|
Fujifilm Finepix F70EXR 10MP Super CCD Digital Camera with 10x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD
|
| Price: | Too low to display & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
Product Description
10-megapixel effective recording * wide-angle zoom lens * 10X optical zoom (4X digital/40X total zoom) * 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 27-270 * 2-11/16" LCD screen * sensor-shift image stabilization counteracts camera shake for clear shots * top JPEG resolution: 3616 x 2712 * scene recognition automatically selects optimal camera settings for high-res, low-light, or high dynamic range shooting * face detection identifies up to 10 people in your frame and adjusts focus and exposure for better portraits * in-camera red-eye detection and automatic correction * high sensitivity mode for low-light shooting (ISO 12800 maximum with up to 3-megapixel resolution) *
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #175 in Camera & Photo
- Brand: Fuji
- Model: FinePix F70EXR
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 2.30" h x .90" w x 3.90" l, .39 pounds
- Included Software: Yes
Features
- 10-megapixel Super CCD EXR
- 10x optical zoom lens; 27mm wide-angle to 270mm telephoto
- EXR Auto Mode detects six different scene types
- Dual Stabilization; Face Detection 3.0 and Automatic Red-eye Removal
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
Encased in a beautifully sculpted metal shell with a double coated lacquer finish and measuring only 22.7mm thick, the FinePix F70EXR offers several enhancements over its predecessor, the FinePix F60, and boasts marked improvements over competing long-zoom digital cameras, particularly in the areas of design, image quality and capture technology.
FinePix F70EXR Highlights
 |
Long zoom compact cameras, as opposed to standard compact digital cameras, typically use a smaller sensor that is vulnerable to difficult lighting conditions since light has a harder time reaching the CCD sensor. To mitigate this vulnerability, Fujifilm has introduced its award-winning EXR technology into the FinePix F70EXR, allowing for significant improvement in image quality against the competition.
Introduced earlier this year with the FinePix F200EXR, Fujifilm's EXR technology uses the human eye as the basis for the perfect camera sensor, creating a Super CCD sensor capable of registering excellent levels of detail when switched to its HR (High Resolution) mode. The FinePix F70EXR is also capable of offering excellent quality in low light and superb highlight detail in contrast light when switched to its SN (High Sensitivity and Low Noise) mode and DR (Wide Dynamic Range) modes respectively.
EXR Modes
An advanced feature on the FinePix F70EXR, 'EXR Auto' helps take the guesswork out of setting the camera by doing it for you. EXR Auto is a sophisticated set of program modes that can automatically detect six different types of scenes - Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Backlit Portrait, Night, and Night Portrait. The camera will recognize the scene and optimize focus, color balance, exposure, flash and sensitivity and will automatically switch the sensor to HR, SN or DR mode depending on the lighting conditions of the scene. By using EXR Auto, users can let the camera do all the hard work and concentrate more on getting the best shot possible.
 |
Multi Frame Technology: Pro Focus Mode / Pro Low-light Mode
New Fujifilm EXR digital cameras, including the FinePix F70EXR will offer several new shooting modes that combine the power of Super CCD EXR with Multi Frame Technology to enable users to capture exceptional images that rival the most expensive professional D-SLR cameras.
Typically, one of the ways to distinguish 'D-SLR' photography from 'compact' photography has been the use of 'wide aperture' to create mood and depth in a picture. These 'professional' shots are now possible on the FinePix F70EXR, which uses Pro Focus Mode to combine two or three burst shots together. Through complex digital imaging technology, a crisp shot of the subject is synthesized against a defocused background and foreground. Ideal for portraiture, nature photography or any subject that needs 'lifting' from its background, the FinePix F70EXR Pro Focus Mode provides satisfying professional results at the touch of a button.
Meanwhile, Pro Low-light Mode is applied to solving the problems of noisy low light shots. With current cameras, it is possible to achieve relatively blur-free low light shots using high ISO and CCD shift mechanical image stabilization. However, high ISO settings typically come at a cost, as the ISO 1600 setting will invariably produce distracting and ugly noise. In Pro Low-light Mode, the camera will take bursts of four high sensitivity images using Pixel Fusion Technology[*1] in quick succession. With Multi Frame Technology, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th images are overlapped to create one image with extremely low noise.
