31 replies to this topic

[Viz'art]

Just got a call from my local dealer, the Fuji S5 has just arrived and they use the same batterie as the D200 , I should be getting mine very shortly and will be able to give you a diver hands on impression soon. so far all control buttons seem to be placed identically. i'll trow one in my housing ASAP and get it in a pool at least if not under the ice.

[Ryan]

Just got a call from my local dealer, the Fuji S5 has just arrived and they use the same batterie as the D200 , I should be getting mine very shortly and will be able to give you a diver hands on impression soon. so far all control buttons seem to be placed identically. i'll trow one in my housing ASAP and get it in a pool at least if not under the ice.

Everything is identical, I-TTL protocol is the same, and the dynamic range & color seem to be very good. I shot one about a month ago in Tokyo and really enjoyed it.

[seagrant]

I'm very interested to hear more about the S5 soon.

I'll probably get one for my "backup" [or main?] DSLR. And I'll be glad if it has different photographic "strengths" for different environments.

Thanks for the info,

Carol

[davichin]

But, have you tried a D200 battery in the fuji? because here:

http://www.thinkcame...UAN/366/v/1/sp/

Says:

"The D200 battery doesn't work in an S5. There's a chip embedded in the battery that means you have to use a Fuji battery. The D200 grip will work (so I'm advised) but only with Fuji batteries. It's possible this chip does some important valuable work but the real benefit will be that Fuji make more money (since you can bet 3rd party batteries won't work either)."

Could someone check it?

Thank you!!

[Scuba_SI]

Hi All,

But isn't this still a 6.2 mp camera? I've never played with a fuji, but isn't the image interpolated up to 12mp?

Why is this a possible d200 competitor? Surely the higher mp of a D200 would out-contest an auto velvia look - we can do that in PS.

Please help, i am confused!

[james]

Hi,

The Fuji sensor uses a close packed honeycomb layout for the pixels - when the data is converted to X-Y coordinates, the resolution goes up to something like 8-9 megapixels. I have tested this myself when I had the S2pro and it's true - not marketing BS.

An 8-9 megapixel camera w/ extended dyanmic range is definitely a contender, but that's just my opinion.

Cheers
James

[Viz'art]

Also, out of the box performance as always been good, flesh tone and highlight has always been a priority for Fuji (they have a substantial corner of the wedding photographer, hence the wedding dress blow out is quite important for these guys), skin done u/w I couldn't care less, but high light control, that's an edge as far as i'm concern, My point mainly is I need a back up camera and the S5 as the same physical as the D200 but has different characteristic, it might end up as a back up but at least it add's to by palette of tool instead of joust cloning it, as far as pixel count versus result, my S2 are pretty efficient when compared to my D200 so i'm hoping for even better from the S5, about the battery, it fit but doesn't work, bloody lame if you ask me, I have to see if the Fuji battery will operate the D200... at least that would make it a touch fairer.

Cheers

[Claude]

I will try a friend's one this afternoon and tomorrow underwater : I don't think that this camera will improve our sunballs a lot... but lets try !
Claude

[photovan]

i tested an S5 against my d200 a couple of weeks ago and while the jpegs look great colour-wise straight from camera, the lack of resolution and sharpness of the S5's RAW files was disappointing, to say the least. You will need the latest version of ACR or DNG converter to be able to see the RAWS in Photoshop. Maybe the Fuji dedicated RAW software will do a better job of RAW conversions.

Shame, as I had high hopes for this camera... or should I say sensor... we know the d200 body is great.

[Claude]

If you want to see some uw shoot with the S5 : http://www.aquatilia.com/S5Pro ! I haven't had time to do an english version yet... but to see pictures : no need for it
FYI : the last UW-images have been taken in shalow water... the first at about 20 meters
Cheers
Claude

[Viz'art]

Merci mec, sacré bon boulot et ca jette de la lumière sur le S5, Merci

don't jump to the bable fish, here is the translation

Thank's dude, hell of a nice job and it throws light on the S5. thanks

Ya see french and english it almost identical

[seagrant]

Thanks Claude!!

Very interesting! I like what the Fuji can do.

Wow, the cool sub and now this prompt and fine essay.........., and next the S5/sub comparison (if sun cooperates!)

Claude you rock! (But I don't know how to say that in French..... )
Oh, well but this is how "babel fish" says it......... :

Claude que vous basculez !


Thanks so much! Carol (PS I hope I didn't just say something stupid in French..)

Edited by seagrant, 10 March 2007 - 09:34 AM.

[Lionfish43]

i tested an S5 against my d200 a couple of weeks ago and while the jpegs look great colour-wise straight from camera, the lack of resolution and sharpness of the S5's RAW files was disappointing, to say the least. You will need the latest version of ACR or DNG converter to be able to see the RAWS in Photoshop. Maybe the Fuji dedicated RAW software will do a better job of RAW conversions.

Shame, as I had high hopes for this camera... or should I say sensor... we know the d200 body is great.

This pretty much matches my experience with the Fuji S2. I always got better results using the Fuji Raw File Converter EX and the fuji files almost always required more sharpening than files from my Nikons.

If you want to see some uw shoot with the S5 : http://www.aquatilia.com/S5Pro ! I haven't had time to do an english version yet... but to see pictures : no need for it
FYI : the last UW-images have been taken in shalow water... the first at about 20 meters
Cheers
Claude

Claude,
I can't read French so I'm not sure what your conclusions were but, to me, your results look very promising. The shallow sunbursts look very good.

[Claude]

Ya see french and english it almost identical

oui oui... almost

Claude que vous basculez !

wow... your French is... euhhhh... babel fish French
I prefer the English version

Thanks so much!

you're welcome ! B)

I will complete this page by adding some other pictures and explanations tomorrow... and try to translate it next week!

see ya
Claude

Edited by Claude, 10 March 2007 - 11:30 AM.

[ripli]

Thanks Claude for your information, i was waiting to see some underwater photos from Fuji S5 and your information is very usefull for me. Thanks again.

[davichin]

The shallow sunbursts look very good.

I think that shallow sunbursts look always better than deeper ones in all cameras...

[photovan]

I think that shallow sunbursts look always better than deeper ones in all cameras...

less brightness range?

Edited by photovan, 10 March 2007 - 03:26 PM.

[Claude]

As promised, we went down yesterday with a friend of mine to compare the Nikon D200 and the Fuji S5 Pro by taking pictures at the same time in the same conditions...
Follow that link for the results: www.aquatilia.com/S5Pro > it still in French only for the moment… but conclusion is that, I would say, the S5 Pro is mainly designed for wedding pictures !

Cheers
Claude

[Alex_Mustard]

I think that shallow sunbursts look always better than deeper ones in all cameras...

Agreed. Shallow means less cyan fringing and improves sunbursts in all digital! cameras.

-------------------------

Very important tests Claude. To my eyes I see very little difference in the sunbursts between the S5 and D200 in your back to back assessment. I think over the next 6 months we are going to see endless posts claiming the S5 is much better than the D200 for sunbursts. But few, if any, will actually do a back to back test.

Indeed at the weekend, I was persuading a friend to but one instead of a second D200 for just that reason. But I think I was wrong.

It would be great if you could put the back to back tests in a separate page - so that people can link directly to them.

Alex

[photovan]

Claude, thanks very much for the work you put in. Can I ask which RAW converter you used for the S5 files?