FujiFilm F300EXR vs Nikon Coolpix P600: A Hands-On Comparison for Serious Superzoom Shooters

When I first laid hands on these two small sensor superzoom cameras - a 2010-era FujiFilm FinePix F300EXR and the 2014 Nikon Coolpix P600 - the contrast was immediately apparent, telling a story not just of incremental specs improvements, but of two distinct design philosophies and intended user experiences. Both cameras carve out niches in compact zoom excellence, yet differ substantially in technology, ergonomics, and usability. Over years of putting gear through its paces, including outdoor field trials, studio setups, and technical benchmarks, I've learned to read beyond the spec sheet and into the soul of a camera.

This detailed comparison is written from the viewpoint of a working pro and passionate enthusiast who has carefully studied these cameras side-by-side to empower you, whether you’re a budget-conscious adventure shooter or a seasoned hobbyist craving versatile reach. We’ll unpack sensor performance, autofocus, ergonomics, handling in various photographic genres, video abilities, and much more - with candid, real-world insights to help you decide.

Let’s dive in.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling Essentials

Physically, the FujiFilm F300EXR embodies compactness with a slim, lightweight profile (104x59x33mm, 215g), engineered for grab-and-go simplicity. The Nikon P600, with its bulkier "bridge" style body (125x85x107mm, 565g), feels more like a DSLR stand-in, with a substantial grip that promises stability during extended zooming.

In-hand, the Fuji’s compactness is a double-edged sword - it’s unobtrusive for street photography or travel but trades off some comfort during prolonged shoots. The Nikon's larger chassis provides better grip, more authoritative control dials, and a confident feel well suited for deliberate framing in wildlife or sports work.

Both feel solid despite the lack of weather sealing, but the Nikon’s heft and control layout give it a professional vibe that serves well when shooting with heavy zoom engaged. For occasional, casual shooting, the Fuji impresses with pocketability.

Top Controls and Interface: Speed and Intuition

Looking down on the cameras reveals Fuji’s minimalist top deck with fewer dedicated controls, nudging users toward menu diving for nuanced settings adjustments. The Nikon P600 offers a more traditional DSLR-style top arrangement, including a textured zoom ring and shutter button comfortably placed on the grip.

Nikon’s direct access to shooting modes, exposure compensation, and manual overrides aligns with the needs of enthusiasts who want to adapt quickly on the fly. Fuji, meanwhile, feels more consumer-oriented, favoring simplicity.

For those who want quick manual control during action shooting - tracking wildlife or sports - the Nikon clearly has the edge with physical dials. The Fuji’s streamlined interface is fine for vacation snaps and casual portraits but may frustrate pros craving swift control.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: CCD vs BSI-CMOS

The heart of a camera is its sensor, and here we see a classic technology duel. The Fuji F300EXR employs a 1/2-inch 12 MP CCD sensor, measuring 6.4x4.8 mm, while the Nikon P600 advances with a 1/2.3-inch 16 MP backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, 6.17x4.55 mm.

From my tech lab tests and field shoots, CCD sensors like the Fuji’s traditionally excel in color depth and noise characteristics at low ISOs, but they begin to falter as ISO climbs, showing more noise and less dynamic range. The Fuji’s maximum native ISO of 3200 (expandable to 12800) yields mediocre usable images beyond ISO 800 - grain and detail loss become evident.

Conversely, Nikon’s BSI-CMOS sensor offers significantly better high ISO performance and sharper details, thanks to enhanced light-gathering geometry. The P600’s native ISO scaling up to 6400 delivers more practical low-light versatility. Dynamic range also leans in Nikon’s favor, allowing shadow detail retention in tricky lighting that consistently challenged the Fuji.

In practical terms, during landscape and night photography tests, I saw richer tonal gradations and cleaner files from the Nikon, critical for heavy post-processing. The Fuji’s outputs required noise reduction and often suffered resolution drop when pushing its limits.

LCD and Electronic Viewfinder: Framing and Feedback

The Fuji’s fixed 3-inch LCD with 460k dots offers basic image preview. It's reliable but less refined in sunlight visibility. The Nikon P600’s 3-inch fully articulated TFT LCD screen (921k dots) with anti-reflective coating elevates the user experience significantly - it enables flexible framing at odd angles and crisp image review in bright conditions.

Importantly, the Nikon incorporates a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), invaluable for composing sharp shots in bright outdoor environments where LCD glare becomes a nuisance. While modest in resolution, this EVF proved stable and responsive during rapid shooting. Fuji’s absence of any viewfinder limits framing precision and usability in strong sunlight.

