Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

Reviewed September 2005

Characteristics

The Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro uses a Super CCD SR II (Super Dynamic Range). The Super CCD SR II is an evolution of the Super CCD which changes the placement and size of the pixels on the CCD. It retains the octagonal pixel shape of other Super CCDs, but increases their size while introducing smaller pixels in between them. The result is that the sensor is composed of 6.17 million large high sensitivity pixels (S pixels) and 6.17 million smaller and lower sensitivity pixels (R pixels) for a total of 12.9 million pixels which, according to Fujifilm, imitates the way film is structured and gives the Super CCD SR II a greater dynamic range than its competitors.

The Super CCD SR II used with the S3 Pro measures 23 x 15.5 mm, and of its 12.9 million pixels, 12.34 million are effective to capture an image with a maximum size of 4256 x 2848 pixels. CCD sensitivity starts at 100 ISO, but can be increased to 160, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 ISO.

As with its 2 predecessors — the S1 and S2 — the S3 uses a Nikon F lens mount giving it compatibility with a wide variety of Nikkor lenses and Nikon compatible lenses. Still, to retain full metering functions it is worth remembering that lenses should be Nikkor D, G, AF-I or AF-S types, or similarly compatible lenses from third-party manufacturers.

Moreover, the smaller area of the Super CCD in comparison to 35mm film means that the focal length of any 35mm lens mounted on the S3 is effectively increased by 1.5X, so that for instance a 50mm lens produces a field of view that is comparable to a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera.

The Focus Mode selector is on the lower right of the lens mount. It has three positions:

• AF-S (Single-AF Servo) is the focus priority mode and the shutter will only release when the camera has focused
• AF-C (Continuous-AF Servo) is the release priority mode. The shutter will release even if the focus indicator is not displayed. Even when the shutter button is held halfway and the focus indicator is not displayed, the focus is not locked and focusing continues unless the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed
• Manual: allows focusing freely and the shutter will release irrespective of the focus.

The FinePix S3 Pro provides a shutter speed range that covers from 1/4000 second to 30 seconds, and has the addition of an unlimited Bulb mode when used in the Manual shooting mode.

Photos are captured at any one of 4 sizes:

• 12M: 4256 x 2848
•   6M: 3024 x 2016
•   3M: 2304 x 1536
•   1M: 1440 x 960

All images can be saved using the JPEG format and at either one of two compression levels: Fine or Normal. In addition, the S3 offers a RAW file format that is not processed by the camera, and does not sustain a lossy compression. RAW images must be read using the software included with the camera, and have to be converted to another format before being useable in most other applications.

The FinePix S3 Pro can capture images using either one of two Dynamic Ranges: Wide or Standard. "Dynamic range" describes the range of brightness the camera can capture covering from shadows to highlights, and according to Fujifilm, one the features of the S3's SR II Super CCD is its ability to capture a greater range than other CCDs. And, set to Wide, the S3 takes advantage of both the S and R pixels, and is able to capture more detail in both shadows and highlights. While the Standard range, the other setting, is comparable to the dynamic range of the S3's predecessor, the FinePix S2 Pro.

This choice of dynamic range however, has an impact on the speed at which images can be captured in Continuous mode:

The Rear Display Panel, above the LCD monitor, normally displays information about basic camera settings. Shown are the remaining number of images that can be saved on the memory card, the ISO setting, the state of the battery, the memory card in use (the S3 supports two types — see further), and the date and time.

Pressing the button on the left, , the information display becomes a means to change a number of camera settings through the use of the four buttons below the display:

• White Balance: Auto, Custom 1, Custom 2, Sun, Shade, Fluorescent 1 (daylight type), Fluorescent 2 (warm white), Fluorescent 3 (cool white), and incandescent.

