http://highiso.net/fuji/fujifilm-finepix-s5-pro.html

Take a look at the high ISO Images.

now all i gotta do is wait for the S-2 to die so our chief financial officer, AKA my Wife, will ok a purchase

Sweet!

it's the same sensor as the s3 right?

I have heard of a S2 that died while it crashed on the floor from 9 feet:-)




well Fuji added the tiny word PRO to the sensors name.
When i compare the ISO1600 images to my S3 ISO1600 images they are way better.

No, it's a completely updated sensor. They've improved it a lot.

Adam (or anyone)

Do you know what the comparable size of the sensor is?

I mean, they say it's a 12MP, but it's not the same as a 'normal' 12MP is it? It's a 'twice as good' 6MP sensor isn't it?

Am I making sense?

I got to play with one at Imaging USA. It is so much faster than my S3. Color still rocks and the face check button is sweeeet. Gotta get one.

gotta get my hands on one sooooooooooooon!

-BT

Anyone know the anticipated release date and street price?

Cheers,
Zack

I had a nice shooting opportunity with the S5 in San Antonio a few weeks back. I was shooting side by side with a D200. The file look very nice, maybe a better WB and ISO. The camera seems to write a bit slower, but bigger file....
I did not do any structured testing while I had it. Just took it and left the setting as is. I did not shoot RAW either.

If I had to replace a D200 I would consider it, but i don't see the need to be lusting after the newest camera.
I'm sure it will make some S2 and S3 shooters very happy.

Andrew

I have been trying to decide if I should trade in my S2Pro plus the lenses and go Canon or just change to Nikon but now I want to see what the S5 has to offer. Have you heard what the UK price might be be Mark?

Yes, it's a 6MP sensor but has 12 MP photosites. So you have half of the photosites getting the main exposure and the other half getting the higher dynamic range exposure. Then it processes them together to give you a very high quality 6MP file. And, as everyone knows (or should) Megapixels aren't everything the manufacturers want you to believe. I think it's great that at least one company isn't jumping on the high MP bandwagon and is improving on what they have.

There is a setting to have it save as 12MP but it's interpolated. Mind you, the interpolated file is much better than anything Photoshop or a printer RIP could do. So you could use it as a 12MP camera and have a very workable file.

And anyway, almost every sensor out there interpolates most of the colors in the file. The only one that doesn't is the Foveon sensor. But you have to get a Sigma camera to get that.

I'd bet the 6MP file from the S5 will blow away anything up to 8MP on other cameras and will be at least as good (if not slightly better) than other cameras up to 12MP. But I wouldn't bet on silly things like that.

It is the camera - at least in terms of shots missed rather than shots made. The better the metering, autofocus, and sensor, the less shots you'll miss.

And considering 6mp is the equal of any negative film we used to use for weddings, I'd say it's more than sufficient.

From the samples, it looks like with the S5 you can shoot at 1600 without any problems - and 3200 if needed. We just need autofocus that can handle those lighting conditions.

The Fuji guys in San Antonio said price point would be at around $2000 (B&H already has it for $1900..no vertical grip) and should be out by mid February. I know that my local camera store already has a waiting list for it.

Thanks Adam - very helpful

Ian - no, I don't know, but I've been having similar thoughts to you!!! We'll chat more at Focus, I'm sure!!

Oh.... I said to myself that I didn't need the S5..... now look what you did. You made me need it!

I have two S3's that I love, I need to decide if it is worth the upgrade. I know if I wait a while the price will come down, but then there will be a D300 to look at......

Ian and Mark, im ordering my Fuji S5 this weekend along with a tonne of new stuff! wedding gifts coming early only happens once tho!

the UK price is 1050 at most places inc tax, but the cheapest is 979.99inc vat from www.camerabox.co.uk equals £808.49 after claiming VAT back if your vat reg.

meaning its just over £200 more than buying a nikon d200 yet 300 cheaper than buying a canon 5d, so play your cards right ian.

i thought canon also, but then i thought canon flash wouldnt work for where i need to shoot but i wanted canon image quality which the fuji offers, along with the nikon flash = ross is happy for what he needs!! plus it does excellent studio pics like a s3, although from some reviews the landscape photographs arent very good and some tend to have a pruple tinge as a vignette! dont know if this is true or not. i know its true about the 9500/9600 series. although its supposed to be mainly great for weddings and portraits.

the sensor from what i can gather is simply 2 6mp sensors on top of each other resembling 12mp. however i think its similar to most fujis that its 6mp but 12 effective, due to their technology system, although the resolutions of the pictures are still bigger than the nikon d200, so i think that there bit map might be made up of 6mp shadows and 6mp highlights making the rgb format. thats my guess, but dont hold me to it.

I played around with one on Saturday. I went to the PPO tradeshow, and they had just been released the day before. I didn't have a CF card with me so I couldn't look at the images, but it had very nice handling. Didn't seem very slow to me (on the RAW setting).

If I had the coin, I'd get a couple in a heartbeat.

yeah ive read alot of reviews and supposedly the raw setting is slow and does a 3fps in comparison to nikons d200 10 or so. however tbh i dont really use that function alot so 3 is plenty!

i just dont wnat to have to upgrade all of my cd cards to get the speed going. but the live mode looks awesome aslong as u have the power adapter!

Um ... the D200 doesn't shoot 10fps

Since i am a JPEG Shooter i compared the JPEG Quality of the S5 against my D200.

Here are some results:

ISO 100 JPEG from the D200


ISO 100 JPEG from the S5 with Dynamic at 400% Denoise Std.


ISO 3200 JPEG from the D200

ISO 3200 JPEG from the S5 with Dynamic at 400%

This last post makes me want to get that S5. The noise is so much worse on the D200. At iso 3200 that is pretty impressive.

I hate to say it but I am thinking that too. I recently aquired an S2 as a second camera from a friend who had to get out of photogrpahy due to illness and I really do love the color and exposure right out of the camera much better than my D70. I was considering the D200 as an upgrade but now......after this summer I am thinking that an S5 is going to make it's way into my camera case. And I get to keep my Nikon glass and flash. I really like the thought of that.

lol.. i am really sorry i posted this images and make you think you need a S5.

Damn.. i should have talked to fuji to sponsor me before i posted this here:-)

Email Fuji now and see what kind of finders fee they will give you. Don't be sorry though. The bane of my exhistance in my workflow is noise. I am hoping the S5 will make it possible to remove that time consuming step.

Don't be sorry. Wtih very few reviews out on the S5 your informaion is very helpful. Thanks so much!

I have had my S5 for a few weeks now and totally love it...it's much faster then my s3 and the SOOC are just drool worthy