Connectivity
Software
The FinePix S5 will be packaged with a RAW converter. The latest version of Hyperutility that we've seen does an excellent job with Fujifilm RAW files, but has an interface that looks like it was designed by the same people who wrote the core conversion software. Engineers are probably comfortable with it; at least some photographers are not. Our full review will report on the current version.
Jacks, Ports, Plugs
The FinePix S5 has a USB port, an AV port, a jack for external power, a dedicated hot shoe, and a 10-pin jack for Nikon remote controls, GPS units, and a bar code reader. The USB jack offers not only connectivity for printing and image downloads, but also for tethered shooting.
Direct Print Options
The FinePix S5 is compatible with Pictbridge and DPOF, and will crop images. It has a feature to tag images for 8x10 or 5x7 aspect ratios, which we expect is part of a direct print function, but or first look didn't give us specifics on that.
Battery
The FinePix S5 uses a battery that is exactly the same shape and color as Nikon's batteries for the D200, D70 and D80. Unfortunately, those batteries are not compatible with the S5. We guess that the S5 draws more current than the Nikons. S5 batteries have a chip, and the camera looks for it. If it doesn't sense the chip, it won't use the battery. We don't know how this incompatibility affects use of the MB200 battery pack and grip, though the S5 has provisions for accepting that unit.
Clearly, it would have cost Fujifilm to change the size of the battery compartment – whatever the deal is between Fujifilm and Nikon, Nikon must charge less for parts it's already making than for parts it makes to Fujifilm specs. So, it's too much to ask that the S5 battery be a different shape. For photographers contemplating using S5s side-by-side with Nikons, it would have been really nice if Fujifilm would have made their batteries a different color, so they could be distiguished at distance.
Memory
The Fujifilm S5 takes Compact Flash cards, and it needs big ones. Only 17 RAW files fit on a 512 MB card. Compact Flash is the most common media format for DSLRs. They are relatively tough and cheap, and available as large as 16GB.
Other Features
30 sec Live Preview - The FinePix S5 has a live preview mode, which allows the user to focus with a magnified view on the LCD for about 30 seconds.
Maintenance Mode – The S5 reports battery life, remaining charge, number of charge cycle the battery has had, number of frames shot on current charge, total number of frames shot with the camera and firmware version.
Cleaning mode – Fujifilm recognizes that some users have to get dust off their sensors without returning their cameras to the manufacturer. We didn't activate the feature, but on previous FinePix DSLRs, it's recommended only with an external power source.
