Fuji FinePix S5

Fuji Finepix S5 Pro is not a real 12MP camera. It actually is a 6MP camera which interpolates to 12MP.

It uses an unique sensor that is unlike any other competitors using not square pixels. It is a SuperCCD sensor, which has on every pixel a micro lens. Actually on this camera, every pixel has two pixels, one with a regular sensitivity and another one is less sensitive to extend the dynamic range.

The dynamic range is really great, even heavily overexposed shots can be fixed to a good quality using image editing software like Photoshop.

Basically, this camera is Nikon D200 body with some different buttons layout and almost identical features. The advantage is SuperCCD sensor that performs outstandingly. Very rich colors, selectable film simulation modes that change dynamic range and color representation.

Camera is very well built, quite durable, body has magnesium alloy chassis and weather sealed. It has also some plastic parts in the body, like built-in flash.

View finder displays all required information, including aperture and shutter speed, there is a ls an external LCD display that displays almost identical information, it is located on top of the body.

The camera has a very small shutter lag, but it is very slow in continuous shooting mode. So if this mode is important, I would recommend choose some other camera. This camera is great for wedding photography due to its outstanding dynamic range and beautiful colors.

Thanks to Nikon D200, Fuji S5Pro has high end parameters, like top shutter speed 1/8000 and flash sync 1/250. Fuji S5 camera is not longer manufactures, but still there are some places with stocks of new cameras. Nikon D200 shooter should have MTBF of at least 100,000 clicks.

If you don't want this camera for sports or action photography then its brilliant. For weddings, portraits, landscapes and the likes it is simply fantastic (I have a D3 and find the S5 to be better at getting white balance right and prefer the S5 colours too).

Now if only Fuji could get the colour and image quality into a D3 speed body with a true 12MP...

The Fuji FinePix S5 is a good camera for people and weddings. Easy to use, great out of camera shots.