Fujifilm Finepix S1 Pro Digital SLR the future is here
Written: Apr 24 '00 (Updated Jan 12 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 3.4 Megapixel (6.1 million megapixel interpolated images) Interchangeable lenses, built in flash
Cons: N60 body, ISO 320, no spot meter, Menus and operation are not intuitive.
The Bottom Line: The Fujifilm Finepix S1 Pro is the cheapest interchangeable lens digital SLR camera available
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Fuji FinePix S1 Pro (43020100) AC Adapter, Batter... |
Fujifilm introduced the new S1 Pro digital camera at the 2000 PMA show in Las Vegas. The camera caused an immediate stir among exhibitors, industry professionals, and show visitors. The S1 offers digital photographers an interchangeable lens camera for less than half the price of Nikon’s new D1X. The FinePix S1 Pro doesn’t have the heavy-duty build quality or the sophisticated metering and exposure controls of the “pro” level digital SLR’s, but it does allow the use of most of Nikon’s AF lenses, flashes, and accessories, so while it isn’t a professional level camera, it does offer digital photographers lots of features that are usually only found on Pro digital SLR’s. If you are a part-time pro or advanced amateur photographer with an investment in the Nikon system, the S1 Pro will allow you to explore digital photography without having to dip into Junior’s college fund. The Fuji S1 Pro was selected as the best digital camera under $5000.00 at the 2000 PMA show, in voting by exhibitors, guests, and industry professionals.
The major technological advance with this camera is Fuji's newly developed Super CCD image sensor technology. Fuji's engineers realized that the standard 1/2 inch CCD maxed out at about three million megapixels. The only way to provide more sensor surface was to increase the size of the sensor array. Fuji took a radical new approach, they redesigned the sensors, going from the square side by side sensors used in almost all digital cameras, to an array of octagonal sensors arranged at a 45 degree angle. This achieved fifty per cent more sensor surface area, in the same physical space
The S1 Pro is built on the Nikon N60 chassis, providing access to a large selection of lenses in Nikon "F" (AF) mount. Nikons newest AF-S lenses cannot be used in the AF mode.. The S1 Pro provides 3.4 megapixel imaging capability with 6.1 megapixel (interpolated) images. The S1 Pro has three imaging formats (TIFF-RGB, TIFF-YC, and JPEG), three file sizes (3040x2016, 2304x1556, and 1440x960), adjustable ISO equivalent ratings of 320, 400, 800, and 1600, four shooting modes (single, continuous, preview, and multiple exposure), 1.5 frames per second (up to 5 frames) film advance speed. Capture modes include auto, and preview, the preview mode stores images in the buffer, allowing the photographer to either dump the image (saving valuable media storage space) or save and export. The S1 Pro has a built-in USB port. The camera (somewhat confusingly) uses three different types of battery, but overall battery life is very good. The camera features eight white balance modes, five variable program modes (portrait, landscape, close-up, sport, and night scene) and a general purpose program mode. Exposure modes include auto-multi, shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure control.
The new S1 Pro provides superb image resolution (through the more efficient sensor array), better signal to noise ratio management (with a new signal processing system that mimics the way the human eye processes information), and 6.1 megapixel interpolated digital data files. This can mean better contrast, bolder colors, sharper resolution, and film like prints...for a bit more than two thousand bucks. The S1 Pro comes bundled with a CD-Rom, USB and Video cables, a 16Mb Smart Media card, and batteries.
Technical Specifications
3.4 Megapixel (2304x1536 images with no interpolation, or 3042x2016 interpolated images)
2" LCD monitor
TTL Optical Viewfinder
Shutter Speeds: 30 seconds to 1/2000th of a second
Metering Modes: 3D Matrix (with D-type AF Nikkor lens) 6-segment Matrix, Center-weighted average (in Manual or with AE Lock)
Exposure Modes: Auto, Program, Aperture & Shutter Priority, and Metered Manual
Five "Scene" Modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Night/Low Light, & Sports
Variable ISO Settings: 320, 400, 800, & 1600
Uncompressed TIFF & Standard JPEG file formats
Built In Flash: Guide No.15 (ISO 100) 28mm lens coverage
Storage Media: Smart Media, Compact Flash (Type I & II)
Batteries: 4 x AA NiMH, NiCd or lithium 2 x CR123A lithium batteries, button cell
A FINAL WORD
The Fuji S1 Pro digital SLR is a viable option for part-time professional and advanced amateur photographers who don't need the speed, durability, dust & moisture seals, and pro capabilities of the Nikon D1/D1X/D1H. The camera performs very well, produces exceptional images, with color and resolution that are equal or superior to any other digital SLR currently available, except the Nikon D1X.
The Fujifilm Finepix S1 Pro doesn’t really compare to the Nikon D1/D1X/D1H family of cameras, (although these cameras are often compared across the board) but The S1 is capable of professional quality results. I used the camera with Nikkor 24-120 and Nikkor 70-300 zooms to shoot mostly landscape shots in Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery and environmental portraits and informal “street” shots in the Highlands, along Bardstown Rd.. The S1 Pro performs very well once you master the non-intuitive interface. Images were sharp and the color was very good (although highly saturated/high contrast images at the highest resolution levels displayed very minor color bleeding) and quite accurate. The S1 produces slightly better caucasian skin tones than the Nikon D1, but this small advantage disappears after the S1’s minimum ISO (sensitivity) setting of 320 is exceeded. Overall the Fujifilm Finepix S1 Pro is an excellent option for the photographer who wants to augment his Nikon 35mm system with an inter-changeable lens digital SLR without breaking the bank.
For more information on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1
For more information about specific Digital Camera models, please see my Digital Camera Reviews:
Nikon Digital Cameras
Nikon Coolpix 885
http://www.epinions.com/content_46290931332
Nikon Coolpix 995
http://www.epinions.com/content_40256769668
Nikon D1X
http://www.epinions.com/content_36023996036
Nikon D1
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-4868-E2433E5-38737CF8-prod2/tk_~CB003.1.78
Nikon Coolpix 880
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2DA8-DF21E52-39E118CA-prod5
Nikon Coolpix 990
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3B78-3C431D90-3A345313-prod3
Canon Digital Cameras
Canon Powershot G2
http://www.epinions.com/content_47646084740
Canon Powershot S10
http://www.epinions.com/content_7563808388/tk_~CB003.1.74
Canon EOS D30
http://www.epinions.com/content_11625991812/tk_~CB003.1.58
Canon Powershot PRO 90IS
http://www.epinions.com/content_30440001156/tk_~CB005.1.9
Canon Powershot G1
http://www.epinions.com/content_8768294532/tk_~CB003.1.70
Canon Powershot PRO 70
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-6496-25768DA-38C3E01A-prod9/tk_~CB003.1.70
Sony Digital Cameras
Sony MVC-CD 300
http://www.epinions.com/content_45591793284
Sony DSC-S50
http:http://www.epinions.com/content_15885897348
Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5F01-365BA12-3980602C-prod3/tk_~CB003.1.14
Olympus Digital Cameras
Olympus Camedia C3040
http://www.epinions.com/content_42675179140
Olympus Camedia C3000
http://www.epinions.com/content_26106105476/tk_~CB003.1.30
Olympus Camedia E10
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-59FB-183DFC73-3A17388F-prod2/tk_~CB003.1.42
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Recommended:
Yes
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Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 333
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About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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