Digital Camera Blog

> Click here for a larger image

Fujifilm first leapt into the digital SLR market in 2000 with the 3.1-megapixel S1 Pro, a respectable camera based on Nikon bodywork, but incorporating the company’s own image-capture chip, the SuperCCD.

The S2 and S3 rolled out, both nominally specified at around six megapixels, but the latter actually featured approx 12-megapixel resolution thanks to two photodiodes at each sensor location - a feature of its SuperCCD SR sensor.

So what’s in a number? We now have not the S4, but the S5 Pro, the CCD of which again is rated at approximately six megapixels, but processing interpolates output of up to 12-megapixels at a 3:2 ratio.

On first look, the S5 is suspiciously similar in build to Nikon’s D200, although the internals are very different. While it features a Nikon F-mount, the imaging chip is a SuperCCD SR Pro which is claimed to offer improvements in noise, dynamic range, colour and tonality over its predecessor.

The overall build is impressive, rubberised grips and well-laid-out controls helping the camera’s bulk feel comfortable in the hands. Buttons and dials are positive in operation and, thanks to the location of the power switch around the shutter button, plus a very rapid AF system, one-handed snapshot-fests are possible.

All the major shooting options, such as AE and AF modes, plus lock, bracketing, white balance and ISO sensitivity are accessible via on-body controls, their settings displayed in an LCD at top right. Anyone familiar with basic digital SLR operation should quickly feel at home with the Finepix S5 Pro’s physical layout, although it’ll take longer to master the extensive menu system viewable in the main 2.5in LCD.

A dab on the Menu button reveals the expected camera set-up options, plus entries for setting film simulation modes, one of which is designed especially for portraits, and the means to change colour intensity within either sRGB or Adobe RGB colour spaces. It’s also possible to adjust dynamic range, thanks to the characteristics of the imaging chip which at each photosite sports a standard sensor and another optimised for capturing bright areas.

With a Compact Flash or Microdrive card and single rechargeable lithium-ion battery loaded, the camera’s ready to shoot near instantaneously. Low-light conditions can prove troublesome for the lamp-assisted AF, although it’s easy enough to switch to manual, and time between frames is but a fraction of a second even when writing approx 27.5MB of both Raw and Jpeg information to the card simultaneously.

Burst mode is disappointing at a maximum 3fps (frames per second), so a sports photographer’s camera this is not. But where the S5 excels is in its reproduction of skin tones. Fujifilm, at a guess, knows this and has incorporated Face Detection technology that operates when reviewing images. Up to 10 faces in a scene can be identified via a button at rear and rapidly zoomed on to check for sharpness and expression.

Internal noise reduction takes two passes and does a game job of moderating noise in captures of up to ISO 3200 equivalent, while shots at more regular ISO sensitivities are reasonably well detailed, although slightly soft on close examination, and have excellent dynamic range.

For those seeking a pro-level digital SLR that is both fully featured and easy to use, the Fujifilm Finepix S5 Pro is a good-value buy. Some may baulk at the sensor technology, which does not offer true 12-megapixel performance but a result interpolated from each photosite’s dual sensors. However, for portraiture and high-contrast compositions, the camera performs very well.