Fujifilm FinePix 4700 Zoom

My Fujifilm FinePix 4700 Zoom and Leica Digilux 4.3 cameras

Sometime in late October or early November 2025, I was sitting back at my desk, looking at some of the cameras around me and thinking about cameras to write about for this blog. There was one camera on the top shelf above my desk that has always piqued my interest, and one that I've had for 15 years or so, but it wasn't a film camera; it was a relatively early digital camera. I hadn't included a digital camera in my blog, but that's going to change.

 To start 2026, it would be a nice change of pace if we went away from traditional film cameras and focused on some of the early digital cameras in my collection. With that said, for January, I'm picking four early digital cameras and writing about them. 

 Focusing on the early digital camera in my collection brought me unexpected challenges that were difficult to navigate at times. For many of the cameras I'm reviewing this month, I had to get my mind, and even more challenging, a computer, the computer's hardware, and software back into the late 1990s to early 2000s. Sharing these experiences can make readers feel connected and motivated to explore vintage digital cameras themselves, especially potential buyers interested in the history behind these devices.

Rear view of Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom & Leica Digilux 4.3

 The first camera I'm going to discuss isn't as challenging as some of the cameras I'll be writing about later this month. My difficulties are mainly because I'm still working out some hardware issues with the computer, which I'll discuss in my write-up about the cameras. 

 All of the cameras are in good working condition. Aside from their specific camera menus, which are very basic compared to what we have now, the computer issues have been considerably more challenging and, at times, very frustrating, especially when finding a computer from that timeframe that functions. Still, I'll discuss that when the camera comes into play.

 It is also interesting that Fujifilm makes cameras for other brands. The two most well-known camera companies, Hasselblad and Leica, have had cameras made for them by Fujifilm. The Hasselblad XPan was produced in partnership with Fujifilm. Also, their "H" series lenses and viewfinder were developed with Fujifilm's involvement. 

 As you can see in the photos of the cameras above, the Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom is rebranded as the Leica Digilux 4.3. This was the third camera that Leica rebranded. The first was the original Digilux, Digilux Zoom, and  Digilux 4.3

The Company:

 Fujifilm's history in Japan mirrors the country's own journey through modernization, war, recovery, and technological reinvention. The company was founded in 1934 as Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., established by the Japanese government to create a domestic photographic film industry and reduce reliance on imports, particularly from Germany and the United States. Its first factory opened in Minami-Ashigara, near Mount Fuji, which inspired the company's name and enduring brand identity.

 In its early years, Fujifilm focused on mastering the complex chemistry of photographic film, producing black-and-white film, photographic paper, and motion picture film. During World War II, like many Japanese industrial firms, it was drawn into wartime production, supplying optical and imaging materials for military use. The war left Japan's economy devastated, but Fujifilm survived and quickly pivoted back to civilian products during the postwar recovery.

Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom advertisment

 The 1950s and 1960s marked a period of rapid growth. As Japan rebuilt and consumer culture expanded, photography became increasingly popular. Fujifilm introduced color film to the domestic market and steadily improved its quality, competing both domestically and internationally with companies such as Kodak. At the same time, the firm diversified into related fields, including magnetic tape, optical lenses, and X-ray film, laying the groundwork for its future resilience.

 During Japan's high-growth era of the 1970s and 1980s, Fujifilm became a global brand. It invested heavily in research and development, embracing advanced chemical engineering and precision manufacturing. These capabilities allowed the company to move beyond consumer photography into medical imaging, printing systems, and industrial materials. Fujifilm's strong export orientation also reflected Japan's emergence as a significant technological power.

 The late 1990s and early 2000s posed an existential challenge: the rapid decline of photographic film amid the rise of digital imaging. While many traditional film companies struggled, Fujifilm undertook one of the most notable corporate transformations in modern Japanese business history. Drawing on its expertise in chemistry and materials science, it diversified aggressively into healthcare, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronic materials, and data storage. The company officially changed its name to Fujifilm Holdings Corporation in 2006 to reflect this broader mission.

