Fujifilm continues to grow its selection of cameras that use its Super CCD EXR sensor technology, which makes sense since the sensors actually perform very well. And with a 5x zoom compact camera, a full-size 14x megazoom, and two 10x compact megazoom models available, it also makes sense to add an ultracompact in the mix.
The 12-megapixel F700EXR features an internal periscopic Fujinon lens with a 5x zoom. All of the manufacturer's latest shooting features are included, like Face Recognition, Pet Detection (yes, it optimizes focus on the faces of dogs and cats), tagging of photos and movies for uploading to Facebook and YouTube when its connected to a computer, and 720p HD movie capture. Of course, you get the dynamic range and low-light shooting benefits of the EXR sensor, too.
Looks like the company's made good use of the touch screen, too. The 460K-pixel, 3.5-inch display does all the usual touch stuff like navigating menus and tapping on your subject to focus and shoot. It will also rotate the onscreen menus and controls when you shoot horizontally or vertically. And you can split the screen up to view multiple images at once for faster finding of a particular shot.
Housed in a full-metal body and available in a choice of black, red, or silver, the FinePix Z700EXR will be available March 2010 for $279.95.