Honeycomb SR sensor – FUJIFILM FINEPIX F710

Last updated on 2026-05-26

This article is a review and sample photographs taken with the FUJIFILM Finepix F710, a compact digital camera released by Fujifilm in 2004.

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1．Overview

The FinePix F710 is a compact digital camera made by Fujifilm with a landscape format. It was released in March 2004.

Its main specifications include a 4x zoom lens (32.5–130 mm in 35 mm equivalent), a 1/1.7-inch Super CCD Honeycomb IV SR image sensor with 6.2 megapixels (S pixels: 3.1 megapixels; R pixels: 3.1 megapixels), and an NP-40 battery.

The camera supports XD Picture Cards of up to 2 GB. Some cameras with full firmware may reach the 512 MB limit. For more information on XD Picture Cards, please see the “Specifications and Considerations” section.

The camera’s detailed specifications, along with those of the FinePix F700 and FinePix F810, are listed in the table below.

2．Usability

The FinePix F710 is a 20-year-old camera, so even among old compact digital cameras, it’s probably quite old. After inserting two AA batteries, I turned it on for the first time in over 20 years, and it powered on and took pictures without any problems.

It’s a Honeycomb SR based on a 3-megapixel digital camera, so don’t expect too much.

JPEG images often appear dull, so it’s worth the effort to shoot in RAW and adjust the images with the appropriate parameters in development software.

The lens covers a slightly wider range than other FinePix cameras from the same period: 33–130 mm in 35 mm equivalent. While only a 2mm difference, it makes a big difference on the wide-angle side.

Fujifilm began adopting 28mm wide-angle lenses with the FinePix F100d in 2008, so it’s quite late.

The NP-40 battery has modest specs: a voltage of 3.7V and a capacity of 710mAh. This allows the camera to take only around 100 shots at its official specifications and even fewer in RAW mode, as it requires longer processing times.

The recording pixel count is six megapixels (2,832 x 2,128 pixels), and the F710’s RAW data (RAF file) is 13 MB. This is slightly less than the 18 MB of uncompressed data from a typical 6-megapixel sensor.

Based on Yushi’s previous testing, this discrepancy is thought to be due to the fact that Super CCD Honeycomb IV SR sensor images are primarily S pixels, which contain full 3-megapixel data. R pixels, on the other hand, are used to fill in overexposed areas and record only a portion of the 3 megapixels. Therefore, the 3-megapixel data is essentially interpolated and recorded at 6 megapixels.

I used Fujifilm’s “X RAW STUDIO” to develop the RAF images from the F710, but it didn’t work on its own. Instead, I connected the camera to a PC with the memory card inserted and used the camera’s internal chip for development. The results were similar to shooting in JPEG format, so I only used this software to view thumbnails.

I used Affinity Photo 2 for development, but the color tones displayed in the “X RAW STUDIO” thumbnails were quite different from the default colors in Affinity Photo 2. It seemed like “X RAW STUDIO” displayed the image data in a reasonably well-processed state, even without connecting the camera.

Using s7raw, Windows-specific development software, I could adjust the blending ratio of S and R pixels. Unfortunately, this software isn’t available for Mac. It’s available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Intel (AMD) CPUs. Although the download link on the official website is no longer available, you can download it from Softpedia. I was able to process data from a FinePix F710 without any problems when I used it on Windows 10.

However, when I first used it in 20 years, I encountered a zoom error that prevented the lens from retracting, which is a common problem with Fujifilm compact digital cameras. This is caused by the plastic gears and other parts in the lens retraction mechanism deteriorating and breaking down. Although this is a cost-cutting measure, the mechanism is much weaker than those of older cameras.

Used cameras can sometimes be found at a reasonable price, but since the processing system is from the 2000s, compact digital cameras from the technologically advanced 2010s are undoubtedly much more versatile.

3．Summary

In conclusion, the FinePix F710’s horizontal form is a unique camera design that predates larger LCD displays, and I like it.

In terms of digital camera performance, the advertised expansion of dynamic range provided by the SR sensor is not noticeable. At best, there is only a slight difference in image quality, so don’t get your hopes up.

Specifications, considerations, etc.

There are only two digital cameras equipped with the Super CCD Honeycomb IV SR: the FinePix F700 and the FinePix F710. The FinePix F810, which has the same body shape, has a different sensor format.

As you can see from the fact that the successor camera, the FinePix F810, is equipped with a 6-megapixel sensor, other companies are already increasing the number of cameras that use sensors with real 6-megapixel or more pixels.

XD Picture Card (hereafter referred to as XD Picture) is a memory card standard established by Fujifilm and Olympus, the winners of compact digital cameras in the 2000s. Due to lack of experience in creating standards, this recording media had problems with expandability, compatibility, and speed. In the end, it was a sad standard that was short-lived as it could not resist the onslaught of SD cards.

XD Picture is available in capacities of 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB, but older cameras have a limit of 512MB.

The FinePix F710 I have is able to use 2GB of XD Picture with firmware 1.55. According to a Fujifilm news release, the supported XD Picture size is 512MB, so if you have older firmware, you may be limited.

I saw a statement in “Playing with the FinePix F700” that the FinePix F700 also supports large-capacity XD Picture with firmware 3.0 or later.

Depending on the firmware, the FinePix F810 may also fall under the 512MB limit.

XD Pictures was used in compact digital cameras from Olympus and Fujifilm in the 2000s, but the downside is that the memory cards themselves are scarce, so the unit price per recording capacity on the secondhand market is quite high.

Items	FinePix F700	FinePix F710	FinePix F800
Number of pixels	6.2 million pixels (S pixels: 3.1 million pixels R pixels: 3.1 million pixels)	6.2 million pixels (S pixels: 3.1 million pixels R pixels: 3.1 million pixels)	630万画素
Sensor type	Super CCD Honeycomb IV SR	Super CCD Honeycomb IV SR	Super CCD Honeycomb IV HR
Sensor size	1/1.7	1/1.7	1/1.7
Lens	f=7.7mm～23.1mm (equivalent to 35mm～105mm on a 35mm camera)	f=7.2mm to 28.8mm (35mm film equivalent, STD: 32.5mm to 130mm equivalent)	f=7.2mm to 28.8mm (35mm film equivalent, STD: 32.5mm to 130mm equivalent)
Aperture	F2.8～F4.9	F2.8～F5.6	F2.8～F5.6
OVF	Real image optical zoom viewfinder	Real image optical zoom viewfinder	Real image optical zoom viewfinder
Rear LCD Size	1.8 inch	2.1 inch	2.1 inch
Rear LCD resolution	134,000 pixels	173,000 pixels	173,000 pixels
Battery	NP-40	NP-40	NP-40
Recording media	xD-Picture Card Official (16-256MB) Supports 1GB and 2GB with latest firmware	xD-Picture Card Official (16-512MB) Supports 1GB and 2GB with latest firmware	xD-Picture Card Official (16-512MB) Supports 1GB and 2GB with latest firmware
Size (mm) Width x Height x Depth	108 × 54 x 28	110 × 54 x 29	110 × 54 x 29
Weight (g) (fully equipped)	190	225	220
Release date	2003.summer	2004.3	2004.8
Color	Silver	Silver	Silver
Price(Yen/No-tax)	¥74,800-	Open price	Open price

Reference links

3x zoom & first honeycomb CCD FP4700Z

Update history

Honeycomb SR sensor – FUJIFILM FINEPIX F710

Table of contents

Gallery

Review

1．Overview

2．Usability

3．Summary

Specifications, considerations, etc.

Reference links

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