Fujifilm FinePix E550 – A Forgotten Gem from the Golden Age of Digicams

This little beast came out in the mid-2000s, and honestly it rules. In this video I dig into what makes this compact such a fun and surprisingly capable shooter. Spoiler: it’s got a CCD sensor that punches way above its weight and some retro quirks that make it a blast to use today.

The E550 rocks a 6.3MP Super CCD HR sensor, which was Fuji’s way of squeezing more detail and dynamic range out of a relatively modest resolution. The 4x zoom lens (32.5–130mm equivalent) has decent sharpness, and the fact that it runs on AA batteries means it's perfect for tossing in your bag without worrying about charging cables or proprietary batteries.

By far the coolest feature, it shoots in RAW! Yup, this little point-and-shoot gives you full manual control and RAW files—something that’s still rare even in some modern compacts. It's got a mode dial with full PASM options (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual), which makes it feel more like a baby DSLR than a basic digital camera. Plus, it starts up fast, has almost no shutter lag, and gives you that classic CCD color rendering that’s hard to replicate today.

Whether you're a fellow camera nerd / vintage digital collector, or just someone who misses the satisfying click of a real shutter button, the E550 is worth checking out. Hit the link to watch the full breakdown—and if you like this kind of gear, poke around the blog or swing by the store.