The Fujifilm FinePix S700/S5700(the latter is the designation used outside of North America)
is Fujifilm's latest bridge camera, offering a small SLR shape
that provides a deep rubber-wrapped grip and a 10X optical
zoom that never extends past the chromed trim of the lens
barrel.
2-stage
shutter release, a chrome button on a raised
pod, has the zoom control around it —
a new design for this type of Fujifilm camera that generally
has a power/mode switch positioned around the shutter release
— and as is the standard, the control also serves to
zoom into an image in playback (up to 4.8X) when pulled to
the T side, and zoom out when pushed to the
W side. Moreover, pressed once more towards
the W side, the camera presents captured
images two at a time with a small thumbnail of the previous
image in the upper left, and a small thumbnail of the next
image in the lower right.
Pressed once more, the W
side displays 9 thumbnails on the screen, the current image
being presented slightly bigger than the others and with a
blue frame.
The power switch is next, positioned on
the transition between the raised area that supports the shutter
release and the top of the camera. Placed near the right edge,
the continuous shooting button, ,
works in conjunction with the 4-direction button on the back
of the camera. Holding the
button down while using the up and down arrows of the 4-direction
control allows selecting one of the settings shown superimposed
on the monitor:
Off
Top 3 Continuous Shooting: shoots up to 3
frames (maximum 1.4 frames per second at the best
JPEG image quality and the highest resolution).
Auto Bracketing captures 3 frames with ±
1 EV in selectable 1/3 EV increments.
Long Period Continuous Shooting
captures images continuously until there is no more
room in the memory, or the memory card. Images are
captured at 0.6 frames per second.
The other control on top of the camera is the Mode
dial and it has 11 positions, all
of which are capture modes, and when the dial is turned, an
animation of the turning dial is shown on the right side of
the monitor or of the viewfinder:
Auto Mode, is the point
and shoot mode. The Auto mode puts the camera in control
of all photographic settings, leaving the user to select
the resolution (the image size), the colour mode, and
the self-timer.
The Movie Mode records
at 30 frames per second with mono sound at either one
of two frame sizes:
640 × 480 pixels
320 × 240 pixels
During the recording, the zoom is available, but at
a reduced speed so as to be quieter. Focus, white balance
and the exposure are adjusted as necessary. Digital
Image Stabilization mode is also available to help steady
the image. Recordings last as long as there is space
on the memory card.
Manual Mode provides
complete control over the camera, allowing setting both
aperture and shutter speed. The aperture range available
is from f3.5 to f13.6 (f3.5, f4, f4.5, f5, f5.6, f6.3,
f6.8, f13.6), while the shutter speed range covers from
1/4000 second to a maximum exposure time of 4 seconds.
Shutter Priority Mode
allows the user to set the shutter speed while the camera
matches the selection to an aperture. The mode offers
a shutter speed range that covers from 1/4000 second to
4 seconds.
The Aperture Priority Mode
gives the user control over the aperture, selecting from
a range that covers from f3.5 to f13.6.
The Program Mode selects
both the shutter speed and aperture, but the combination
selected by the camera can be changed by the user with
the 4-direction control — Program Shift —
making it possible to control the depth of field by selecting
a different aperture, or give preference to the shutter
speed.
The Scene Positions
are the access point to the S700/S5700's 12 Scene
modes. Each of these position accesses the same
group of modes, making it possible to set SP1 to
one scene mode, and SP2 to another. The scene modes
are selected by pressing the MENU/OK button, which
displays the list of available scene modes, each
of which has a small text explanation. Worth noting,
when a mode is selected for the other dial position,
it appears as greyed out:
Portrait
Landscape
Sport
Night
Fireworks
Sunset
Snow
Beach
Museum
Party
Flower
Text
Natural Light mode
captures a natural-looking image that retains the atmosphere
of the scene without using the flash. Sensitivity, under
the control of the camera, can increase up to 1600 ISO
if necessary.
Natural Light + Flash
captures one image at up to 800 ISO, and then another
with the flash in slow synch mode, providing a choice
of image to the user.
Anti-Blur gives priority
to as fast a shutter speed as possible so the camera can
freeze action. To achieve this, the mode increases sensitivity
as required up to 800 ISO.
A large portion of the FinePix
S700's back is taken up by the 2.5-inch monitor. The monitor
is composed of 230,000 pixels, and has a sharp image. In addition,
the S700/S5700 also offers an EVF (electronic viewfinder)
that is composed of 230,000 pixels as well. The viewfinder's
exit pupil is wrapped in a smooth but hard plastic, and has
no dioptre correction.
Both EVF and monitor, however,
can have a refresh rate of 30 or 60 frames per second, as
decided by a setting in the Setup menu.
To its right, a small round button labelled EVF/LCD
serves to toggle back and forth between the monitor and the
EVF.
The other external controls
of the camera are grouped on the right of the monitor. At
the top, on the left the
button serves to enter the playback mode
when the camera is set to a capture mode. In addition, the
button can also be used to start the camera
directly in the playback mode if it is held pressed for more
than 1 second when the camera is Off.
On the right side, the
button calls up the -Mode
menu.
