Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

Bookmark

By Calvin Siew
Jan 28, 2005

Some of the issues dogging professionals from moving to digital have been the lack of dynamic range in digicams and the daunting amount of post-processing required to get the best possible image. With the debut of a new variant of the SuperCCD SR sensor and various film emulation modes, Fujifilm's S3 Pro offering in some ways addresses these issues. However, what most people will be disappointed with is the fact that for S$0 (US$0), they will effectively be getting a camera body similar to Nikon's (S$1,998) budget dSLR offering, the F80-based D70.

Super CCD SR Reloaded
Like its predecessor, the SR designation on the sensor indicates higher dynamic range. While each pixel of the original Super CCD SR sensor consists of two photodiodes, the newfangled imager has its S-pixels, which was adjusted for high sensitivity and physically separated from the secondary set of R-pixels. The latter is tweaked for lower sensitivity, or highlights. The use of S- and R-pixels in its documentations explains the SR designation in Fujifilm's naming convention. Unlike film, sensors in digital cameras translate light into recordable digital values, and the sensitivity of an imager determines the quality and accuracy of such conversions. To understand this better, think about how adding tweeters or subwoofers to your stereo setup can improve range and sound quality.

In our tests, there were differences over normal sensors. However, we hesitate to say that performance was way better than other imagers or even anywhere as close as 35mm negatives--not that we necessarily like the flat images that would arise. What we will say is the JPEGs generated by the S3 Pro exhibited slightly more details in the shadow regions and were some of the most pliable compressed files we've been able to work with.

In The Field
As mentioned earlier, the S3 Pro is based on Nikon's F80 film body but arrives with an integrated vertical grip. As such, it inherits the entry-level Multi-CAM900 autofocus (AF) module that's also available on Nikon's D70. This means you'll effectively be paying S$2k for a vertical grip (which you may not want or need), Fujifilm's Super CCD sensor and its image-processing algorithms.

The S3 Pro is comfortable to hold and most of the controls are intuitive. However, we did have some issues with the design. We found that when using the camera in its normal landscape position, the shutter release on the vertical grip protruded just enough that there's a tendency to activate this when unlocked. This makes it difficult to switch quickly from portrait to landscape orientation--which we think is one of the things a vertical grip should essentially cater for. Additionally, if the camera was in sleep mode, the vertical shutter would not awaken the unit. The lack of command dials to set aperture or shutter speed also subtracted from its usefulness.

Unfortunately, the adjusting of sensitivity settings was much the same, requiring the rotation of the mode dial and slowing workflow. We'd rather have a dedicated button for ISO settings like the rest of its competition. This drawback was further amplified by the lack of an Auto ISO setting found on Nikon's newer makes.

If you've used Nikon's budget-oriented D70, you'll find the S3 Pro to be a little sluggish in operation--especially with RAW captures. This includes everything from the AF, burst shooting and even previewing of images on the LCD display. On the upside, we did find the AF on the FinePix to be slightly more accurate and JPEGs of good enough quality if you don't intend to make enlargements larger than A3.

It�s All About The Pictures
All the complaints with regard to usability and speed vanished the moment we looked at the resulting images. Simply put, the S3 Pro produced some of the best out-of-camera images we've ever seen. The various film emulation modes helped create portraits and scenic landscapes with good colors and pleasing skin tones. For those who prefer to have it their way, there's also a setting with tweaks to dynamic range, color tone, saturation and sharpness.

Low-light performance was also good, with images taken at ISO 1600 coming in fairly clean and acceptable--though we'd recommend putting the files through some noise-reduction software before submitting them for large prints.

Like every other camera, the S3 Pro's RAW files yielded slightly better images than its JPEGs, and with the added flexibility to better correct white balance and exposure errors. However, the S3 Pro's RAW file format is relatively new and the only program able to process it accurately is Fujifilm's own Hyper-Utility software. We didn't like the program's layout and found it lacking the intuitive touch that exists even in basic image-editing suites. Hopefully, Adobe will include the S3 Pro in the next revision of its Camera RAW plug-in.

The Verdict
At S$0 (US$0), the S3 Pro will appeal mainly to advanced amateurs and semi-professionals. With Nikon D2H's fall in price in the US and Japan, this same group of photographers will invariably be in a position to decide between a faster, more technologically advanced and durable body that has a 4-megapixel imager and an entry-level body paired with a 12-megapixel sensor (albeit interpolated). In any case, we like the S3 Pro for its ability to handle image processing wonderfully. This has allowed us to spend less time in front of a monitor and more hours outside (where we should be) snapping away.