Super Slim 10x Zoom Lens
In conjunction with the Super CCD EXR sensor, the FinePix F70EXR features a Fujinon 10x optical zoom lens that produces crisp high resolution results throughout the focal range, from 27mm wide-angle to 270mm telephoto. The lens of the FinePix F70EXR features Super EBC Coating that keeps ghosting and flare to minimum to allow for optimal picture quality.
 |
Film Simulation Modes
Similar to other high-end FinePix models, the FinePix F70EXR offers five different film 'modes' to allow the photographer full creative expression to explore a variety of pre-set color and contrast modes designed around Fujifilm's most famous film emulsions. The modes are:
- Velvia/Vivid mode for rich and luscious landscapes
- PROVIA/Standard mode for excellent, sharp, standard photography
- ASTIA/Soft mode for soft, fine, smooth tonality
- Black & White mode captures the dramatic honesty of your image in black and white
- Sepia mode creates a sense of nostalgia with the warm brown "antique" tones of Sepia
 |
New 'Super Intelligent' Flash
The FinePix F70EXR offers a radically improved flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Gone are the ugly washout shots where the subject is blasted with light and the background dark and unexposed. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.
New High Contrast LCD
The FinePix F70EXR is fitted with an improved high contrast 230K-pixel 2.7-inch LCD. The high contrast LCD is a considerable benefit in bright light, and means that the camera can be pitched at various shooting angles to enable framing of awkward shots. Viewable at 160 degrees both vertically and horizontally, the LCD is bright and clear for beautiful rendition of shots in playback.
Dual Stabilization
Long zoom cameras need stabilization more than any other compact, with handshake and subject movement a particular problem in low light at telephoto range. The FinePix F70EXR reduces blur to a minimum by deploying Picture Stabilization to automatically increase shutter speeds to freeze action, and CCD Image Stabilization to counteract the problems of handshake. By cleverly combining these two, blur is reduced to an absolute minimum.
 |
Face Detection 3.0 and Automatic Red-eye Removal
To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix F70EXR is fitted with Fujifilm's latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.
What's in the Box
Li-ion battery NP-50, Battery charger BC-45W, Hand strap, USB cable for the FinePix F70EXR, AV cable for the FinePix F70EXR, CD-ROM, Owner's manual.
Customer Reviews
Outstanding Advanced Camera! Highly Recommended!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R29XSKHD3UO83L The FujiFilm F70EXR follows in the footsteps of the fantastic Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR 12MP Super CCD Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom as a very compact camera that packs a lot of advanced features into a "Point & Shoot" format camera body. The F70EXR is somewhat less expensive than the F200EXR, having a slightly lower resolution (10MP vs 12MP), a smaller LCD (2.7" vs 3"), and a few less shooting mode options. That being said, the F70EXR also has several improvements over the F200EXR, including double the optical Zoom (10x vs 5x), an improved Auto ERX mode and two new shooting modes (see below), and the ability to zoom while shooting video.
This is somewhat of a lengthy review, so I will summarize my findings here:
The F70EXR is a very powerful and feature rich "Point & Shoot" style camera that can be made to perform well for almost any application. The Auto Modes are very accurate and will almost always produce a good picture. In the manual Modes the user has more control over the settings, but the results are almost always impressive. This camera has a lot of advanced features and often takes better pictures than our much more expensive dSLR camera. The only weak area is in the Movie Mode, which is only VGA quality but does at least allow for zooming while filming (see video and review below).
Now for my overview and full review:
The F70EXR has many advanced features, including -
* 10 Megapixel Super CCD EXR Sensor
* 2.7" LCD Screen
* Wide Angle (27 mm) through 10x Optical Zoom (270 mm)
* Image Stabilization
* Wide Range of Preconfigured Modes (see below)
* Face Recognition with automatic in camera Red Eye Removal
* Support for SD and SDHC cards
* Includes 47 meg of internal memory, which is about 30 pictures in the highest resolution mode
* Long lasting Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery (NP-50)
What's in the Box -
* F70EXR Camera
* Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery (initial charge took just under 2 hours)
* Home Battery Charger
* Wrist Strap
* Proprietary USB Cable
* Video Cable (standard video/audio only)
* Printed Basic Manual Booklet (in several languages)
* CD with Owner's Manual (Full) in PDF
* CD with FinePixViewer Software (not bad image management, basic editing, and linking to Fuji web content)
* Plastic Sleeve for Battery Storage
* Miscellaneous Warrantee and Warning Pages
The Controls on the small camera body are generally well placed and easy to use, with a "rose" type interface for selecting and navigating the many menu options, selecting Flash, Macro, Self Timer, Delete, and Exposure Compensation settings. In addition to the Power Button, there are also four small buttons for selecting Play Back, Photo Mode (F), Face Recognition and Red Eye Removal, and Display.