• Quality: serves to select the compression level (Fine or Normal), or the RAW format which only captures images at 12 megapixels.
• Resolution: selects the image size, as explained above.
• Film Simulation offers three possibilities:
  • Standard: is the default setting, ideal for portraits or scenery.
  • F1 (Film Simulation 1): is designed for studio photography, the mode suppresses highlights when the flash is used and is intended to produce smooth tonal transitions to improve the reproduction of skin tones.
  • F2 (Film Simulation 2): is designed for landscape or nature photography which contain blue skies.
• Dynamic Range : can only be modified if the D-Range option has been enabled in the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review for a list of the options contained in the Setup menu). If enabled, the Dynamic Range option offers 3 possible settings:
  • Auto: the camera automatically adjusts the dynamic range between 100 and 400% according to the scene being shot.
  • Wide 1: sets the dynamic range to 230%.
  • Wide 2: sets the dynamic range to 400%.
• Colour: serves to adjust the colour density. STD (Standard) is the default setting; HIGH increases the colour density; ORG (Original) specifies a colour density that is a bit less than STD; and B&W records a black and white image.
• Tone serves to change the contrast: Standard (default); Hard (increased contrast); and Org. (decreased contrast).
• Sharpness controls the image sharpness: Standard (the default); Hard (increased sharpness); and Off (no in-camera processing for sharpness).
• AF Area has two settings:
  • Single-area AF: focuses wherever the AF point has been placed.
  • Dynamic Area AF allows the user to select an AF area which contains a subject that the camera will then track and keep in focus, or allow the camera to find the closest subject from any of its 5 AF points and track it if it moves.
• Function Lock: serves to lock the settings of the function that are controlled by the F1, F2, F3 and F4 buttons above the LCD monitor so that they cannot be modified accidentally.
• Function Reset: returns all the functions controlled by the Function buttons to their default settings.

While the camera is set to the playback mode, the Function buttons (F1 through F4) provide different options:

• Histogram: serves to see a complete histogram of the image under review, or a histogram for each of its primary colours (red, green or blue) or to show the areas of the image that have the potential of being overexposed by making them flash on the screen.
• Single Frame Erase: deletes one image at a time.
• Protect Frame: prevents the frame from being accidentally erased. Note that formatting the memory card will delete all images, including those that have been protected.
• Multiframe Playback: presents 9 thumbnails per screen.

In addition, pressing the button displays a six option menu:

• Erase: allows erasing all images on the card at one time.
• Protect: allows protecting all images on the card at one time.
• DPOF: serves to select images that will be printed later either through a printing service or using a DPOF compliant printer. Images can be selected to print with or without the date superimposed on the image, and the number of copies to make of each image can be specified.

• Automatic Playback: serves to start a slide show of all the images on the memory card. One of two transition effects can be set to occur between the images; or alternatively one of two on-screen time for images can be selected.
• Trimming: makes it possible to zoom into an image and capture the zoomed section as a new image. Images can be zoomed up to 26.6X when the image was captured at the largest image size, and the size of the trimmed image is dependent on the degree of magnification that is used.

• LCD Brightness: provides 11 steps to set the brightness of the backlight; and when the F1 button is pressed, a grayscale can be displayed as a help to setting the brightness.

Some of the FinePix S3's controls and functions are controlled through the 15 Custom options, accessed by turning the Mode Dial to the position. The menu that is then shown is controlled using the Main and Sub Command Dials. The Main Command dial serves to go from one option to another and the Sub-command Dial at the top front of the grip serves to move through the settings presented for each option:

The FinePix S3 Pro is equipped with 2 memory card slots, both of which are located behind a solid door that locks and which is below the controls on the right of the monitor.

The slots are positioned one above the other. The upper slot is for xD Picture cards, and the lower slot is for Compactflash Type I and II, including Microdrives.

In North America the camera is retailed without a memory card, but the chart below lists capacities for a 1 GB CompactFlash card:

The FinePix S3 Pro is powered by 4 rechargeable Ni-MH (HR-3UF) 2300 mAh Fujifilm batteries. Unlike its predecessors — S1 and S2 — the S3 requires no other power source.

With the North American version of the camera, both the batteries and a charger are included with the camera.

The first cover at the top protects the two communication ports of the S3 Pro: the USB 2.0 (High-Speed) port above, for which the communication protocol can be set to either Mass Storage (for linking the camera to a computer) or PictBridge (to print photos directly to a PictBridge compliant printer). Below, a FireWire (IEEE1394) also provides for the download of images to a computer using Mass Storage, or can be used to control the camera directly from a computer that is running the software included with the S3.

Moving down the side of the camera from the top cover, a screw-on cap covers a 10 contact jack for the optional Nikon accessories that can be used with the S3:

• Remote Cord MC-20
• Remote Cord MC-30
• Extension Cord MC-21
• Luminosity Controller Set ML-3
• Remote Cord MC-22
• Conversion Cord MC-25

Last, the lower cover also protects two more jacks. The first jack on the left is for the optional AC-DC adapter (AC-5VX) which allows the S3 Pro to be powered by standard household current.

And the yellow trimmed jack on the right is the Video Out which can be configured to output either an NTSC signal, or a PAL signal.