Review 2 of 55
Price Paid:
$3000.00
from Regina, Canada Summary:
I have used the Fuji S2 since November, 2002 after using a used Fuji S1 for several months before that. I was impressed by the image quality of the S1 compared to the D100 at the time, and opted for the S2 as the better-quality alternative.
At the time I bought my S2, the high price tag forced me to sell my S1, a choice I haven't regretted.
This camera has served me well all this time, and although I also own a Nikon D70S body, I prefer the quality of the images and shooting ease of the Fuji S2.
The time has come, however, for me to re-evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using two platforms (Fuji and Nikon). I'll soon be adding a third digital body to my arsenal, and with the recent announcement of the Fuji S5 Pro due out in February, it will be a tough choice between that body and the Nikon D200. Although that situation is different altogether, the strengths and weaknesses below may determine whether I keep the S2 as a backup or whether I decide to say goodbye to an old friend.
Please read on...
Parry
Strengths:
In the field, the greatest strengh of this camera is the use of flash. Most Nikon-compatible TTL flashes will work with this body, including my Metz 54MZ-3 -- it won't even fire with my D70S or a D200, as those bodies require an i-TTL compatible flash.
Next, JPG images straight from the camera are unmatched in quality. If shot correctly in 12MP mode, the quality difference between converted RAW files is negligible in most cases -- colours are excellent in any controlled light or in correctly calibrated custom white balance situations.
The rear button layout is almost identical to the Fuji S1 and S3 bodies, which is a bonus that unfortunately will be lost in the future S5. Weaknesses:
Exposures are typically 1/3-stop underexposed. I typically leave the exposure compensation at + 1/3 and forget about it. The downside, however, is that you might end up with blown-out highlights, but this is a reasonable consequence of obaining a better-exposed image. If I'm not entirely sure, or I don't have the time to check every exposure, I'll often switch to RAW and worry about exact exposure during post-processing.
Post-processing is SSSSLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWW !!!! The EX Convertor software takes forever with every shot -- another reason to shoot JPGs when possible. As well, the software doesn't convert RAW files directly to JPG -- you have to create TIF files first (memory hogs, but necessary to create JPG proofs), and then convert those to JPG. Adobe CS2 RAW is a much better option unless you work with one image at a time for the very best quality. This workflow bottleneck is the primary reason why I'm considering switching to a Nikon D200.
Focussing is also very slow, even with a normally fast-focussing lens like my Nikkor 80-200 f2.8D. This isn't much of a problem for portraiture, but for anything fast-moving like sports, this is a real problem -- especially if you also consider that the continuous shooting speed is also slow (approx. 1.7 fps, not the rated 2 fps). Note also that Fuji has not yet published the frame rate of the S5 -- my bet is that it won't be as fast as the 5 fps D200, but it has to be an improvement on the S2 or S3.
Also, don't use ISO 1600 unless you cannot get a shot any other way. At this speed, there are vertical noise bands on most images, especially those that are underexposed. Raw images show at ISO 1600 are better, but not usually good enough to use beyond small print size. I expect the Fuji S5 to be a much better performer in this regard -- a key factor over the D200 for me when the time comes to choose.
The only other problem I've witnessed is a sudden freeze-up of the camera when used with flash. Although rare, when this situation happens it can be quite unnerving. I was quite happy using one digital body until this happened at a wedding and I was forced to shoot film (*gasp*!!!) until I figured out the problem and reset the camera and flash. Now I realize that this might be due to the voltage differences of a third-party flash (Metz), but this kind of problem shouldn't happen. I haven't had a flash problem like this with proprietary Nikon equipment -- another plus for the D200 over the S5, as either way, I'll need to buy an i-TTL flash like the SB-800. Similar Products Used:
Nikon D70S
Fuji S1 Pro
Nikon D100
Kodak DSC/N
In comparison to 35mm, I mostly miss the large bright viewfinder and the full-field 24x36mm format. My $1000 18-35mm lens is only a semi-wide to normal zoom on an APS-sized sensor. My hope was that the S5 would be a full-format sensor with a cropped option, similar to the high-speed crop of the Nikon D2X.
I had also tried out the full-field Kodak DSC-N body, but since I wear glasses, the extra 1/4-inch protrusion of the digital part of that body made it difficult to shoot. Also, since Kodak no longer produces DSLRs, questionable future service from Kodak makes me leery of that product.
Considering that a used Fuji S2 can be found for between $400 and $700 CDN in good working order, this is either a steal for first-time DSLR owners (hence the good value rating below) or a detriment to those like me who may wish to sell their existing Fuji S2 Pro. In the meantime, I'll continue to use this body, as I'm still impressed by the results, and the quality of the image is still the bottom line, as I firmly believe that it is the PHOTOGRAPHER who takes a picture, not the camera.
Customer Service:
No problems to date.
When I had first purchased the camera, it was new without a box (stolen from the camera store in a break-in -- the thieves thought they had the complete kit), but Fuji was kind enough to replace the deluxe software, which they knew was included with my body as cross-referenced by the serial number.
The CCD is amazingly easy to clean with special CCD swabs -- I didn't have a problem with dust until this past year and was afraid to clean it myself until recently. No regrets here, but I do think other bodies are more difficult to clean because of filters over the CCDs.
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