The Photo Mode (F) sets several options that will affect your pictures, like ISO, Image Size, Image Quality (jpeg compression, I turned mine from the default "Normal" to "Fine") , and Film Simulation.
The numerous shooting modes are accessed through the Dial and include:
* "Auto" (Red Camera Icon) mode allows the F70EXR to be used as a "Point & Shoot" and usually produces truly outstanding quality pictures
* EXR Mode (EXR Icon, White Letters with Red Background)
- HR Mode (Resolution Priority), produces very crisp detail of intricate subjects and is useful in product photography - The Camera will display HR when in this mode.
- SN Mode (High Sensitivity & Low Noise), produces low-light shots with minimal noise - The Camera will display SN when in this mode.
- DR Mode (D-Range Priority), takes two pictures and merges them in-camera to provide great detail in highlights and low lights. - The camera will display DR when in this mode.
* Auto EXR Mode, tries to select between several presets (many found in the SP Mode, see below). This is a big improvement over the same mode on the F200EXR and is a good default for the camera. You can still use the regular "Auto" mode or manually set the SP mode when you have time to set up the camera.
* Program (P) and Manual (M) modes are standard modes enabling the user to set Shutter/Aperture priority or to take full control of settings, respectively
* Natural (N) is an interesting option for capturing images with the natural scene lighting
* Natural + Flash (N+ Lightning Bolt Icon) option takes two pictures, one as the "Natural" mode and another with the flash, to ensure a good picture is captured.
* Movie Mode (Movie Camera Icon) is a really useful video (with audio) clip capture mode that allows for 320 or 640 resolution at 30 Frames/Second. The clips are saved in standard AVI format and are decent enough for YouTube. Fuji listened to the consumers so now you can use Zoom while filming, but it does re-auto focus and the motor sound is picked up when changing.
* Scene Position (SP) Mode allows you to select between 15 presets, including:
- Pro Focus, Pro Low-Light, Portrait, Portrait Enhancer, Landscape, Sport, Night, Night (Tripod), Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Party, Flower, and Text
- The Pro Focus and Pro Low-Light Modes are new features that allows for soft background portraits and low noise, high detail pictures in low light, respectively. While these will work free hand, I recommend using a tripod and turning off Image Stabilization since the camera take multiple pictures and combines them in camera to make these effects.
There are far too many options and combinations to cover much more deeply, so I'll wrap this up with my major likes and dislikes:
Likes -
+ Great Point & Shoot "Auto" Mode takes impressive 10 MP pictures
+ Very low "Shutter Lag", even when not pre-focused
+ Impressive Wide Angle and 10x Optical Zoom Lens, but controls can be a little "spongy"
+ Clear description of Shooting Modes displayed on LCD when changing dial settings
+ Fantastic EXR Modes allow for capturing outstanding pictures that would have been unusable with lesser cameras
+ Outstanding "Super Intelligent Flash" produces great illuminated scenes without washing out the subject, a feature that is very useful in Macro Mode which we use heavily for our business product photography needs
+ Accurate Face Recognition with automatic in-camera Red Eye Reduction - This feature assures people are in focus, helps with in-camera Slide Show playback, and can automatically remove Red Eye. It is also very cool to watch it work!
+ Ability to Zoom while filming in Movie Mode, but motor noise can be heard on video
+ Large ISO range of 100 to 12800 - I manually limit mine to 800 or lower most of the time
+ Lots of user selectable options - Spending a little time reading the Owner's Manual is a good investment to learn about all of the features packed into this camera.
Dislikes -
- Steep Learning Curve (reading the Owner's Manual is absolutely required to take full advantage of all the features this camera offers)
- No Remote Control - this is important to us since we take product pictures, our workaround is to use the Self Timer
- Movie Mode Zoom - a nice feature but the camera can be slow to refocus and the motor noise is recorded
- No HD video - not too important for me since we have HD camcorders
Like the more expensive F200EXR, this is a very powerful camera that can be made to outperform almost any other consumer grade camera currently on the market if you spend a little time reading the Owner's Manual and do a little experimenting with the extensive options. We have been able to take absolutely beautiful pictures in the standard "Auto" mode and have produced some photos that we would not have been able capture, because of tricky lighting, by using the EXR modes.
