The FinePix F700 is one of the first Fujifilm digital cameras to use the new high-dynamic-range Super CCD SR sensor. The camera has a 3.1-megapixel Super CCD SR sensor, which can produce a 6-megapixel image thanks to its innovative layout of paired photodiodes. The FinePix F700 also features a fast start-up time of 1.2 seconds, 3x optical zoom, and VGA resolution movie mode, and includes the PictureCradle docking station.
Optics and Resolution
At the heart of the FinePix F700 lies the fourth-generation Super CCD SR sensor, capable of delivering an amazing 6 million recorded pixels (2,832 x 2,128 pixels) thanks to its unique honeycomb design and advanced signal processing.
The FinePix F700 features a new high-resolution Super EBC Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens (with 2.2x digital zoom) that delivers improved picture sharpness with increased optical resolving power, as well as greatly improved autofocus performance for both static and moving images.
Fourth-Generation Super CCD SR
Fujifilm's Super CCD SR provides a truer representation of the actual subject being photographed, revealing highlight detail and offering a four-fold increase in dynamic range. By using the innovative layout of paired photodiodes, the technology enables confident shooting in both bright and cloudy conditions. It also combats the bleached-out effect created by flash photography and increases exposure latitude, a great advantage in difficult lighting conditions.
Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on XD memory cards; a 16 MB card is included. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB storage-class connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the FinePix F700 is capable of recording VGA resolution videos (640 x 480) with sound at 30 frames per second until the memory card is full. The FinePix F700 can also append up to 30 seconds of audio to images.
More Features
- 1.8-inch TFT LCD display
- Full manual controls, plus ISO settings of 200/400/800/1600 (ISO 1600 available only at 1-megapixel resolution)
- C-AF (continuous autofocus) mode makes camera focus at all times for faster shooting
- Includes PictureCradle camera dock for transferring photos and battery charging
- Supports RAW image format
- Built-in flash with red-eye reduction, auto, forced, off, and slow-sync modes
Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable NP-40 lithium-ion battery (included). It measures 4.3 x 2.1 x 1.1 inches and weighs 4.6 ounces. This package includes the FinePix F700 digital camera, 16 MB XD memory card, battery and AC adapter/charger, USB and A/V cables, hand strap, PictureCradle dock, and CD-ROM with imaging software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.
1 Semi-pro on the Go!
The Fujifilm Finepix F700 was a great buy. I worked for the past year in a busy photography studio where we shot with the Fuji S2 pro. When searching for a camera, I read many reviews, from those of professionals, to those of people just like me. I decided on the F700 because it is a great value for the money. I chose Fuji because all of the pro photographers that I have talked to recommended this brand. In film, they recommended Canon mostly... and of course the heavenly Hasselblad. So when going digital... I took their advice and went with Fuji.
PROS: The F700 offers a high 6mp resolution. This was important to me because I like to edit my photos in Photoshop, and most of the time I want to crop in and not ruin the clarity of the picture. With my old 2mp camera I was not able to do this. I would prefer to have the 'Rolls Royce' of Fuji, the new Fuji S3 which is coming out, but I am currently traveling around Europe, and I am not able to carry such a heavy and expensive load with me. So the light F700 fits right in my pocket and delivers clear, crisp photos everytime. The high resolution also allows me to print my pictures at much larger sizes without becoming pixelated.
CONS: I have two compaints about this camera. Unless you are a portrait photographer, you may not notice this very much, but skin tones are not exactly natural. They are a bit peachy. However, I have found that this is true with all digital cameras. They just are not able to capture that true hue like film is. My second and greatest issue with this camera is the battery. I initially loved the fact that I do not have to charge and recharge batteries. I simply place my camera into the dock to fuel up. However, now that I am traveling, it is not that simple to just leave my camera hooked up to the wall, when I want it with me to be capturing my trip. When you are sleeping on trains overnight, there is no where to plug in your dock. This is when having another set of batteries is essential. And as this camera does not accept world renowned AA batteries, I am often stuck with a great little camera with no juice to capture the French countryside.
OVERALL:
I am very pleased with my purchase. If I had the choice between this and similar cameras, I would definitely choose this one again. I am impressed with the many features. It would be nice if it were a bit more 'user friendly', as it is difficult at times to figure out what all the modes are. However, comparatively speaking, this camera is relatively easy to use. I keep it on Auto most of the time, and I am very pleased with the results.
A fine little camera. Worth every penny!
2 Upgraders will be pleased.
I went from a 1.3MP Fuji MX1200 to the F700. The difference is amazing. The pictures are crystal clear and the macro mode is great and clear for close ups. I purchased a separate 256MB xD card which ends up holding about 180 pictures in 6MP mode. The camera also does video with audio, but it's more of a novelty than a feature. Don't get me wrong, it works very well although the sound is a little muffled. I call it a novelty just because if you're buying a camera for video you should buy a "video camera".