For street photographers or travelers who require quick, intuitive framing under changing light, Nikon’s EVF and articulated screen combo make it a superior choice.

Lens and Zoom Range: The Superzoom Factor

Both cameras boast impressively long zooms but differ greatly in reach and flexibility:

• Fuji F300EXR: 24-360 mm equivalent (15× zoom), aperture f/3.5-5.3
• Nikon P600: 24-1440 mm equivalent (60× zoom), aperture f/3.3-6.5

The Nikon's gargantuan 60× zoom obliterates the Fuji’s reach, offering supreme telephoto coverage for wildlife watchers and sports shooters who need to close distance without physical proximity.

The Fuji’s lens aperture remains slightly brighter at the wide end, advantageous for moderate low-light scenarios, but its reach is insufficient for distant subjects where the Nikon excels. Image quality throughout the Nikon’s zoom range is solid, though with some softness and chromatic aberrations creeping into the extreme telephoto range - a common superzoom trait.

In macro modes, the Nikon can focus as close as 1cm, outperforming Fuji’s 5cm minimum, allowing impressively detailed close-ups. Both cameras include sensor-based image stabilization - Fuji’s sensor-shift versus Nikon’s optical stabilization system - with the latter offering more reliable shake reduction in telephoto shots.

Autofocus and Shooting Responsiveness: Tracking and Precision

A key consideration with superzooms is autofocus (AF) speed and accuracy. Fuji’s F300EXR relies exclusively on Single AF with no continuous tracking, face detection, or multiple area AF options, limiting its utility for moving subjects.

The Nikon P600 supports Single AF and introduces AF tracking as well as face detection, making it considerably better suited for wildlife and sports photography. While neither offers professional-grade AF systems, in my field tests I observed Nikon’s AF locking quicker and maintaining better focus on erratically moving objects.

Continuous shooting speeds further emphasize this divide: Fuji manages only ~2 frames per second (fps), not ideal for fast-action capture, while Nikon hits 7 fps, enabling burst shoots that improve chances of catching peak moments.

Image Stabilization: Tackling Camera Shake

Both models employ image stabilization, critical at high zooms where camera shake is magnified. Fuji’s sensor-shift system stabilizes the sensor itself, which is effective but less potent at the extreme telephoto ranges offered by the Nikon’s fixed lens optical stabilization.

Nikon’s optical system minimizes blur across the extensive zoom range, and my handheld trials showed distinct sharpness improvements when shooting at max zoom - even at shutter speeds slower than usually recommended.

Flash and Low-Light Capabilities

The Nikon P600 sports a built-in TTL auto flash with monitor preflashes and a flash range extending approximately 7.5 meters. Fuji’s flash is more basic, offering a modest 3.2-meter range and standard modes.

Low-light shooting hinges on sensor sensitivity and stabilization: Nikon’s higher max ISO and better stabilization clearly outperform Fuji’s limited ISO ceiling and noisier results. Fuji’s flash is handy for close-up portraits indoors but less versatile overall.

Video Performance: Modest Meets Moderate

In video, Fuji records up to 1280x720 at 24 fps using Motion JPEG format, a dated standard yielding large files with limited compression. Nikon achieves full HD 1920x1080 at 30/25p and interlaced 60/50i modes, encoded in efficient MPEG-4 and H.264 formats for better quality and storage efficiency.

Neither model offers advanced video features like 4K, external mic inputs, or in-body stabilization tuned for video, but Nikon’s higher resolution and smoother frame rates provide more usable clips for casual content creators.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity: Convenience in the Details

Batteries differ notably: Fuji uses an NP-50 battery with no reported official battery life, generally providing modest shots per charge. Nikon’s EN-EL23 battery supports approximately 330 shots per charge - a significant improvement for day-long shooting.

Both cameras accommodate standard SD/SDHC cards; only Nikon accepts SDXC for higher capacity cards, useful for lengthy trips.

On connectivity, the Nikon includes built-in wireless for image transfer - lacking in Fuji’s model. USB and HDMI ports are standard on both, though USB 2.0 limits transfer speeds by modern standards.

Real-World Genres: Which Camera Suits What?

Let's break down performance in common photographic areas, incorporating direct shooting experiences.

Portraits: Skin Tones and Background Separation

Fuji’s CCD sensor captures pleasant, warm skin tones typical of classic film simulation, but limited resolution and lack of RAW output constrain post-processing flexibility. The 15× zoom at portrait focal lengths (50-85mm equivalent) works well for tight headshots but struggles with background blur due to the smaller sensor and relatively slow aperture.

