Posted to Digital SLR 2009-05-08
If you're a professional or advanced amateur photographer, and image quality is of paramount importance to you, then you owe it to yourself to give the Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro a hard look. This camera produces photos with impressive dynamic range, and images taken at high ISO speeds are some of the best available without extensive processing using photo software. It's no secret that the FinePix S5 Pro is based on a Nikon D200 body, but the innards are all Fuji. The camera features Fuji's unique Super CCD SR Pro, which features 2 sensors at each photosite. This results in a camera with 6 megapixels that produces 12 megapixel images. Each photosite features an S-pixel, which is large and highly sensitive, and an R-pixel, which is smaller for a wider dynamic range. This information is combined by the camera's image processor to produce a 12MP image with a wide dynamic range and realistic highlights that are not blown out.
ValueWhile image quality of the S5 is outstanding, you'll pay for the privilege. The FinePix S5 Pro is priced at a $300 to $400 premium over the Nikon D200. It's capable of using most of the same lenses and external flash units as the D200, but you'll have to decide if the extended dynamic range and excellent high ISO operation are worth the difference. The S5 produces better images than the D200 overall, but it suffers from some performance issues when it comes to continuous shooting and autofocus speed. The D200 is much more nimble. If most of your work is done in the studio, the S5 could be right for you, but if you're a sports photographer, the Nikon D200 or Canon EOS 50D is probably more your cup of tea. PerformanceAs mentioned previously, the S5 suffers from slow shot-to-shot and continuous shooting times. The S5 produces very large file sizes, and the frame buffer is not as large as the D200 or the EOS 50D. When it fills up, you may have to wait as long as 40 seconds for it to finish writing to the memory card. In addition, the autofocus is a bit sluggish, particularly in low light. So again, this is more of a portrait, wedding or landscape photographer's camera than it is an action camera. Other than these issues, however, performance is excellent, with an easy to use menu system and control over most of the camera's important settings available via external buttons. SummaryThe S5 is a full-featured, professional grade camera that produces outstanding images. While the resolution looks closer to 6MP than 12MP, the dynamic range and lack of noise artifacts in high ISO settings is impressive. If most of your work is done in the studio or indoors, then this could be the camera you've been looking for, and it probably should be on your short list of cameras to test drive. Pros
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