 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. |
Great camera all around!
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| Review Date: July 4, 2007 |
| Reviewer: KLG 6720, |
I agree with most people that this is an exceptional camera. I have had 0 problems with it and all the pictures have turned out exceptionally clear and beautiful. I have an old manual camera (a nikon) and was reluctant to buy a digital camera since my pictures have always been excellent but I am thrilled with the camera and all it's settings. I also love that you can plug it into your tv and bam! your own slide show. I really don't see any major flaws in the camera and has turned me into a lover of Fujifilm cameras.
As for the negative reviews, I respect everyone's opinion and do not want to be disrespectful but it seems a tad unfair to rate a camera poorly when the reviews came from people who used it just for a few DAYS. It can take time to learn a camera and it doesn't sound like these people even bothered to learn all the camera settings and it's abilities. Every complaint I can understand because it took me a little while to get over some of the hurdles that were mentioned but it was mainly due to the fact that I just need some time to get to know my camera. I guess I feel that in the end these reviewers are losing out on an excellent camera that is well worth the price. Is it going to take the same pictures as a high end professional $1000 camera? Probably not but for the money this camera is well worth it with some wonderful features I couldn't find on other budget cameras.
Bottom line? It is great for those midlevel photographers who want a good camera with some cool features without the insanely high prices of similar cameras. And the "natural" setting is by far my favorite. It takes excellent pictures indoors without a flash. Overall I am thrilled with this camera and absolutely LOVE it! |
Great camera at a bargain price
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| Review Date: April 16, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Joe B, Dayton, OH |
I own several digital cameras, ranging from point and shoot models all the way up to Digital SLRs (Sony Alpha). I love my Sony Alpha, but this little gem is a LOT lighter, a LOT smaller and a lot more convenient. When I don't need to do astrophotography (main use for my Sony) or need TOTAL control over exposures, my Fuji S700 is the camera I reach for.
Pros: Terrific sensor, great color rendition and resolution. Wide zoom range and excellent optics. Much improved movie resolution over previous Finepix models. Excellent ergonomics and grip. Easy one-hand camera control. Decent image stabilization. Absolutely OUTSTANDING battery life with rechargeable AA NiMHs. XD and SD memory card compatibility. Easy operation and operator learning curve.
Cons: Memory card design on some of the earlier model Finepix designs was easier to access as was the zoom control for the camera.
You can't go wrong at such a low price for a 7 MP digicam! Buy it! |
Excellent Pictures If you read and learn how to use it.
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| Review Date: August 29, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. Abrahante, St Paul, MN |
I have been a proud owner of a Canon A80 for about 4 years and well with all the new bells and whistles coming on the newer cameras I decided to purchase a new one. The main reason to upgrade was inability to sometimes crop and print good quality images at 8x10. After reading and re-reading plenty of reviews on mostly long zoom cameras I narrow down the race to the Canon S3, Kodak Z712, Panasonic FZ8 and the Fuji S700 which was the one I end up purchasing.
The reasons behind my decision were mostly influenced by reviews, price, and AA battery compatibility. I did however consider seriously getting the Canon S3.
I have been using this camera for about 9 days and my first reaction was to return it after I uploaded my first batch of 50 pictures into my computer. However, since I had two weeks to change my mind I decided to READ the Manual and try different settings... The results I obtained were Amazing!
I would give the camera a 4.5 but since there is no such option and I really like the camera I would give it a 5. Here is a summary of my Fuji S700 experience:
***Low Light Conditions:
If you decide to take pictures indoors under low light using the Image Stabilization, Portrait ,"Party" or any other preset mode, you will waste space on your memory card. The ISO under these conditions is elevated to at least 800 or sometimes 1600 making the picture NOISY. How noisy? Well let's just say that even a 4X6 print looks bad (I try). There are several programs you can use to remove some of that noise, but really who wants to do that? In order to avoid all that hassle you just need to use either Shutter Priority or Manual mode and "play" with the shutter speed or white balance until you get ideal conditions for your shot. Seriously, is not like it will take you 15 minutes to do that, in say less than 1 minute I was able to get it ready to go. Btw, Make sure to select ISO to either 64 or 100.
