Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

The Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro is Fujifilm's latest attempt at the perfect camera for wedding photographers. It has a new version of the company's extended-range SR sensor, with new adjustments that are meant specifically to handle facial highlights and white clothing (wedding dresses). The S5’s strong dynamic range and pleasing color are its unique selling points which are essentially a Fujifilm sensor and image process rig dropped into an otherwise unchanged Nikon D200. The S5 inherits the D200's excellent construction, shooting interface, TTL flash system and autofocus, but, unfortunately, not its burst speed. Speed has been a sore point of Fujifilm DSLRs, and apparently, it will continue to be.

Front (8.0)
The front of the Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro has the same functional features as the Nikon D200. The rubber-coated handgrip is comfortable, allowing plenty of relief between the user's fingers and Nikon's fat new optics. There's a function button on the lens mount at about the 9 o'clock position, and a depth-of-field preview much lower, at about 7 o’clock. A large, chrome reflector that resembles a headlight sits between the grip and the viewfinder hump, casting light for focus assist, the self-timer, and red-eye reduction, when the pop-up flash is in use. The autofocus mode lever is on the lower right side of the lens mount, and the lens release is above that. On the right shoulder, there's a standard Nikon 10-pin connector for a remote control, GPS, and barcode readers. The pop-up flash is integrated into the viewfinder hump. We could have lifted all of the above from our D200 review – it's all the same.

The differences between the D200 and the S5 are cosmetic. The Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro lacks Nikon's little red chevron under the shutter release and it says "Fujifim" rather than "Nikon" on the viewfinder hump. Fujifilm also put its Super CCD SR logo on the lens mount, low on the right.  

Left Side (8.0)
Nikon put large rubber covers over the AV jack, the USB port and the external power socket on the D200. The covers are durable and seal the ports well against dirt and moisture. Fujifilm did not mess with them; they are identical on the S5. The stainless steel strap lug is high on the left side and won't get in the way.

Right Side (8.0)
Nikon designed a large media card door for the camera. It provides a good seal and seems relatively robust. This is yet another aspect of the Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro that is identical to the D200. The lack of redesign is good for users because it maintains all the virtues of the Nikon design, but it means that Fujifilm had to leave out a slot for xD media cards, a format the company collaborated in developing.