Fujifilm FinePix F · on sale August 2009
The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR: the pocket 10x zoom that bet on a different kind of sensor
In 2009 Fujifilm put its EXR sensor behind a 27–270 mm zoom in a slim body for about $280. Reviewers loved the low-light pictures and the price, and the complaints were a scratch-prone finish, a short battery life and no HD video.
- Launched
- August 2009
- Launch price
- $279.95 · £229.99 (PhotographyBLOG)1
- Sensor
- 10 MP CCD
- Lens
- 27–270 mm, 10×
- Card
- SD, SDHC
- Battery
- NP-50
Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR specs: sensor, lens, battery, memory card and cable
Launched in August 2009 at $279.95, the Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR is a 10 MP CCD compact with a 27–270 mm (35 mm equivalent) 10× zoom lens. Inside: it takes SD and SDHC cards and runs on the NP-50 battery. Sources
- Sensor
- CCD, 1/2", 10 MP source
- Lens
- 27–270 mm equivalent, 10× zoom source
- Memory card
- SD, SDHC source
- Battery
- NP-50 source
- USB / A/V cable
- See our Fujifilm cable page
Meet the camera
The F70EXR carries a 10-megapixel, 1/2-inch Super CCD EXR sensor behind a 10x Fujinon zoom that covers 27 to 270 mm on a 35 mm camera, opening to f/3.3 at the wide end and f/5.6 at full zoom.14 Expert Reviews pointed out that rivals of the time used smaller 1/2.3-inch and 1/2.5-inch sensors.2 Imaging Resource described it as the replacement for the FinePix F60 and as Fujifilm's first long-zoom compact,4 and PhotographyBLOG called it the F60fd's successor that inherits the EXR technology Fujifilm introduced earlier in 2009 on the F200EXR.1 It is a sibling of the F200EXR, not its replacement: the two share a sensor design and a similar body, but the F70EXR trades the F200EXR's 12-megapixel sensor and 5x zoom for 10 megapixels and twice the reach, and Expert Reviews said the F200EXR's larger sensor gives marginally better photos.312
It measures about 99 by 59 by 23 millimetres and weighs about 180 grams without battery or card, according to PhotographyBLOG and Imaging Resource,14 though Trusted Reviews put it at a little over 200 grams with battery and card in and found it heavy for its size.3 Imaging Resource gave a suggested price of about $280 and an availability date of August 2009.4 PhotographyBLOG listed $279.95 and £229.99 and later saw it advertised for under £200 and $250;1 Expert Reviews listed £199 and Trusted Reviews £280, so UK prices were all over the place.23
Why this one was interesting
One sensor, three jobs
In its high-resolution mode the sensor uses all 10 million photocells for 3616 by 2712 pixels. In the low-noise mode it pairs neighbouring photocells into a 5-megapixel image of 2592 by 1944 and tops out at ISO 1600, and in the dynamic-range mode it also drops to 5 megapixels and uses the extra light-gathering to hold highlights and shadows.31 An Auto position picks one for you, and PhotographyBLOG said it chose the mode the reviewer would have picked about 90 percent of the time.1 Trusted Reviews thought limiting pictures to 5 megapixels no great loss, since it is enough for a decent A4 print.3 The same sensor design is described in more depth in our FinePix F200EXR review.
Low light that beat its class
Expert Reviews picked it as its favourite compact at any price, in large part for its Pro Low-Light scene mode, which stacks four frames to cut noise, and said ISO 1600 shots looked sharper and cleaner than rivals', with some low-motion scenes approaching the smoothness of an SLR.2 Trusted Reviews said low-light performance was significantly better than almost anything else on the market and called the camera better in low light than anything else in its class.3
Dynamic range, and a little manual control
PhotographyBLOG said the dynamic-range mode, adjustable up to 800 percent, far surpassed other compacts at keeping highlight and shadow detail,1 and Trusted Reviews saw visibly broader range and especially good shadow detail.3 Aperture-priority and manual exposure are offered, but only with two aperture choices, and there is no shutter priority.13 Fujifilm's earlier compacts are covered in our reviews of the F30, F31fd, F40fd and F100fd.
What was lost
Using the clever modes costs pixels. Full resolution gives none of the low-light benefit,3 and Expert Reviews found that the dynamic-range extension works best in the 5-megapixel EXR mode and adds noise at 10 megapixels, so it recommended leaving it off in Program mode and switching to EXR when needed.2 PhotographyBLOG listed no histogram in shooting or playback, no shutter priority, and continuous shooting of only about 1.8 frames per second for three frames.1 Expert Reviews noted that its Pro Focus background-blur effect is sometimes imprecise at subject edges,2 and Trusted Reviews found that switching from EXR mode back to Program left the image size at 5 megapixels.3
The dark: its weak point
PhotographyBLOG found ISO 100 and 200 noise-free, limited noise at ISO 400, fairly visible noise and some loss of fine detail at ISO 800 (still usable), more noise at ISO 1600 and 3200, and called ISO 6400 and 12800 not worth using; it also found the low-noise mode only slightly cleaner than normal shooting at equivalent settings, a smaller gap than it hoped for.1 Trusted Reviews, shooting in the low-noise mode, saw no difference at ISO 100 and 200, a subtle texture change at 400, signs of noise reduction at 800 and some lost fine detail at 1600 with smooth tone and no colour distortion, and called the 1600 result printable.3 The two verdicts differ in tone: PhotographyBLOG was lukewarm about the gain from the low-noise mode, while Trusted Reviews and Expert Reviews were enthusiastic about the camera's low-light results.
