Fujifilm S5 Pro Digital SLR - Review

By: PhotographyBlog

The Fujifilm S5 Pro is a new digital SLR camera predominantly aimed at portrait and wedding photographers, largely in part to the Super CCD SR Pro sensor which Fujifilm claim offers 400% greater dynamic range than a more conventional sensor. The S5 Pro replaces the older S3 model and continues the company's links with Nikon by being based around a Nikon D200 body. It therefore inherits virtually all of the features of that camera, with Fujifilm adding their own sensor, image processing engine and software package, plus a few extra in-camera features such as three new Film Simulation Modes to help improve the reproduction of skin tones. The Fujifilm S5 Pro is more expensive than the Nikon D200 or any of its other competitors.

Ease of Use: While other camera manufacturers – both with traditional photographic and electronics backgrounds – have rushed to capitalize on the growth of the DSLR market by rushing out several models spread across staggered price points, Fujifilm, like fellow photo stalwart Kodak, has apparently been content to ply its trade with good value snapshot and enthusiast-level cameras. Unusually, Fujifilm has only ever had one DSLR available at any one time – and only three in total before now (the F1, F2 and F3) – each with a shelf life that far extended the average six months afforded its competitors. The reason for this, Fujifilm has argued, is that it is aiming its product at a niche professional market: that of the social photographer – by which it means portrait and wedding specialists in particular. Its reluctance to compete directly with fellow big names may also have a lot to do with the fact that all Fujifilm's DSLRs have been based on camera bodies provided by Nikon, and the latest S5 Pro (seemingly skipping a generation from its S3 predecessor) is no exception, taking its lead from Nikon's acclaimed D200 pro-level model.

Uniquely however, Fujifilm's version features its proprietary dynamic-range increasing Super CCD SR Pro sensor. Singularly banging the drum of 'quality not quantity' when it comes to pixels, once again this comprises a honeycomb-style layout of 12 million paired photo diodes – six million larger 'S' photodiodes for capturing the lion's share of light, combined with 6.17 million smaller 'R' photo diodes for 'bright area' information claimed to be beyond the reach of conventional pixels. What this means in practice is that attention has been paid in particular to highlight detail (capturing that lacey embroidery on a bride's dress for example) and, to keep landscape photographers happy, like the S3 there are modes that ape Fujifilm's acclaimed roll film range, including the rich colours provided by the likes of Velvia. As with the Fujifilm S5 Pro's predecessors, both are key selling points.