With the S700/S5700 set to a capture mode, the -Mode
menu contains a maximum of three settings although the first
one, ISO, only offers a single setting, Auto,
in all modes but P, A, S, and M.
ISO serves to set the CCD sensitivity:
64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 ISO or Auto 400 or Auto 800,
the last two settings allowing the camera to increase sensitivity
as necessary up to a preset maximum of either 400 or 800
ISO.
Quality serves to set the image size
and image quality although only the highest resolution offers
a choice of compression level. (See the Characteristics
section of the review for the available image sizes.)
FinePix Colour provides 3 settings for
the way the camera records colours:
Standard, the default.
Chrome, increases saturation and contrast.
B&W, records images in black and white.
With the S700/S5700 set to
the playback mode, the
button displays a two-option menu:
Slide Show: serves to start a slide show,
with either a short or long on-screen time and no transition
effect, or a long or short on-screen time with fade transition;
or a slide show that shows a clock in the upper right of
the screen.
Print Order serves to select the current
image for printing, with or without the date superimposed
on the image, or reset all print selections.
The next is the 4-direction
control with the MENU/OK button
at its centre. While the MENU/OK button displays the menus
of the camera (see the Characteristics
and Interface and Software sections of the
review for details on the contents of the menus) and
serves to confirm selections, the 4-direction control serves
to scroll through the menus, and images and movies when the
camera is in playback mode. In addition, each of the directional
arrows has additional functions:
With the camera set to a capture
mode, the up arrow serves to increase
the brightness of the monitor or the EVF, whichever is
currently active, until the next shot is captured.
And when the camera is set
to the playback mode, the up arrow serves
to delete the image currently on screen when the camera
is set to the playback mode.
The right arrow
serves to select the Flash modes: Auto,
Red-eye Reduction, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash (the
flash will not pop up), Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction
and Slow Synchro.
The down arrow serves
to access the Self-timer: 10-second,
2-second, or Off.
The left arrow serves
to choose either one of two Macro Modes. The Standard
Macro mode allows the camera to focus on a subject
4 cm to 3 m (1.6 inches to 9.8 ft) from the front of the
lens when the zoom is set to the wide angle end, and 60
cm to 3 m (2 to 9.8 ft) at the telephoto end.
The Super Macro
mode only operates when the camera's zoom is set to
the widest angle, and if selected while the zoom is
set somewhere else in its focal length range, moves
it back the wide angle. It offers a focus range of 1
cm to 1 m (0.4 inch to 3.3 ft).
Two more buttons complete the external controls of the FinePix
S700/S5700.
Controls the information
superimposed on the monitor, and serves to BACK
out of a menu.
In the capture modes, the default presentation
on the display includes basic information positioned
around the periphery of the frame, and when the shutter
release is pressed halfway, the selected AF point, the
aperture, and the shutter speed are presented. Pressing
the button once more clears all the superimposed information
off the screen.
However, here again, when
the shutter release is pressed halfway, the camera displays
the shutter speed and aperture, as well as the focus
point.
Pressing the button again returns the current settings
on the screen, and adds a composition grid. And another
press of the button displays the image being framed
in a smaller window on the right, and the last 3 shots
captured since the camera was turned on in a vertical
strip on the left, a presentation called Post
Shot Assist Window.
Set to the Playback
mode, the camera presents the image with the file
name, as well as the date and time of capture, superimposed
on the lower part of the monitor.
A first press of the DISP/BACK button clears
all superimposed information off the screen.
Pressing the button a second time presents the images
grouped by capture date (12 per screen), while the capture
dates are listed on the left side of the screen.
The remaining button, ,
is the Exposure Compensation button, which offers a
correction range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments when
the camera is set to P, S or A modes, and allows changing
the aperture when the S700/S5700 is set to the Manual
mode.
Moreover, with the S700/S5700 set to the Playback
mode, the button can be used to display the image under review
as a thumbnail at the top right of the screen, with the potentially
overexposed zones flashing, while the shooting parameters
are displayed on the left and a histogram for the image is
shown below.
The FinePix S700/S5700
is equipped with a built-in pop-up flash that opens automatically
in all modes when the camera determines that it is necessary.
To prevent the flash from opening, the Suppressed Flash
option must be selected from the flash modes.
Set to 800 ISO, the flash is indicated in the manual has
having a range of 50 cm to 6.2 m (1.6 to 20 ft).
While the FinePix S700/S5700
is reminiscent of some previous Fujifilm cameras, it is in
fact a new model and a seriously revised design. The S700
reacts quickly to its controls, and both the EVF and monitor
have an above average resolution. Overall the S700 has an
excellent ergonomic design, making it comfortable to use.
One possible improvement could be made, however: the position
of its AF assist lamp, at the top of the hollow between the
grip and the flash housing, is easily masked by the user's
hand on the grip.
Introduction
,
works in conjunction with the 4-direction button on the back
of the camera. Holding the 
button serves to enter the playback mode
when the camera is set to a capture mode. In addition, the
button can also be used to start the camera
directly in the playback mode if it is held pressed for more
than 1 second when the camera is Off.
button calls up the 
,
is the Exposure Compensation button, which offers a
correction range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments when
the camera is set to P, S or A modes, and allows changing
the aperture when the S700/S5700 is set to the Manual
mode. 