 Today, Fujifilm remains a symbol of Japanese adaptability and long-term thinking. While it still honors its photographic heritage, its core businesses now lie in healthcare, imaging, and advanced materials. From its origins near Mount Fuji to its global presence, Fujifilm's history illustrates how a Japanese company can evolve with changing times while preserving technical excellence and cultural identity.

My Camera:

 The Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom may be the highest resolution digital camera I'll be writing about this month, coming in at a whopping 2mp, with a 1/1.7" SuperCCD imaging sensor which can produce a maximum resolution of 2400 x 1800-sized JPEGs on a Smart Media Card. The Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom has a Super Fujinon 8.3-24.9mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/4.5. This 3x zoom lens is the 35mm equivalent of a 36-108mm lens.

 While the Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom is an unconventional vertical-format camera in stature, it is very easy to hold and use. The dimensions of the camera are 4" tall by just a bit over 3" wide by 1.5" thick, and it weighs in at 10.8 ounces with the two "AA" batteries that power the camera.

I don't want to get into the full minutia of everything the camera has to offer and go into each specific button and control, but instead talk about the basic controls of the camera and how I generally use this style of camera, which is similar to probably 95% of the intended users. If you want to look at specifics and know what each button does, you can go online and find a copy of the Fujifilm FinePix 4700 instruction manual.

 Let's start at the beginning. To put in the 2 "AA" batteries, on the bottom of the camera is the battery door. Slide the cover outward, and the door will swing open. Insert the 2 "AA" batteries as shown on the battery lid, then close the lid and slide it back to close the battery door. 

On the left side of the camera is the door where you put in the Smart Media card. Flip the small button downwards to open the memory card door. Insert the memory card so the brass portion faces the front of the camera, and press it in all the way until it stays in the camera. To release the memory card, push it in a bit, as it's spring-loaded, and it will pop out, so you can grab it and pull it out of the camera. Once the memory card is inserted in the camera, you can close the memory card door.

 Above the memory card door is a small speaker; above that is a small button to turn on the flash, which will pop up after the button is pressed. Also on the left side are ports for a charging device, A/V out, and a USB port.

Two main areas control the camera: the selector on top of the camera, which surrounds the shutter release button, and the back of the camera, which is the main control center.

 The top controls the camera's shooting mode. Looking around the dial, from top to bottom, is Set (some of the main camera settings are set here, with controls from the camera's back). The next is Video Mode, then Multi Mode  (continuous shooting), Manual Mode, Auto Mode (the primary setting in red), Portrait Mode, Landscape Mode, and Night Mode. Initially, you'll want to put the camera into "set" mode so you can adjust basic settings.

On the back of the camera are many different buttons, along with two separate screens. One circular screen in the upper right of the camera with directional controls that control certain items once the camera is on and the mode is selected. Located on the lower portion of the camera's backside is a larger 2" rectangular screen with a resolution of 130,000 pixels, which is also used in the "set up" process, along with displaying the image after it is taken.

 Above the 2" screen is a series of five buttons along with a sliding pointer to a red camera or an arrow within a box. Making sure the camera is in the "Set" mode on the top wheel, put the slider to the "red camera", and press the power button inside the slider. One of my favorite things about this camera happens at this point. Inside the circular window you'll see "Hello!" illuminated inside the circular window, and the 2" screen is now in the "setup" mode. When you turn off the camera, "Bye" will appear in the window.

Here is where you'll set the image quality to Basic, Normal, or Fine by moving the directional buttons around the circular window. Next is file size, 640x480, 1280x960, or 2400x1800. Within each file size, you can choose to shoot in Basic, Normal, or Fine, giving you file sizes anywhere from 44kb in Basic and in 640x480 resolution, to 1.9mb shooting in 2400x1800 resolution and in Fine.

 Next is the "auto-off" setting, which is either 5 or 2 minutes, or No. Then moving down to "Frame No." with either Renew or Cont., then below that is "Beep" which can be High, Low, or Off, onto the second page and to "start up scree" either On or Off, and last on the setup screen is setting the Date. Once you make any of these choices, the button on the back of the camera, which has "Menu/Exe", is the button to press to make the changes desired.