The F70EXR is "Highly Recommended"! This is an easy choice for those in need of the advanced features and functionality this camera delivers in a very compact Point & Shoot form factor, 5 out of 5 Stars!
Somewhat Disappointing
The science of the Super CCD sounds really good. Choosing a sensor arrangement that allows the camera to bin adjacent pixels to increase the effective size of a photosite (at half the number of pixels, of course) is a good idea for reducing both chroma and luminance noise while maintaining a decent shutter speed. The lower noise level should permit raising the effective ISO.
In fact, the Super CCD works pretty well, but not for reducing noise. It is excellent at extending the dynamic range of the sensor (with one half of the photosites capturing bright and one half capturing dim areas). The camera has advanced firmware that allows it to do a number of tricks such as shooting 3 pictures in rapid sequence at the same ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, and averaging out the noise. So long as the photog can hold the camera reasonably steady, this works surprisingly well. It also has the ability to provide an apparently small depth of field, again by taking 3 pictures of the scene and somehow identifying the subject (closest object, I think) and making one shot of the subject and two of the distance, which it then blurs together.
Unfortunately this trick is less well executed. The background just looks as if somebody had blurred it uniformly, as putting a damp sponge on watercolors. On one shot the camera even left a hole in the blur through which one could see a fairly sharp background. Anyway, it only works at all when the subject is quite close to the camera.
Even with vibration reduction it is almost impossible to get a sharp image at a 35mm effective "250 mm" focal length using a camera this small. Hand shake and imperfections in the autofocus combine to limit the sharp zoom range to something significantly less, say around "175mm or 200 mm" equivalent focal length, if sharpness is important to you. The lens is also deficient on native sharpness, and when there's a bright background the chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is annoying and not removed by the firmware/software in the camera. Given the innovative firmware used elsewhere in the camera, some CA reduction and distortion correction should have been implemented.
A reasonably sophisticated user will probably find that he or she reaches for the exposure compensation button fairly frequently. I found that the meter just didn't deliver consistent results as you changed from, say, bright sunlight to an interior. In addition the auto white balance was consistently off, and the presets didn't help a lot. Pictures taken on a cloudy day were uniformly too blue, whether engaging the "shade" preset or using the AWB. In compensation, the custom WB mode is very easy to use and works better than on most compacts.
The F70EXR is beautifully built, a delight in the hand, and attractively styled. It's just not as adept at doing bread and butter photography as it should be, even at the pretty low price it's sold for at Amazon. I am mentally comparing it to a 3 year old Canon 710is and the brand new Canon S90, and have decided that I should return the F70EXR and give the S90 a try.
Simply one of the best "point and shoots" I've owned
I've been looking for a long time for a point and shoot that does everything I want it to do, and do it well. The F70EXR has met my desires. Is it a 100% perfect? No, but it's superior to most of my other cameras in what it can do, other than it's weak video. My first thought on taking it out of the box was thank goodness they got rid of the strange USB/video combo cable that came with the F200EXR. The F70 uses a standard mini USB cable, and separate AV cable. The camera itself has an all metal body, and feels well made. Size wise, it is the smallest 10X zoom on the market. It's pretty much the same size as the F200EXR which only has a 5X zoom. All controls are well laid out, and the menus are easy to navigate. The 2.7" screen is excellent. It's bright and easy to see even in sunlight. After charging the camera up, I ventured out and took about 100 test pictures under various conditions and settings. All in all, the camera performed exceptionally in most areas. There are some minor issues with camera choosing a higher than needed ISO in low lighting using auto mode, but it's not a big deal. Also, some shots came out better by lowering the exposure setting a notch or two. Video is fair at best. It's basic VGA. Nothing more. Nothing less. The battery still shows a full charge after all the testing, so at the least battery life is good. All in all, this is an almost a perfect point and shoot. 10X Zoom. Wide Angle Lens. Manual controls. Well Built. Small size. Excellent results. The only negatives are its mediocre VGA video, and its Image Stabilization is "fair". As is the case with the F200EXR, the F70EXR gives better results when "EXR Auto" mode is avoided. The Fuji F70EXR is a keeper, and I recommend it.
Pros:
Great results under most conditions.
Less noise than most cameras at higher ISO.
Wide angle lens w/ 10X Zoom.
Excellent 2.7" screen.
Well designed and built.
Manual controls.
Small size.
Cons:
Image Stabilization is fair.
No HD Video. Basic VGA Video.
Camera sometimes chooses higher ISO than needed indoors.
