Fujifilm FinePix F710 Zoom: the connoisseur's compact
Release Date: 17 February 2004

Fujifilm has today unveiled a new addition to its digital camera range based on the company's highly-acclaimed Super CCD SR technology: the FinePix F710 Zoom.

The FinePix F710 Zoom enters Fujifilm's range as a partner to the FinePix F700 Zoom, which has won more awards than any other camera in the company's compact digital line-up. The new model ups the ante further with a 4x zoom lens, widescreen LCD display and a pop-up flash. The F700 model will continue to be available alongside the F710.

One of the first features visible on the FinePix F710 Zoom is a brand new Fujinon 4x optical zoom lens. Fujifilm's optical know-how has succeeded in accommodating this extra lens power in a body of unchanged dimensions. With a zoom equivalent to 32.5mm to 130mm on a 35mm camera, the F710 Zoom goes a little wider and a little longer than the average compact digital camera.

In recognition of the growing popularity of the widescreen format used in a range of consumer electronics products, the FinePix F710 Zoom incorporates a new 2.1" widescreen LCD for image capture and playback of 16:9 format images - a picture size adjusted for optimised playback on the now-ubiquitous widescreen television. In addition, printing images is made easier thanks to the inclusion of PictBridge™, the industry standard for printing images from a digital camera without using a PC.

Technical reviews confirmed that the FinePix F700 Zoom was a class apart from conventional digital compacts, and the FinePix F710 Zoom shares the revolutionary light capture principle that has made Fujifilm stand out in a crowded market. Super CCD SR has proven itself among experts as a technology that delivers superior dynamic range compared to a conventional CCD. As well as this increased tonal ability, the sensor also achieves significantly reduced noise.

In addition, the design of the F710 has been adjusted to include a pop-up flash, to further distance the flash from the axis of the lens. This refinement will help users to reduce the unsightly effects of red-eye when taking photos indoors or in poor light conditions.

Much like the F700, the FinePix F710 Zoom marries high-end photographic capability and an affordable price. It will make an excellent 'off-duty' camera for the professional, or a compact companion for the enthusiast who will make full use of the camera's many functions.

Adrian Clarke, Director of Consumer Products, Fujifilm, said, "The FinePix F700 Zoom has been bought by many people who were looking to move on from a film SLR, but wanted to lose the bulk without waving goodbye to the creativity. This leads us to believe that the F710 Zoom will also be a hit with that group.

"Recently, the market has witnessed the launch of some very high-pixel cameras that have disappointed with their picture quality. We expect the F710 Zoom to prove once and for all that picture quality is all about what you do with pixels, rather than simply how many there are."

Super CCD SR sensor - High Fidelity Photography

Fujifilm's Super CCD SR provides a truer representation of the subject, retaining highlight detail and offering a four-fold increase in dynamic range. By using the innovative layout of paired photodiodes, the technology enables confident shooting in both bright and cloudy conditions, combats the bleached-out effect created by flash photography and increases exposure latitude - a great advantage in difficult lighting conditions.

The technology behind Super CCD SR

Where once a single photodiode* was responsible for capturing the full range of light strengths at a single location on the sensor, with Super CCD SR two photodiodes capture information on the same area of the image. These are arranged in a special structure comprising a larger, primary photodiode adjusted for high sensitivity, with a secondary photodiode for lower sensitivity. When combined, they offer four times the dynamic range of conventional photodiodes. This advance in technology might be compared to the evolution of the audio speaker: in an attempt to improve performance, the addition of a secondary high sensitivity cone, or 'tweeter', radically improved range and sound quality.

Technical information relating to interpolation and Fujifilm Super CCD

Fujifilm's Super CCD technology always produces a still image by processing intermediary tone and colour values between the effective pixels, no matter what the size of the output image. For instance, when using the FinePix F710 Zoom (a 6mp output camera) on its 3mp setting, the camera reduces the 6 million pixel file to half size, rather than reading exclusively from the effective photodiodes on the CCD. The reason for this is that the 'chessboard' arrangement of photosites on the CCD necessitates intermediary values in order to fill the gaps. For further information on how the Super CCD processor generates intermediary pixel values, please visit: http://www.superccd.co.uk

Availability and Pricing

The FinePix F710 Zoom will be available in the UK from leading photographic retailers from April 2004. Pricing will be announced nearer to the date of retail launch.

Notes to Editors

* Photodiode: a single, light-sensing element on a sensor.
** In accordance with CIPA regulations on pixel count.