 FUJIFILM S700 - Very Good General Purpose Camera |
| Review Date: July 3, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Larry A Brechner, Highland, IN United States |
I do professional fine art and PR/theater photography with a Canon EOS 5D and am very experienced as a photographer for over 30 years. Not always wanting to use my main equipment, I purchased this camera for a general purpose like family events, travel/vacation etc.
I originally wanted at least a 10x-12x optical zoom, 6-8MP, video (movie mode)with 640x480 30fps with zoom while movie shooting, AA batteries, IS (Image Stablization), at least a 2" LCD screen, fairly compact (but not a necessarily a pocket camera), and simple operation. I compared to Canon S3 IS, Kodak Z 7812 IS, Panasonic DMC FZ8K and seveal others which had true IS capabilites.
The FUJI S700 was less expensive because it is not a true IS camera or lens, but uses a fast shutter speed and higher ISO to achieve its IS mode. Otherwise it met the all other specifications I was looking for in a camera.
My daughter took this camera for a two week trip to China and got very good results. She used the IS mode often and the resulting pictures were generaly good with very little "digital sensor noise" because of the higher ISO setting. She also had very good results in low-light situations where flash was not permitted, and her movie clips where good (maybe not quite as good as a dedicated camcorder but fine for general purpose). The S700 movie mode sound uses a single microphone in the camera body for monophonic sound, where some other models have stereo if this is important to you.
She shot over 1000 images and about 30 video clips on a single 4GB SD card (the S700 is SDHC compatible) and she only used two sets (4 each) of alkaline AA batteries during her trip. The S700 will run longer on rechargable NiMH (2500-2800mAH) batteries or Lithium AA batteries.
While lacking true IS, the FUJI S700 is also about $50-$100 less expensive than the above comparable cameras. The KODAK and PANASONIC have movie modes but you cannot change the zoom lens setting while in this mode. Being a long time CANON user and a big fan of my EOS 5D SLR and other EOS SLRs, I found the CANON S3 IS difficult to switch modes between shooting mode and playback. It does have zoom while in movie mode however and the newer S5 IS may correct this problem. The S3 IS does produce excellent images even with its 6MP sensor (that uses their excellent DIGIC II processor).
The FUJI S700 produces good to very good images in its 7MP Fine mode using ISO of 100-400. The digital noise begins to slightly appear at ISO 400, but is not unacceptable. It is easy to use and in the AUTO mode, that most people would use, the camera would produce good results. It does allow shutter or aperture prioirty modes plus a full manual mode, but these are for advanced users in special situations and are not as easy to set as on a prosummer/professional level camera.
I would strongly recommend this as a good gerenal purpose camera that has a good, fairly fast optics and very good image quality. It is not a "pocket camera" with their small 3-4X optical zoom lens, but the S700 is lightweight to carry and easy to hold and use even with one-hand shooting. |
Impressed With Quality and Price
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| Review Date: April 28, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Linda D. Pinder, Spanish Wells, Bahamas |
I've owned many Canon digital cameras, but this is my first experience with a Fuji digital. It's very impressive.
The camera is light-weight and has a comfortable grip. The images are bright and sharp. Zoomed images to 10X are also sharp in Auto Mode (without having to switch to the Picture Stabilization Mode on the camera's dial). The flash works fine and pops up automatically (my Canon S3 IS doesn't do this and was more than twice the price). Also love the clarity of both the 230,000-pixel LCD screen and EVF.
Another reason I purchased this camera was the fact that it uses SD cards (which my Canons use) as well as XD cards (good for those who have owned Fuji... or Olympus before).
This camera is definately worth the price even without the free 2GB SD card (ends June 11) when purchased from Amazon!
*See sample photos under "Customer Images", top of page.
Added Note: I tested the shot-to-shot shutter lag of both my Fujifilm Finepix S700 and Canon Powershot S3 IS on shooting-digital's online test page with same results for both cameras - Without pre-focus, .4 of a second... With pre-focus, .1 of a second.
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If I could, I'd give this camera ten stars!
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| Review Date: April 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Gregory Bernard Banks, Atlanta area |
I haven't had this camera long, but I've already found all the positive reviews about it to be absolutely true. I had a cheaper, point and shoot digital camera before, but it's overall picture quality was grainy, and it was practically useless in indoor lighting situations. This camera takes bright, vibrant pictures indoors, and the 10x optical zoom is amazing. I took a zoomed in shot of my father from across the room, and the picture was as clear as if I had been standing next to him, even when the picture was printed at a size blown up to fill a letter-sized page.
And for me in particular having being disabled, I greatly appreciate how light this camera is. With a little practice, I'll be able to handle this camera very well, which means that I finally have a camera that combines the power of an SLR and the ease of use of a point-and-shoot. And if you also purchase the Joby GP1-00EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod like I did, this camera becomes even more accessible to those who have special physical needs. I'm so excited by this camera that I may even become an amateur photographer now.
I cannot recommend the Fujifilm Finepix S700 any more highly. Do yourself a favor and check it out. |
Great Camera - Amazing Value
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| Review Date: April 10, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Spencer, Manchester, UK |
I was looking for a camera with better picture quality than a compact camera, manual options and lots of settings, ease of use, but yet nowhere near SLR price. I Definately found the perfect match with this one. I took a chance and preordered this beauty and I am so glad I did. After just a few minutes I was taking great photographs with a amazing clarity and quality.
I highly recommend the Fuji Finepix s700. It's is a great price too! Don't miss out on this one, you'll be very pleased. |
The "Best Buy" 10X Digital Zoom Camera
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| Review Date: October 15, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Alan Houston, Houston, Texas, United States |
The Fujifilm S700/S5700 is a "Best Buy" among digital cameras with a 10x zoom...no other camera in the under $200 price range comes close in providing as much control over your photographs.
It has a combination of features that no other digital camera in the "Under $200 price range can match:
- a zoom that extends to about 380mm (ideal for sports photography)
- the ability to choose ISO levels
- the ability to set shutter speed and apertures.
- a choice of a large sharp "preview" screen, or a small eye level screen for use in bright sunlight
- a superb "macro" lens for extreme closeups
- the ability to use AA batteries, easily found at any corner store or AA rechargeable batteries
- the use of SD cards, a "first" for a Fujifilm camera
- it can use both threaded filters and threaded hoods. I use a UV filter and a flexible rubber lens hood to both protect the lens and eliminate sources of "flare" in harsh sunlight
- a shape, weight, and balance make it easy to shoot at lower than normal shutter speeds and still get sharp photos. At 380mm, I'd normally shoot at 1/500 of a second to ensure a sharp photo. With this camera, I can shoot at 1/125 of a second with the zoom at 380mm and get a sharp photo.
What is the S700/S5700 NOT good at? It is a mediocre camera for people who simply want to put their camera in "auto" mode, and snap away. In the "auto" mode, the S700/S5700 often uses an ISO of ISO 400, or ISO 800 in dim light, or when high shutter speeds are required and the resulting high ISO photo have mediocre sharpness, detail, and color quality.
There are dozens of "owner options" detailed in the camera's manual, and the quality of photos you obtain is directly related to how much time is invested in learning and mastering each option.
For folks who actually need a zoom that extends out to 380mm (for sports photography, or for bird watching) and for someone who wants to spend under $200 AND for folks who insist on having total control over all aspects of each photo, there is simply no other $200 camera that compares with the S700/S5700. For people who want to just press the shutter and let the camera do all of the thinking, there are better choices. |
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