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Real photographs taken with this camera. The sensitivity shown is recorded in each file's own EXIF data; which EXR mode was used is not.
Like that look? See recent eBay sold listings for this camera ↗
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The little wins
Fast autofocus
Trusted Reviews called autofocus fast and accurate, with a bright assist lamp that worked at about five metres, and Expert Reviews called it particularly fast.32
Stabilisation
PhotographyBLOG said the CCD-shift stabiliser was effective at slow shutter speeds, especially at the long end.1
How it drew the picture
PhotographyBLOG scored image quality 4.5 out of 5, but said out-of-camera files were soft, with no way to change sharpening in the camera, and it saw purple fringing in high-contrast scenes and barrel distortion at the wide end.1 Trusted Reviews was warmer on the lens, finding corner-to-corner sharpness excellent, detail at full resolution as good as any 10-megapixel compact it knew, and only slight barrel distortion.3 Expert Reviews saw less sharp detail at full telephoto than on the F200EXR or the Panasonic TZ7, though enough for an A4 print.2
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Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.
Where it let you down
Trusted Reviews found the glossy body a bit slippery and said it chipped and scratched very easily, although PhotographyBLOG found it not too slippy to hold; PhotographyBLOG did say the glossy screen shows fingerprints and was hard to see in bright sun with no viewfinder to fall back on.31 PhotographyBLOG also called the battery life disappointing and advised carrying a spare, and said the mode dial had been knocked to the wrong position in a pocket a couple of times.1 Expert Reviews said the lack of HD video was its only serious grumble and found the menus could be tidier; Trusted Reviews found start-up a little slow at just under three seconds and wished for a custom menu.23 The full manual came only as a PDF on a disc.1
What the reviewers said in 2009
| Outlet | Date | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| PhotographyBLOG | 29 Sep 2009 | About 4.5 out of 5 (design 4.5, features 4.5, ease of use 4.5, image quality 4.5, value 5). Praised dynamic range, the 10x zoom in a small body and value; noted purple fringing, soft files and short battery life.1 |
| Expert Reviews | 18 Nov 2009 | Best Buy badge; no numeric score in the page text: favourite compact at any price for the zoom and Pro Low-Light mode; no HD video the one serious grumble.2 |
| Trusted Reviews | 1 Dec 2009 | Called it a stunningly versatile pocket superzoom and one that will surely become a low-light benchmark; cons were the £280 price, slight barrel distortion and no custom menu. Sub-scores: value 8, image quality 10, build quality 9; no overall score in the page text.3 |
| Imaging Resource | Not dated | Preview only: specifications and feature list, no lab results or verdict.4 |
Imaging Resource's page is an overview built from Fujifilm's own material, so we used it for specifications and the launch price, not for opinions. We found three full reviews, so coverage here is thinner than on our most-reviewed cameras.
The timeline
- Earlier in 2009Fujifilm's EXR sensor debuts on the F200EXR.1
- August 2009The F70EXR goes on sale at about $280, replacing the F60.4
- 29 September 2009PhotographyBLOG publishes its review.1
- 18 November 2009Expert Reviews publishes its review.2
- 1 December 2009Trusted Reviews publishes its review.3
Should you buy one now?
Buy one if you want a pocketable CCD zoom that stays calm at ISO 1600 and will put up with a small screen, no HD video and a battery that does not last long. It launched at $279.95;1 what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:
- The name. All three reviews we read call it the FinePix F70EXR; we found no other regional name, which is not proof there was none.123
- The finish. Trusted Reviews found the gloss scratched and chipped easily, so look at the corners and the screen.3
- The battery. It uses an NP-50;1 a fresh one is on Amazon ↗, and PhotographyBLOG found battery life short.1
- The card. It takes SD and SDHC cards.14 See our memory card guide.
- The mode dial. Check it stays where you set it.1
- The lens. Check that it extends and retracts cleanly through the full 10x range.
If you are wondering why cameras like this are being hunted down again, we tell that story once, in Pictures that never left the card.
See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NP-50 battery ↗
Sources
- PhotographyBLOG, Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR review by Mark Goldstein (29 Sep 2009)
- Expert Reviews, Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR review by Ben Pitt (18 Nov 2009)
- Trusted Reviews, Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR review by Cliff Smith (1 Dec 2009)
- Imaging Resource, Fujifilm F70EXR overview and specifications (a preview without lab tests; availability August 2009)
Photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.