Talk:FinePix S2 Pro
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[edit] Draft article
The Fuji FinePix S2 Pro digital camera is a single lens reflex (SLR) design introduced in 2002. The S2 Pro is based upon a Nikon N80 body, and accepts the same range of Nikkor lenses as that camera does. The imager is a Fuji six megapixel SuperCCD, offering equivalent ISO sensitivities of 100, 160, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 ISO. The size of the imager is about 15 x 23 mm, resulting in a 1.5x field-of-view crop, meaning that the effective field-of-view of any lens put on the camera was like a lens of 1.5x the focal length when placed on an ordinary 35mm SLR film camera with an image area of 24 x 36 mm. The SuperCCD pixel layout differs from other CCD imaging devices in that sensor sites are laid out at a 45 degree angle to the edges of the imager. This causes a different method of processing internally for production of JPEG images, as the camera's electronics process the six megapixels of data into an internal twelve megapixel interpolated representation. JPEGs may be set to be saved as twelve, six, three, or 1.5 megapixel files at two quality settings. Independent reviewers testing the resolution obtained with the twelve megapixel JPEG output found that the S2 Pro outresolved the other six megapixel digital SLR cameras available in 2002, the Nikon D100 and Canon 10D cameras. The actual resolution is not that of a full twelve megapixel imager, but could be usefully considered about equal to that expected from an eight megapixel imager. Images can also be saved in a raw format, permitting the maximum possible post-processing options, including adjustments to white balance, tone curves, and exposure adjustments. Careful manipulation of a raw image coupled with blending of two files derived with different exposure adjustments was used by some workers to obtain about two stops extra dynamic range in the final image.
The S2 Pro has a maximum frame rate of 2 frames per second and a frame buffer that holds up to 7 images. After the image buffer fills, the camera's frame rate drops to about a frame every 2 seconds, allowing the next shot to be taken when an image completes transfer to media. The S2 Pro offers two media slots, one for a compact flash or IBM Microdrive device, and the other for a Smartmedia card. The camera can also be operated in a tethered mode when it is linked to a computer via a Firewire cable and the Fuji Shooting Software application is installed on the computer. Files may be transferred from the S2 Pro to a computer using either Firewire or USB cables. The camera is treated as a USB 1.1 mass storage device when connected via USB.
Images can be reviewed on the camera via a color LCD sreen on the back. There is no direct viewing via the LCD; the mirror and shutter prevent an image from reaching the imager except at the time of exposure, as is typical with single lens reflex cameras. The S2 Pro has a small built-in pop-up flash, a hot shoe for mounting an accessory flash, and a PC contact for synchronization with external flash. The minimum shutter speed for synchronization with flash is 1/125th of a second. Shorter shutter speeds result in partial exposure of the imager to light from flash.
The S2 Pro uses two separate battery systems. One, a legacy of the N80 body and its electronics, uses two lithium batteries or the optional Nikon MB-16 battery pack with some modification of the MB-16 pack. The other system uses four AA batteries, either alkaline or nickel-metal hydride. Users often leave out the lithium batteries and run the S2 Pro solely on its AA battery pack; this provides all camera functions except use of the pop-up flash.
The S2 Pro was noted aesthetically in several ways related to image quality. It was widely used among portrait photographers who valued its rendition of human skin tones. Many photographers also used the S2 Pro to obtain low-noise high-ISO images. The S2 Pro noise reduction did not rely upon dark frame subtraction, and thus provided better convenience for photographers taking time exposures. Photographers seeking a camera with good infrared sensitivity also often picked the S2 Pro.
User complaints about the S2 Pro often centered upon issues with its autofocus system, which used the consumer-grade module already associated with the Nikon N80. The exposure adjustment system only worked in one-half stop increments, but the limited dynamic range of digital imagers made this a rather coarse adjustment, especially compared to the one-third stop adjustments available on either the Nikon or Canon DSLRs. The two-battery type situation was often an annoyance, as the camera might suddenly cease functioning if the lithium batteries were installed but had become depleted. One of the ways to quickly deplete the lithium batteries was to leave them in the compartment while the camera was operated using an AC adapter; apparently the circuit remained open even with the AC adapter plugged in. The viewfinder was small and dim by comparison to the Nikon or Canon digital SLRs of the time. At one point during production, a batch of imagers were installed in S2 Pro cameras that had a tendency after about a year of service to suddenly only save completely black images to media. FujiFilm took the step of agreeing to replace these faulty imagers at no charge even after the expiration of warranty service. Wesley R. Elsberry 09:29, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Sorry, Wesley
I'm sorry that I entered the article on the FinePix S2 Pro before checking to see the discussion section. I assumed that because there was no article, there would be no discussion.
Your article is much more detailed and should replace mine if you still want to publish it.
One comment: I didn't see you mention the sound recording capability of the camera. This was probably useful for voice documentation during picture taking but was dropped from the subsequent S3 Pro. It was when I sought to add this feature to my article that I noticed the discussion section with yours. Anoneditor 16:28, 4 July 2006 (UTC)