3 I Have Compared
I have currently a Nikon CoolPix 775 2MP.A Sony DSC P92 5MP.A Sony DSC P72 3MP an HP C500 2MP.a Canon Powershot S230 3 mp... and this Fuji F700 and have owned a Sony DSC S75 3.2 MP and a Canon S410 4MP...and others. I wont go into why I have so many but will concentrate on my review here of the F700. The controversy is that this is really an 3.2 mega-pixel camera and not a 6mp. I agree with the 3.2 camp. Compared to all the cameras mentioned this Fuji F700 takes just as good or better than any in Auto mode, inside or out.(I use auto mode as a test because with proper adjustments all cameras can be made to take improved pictures but this takes experience and testing that many of us dont want to do, though some simple setting adjustments will help for 98 percent of your pictures). Test pictures were taken of the same subject matter from a stationary camera using the timer to avoid any camera movement as well as freehand shots with and without flash. I find that my best pictures are taken in the 3MP setting. Even taking them in "RAW" or 6MP setting doesnt make a noticeable difference.... indeed... sometimes it is less detailed. You should see improvement in enlarged or cropped pictures using RAW or 6 MP settings though I havent experimented much in printing 8x10 or larger.(Ink and gloss paper prices make me cry). Actually... the Sony 5MP P92's 5mp pics were worse than their 3 mp pics ( i almost think I may have a bad sony cam), and the F700 is better on both settings. I wanted to move to a shirtpocket size camera because I was missing a lot of shots not wanting to tote my bigger cameras. By the time they are in a case its like carrying a purse. This F700 I carry everywhere except to bed. The plusses for me... Size... great movies,but only 7.5 minutes on a 512MB picture card, The continuous shooting mode which lets you take continuous pics but only at 1 MP.... the 5 shot pic mode,add sound clips to pics, 1.8 inch viewfinder, focus assist lamp, RAW mode, speed, very easy to navigate settings, easy to remember and change. The 2 main drawbacks and reason I may still try another camera is I really want a larger than 3 power zoom and this camera wont accept any additional lenses. I knew this going in but thought I could live without this feature... You either miss lots of photo ops because you dont have your cam with you because its too big or you miss them because of the lack of a large zoom. Thats my quandry. This Fuji F700 has as many or more features and as good as picture quality than ALL the cameras I have owned.I slip it into a babys mitten then the plastic bag it came in(humidity will form on camera when in pocket under exertion).then into my pocket( I plan on sewing my own waterproof bag someday). If you get this cam get the FUJIFILM xD-Picture Card over the SanDisk... the trnasfer rates are way faster. microwavedave@sbcglobal.net
4 Video mode a problem: card space and sound quality
I bought this camera not because of the claimed 6MP quality because it looked like it had a number of features I liked: quick setup, a balance between auto and programmable features, a docking station, rechargeable battery. But I really fell for the high-quality movie mode for as long as the card holds out. However, I have to say that this is a problem, as the movie mode is so high quality that the card is instantly full - I bought a separate 128 MB card, which stores about 2.5 minutes of video at the LOW resolution mode before it's full - not enough for anything! I haven't even bothered with high resolution. And the sound quality is very bad, a lot of noise. Other than that, the camera is solidly built, feels good, looks great and is easy to use.
5 Great results...
I love this camera! I have used several digital camera's over the last few years and this one is by far my favorite. The shutter speed is fast, the colors are fantastic, great zoom capability and it is small enough to take everywhere. It comes with a docking cradle which makes it very easy to download my pictures, as well as charge the camera.
6 best bargain around
this price for this camera is a super bargain. my nikon 5000 is going on ebay.
this camera is amazingly fast, well laid out controls, excellent low light focus, excellent exposure. I couldnt be more pleased.
the best bet if your subjects are active (cats, dogs, children)
and the movie mode is incredible (large card).
This camera is the first digicam to exceed my expectations.
7 Nice...but disappointing
My previous digital camera was a Fuji 4700 and I just knew the F700 would be the best of all digital camera worlds, but it wasn't meant to be.
It fits in your pocket with ease and has a nice size screen for viewing and menu commands. As for pictures, it generated great outdoor photos, but that's it.
Indoor shots were always fuzzy regardless of who was snapping the picture or light conditions. I use the camera for work, so I have one chance to capture images and can't afford poor quality photos. I returned it after just 10 days.
Come on Fuji.....you can do better than this.
