The crisp image produced by
both the monitor and the EVF make the information superimposed
on the screens very legible. The primary interface of the
S700/S5700 — the way camera settings are displayed —
is simple but effective. Moreover, the camera displays the
shutter speed and the aperture when the shutter release
is
pressed halfway, helpful to know if camera shake might interefere
with the image. A composition grid is available and, although
a real-time histogram is not, the camera provides one in
playback. As with a number of Fuji cameras, the S700/S5700
also offers
the Post Shot window system that stacks, as they are captured,
the last three shots captured on the left side of the monitor
while the image coming from the lens occupies the rest of
the screen.
The menus are similarly simple and effective. The most complex
menus are those of the P, A, S, and M modes, but even those
are comparatively short and easy to understand. Only the Setup
menu is longer, and it is uniformly accessible from all menus
with the exception of the -Mode
menu. The Setup menu is spread over 4 screens, accessible
independently through tabs at the top, or simply by flowing
from the last option on one screen to the first option of
the next screen:
Image Disp. selects how a just-captured image is
displayed immediately post-capture: Continuous,
displays the image until the OK/MENU button is pressed;
3 sec/1.5 sec, sets the time during which the image
is displayed; Zoom (Continuous), displays the image zoomed.
Frame Number: Cont. or Renew. Continuous increments
the file name of each new photo by 1. Renew starts numbering
photos from 1 each time the memory card is emptied, formatted,
or changed.
AF Illuminator: On or Off. Decides whether or not
the AF Illuminator, positioned between the lens and the
top of the grip automatically comes on when the available
light is insufficient for the auto focus to operate reliably.
Digital Zoom: On or Off. Controls the
4.8X digital zoom.
EVF/LCD Mode: Allows setting the refresh rate of
the EVF and monitor to either 30 frames per second, or 60
frames per second, which allows a smoother image.
Date/Time: Sets the Date and Time on the S700/S5700.
Beep Volume: over a range of 3 steps or Off, this
option sets the volume of the sound produced by the camera
when it is operated.
Shutter Volume: over a range of 3 steps or Off,
this option sets the volume of the sound produced by the
camera when the shutter release is pressed.
Playback Volume: sets the volume for voice memos
and movies over a range of 0 through 10 with 7 being the
default.
LCD Brightness: allows setting the LCD or EVF screen
brightness over ± 5 steps.
Format: formats the internal memory or the memory
card.
Language: selects the interface language
from English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese,
Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch,
Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, or Swedish.
Auto Power Off: selects the time delay until the
camera automatically shuts off when it is not used (5 or
2 minutes, or Off).
Time Difference: allows setting a Home and
a Local time as a difference in hours; useful when
traveling.
Background Colour: Specifies the colour of the
menu and its background.
Discharge: serves to fully discharge Ni-MH batteries,
increasing their life-span.
Video System: sets the Video Out signal, either
NTSC or PAL.
Reset: returns all settings to their factory defaults,
with the exception of the date and time, the Time Difference,
Video System and Background Colour.
A printed manual accompanies the FinePix S700/S5700. The
manual is clearly written and organized. Detailed operating
instructions for the camera, from basic to advanced, are provided,
as are instructions to connect the camera to a computer or
to a printer.
Software
In North America, the FinePix S700/S5700 is bundled with
a single CD that contains Fujifilm's Software for FinePix
(CX version 5.3i for Windows and Macintosh). The software
includes FinePix Viewer (version 5.3 for Windows and
3.4 for Macintosh) and Pixela's Image Mixer VCD2 LE for
FinePix.
FinePix Viewer's primary
function is as an image viewer, presenting photos as thumbnails,
or as a film strip with the currently selected photo shown
at a larger size above, or in a ledger format with small thumbnails
followed by some of the image's data (file name, format, file
size, date and time of capture, and image dimensions). FinePix
Viewer allows for automatic or manual adjustments to the images
(brightness, saturation, tint, sharpness and contrast). Conversion
to Black and White or Sepia is also possible, and the converted
images can be saved as new images.
FinePix Viewer can also be used
to create slide shows, and organize photos into albums that
can be printed or viewed on a computer, and download images
directly from the camera when it is connected to the computer.
Finally, Pixela's ImageMixer
VCD2 LE, which is intended to create albums and slide
shows and then burn these onto CDs or DVDs, is also installed.
Worth noting, however, only burning to CD-R is available,
and only 3 Video CD discs can be created — no DVDs —
until the program is upgraded by purchasing the full version.
Compare Prices for Fuji FINEPIX-S700BLK 7.0MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and 2.5" LCD
Interface & Software
-Mode
menu. The Setup menu is spread over 4 screens, accessible
independently through tabs at the top, or simply by flowing
from the last option on one screen to the first option of
the next screen:
