quickly available with one press of the centre button which is excellent.

Fuji F20

Image Quality

Outdoors, the Canon.  Indoors I really can't decide.

I'll start with my major Fuji gripe, the purple fringing and overexposure of bright bits!

I actually wonder sometimes if my Fuji has a problem, as the purple haze that emits from shiny objects can be quite bad when set against dark backgrounds.  I've taken flash pictures of saucepans to find they come out looking 'electric' because of the purple streaks!  You'll see some of this in the comparo pics.

In some conditions I find the Fuji overexposes the white or bright areas quite noticeably.  It is a problem all compact digitals have to some point, but I think the a650 gets it right more often than the F20 does.  I need to remember to use the exposure compensation button in some contrasty conditions.  Neither camera is any where near as good as my Nikon Film SLR for good exposure in these conditions, but thats just an advantage of film. 

One of the great features that helps with exposure on the Canon is the flashing display and histogram that can be used during review.  It quickly lets you know if your picture has blown highlights, so works well on bright days.  An example of one situation is that my white dog can look like a white blob instead of a fury dog when the picture is overexposed.

The Canon pictures often seem more contrasty than the Fuji, which gives them a bit more punch.  The amount of contrast can be changed to some extent with the in camera settings.

Outdoors the Canon a650 excels when it comes to detailed crisp photo's.  On many outdoor photo's you wouldn't actually tell the difference between each camera if you're a 'normal' person just looking through the pictures, even when blown up to about A4 size on a 22" screen.  But give them more than a glance or zoom in a bit and you'll start to notice the crisper and more detailed and better exposed pictures from the A650.  The image stabilisation of the Canon also helps here in slightly dimmer conditions to keep the lens still for fuzz free photo's.

Colours                   Yes us Aussies spell it with a 'u'.

I am not an expert on colours, but I think that the Fuji tends to have more natural even and accurate colours most of the time.  There are some conditions though, such as with clouds that I think they come out a bit blue, possibly due to the purple fringing thing, which makes the Canon better in those conditions.  Overall, I guess they're about the same.

Indoors

The Fuji can be great indoors.  The pictures straight out of the camera even with high ISO settings of 400 or 800 can be good.  I am quite happy to go up to 400, and 800 if I have to.  The Canon can also provide good out of the camera pics but are noisier (grainier), and I tend to stick to lower ISO settings, 200 or 400 and let the image stabilisation do it's job.  Some working with a computer can improve the noise significantly for the Canon with programs like Noise Ninja or Neat Image, but I'm trying to consider the average user here, not so much the enthusiast.  So long as the Fuji is kept still enough to not make blury shots, it should normally take the more pleasant shot indoors.  See the comparo pics to add some substance to these comments.

I really do not have a preference yet indoors, I would need to do more shooting to decide.  I guess I am leaning towards the Fuji, but only because the picture is generally less grainy straight from the camera, although probably with slightly less detail.  But I'm not normally after a great deal of detail with indoor shots anyway. 

Features

Well the Canon has manual Aperture, Shutter speed and focus settings that the Fuji doesn't, unless of course you get the F30 or 31fd which also has these (except manual focus).  In reality I don't uses these often for every day shots anyway.  The a650 flip screen can be handy, but adds to the bulk.  The playback features such as the histogram, flashing overexposure,  and focus check of the Canon are really good and give the Canon a plus.  A Canon feature I've started to use now is the red eye removal, it's easy to remove red eyes without a computer and gives bad red eye photo's a whole new look.  Overall the features are much more versatile on the Canon.  But we're not really comparing apples with apples so I won't say any more.  I think they both have some clever bits of their own.

File size

Using both cameras on max resolutions gave the following sizes for the same outdoor shot:

The interesting thing I noticed here, is that the 2.3 meg 'Normal' Canon photo has more clarity and detail when zoomed in than the larger 3.2 meg Fuji 'Fine' photo.  I assume it must be more efficient to have higher resolution and more compression, than lower resolution with less picture compression.  Still, all photos look the same when printed to normal sizes, or viewed on screens, even my 22" screen.  Differences only become apparent when zoomed.  There is actually little obvious difference between superfine, fine and normal settings on either camera unless  you are looking hard or printing posters.

So for every day photo's the lower settings are fine.

Speed

So Far I haven't noticed any obvious differences.  I have a feeling the canon would focus quicker, but the Fuji seems to zoom and start quicker.  Don't quote me on this, I really don't know, it seems there's only a bee's weeny between them.

Video.

Both seem good.

What would I get next time?

We'll have to wait and see what's available, I normally hold onto things for at least a few years before I get the upgrade bug.  That's why I like to choose wisely in the first place. 

I guess I would lean towards Canon and consider the future Canon G9 equivalent, because of  the G9's slightly smaller size compared to the a650, but would also strongly consider whatever Fuji has to offer.  I know Fuji have image stabilisation now in a camera the size of the F20.  Not sure how much the extra megapixels compromise the noise though.  I would hope that all future cameras will be smaller, and have improved dynamic range - thereby helping with the overexposure problems.  I'd expect better screen resolutions and brightness.  I think the screen graphics could be improved, sometimes the symbols that show up don't mean much, and they both kind of look a bit old fashioned. 

If I could find a camera that takes outdoor pictures as well as the a650, but in a package the size of the Fuji, with the canon range of features, 6x or greater zoom, that has as little noise as the Fuji, but as much detail as the Canon, and was faster with improved dynamic range, then I guess I'd be pretty happy.  But I'll just have to wait a bit longer.

If cost or size are major factors for you, go for the Fuji, otherwise the Canon wins.

Fuji F20

Fuji F20

Fuji F20

Fuji F20