***Good lightning conditions or Outdoors:
Under outside conditions the preset buttons give very sharp and excellent pictures, most of the time. However, you should always pay attention to the ISO since in many of these modes the ISO is in Auto Mode and it might "boost" the image making it a mediocre image. I found that my sharpest pictures were taken at either ISO 64 or 100. Contrary to my old Canon which had a switch to preview and one for taking pictures, the S700 has a button that allows you to quickly access pictures taken. Futhermore, should you need to take a picture while you review images all you need to do is press the shutter and the camera returns to "shoot" mode.
***Aren't Fuji Cameras supposed to be superb under low light conditions?
Well if you are like me that assumed all Fuji cameras are the same you are up for a surprise. The S700 does not have the Super CCD that apparently provides an advantage at high ISO settings, however compared to my old Canon A80 the Fuji S700 provides better pictures (less noise) at higher ISO settings.
***Zoom
The 10X zoom of this camera works wonders. I was afraid that without optical image stabilization I was going to get blurry pictures at full zoom, however that's has not been the case, a combination of the body/weight of the camera makes it easy to hold the camera steady enough to take a blur free picture. In addition I always make sure to increase the shutter speed to at least 1/100 of a sec.
***LCD
I know I know, who cares about the LCD, well I do! Having a 2.5" LCD with 230,000 pixels really rocks. You can get a pretty good idea of how your picture is going to look based on this preview. Again be aware that if the picture is taken at a high ISO you will not be able to tell on this LCD.
Finally, After 400's pictures and counting I am extremely pleased with the S700 and would recommend it to those who would like to purchase a camera capable of producing excellent pictures if you read the manual.
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Great quality camera, not for lazy point and clickers
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| Review Date: August 30, 2007 |
| Reviewer: R. Alvarez, Philadelphia, PA United States |
| I know nothing about photography. I purchased this camera because of the reviews. After my first day of taking pictures, I was very disappointed. AUTO mode is decent, but it sets the ISO too high sometimes and the pics come out grainy. So, I read the manual and took pictures of the same object under many different lighting conditions and took notes to figure out the best parameters to use in any given situation. Since, then I have learned a thing or two about photography and I have also learned that this is a killer camera. I find that setting the FinePix color to CHROME gives me photos with vibrant colors. If you are the point and shoot type that enjoys auto mode and has no interest in learning about photography, then you will most likely not be happy with this item, otherwise I recommend. |
What a Camera !!!
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| Review Date: April 15, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Camera Lover, |
This is the best camera I have ever owned.
I have owned other digital cameras, but the main reason for this purchase was to have a really good zoom lens. I looked at SLRs and other point and shot cameras. Price was not a main factor. After reading specs on so many cameras, I opted for the Fuji S700. I received it last week, and all I can say is WOW !!!
Here is a little overview of what I have experienced so far.......
The camera is lightweight and can fit in a regular size purse. It is not going to be like one of the slimline cameras, but the lens is so great, it is worth the tradoff of having a bit of a larger camera.
- The camera is designed so well that you can use it with one hand. The grip is great.
- All the features are easy to access.
- The quality of the pictures are exceptional. I printed some pictures and did not even have to edit them at all.
- I have taken pictures in low light, in the sun, people in motion; I was indoors at an event way up in the mezzanine and was able to zoom in and take action shots with no blur. I was blown away.
- There are enough options on this camera for different scenes, such as landscape, sports (for action shoots), sunset, beach, portrait, night, etc. You should really work with these as they are great and make a difference in the pictures. Also, there is picture stabilization for extended zoom, although I have done a lot of zooming without it and did not experience any blur.
- The movie feature is wonderful. I took several movies of my grandchildren playing outside, running around and they were perfect.
- Playback and erasing on the camera is simple, and playback on the TV is easy and good quality viewing also.
- The LCD is a nice size and very clear. At the beach in the sun it is a bit difficult to see the LCD screen sometimes, so I switched to the View Finder with a press of a button. (You can adjust the LCD brightness also, but I have not really tried working with this yet).
Although I would rather use the many settings available on this camera for different scenes and the automatic setting too, the camera also has all the features for manual shooting (to set Aperture, Shutter speed, etc.) for more adavanced photographers.
I have never gotten such good pictures on any other camera I have owned (and they were all much more expensive than this camera!)
As I mentioned, I only have the camera about a week, and am thrilled with the results. I think you will be too.
I can't wait to hear your comments!
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