Fuji Finepix F700 Review

The Fuji Finepix F700 has proved to be a very successful digital camera. It has three megapixels which with interpolation can record a still image of six megapixels. It has a 3x optical zoom lens.

It has a whole host of features that will appeal to photographers who are looking for a camera that is easy to carry around, but still has enough control for you to take the type of images that you want to. Therefore I would say that the Fuji Finepix F700 is more suited to someone with a good understanding of the basics of photography rather than somebody who is looking for a camera that they can take out of the box and start taking snaps.

This type of digital camera is often very appealing to families where one member is a keen photographer whilst others are looking for a camera that can be used purely as a point and shoot model.

The images quality provided by shots taken with the Fuji Finepix F700 is very impressive. I like the colour representation and with the quality of the lenses used by Fuji digital cameras you are guaranteed clear and sharp images.

The next step up from automatic mode is to use the pre programmed scenes available with the camera. These are portrait, landscape, sports, and night scene. The pre programmed scenes are designed to help the camera produce optimum photographs in different and sometimes difficult photographic conditions.

The built in flash unit has a range of 5m. You can elect to let the camera decide whether or not the flash should fire or you can set it to always on, always off, slow synchro (often used at night to ensure both the subject and background are illuminated) and red eye reduction.

The LCD screen for composing and reviewing images is a good sized 1.8". There is a Real-image optical viewfinder too. To view your images on a larger screen you can connect the camera to a television set through its audio visual socket.

The camera is capable of taking high quality movie clips. You can also add up to thirty seconds of voice memos to still images, allowing you to annotate key moments. For when you want to be in the picture there is a self timer. This can be set for a delay or either two or ten seconds.

For focusing you can select from automatic focus, AF area focus, AF (centre) focus and manual focus.

For close up photography there is a macro facility that lets you focus from 9cm away from the subject.

Images can be recorded as both JPEG and RAW.

On to the more advanced features and you can choose from the following exposure controls Programmed AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE and Manual.

Shutter speeds range from 3 seconds to 1 / 2000 of a second. Available apertures are from f2.8 to f8. ISO equivalents vary from 160 all the way up to 1600. Metering can be selected from TTL 64-zone metering-multi, spot and average.

There are also white balance settings of Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light and Custom.

To get the most out of this camera you will need to spend sometime reading the manual and experimenting with the features that it has. When you first get your hands on the camera you can take pictures in fully automatic mode. This is where the camera makes all the key decisions for you and all you need to do is point the camera at the subject and press down the shutter button for your picture to be taken.

You can pick up the Fuji Finepix F700 for around £240.

The Fuji Finepix F700 looks like a classy version of a traditional 35mm point and shoot camera. The camera itself weighs 170g and has dimensions of 108 (W) x 54 (H) x 28mm (D). Overall it is larger than standard compact digital cameras.

A rechargeable battery the NP-40 is used to power the Fuji Finepix F700. One is supplied with the camera together with a cradle for recharging the battery. The cradle serves a dual purpose as it also serves as part of the USB connection that uploads images to a computer. The only problem with this type of battery is that it can run down at the vital moment. If you are planning to take some important pictures make sure the battery is fully charged before you set off.

Images are stored on an xD Picture Card. The one supplied with the camera is only 16mb, which is a bit mean to be honest. This is likely to fill up rather quickly so you are advised to buy a second card with a much larger capacity when you buy your camera.

The Fuji Finepix F700 scored highly in all the tests that I put it through. Without doubt its main attraction is the number of features that are packed into its compact body. With a price tag of around £240 it also offers good value for money. One thing before you buy, it is worth checking out the Finepix F710 and the Finepix F810. These cameras have a similar specification to the Fuji Finepix F700, but with an extra wide LCD screen and they can capture images and movies that are suitable for viewing on a widescreen television.