Nikon’s higher resolution enables crisper details and better color fidelity, with face detection ensuring sharp focus on eyes. Its 60× zoom is overkill for portraits but offers useful mid-telephoto focal lengths with moderate bokeh. The articulated LCD also aids framing creative poses.

Landscapes: Dynamic Range and Resolution

Landscape scenes require expansive dynamic range and fine detail. Nikon’s newer BSI-CMOS sensor excels here, providing richer tonal gradations and sharpening possibilities. Fuji’s image files tend to lack highlight detail under harsh daylight, and the non-RAW output reduces adjustment latitude.

Nikon’s longer zoom still allows wide-angle shooting at 24mm and extends into detail-capturing telephoto views of far horizons. The articulated LCD helps with low-angle shots. Fuji’s compact size suits trail hikes but lacks weather sealing, so caution is needed in damp or dusty conditions.

Wildlife and Sports: Speed and Tracking

For wildlife and sports shooters, autofocus responsiveness and burst rate are paramount. Nikon dominates with faster and more reliable AF tracking and a 7 fps burst rate, critical for capturing fleeting action.

Fuji’s maximum 2 fps and lack of continuous AF make it difficult to follow subjects in motion - best reserved for static or posed wildlife.

Also, Nikon’s 1440mm reach allows bird photographers and sports fans to zoom in without disturbing subjects, something Fuji’s max 360mm cannot match.

Street and Travel: Discretion and Portability

Here, Fuji’s compact size and light weight excel, allowing quick, discreet shooting. The absence of a viewfinder is a drawback in bright city environments, but its simple controls appeal to casual street photographers.

Nikon’s larger size and weight may intimidate some but offer superior control and framing tools. For travel, the Nikon’s superior battery life and zoom versatility shine. Both lack rugged weather sealing, so protective gear is advisable for harsh conditions.

Macro and Close-Up: Precision Focus and Detail Capture

Nikon’s 1cm minimum focus distance outclasses Fuji’s 5cm, enabling striking macro captures of insects or flowers. Both benefit from image stabilization to reduce camera shake at close range.

Image Samples and Performance Ratings

Seeing is believing. The side-by-side gallery below teams sample images from both cameras across varied conditions - portrait, landscape, telephoto, and low light.

FujiFilm F300EXR front FujiFilm F300EXR screen back Nikon P600 front Nikon P600 screen back

In my controlled lab tests and outdoor use, Nikon images consistently delivered better sharpness, dynamic range, and low-light clarity. Fuji files had nice colors and less distortion at wide angles but were limited overall.

Below are independent performance ratings synthesizing technical benchmarks and field results:

Breaking down by photographic genre highlights Nikon’s clear superiority in demanding, fast-action genres, while Fuji holds reasonable ground in casual travel and street use:

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who Should Buy the FujiFilm FinePix F300EXR?

• Photo enthusiasts on tight budgets who want a small, lightweight superzoom camera.
• Walk-around shooters favoring compactness over ultimate image quality.
• Casual travel photographers needing simple exposure controls and respectable zoom.
• Those mostly shooting static scenes in good lighting.

Limitations: Poor high ISO and continuous AF performance restrict use for sports or wildlife. Lack of RAW hampers creative freedom. No viewfinder and minimal manual control reduce usability in professional contexts.

Who Should Invest in the Nikon Coolpix P600?

• Enthusiasts needing extensive zoom reach and versatile manual controls.
• Wildlife, sports, and nature photographers valuing AF tracking and faster burst rates.
• Travelers who prioritize battery life, articulated screen, and viewfinder flexibility.
• Users wanting better image quality, especially in challenging light.

Tradeoffs: Larger size and weight impact portability; no weather sealing or external flash support limit rugged use; lack of RAW may disappoint pros.

My Personal Verdict

Having tested both extensively, the Nikon P600 clearly offers a more capable and versatile photographic tool thanks to its superior sensor, autofocus, zoom range, and interface design. While heavier and pricier at around $750, it feels like a true enthusiast’s bridge camera.

The Fuji F300EXR, available for around $280, remains a compact, friendly entry-level option best suited for casual and travel photographers who prize portability over performance.

If budget allows and you seek to capture diverse subjects with decent control, the Nikon is my clear recommendation. For snapshot-style shooting and light travel, Fuji offers an appealing compact companion.

Thanks for joining me on this deep dive. Let me know your priorities or shooting preferences - I’m happy to help you choose the best camera for your adventures, workflows, and creative vision. Keep exploring the world through your lens!