Fuji FinePix S5 Pro

Auto Mode (6.5)
The FinePix S5 Pro has a program mode, for full exposure automation. Though the ISO is set manually, there is an option to allow the S5 to shift it as conditions demand. Autofocus, white balance, and the dynamic range setting can also be automated.

Movie Mode (1.0)
The FinePix S5 does not have a movie mode. Its sensor heats up too much to be practical for movies, and its processing engine seems too slow to digest the data stream into a movie.

Drive / Burst Mode (4.5)
Speed is not the FinePix S5's strong suit. The Nikon D200 has High and Low burst modes and so does the S5. The two modes make sense for the D200; its High mode is 5 frames per second, so there is some sense in having a Low mode. However, the fastest the S5 went was the 3 frames per second that Fujifilm promises for the High mode. Low mode can be set to either 2 or 1 frame per second. The wrinkle in these scores is that they are all measured with D-Range (dynamic range) set to 100 percent, which means it's turned off. With D-Range on at any of its settings, the S5 did not get to 2 frames per second. D-Range strains the processor, so the camera slows down.

The burst dial also can set the S5 to self-timer mode, which can delay the shot by 2 to 20 seconds, and to Mirror Up mode, which flips up the mirror when the shutter release is pressed once, and makes the exposure when it is pressed again. It automatically takes a shot after 30 seconds if the user hasn’t pressed the shutter.

Playback Mode (8.5)
The FinePix S5's playback mode is simple, but it has thoughtful design features including a 9-up thumbnail view that shows the selected image a bit larger than the others, as well as histograms for red, green and blue channels. The user can cycle through shooting data as well. The S5 can magnify images a maximum of just under 6x, which is not enough to check focus as well as we'd like.

The interesting and useful feature that sets the S5's Playback mode apart is face detection. Press the face detection button in Playback, and the camera fills the LCD with a face, if there are any in the image. Press it again, and it moves on to another face. It's a great feature for users who take group shots and environmental portraits.

The S5's direct-print options are meager, but its slide show is a bit more fun. Face detection is available in slide shows, with a Ken Burns-effect pan from face to face on images as the show plays. The slide show also offers fade transitions.

The S5 can crop images in Playback, saving the trimmed image as a new file.

Custom Image Presets (0.0)
Custom image presets group sets of exposure and image parameters for optimal results shooting common genres of images, such as portraits, landscapes or action shots. The FinePix S5 Pro does not have such presets, probably on the assumption that it will appeal to users who wouldn't use them.

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