Fuji FinePix S5 Pro

Value
The Fujifilm S5 lists for $1999, more than the D200 on which chassis it is based. Fujifilm is betting that its image quality and dynamic range will overcome the price difference, and the difference in shooting speed. The speed difference is not trivial, even for the wedding photographers at the core of Fujifilm's target market. It takes a long time for the S5's buffer to clear, long enough to miss a couple's first kiss, or a large part of a food fight during a raucous cake-cutting ceremony.

We don't have any basis for judgment about the S5's image quality, but it certainly could be good enough to outweigh its speed deficit and its price.

Who’s this Camera For?
Point and Shooters – Casual shooters won't make head or tail of the S5's options

Budget Consumers – Call this “Budget Pro's,” and the S5 has potential. Compared to a Canon 5D, it's cheap, and it may deliver better images in typical-sized prints.

Gadget Freaks – Gadget freaks may be compelled by the S5's dynamic range technology, even though it's a few years old.

Manual Control Freaks – This is a very good fit, if the image quality is there. The S5 has extra controls to set manually.

Pro's/Serious Amateurs – This is Fujifilm's target, particularly the wedding and portrait subset. If the S5's quality is consistent with its predecessors, Fujifilm will maintain its niche in this segment.

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