Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
The S3 is cosmetically more refined and coherent than the S2. There are fewer straight lines on the S3, the buttons on the back of the camera are larger, and they better match the scale of the lines of the camera. Even though the S3 offers significantly more options than its predecessor, Fuji chose not to crowd the interface with more buttons or displays. That was a good decision – it’s not exactly an elegant camera, but the S3 at least appears uncluttered and utilitarian.
The right-hand grip of the S3 curves a bit around the lens mount, helping to form a more comfortable and suitable gripping platform. The camera’s black-to-very-dark-gray plastic and rubber surfaces are reminiscent of both the S2 and Nikons cameras, but Fuji finally dumped the red plastic accents that the S2 inherited from the Nikon N80. Though it seems that the S3 shares many internals with the S2, and by extension, the Nikon D100 and N80, Fuji isn’t playing up that link in marketing materials, referring instead to the camera’s “Unique, Professional Body,” which is “designed and crafted to Fuji specifications.”
While the camera’s specifications and components place the S3 Pro into an undefined category among digital SLRs, falling somewhere between prosumer-grade cameras (Canon EOS 20D) and Professional-level models (Nikon D2H), the large, rugged frame is entirely professional. Most cameras 
falling within the prosumer level offer a consumer-friendly element in handling and transport. The S3 does not. The size and styling clearly distinguish the camera as a professional model and structurally, the camera is designed to cater to the needs of professional shooters. The camera contains both vertical and horizontal shutter releases to conserve time for vertically oriented shots, as the camera is largely marketed to portrait and wedding photographers.
The S3 has a multi screen interface on the back of the camera, similar to the S2. The top display shows the camera’s pertinent shooting information, while the bottom LCD acts as the traditional screen and can be used to review recorded exposures. The informational LCD display can be illuminated with an orange glow by pressing a button to the right of the display on top of the camera. One interesting feature that’s sure to draw mixed responses is the camera’s clip-on plastic LCD protector, which covers both screens. The plastic cover will help ensure the surface of the screens remain untarnished, though some may find the cover more of a bother than a convenience.
Size / Portability (5.0)
The S3, spanning 5.8 x 5.3 x 3.2 inches and weighing 28.7 oz. (excluding lens and battery), is a full inch larger than the S2 and 5.6 ounces heavier than the Canon EOS 20D. It’s almost an inch taller and 8.8 ounces heavier than the Nikon D70. On the other hand, it’s much smaller than the Nikon D2H or 2DX, or the Canon EOS 1D series cameras.
The S3 inhabits a middle ground of size and weight, as it does with price; it is hundreds of dollars more expensive than the 20D and D70s, and hundreds or even thousands less than top-end Canon and Nikon DSLRs. The target market will pay for the S3’s image quality by giving up some portability, as well as a decent pile of cash. At its size, no one is going to forget that the S3 is slung over his or her shoulder. It’s a camera that probably won’t come out of the bag unless the user is scheduled to do a shoot.
The S3 will crowd camera bags a little more than its competitors, but its extra height comes in the form of a vertical grip. Considering how much wedding and portrait photography is done vertically, most users will prefer to have such a grip rather than a shorter, more compact camera.
Handling Ability (7.5)
At two pounds, the S3 Pro will balance well with small lenses, such as the 50 mm 1.8, as well as with heavier zooms, such as the old 20-35 mm 2.8 or Nikon’s 70-200 mm 2.8 VR. The balance is an advantage over the 20D and D70 – the S3 will handle better with heavy lenses than its lighter prosumer-level competitors.
The thumb rest on the back of the S3 is deeper and larger than the one on the S2, and offers a significant advantage in handling. The new curves on the S3 body are generally covered with rubberized material, which provide a secure grip and added comfort during shooting.
The base of the S3 bulges forward to form a very comfortable vertical grip, a nice improvement over the S2. The camera is generally well shaped for large hands and offers optimal support in both shooting orientations. The dual shutter release will help shooters make quick changes in orientation and also maximize the camera’s potential for portrait photography. There's a lock on the vertical release, so shooters who don't use it won't fear accidental exposures if it gets bumped. Control
Button / Dial Positioning / Size (8.0)
When holding the camera horizontally by the right-hand grip at eye level, dials that control aperture and shutter speed naturally fall under thumb and middle finger. The user’s right thumb can easily sweep down the back of the camera to select a focus sensor. The autofocus/exposure lock is placed up by the viewfinder and is also easily within reach of the user’s thumb. The exposure compensation button, which is near the shutter release, is a bit small, although still easily accessible. While most of the controls that you’d use when the camera is in shooting position require only one finger, Exposure compensation is an exception – the button will have to be held with while the user turns a dial with the other hand.
The buttons that are involved in LCD operation are also conveniently arranged; they’re large, well placed, and provide good feedback when pressed, helping users shoot freely when looking through the viewfinder.
To users of the S2, the modified S3 Pro should be an easy adjustment. With the exception of the new vertical shutter release, there are no additional applications in the shooting interface; the “Play,” “Func,” “Back,” and “OK” controls are larger, but they haven’t moved.
Menu (6.5)
Fuji’s menu design is not user-friendly. There are too many places to look for information on the FinePix S3, and too few cues about where to look for any given setting. The S3 labels submenus with numbers instead of meaningful icons (unlike Nikon’s little wrench, camera, and pencil graphics for camera setup, shooting options, and file writing). It is much easier to remember that setting the date and time is under the wrench menu than that it’s under menu number three. Fuji even passed up the chance to color-code the headings, something both Nikon and Canon do in very helpful ways. Also, the S3 does not “tab” its menus, a feature that allows the user to conveniently jump from one submenu to another.
The S3 sports a small, monochrome, low-resolution, text-only LCD for some controls. It sits above the color LCD. In shooting mode, the monochromatic display shows settings indicating exposure information, frame number, and other EXIF data while images are shown on the color screen.
Unfortunately, the information on the monochrome LCD can be cryptic. Example: the S3 offers film simulation modes, and they’re called F1 and F2. How do you know which to pick? If you’re a film shooter, it might be more useful if they were called “Provia” and “Velvia,” after the two films the S3 imitates. Regardless, the monochromatic LCD is too small to show the amount of information that would be really useful, and it puts S3 users at a disadvantage when compared to other similarly styled offerings by competing manufacturers.
Ease of Use (6.0)
Fuji’s press releases say that the company talked to S2 users as the S3 design and feature set were developed. Clearly, many of those users were wedding photographers. Both the high-end wedding shooters, who shoot RAW, and the JPEG shooters will see an obvious benefit from the extended dynamic range. A fair number will set the camera to automatic dynamic range and JPEG. They will get great JPEGs when they nail the exposure, and true to Fuji’s marketing materials, even their overexposed JPEGs will be more salvageable than overexposed shots from other cameras. They’ll appreciate the automatic dynamic range setting – it will not become one more setting to have to remember.
The S3 offers significant image controls, but they can be automated, set once and left alone, or turned off. The camera is not any fussier than the S2, particularly for wedding photographers, who will probably shoot tests to figure out how they want the camera set, and then leave it that way.
Fuji deserves credit for maintaining a consistent interface between the S2 and the S3. It’s likely that many folks using the S2 professionally will add an S3 to their equipment roster. Both cameras are easy to use. The most important controls are easily accessible, and the less important ones are pretty inconspicuous.
The flaws in the camera interface - labeling menus with numbers rather than anything vaguely helpful, for instance, probably won’t actually slow down a shoot. I would also pass up Hyper-Utility for anything but RAW conversion and camera control, because so many other products are easier to use for viewing and organizing images.