With the camera still in "red camera" mode, when you move the top dial to a specific shooting mode, like Portrait or Auto, the lens door slides over and the lens extends from the camera. Now you're in shooting mode, with the camera actually recording images to the memory card. When you're in the "shooting" mode, you'll see information inside the round directional window with details on the zoom function with the buttons pointing up or down, the macro setting on the left side of the window, and the flash setting on the right, and in the center is what "mode" you're in and the frame count.

 Just above the control buttons on the back of the camera is an optical viewfinder to look through to frame your image. You can also click on the "display" button, which will activate the "live video" feed on the 2" monitor on the back of the camera. Also on the back of the camera is a button for the Menu/Exe functions. This button sets the menu item you want to control. In the upper-left corner is a button labeled Shift and a light bulb. It allows you to light up the round window while also seeing other settings within the camera.

These are the basics for using the camera, since it is a sophisticated little camera. You have the option of manual focus, over/under exposure, flash over/under exposure, focus lock, rear screen brightness, white balance settings, image sharpening, and metering types like spot, average, and multi metering, which is the most common for this camera.  I didn't even touch on the video capabilities of this camera, which were relatively plentiful for a small digital camera from this era.

 

My Results:

 To look at the different resolutions and shooting modes, I photographed a film box in my portable studio to compare image quality. I'm sure there's going to be a vast difference since the smallest file is only 44kb and the largest is 1.9mb.

Here are some screenshots in Photoshop showing the image size of the smallest and largest files taken with the Fujifilm FinePix 4700 zoom.

I also took a regular and macro shot, which you can see here.

Then I used the camera at our New Year's Eve get-together with some neighbors. I'll have to admit, I haven't made it to Midnight for many years.

Conclusion:

 It's nice to pull out some of the older digital cameras and run them through their paces every once in a while. The camera is compact, easy to use, and fun to shoot with. While there are many drawbacks to cameras from this era, such as file size, and in many cases the phone you have takes better photos, it often lacks many of the controls a real camera has (yet).

 Thank you for taking the time to travel back in time about 25 years, when digital cameras were coming into their own and putting film companies out of business, except for Fujifilm, which diversified and actually embraced digital.

 Feel free to look through my other Camera Reviews.

 I also have an online eBay store, Cuny's Cameras and Photo, where I sell many of the cameras I've reviewed, along with other cameras, lenses, and camera accessories. If you find something there, please let me know, and I'll offer a nice discount.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Lumiere LuxBox (Ver. 2)

My Lumiere LuxBox camera.

I was drawn to the Lumiere LuxBox, a camera I bought at a Paris flea market 20 years ago. Among other simple cameras, its unique shape and brown color caught my eye.

 When I picked up the camera, I saw it was in great shape. The two-speed shutter worked, there were two aperture settings on the lens, and the crinkle-finished metal body looked nice. I liked the lens pattern and the riveted nameplate on the front. The design reminded me of Ferrania Rondine cameras from Italy. You can unlock the film insert and remove it from the body from the side, unlike many other box cameras. The solid metal body was another thing I liked.

 After a short negotiation with the vendor, we agreed on a price. I paid, put the camera in my backpack, and moved on to the next tables at the market. Other than a group of fabulous glass negatives taken in the French countryside during the 1920s, the Lumiere LuxBox was the only camera purchased at the Paris flea market on this day.

 About 20 years later, and just a few weeks ago, I was searching for a camera to write about. The Lumiere LuxBox caught my attention again. I was somewhat familiar with the French Photographic Company, Lumiere, as I have previously written about another one of their wonderful miniature camera, the Super ELJY camera.

 Although I thought last week’s blog would be my final post of the year, its simplicity inspired me to shoot a roll of film and share a short article. So here I am, telling you about this relatively simple, ordinary, oddly shaped box camera from France, made in the early 1950s.

History:

 To give some background, Lumière was a pioneering French camera company founded by Charles-Antoine Lumière in Lyon in the late 19th century. The company became best known for the achievements of Auguste and Louis Lumière. Their innovations in motion-picture technology and color photography helped define early cinema and modern photographic materials.