8 Great Pocket Sized DigiCam!
I feel that a great number of compact digicam ratings are too low, as the reviewer is comparing them to a digital SLR. My rating of 5 stars is based on the fact that the FinePix F700 is a small pocketable COMPACT digital camera. I've made around 800 images,thus far and am very pleased with the image quality(even producing some fine 11"X 14" prints.I use the Fujifilm S2 Pro SLR digital with Nikon lens most of the time,but wanted a digital camera that would fit in my pocket and therefore be available at all times.I find for it's size the F700 to be a GEM in every sense. The Fujinon lens is very sharp,the dynamic range is outstanding,start up time and frame to frame speed is the best for any compact that I know of.Shutter lag that plagues compact digital cameras,has been greatly improved in the FinePix F700.IF YOUR STILL IN DOUBT as to whether the F700 is the digicam for you...check out George Schaub's glowing review of the F700 in the Feb.2004 issue of SHUTTERBUG magazine.
9 6MP price for a 3MP camera
the f700 uses fuji's superCCD system, basically using two 3.1MP sensors to capture your images. it's a fine camera, but i'm not sure this new system justifies the price premium.
pros:
- 6-megapixel interpolated still mode.
- vivid colors.
- 3x optical zoom.
- flexible: point and shooters have automatic selections and scene modes while creative shooters have plenty of control with manual and priority exposure modes.
- continuous shooting mode.
- RAW file output.
- bright LCD works well even in low light.
- xD card features short write times, less battery usage.
- minimal shutter lag.
- fast shot to shot times.
- good macro performance.
- very good movie mode plus unlimited 30 fps 320x240 video.
- low redeye occurrence.
- built-in AF illuminator.
- solidly built with a metal body.
- cradle for charging and video transfer supplied.
- compact size: dimensions are 4.3"W x 2.1"H x 1.1"D, weighing 6.7 oz. (excluding batteries and media).
cons:
- price - a hefty premium has been added due to fuji's new superCCD system but i'm not sure the performance justifies this high price.
- image quality not as good as competition - too noisy and over-compressed.
- visible purple fringing.
- noticeable vignetting.
- no gain in resolution using the 6MP image size setting.
- no direct adjustment for tone or color saturation.
- flash exposures slightly underexposed.
- ISO 1600 limited to one megapixel image size (1280 x 960).
- no control over JPEG compression levels.
- you're on your own when using manual focus - it doesn't show focus distance.
- no exposure info for photos in playback mode.
- no slow shutter noise reduction.
- slowest shutter speed available is 3 seconds.
- the supplied 16MB xD card is inadequate. be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for more memory (at least 128MB).
- the batteries supplied are proprietary so add a few bucks to your budget for a spare.
the f700 is a great looking camera, light, and compact. more importantly, it cranks out decent looking pictures. but the superCCD system that fuji uses doesn't give as much detail as promised. is this a 6MP or 3MP camera? i'm on the 3MP camp; the 6MP interpolated mode just doesn't seem to make that big of a difference. if this camera delivered 6MP performance, its high price would be justified. if you come to the same conclusion i did that this is closer to a 3MP camera, then this is definitely over-priced. for this price, you can get a very nice "regular" 5MP canon s50.
i hope this helps your buying decision. peace.
10 Super fast start up, very friendly camera.
I've own a Olympus C-40zoom for 2 years and I do like it a lot, the only problem I have with it the the sloooooow startup time, looooong wait between shoot to shoot, so I put in on eBay and ready for my next one. I've tried 4 different cameras (Leica D-Lux, Casio Z3, Olympus D-560, Fuji F700) and finally this is THE one. SUPER fast start up, quick charge from shoot to shoot. Very easy to operate and excellent picture quality. to be honesy I don't know and don't have "expectation" for what the Super CCD SR sensor will do, but I know the output is definitely satisfy what I am looking for. A little bit expensive, but metal body gives it a high quality feeling. Over all, good camera and does deliver what I need.
11 Perfect camera for me
After owning a Sony DSC s70 for 3 years i was waiting for a camera that would 1)quicker on start up and shots 2) more compact(could fit in front pants pocket) and 3) run unlimited timed movies(limited to only size of memory) and closer to video camera quality. Well the F700 hit all of these. I have had the camera a month now and am 100% satisfied.
12 An Amazing Camera!
The Super CCD SR sensor really does provide amazing dynamic range for digital photography. With multiple methods for selecting focus points and sesitivity in addition to the fully automatic functionality, makes this camera lots of fun! I have taken pictures on a tripod at night with the 2 second delay option and have been amazed at what this sensor can pick up. Grainy is not a term that I have found with any of the pictures I have taken so far.
The buttons and menu layout are very intuitive and confortable. The retracting lens makes this an easy camera to carry around with you.
Macro mode lets you get within centimeters of your subject and take terrific pictures. Did I mention the colors and range of brightness are amazing!
I have waited a long time to commit to a digital camera and am very happy with the F700
