theSimpleTooth: Doctor's Blog

One of the big compromises of smaller (non-SLR) cameras is high noise, that grainy colored appearance in the shadows of your photos. Small cameras mean small sensors, small pixels, less light on each smaller pixel, more amplification, and thus more image noise.

Fuji's (discontinued) F30 and F31 cameras were compact cameras that had the sensor quality of an SLR in the size of a bar of hand soap. I snapped up one, and today they go for a healthy premium on eBay. "Only" six megapixels, but the images are so clean, you could easily mistake them for my full size camera.

After succumbing to megapixel peer pressure, Fuji followed up the F31 with the mediocre F50 and F100 cameras.

I'm encouraged to hear that Fuji came up with a technology that marries market-friendly megapixels of the F100 with the smooth noise free creaminess of the F31. It's called Super CCD EXR, and I can't wait to try it out. If they can get out all the kinks, expect a camera _base_d on this sensor by Christmas 2009 or sooner.