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 The Lumière enterprise began as a manufacturer of photographic plates. Louis Lumière invented a highly sensitive "blue label" dry plate at the age of 17. This plate enabled much shorter exposure times and quickly became a commercial success. The company soon built a large factory in Lyon's Monplaisir district and became one of Europe’s major suppliers of photographic materials by the mid‑1890s.

 After their father saw Edison’s Kinetoscope in Paris, Auguste and Louis developed the Cinématographe, a lightweight device that could record, print, and project movies. Patented in 1895, it used perforated film and a claw mechanism, making it more practical than other systems. This led to the first public film screenings, including “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.” Imagine how exciting that was for photography fans then.

 By the early 1900s, Lumière stopped making films and focused on photographic technology, especially color processes. In 1903, they patented Autochrome Lumière, a color plate process that used dyed potato-starch grains. It was introduced in 1907 and became the first major color system widely used through the 1930s. Learning about these innovations makes me appreciate their cameras even more.

 Lumière began manufacturing cameras in the late 1920s and produced various models until about 1961. The company was purchased by Swiss firm Ciba in 1961 and later became part of Ilford France. For collectors like me, the Lumière name still stands out in early photography and cinema. sures 4.5 inches tall (including the eye-level finder), 4.25 inches deep, and 3 inches wide (including the film advance knob). It weighs 14.2 ounces without film loaded. 

My Camera:

 The LuxBox was introduced in 1933 and discontinued in 1937. It’s a classic box-style camera that takes 6x9cm photos on 120 film. The camera has shutter speeds from 1/75 to 1/25, plus "T" and "B" settings. It also has a focusable lens and was considered the most advanced box camera of its time.

The LuxBox was reissued from 1952 to 1954, which is when mine was made. It’s an all-metal camera without a leather covering, with a frosted Havana-colored paint finish. There is a small vertical eye-level finder on top for composing your shot. This version takes 6x9cm negatives with 620 film, which is very similar to 120 film but uses a different spool size.

The camera has a simple lens and shutter unit. The shutter provides two speeds: 1/75 (fast) and 1/25 (slow), plus a "B" (bulb) setting for manual exposure holding. There are two fixed-aperture settings at the 4:00 position (when facing the lens): "2" (wider opening for brighter images) and "1" (smaller opening for greater depth of field and less light). A PC flash port at 2:00 allows flash connection. There’s no cable socket for time exposures, so you must hold the shutter release manually for long exposures. The bottom of the camera has a standard tripod socket for stability.

To load film, find the locking button on the left. Slide it up to unlock, then pull the right side away from the body. Load film as with other box cameras.

 Move the empty take-up spool from the bottom compartment to the top so it can collect the unspooled film. Place the new roll of film into the bottom compartment, ensuring the ends of the spool fit securely into the peg slots. Pull the leader paper over the guide wheels and insert it into the empty spool’s slot. Turn the winding knob until the word "start" appears on the backing paper. Slide the film chamber back into the camera body and lock it in place with the button. Then, open the red window cover on the camera's back and turn the winding knob until the number "1" appears, indicating that the first exposure is ready.

This camera has a few technical settings.

 Let’s load film and see what results we get.

 

My Results:

 I loaded the camera with a roll of 100 ISO 620 film I keep for cameras like this. I probably should have used 400 ISO film, since it was overcast, though the sun peeked through at times. We took our daughter’s dog to the local dog park for exercise and photos.

 Here are some of the results from our walk at the Dog Park:

Conclusion:

 The camera is fun to use thanks to its extra shutter controls. As someone who likes the 6x9 cm format, I enjoy capturing a larger area in each photo.

 The main downside for me was the tiny viewfinder window. A standard waist-level finder would have made the camera easier to use and more like the original 1930s model.

 I think this model was brought back in the early 1950s to cut costs but still offer decent image quality. Although I may not use it again, testing it for this article let me revisit why it stood out to me in Paris, and now it has a place on the shelf among my other colored cameras.

 Feel free to check out my other camera reviews.

 If you’re interested in any of the cameras I’ve reviewed, you might find them in my eBay store, Cuny’s Cameras and Photos. I have lots of odd and unusual photo items for sale.

 Thanks for taking a few minutes to read about this mid-century French camera made after WWII.

 Until my next review, take care.