Fuji FinePix F710 Digital Camera [4MP , 4 x Optical]

I replaced a previous (really rather splendid) digital camera - a Canon A70 with this largely because my daughters "toddle" faster than my A70 could startup, lock onto the subject and take its picture; I was getting too many missed moments. The F710 is much quicker, both at start-up and at taking photographs.

First impressions, when the camera arrived from Amazon, were very good indeed. A 2.1" widescreen LCD dominates the back of a smart brushed steel camera that feels well balanced, weighted and good in the hand. You also get a neat docking cradle to charge your camera and link it with a computer. It is easy to learn how to use this camera.

The camera can take pictures without needing much light, which is nice because you don't have to use the flash for some indoor shots; instead relying on more pleasing natural light. It can emulate a 1600 speed film at a resolution of 1MP.

This camera has high-spec video (30 fps VGA); if you are going to use this feature then buy lots of memory. A couple of minutes equates to roughly 50MB file; I bought a half gigabyte card and don't regret it! Video looks and sounds great when replayed on a computer.

You can choose to record your photos and videos in either standard or widescreen format; the ratios match the two different types of television. Widescreen looks good, but works by chopping the top and bottom of the recorded image, and then filling the widescreen LCD on the back of the camera with this image. Consequently, the maximum recordable image size reduces from 6MP to 4MP when using widescreen format.

The camera has an unusually wide zoom range; 4x in place of the more common 3x. It is also said to have an enhanced CCD that allows it to record enhanced dynamic range; I don't feel qualified to comment on this claim, however I can say that to me, the photographs uploaded to my PC look absolutely terrific - that includes photos taken in natural light, with flash and in macro mode.

The bundled software works poorly with my XP computer. A number of installation errors occurred each suggesting that the software being installed doesn't seem to be compatible with Windows XP. I went to Fuji Internet site before docking the camera to get the latest XP drivers, and it is still deficient. When I dock my camera now, I get errors telling me that my USB isn't a match for the camera's USB 2 and things will be slow - and no programs are launched. It is useable though, as Windows Explorer can be used to drag and drop files from my camera onto my hard drive. The software bundled with my Canon A70 was magnitudes better.

The camera has a piece of nostalgia - you've got to press a button to make the flash pop out of the camera body; it's an attempt to reduce the effect of red eye by taking the flash further away from the lens barrel. The effect is that of the first "press, point and press again" camera I've seen since childhood. With so much technology crammed into the camera, I'm surprised it doesn't automate the flash popup.

There is a fashion for manufacturers to stick brightly coloured (usually primary colours) transfers on the front of cameras advertising unpronounceable and mysterious technology features containing within. This camera goes one step further by having its transfers completely in Japanese. Less chance here of "know it alls" nodding knowingly at this plethora of technology - and I prefer it this way. There are also some really funny translations into "Inglish" on the installer program (it asked me to restart my machinery so that it can become a most efficient?).

Pros

This is a really fast camera that takes great pictures and videos. It's zoom range is better than most in its class, the camera fits into a pocket and "feels" like a really high quality camera. The video spec' is as good as it gets in this type of camera, and the widescreen option seems to be unique. The menu system is easy to learn, and the LCD is big bright and colourful. Although good pictures are possible with the flash, it's not always necessary as the camera can take pictures in less light than I expected - and still produce good results. The camera also benefits from funny translations on the installation program and an undecipherable Japanese graphic on the front of the camera.

Cons
The supplied camera drivers and software work poorly with my computer. I'm looking forward to some updates being available. This could be a problem for you if running XP and not comfortable using Windows Explorer to move files from your camera to your computer. Also, I don't like having to remember to manually pop up a flash to use it either in darkness or as a flash "fill". In this price band, you can buy higher resolution cameras. The supplied 16MB memory card isn't especially useful; Fuji must know that every camera purchased will be followed by an immediate purchase for more camera memory. Finally, the inclusion of a case - even a cheap plastic one, to help protect the LCD from scratches would have been a considerate gesture by Fuji.

Many reviews will that this is simply a wide screen version of the F700 with a 4x zoom lens, but it's much better for the following reasons:

1) The LCD screen has a much sturdier protective screen. This will hopefully last more than the few days the one on the F700 did. The whole camera is heavier and feels more solid, but I've bought a case this time to be on the safe side!

2) It's much easier to control manual features. There aren't really many more features than on the F700, but they are much easier to access. I used to find the menu system fiddly to use on the F700, but most photometric functions are accessed and adjusted by means of holding a button and turning the thumb wheel which works really well and is more intuitive. Crucialy, you'll be able to do things like adjust the exposure compensation before the subjects walk away with boredom as you try to find it in the menu! A real benefit for people who've learned how to use a decent SLR in the past is that there are a lot of manual controls for aperture and shutter speed. They are so much more intuitive and easier to use on this camera than the F700.

3) The flash is a manually popped up flash. This is apparently good for reducing red-eye as it's further for the lens, but I can't really tell the difference. You still get red-eye. However, the main advantage is that you absolutely know it won't flash when you don't want it to. So if you're at Wimbledon, as long as the flash is closed, it won't be you who gets kicked out for accidentally setting the flash off!"

For frequent travellers, it's got a new feature for adjusting to a different timezone and also comes with both a UK and US style plug for the charger.

In summary, even if you won't be using the wide screen feature, pay a bit more for this camera rather than the F700. The technology of the F700 produced astounding photographs. The usability of this upgrade will make your photography even better.