Digital Camera Technology

For the budget-conscious photographer who wants to take advantage of the megazoom qualities of today’s hot and new digital cameras, there is one model worth every dollar invested: The Fuji FinePix S700. As one of the most popular and highest rated digital cameras when it comes to performance, the Fuji FinePix S700 is comparable to more expensive and popular brands like the Canon PowerShot S3 IS and the Sony CyberShot H5.

The Brand

It’s not that Fuji is an unknown brand when it comes to the digital camera market, but the company has had its fair share of unpopular cameras, mainly for the reason that the competition is tough in all categories of digital cameras. Fuji is a Japanese company that is well known for its photographic film products and a few of its cameras as well. Often in stiff competition with Kodak, it is the world’s largest photographic and imaging company.

The Camera

The Fuji FinePix S700 is bulky just looking at it. However, it’s what this point and shoot champion has inside it that matters the most. With a 7 mega pixel CCD and 10x zoom lens, the Fuji FinePix S700 can also be used manually, has a VGA movie mode and is one of the first Fuji digital cameras that have a card slot that accepts both XD and SD format memory cards. There are a lot of digital cameras in the ultra zoom category but it’s the Fuji FinePix S700 that stands out from the rest. First of all, it’s manual control allows you to use the camera almost like a DSLR, and you can take advantage of its shutter speed range to take clear images. It even has its own intelligent firmware that can eliminate blur plus an optional dual shot mode that will help you take two shots in quick succession. This is a great option because you can take a shot with flash and a shot without flash almost simultaneously and you can review the differences later. The suggested retail price for the Fuji Finepix S700 is at about $250 and that’s not a bad starting price for a camera in the megazoom category. If you don’t want to spend too much money on something that you might regret buying, the Fuji FinePix S700 is best suited for you.

In The Box

For $250 this is almost a steal. Included in the purchase of a Fuji FinePix S700 is the 7.1 mega pixel unit itself, four alkaline AA batteries (it’s suggested that you switch these with rechargeable batteries instead), a lens cap with a retaining strap, a neck strap, USB cable for connection to a PC or Mac, A/V cable, FinePix CX software, and the manual. More accessories can be bought to further protect the unit itself such as a bag or pouch for the camera. The camera is midsize but doesn’t feel cheap because Fuji has managed to use high quality materials on the Fuji FinePix S700 without it affecting the price tag. Well designed except for a few button placements, the S700 is a great recommend and well worth the trip to the local reseller in your area.