Stunning image quality and unbelievable sharpness. I've used an F100 and scanned with the LS-2000 but this is actually better.

With the 1GB microdrive you get 750 fine-quality JPEGS!

Don't bother with the High TIFF format - there's no visible difference.

CONSTRUCTION - I had the camera one day, put it on a tripod, lifted the tripod and camera (fitted with 85mm 1.4) and CRASH. The plastic base plate sheared off leaving a couple of inches of cheap black plastic surrounding the tripod bush - still attached to the tripod.

The Fuji manufactured parts of the casing are truly appaling and wil not stand up to even casual proper use. Pity.

Interpolation - don't bother using the highest resolution setting - Photoshop does a better job of up-sizing the the 3.1MP to 6MP.

Will make you want't to ditch your film cameras - but don't. This thing will fall apart in no time.
Should have bought a D1 and spent the extra time enhancing the images in Photoshop.

Customer Service

Were not shocked or surprised by what happened - offered to repair the camera same day!

Similar Products Used:

Fuji 4700

Light weight, excellent resolution and color, good low-light capability, easy to operate all functions.

Small preview screen (tough to see in bright light), high ISO rating (320-1600), built on Nikon N60 frame (old architecture), no auto bracket or Bulb feature, high shutter speed on flash (1/125),cannot use full functionality of high end AF-S & AF-I lenses.

I moved from a Canon EOS this year when Canon failed to ship their digital when promised. I'm currently shooting a travel guide and needed to shoot everything from candids to landscapes, so only a pro digital camera would do.

The Fuji has performed very well outdoors, and color is very close. Although I usually change the White Balance to Sunlight when outdoors, I'm told that Auto works so well I may not need to remember to switch.

Since I had to buy new lenses I went with an 18-35 (f3.5-4.5) and a 70-300(f4-5.6). Two things to keep in mind:
1. You cannot use Autofocus with AF-S or AF-I lenses (Sonic, internal focusing pro lenses).
2. There is greater magnification on the low end than a standard 35mm (18mm approx = 28mm).

I mention both of these so you will not make the mistake of thinking you can use all your F5 lenses on this camera, and that 28mm does not mean the 28mm you're used to.

The only really frustrating thing about digital cameras with a preview screen (and I mean all of them) is that it is almost impossible to see them outdoors in bright light. I find that I'll shoot 20-30 shots, then pull the memory card out of the camera and boot my laptop. I can quickly scan my shots on the computer and see if I need to retake any shots. A small DVD player would also work since the camera allows a direct connection.

If you want to read a comprehensive review, go to www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S1/S1PICS.HTM.

Couple of other pointers:
- if you need lenses, don't buy them new. Shop!
- buy your memory chips through a computer store, and go with at least a 200Mb of chips.

Good Shooting!

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

None

Image Quality blows the D1 out of the water in a side by side test!

Excellent color balancing for tungsten studio lights - dead on. Overall color balance is better than D1

Built on cheap N60 body with terrible AF

My work bought this for me (I make a mail order catalog) and for that it is perfect. When they put this CCD chip (or a bigger one that doesn't multiply your focal length) on a F100 or F5 body I'll put down my own hard earned money for one.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D1
Olympus C-2000

Excellent colour accuracy, easy to use, even for beginners, accepts a wide range of Nikon AF-lenses.
Very consistent metering-system - it handles even difficult lighting situations with impressing results.
Pretty good batterylife.
Reasonable fast AF.
Accepts both Smartmedia and Compactflash incl. Microdive.
Astonishing good results in terms of sharpness even with low-end lenses, probably due to the combination of high ISO default-setting (400) and the advanced super CCD-formula with octagonal shaped pixels.
Very good indoors in ambient light.

No spot-metering.
No custom-settings.
No metering with manual lenses.
No autofokus with AF-S-lenses.
No PC-socket.
Not compatible with Nikon's excellent flash SB28. (You have to controll it manually)

A truly hybrid - an excellent choise for the advanced amateur, the pro in the studio or as a backup for the field-pro who can live with the rather basic body's limitations.
I have tested the camera for three months now, mostly outdoors in the same conditions that I use my F80 and F3, the manual legend. I'm still amazed of the high rate of perfectly exposed pictures with Velvia-looking colours that the Fuji delivers. It's a 5-star userfriendly picture-machine, at least based on what the market for digital SLRs today can offer. But it wouldn't surprise me if Nikon decides to fill the gap between the Coolpix 990 and the D1 with a digital version of the F80.
I have put up some pages on the webb where you can read more about the S1. There you also can see a selection of pictures taken with it.
The URL:
www.dogs-for-dummies.com/FujiS1/Page1.htm

Customer Service

Very good

Similar Products Used:

I haven't tried the D1, but several more basic models from Sony, Olympus, Nikon and Canon. No one has come even close to the S1.

Color accuracy, fast, overal handling, image quality, low noise

Requires SB-28DX flash for accurate TTL. 1/125th flash sync, lowest film speed is ISO 320

Image quality is excellent, sharp, very accurate color and Fuji has fixed some of the problems that Nikon has with picking up weird color patterns on some fabrics and fine hair. The SUperCCD does great at it's 3+ MP size but going up to the 6 MP capture does not add a lot to the overall image quality when printing.
The lens has a lot to do with the file quality. Since this was my first Nikon based camera I borrowed a Tamron 28-200 so I had a lens to use. Recently I bought the Nikon 18-35 ED and the results are much sharper, very, very big improvement. The S-1 takes all sorts of storage devices. I use 64mb Smart cards and IBM 1gb microdrives. Another big plus is that it puts standard TIF or JPEG files on the card so when I need to gets prints done fast there is no importing from a propriotary file format, just put the card in the Powerbook and open the files in Photoshop. This camera is really well thought out and works fast, easy to master. The files have rather high color saturation, but considering the maker it does not surprise me.

Also, some others have said that the S-1 pro is based on the N60. It is not, it is based on the N-80 and in the past couple of months I have given this camera a professional workout. It gets handled like the tool that it is and it has performed flawlessly.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D-1, Oly E-10, Kodak DCS-315 and DCS-520

great image quality
included software is great, allows you to view and print thumbnails very quickly. also allows you to rotate , crop, resize and save as for quick formatting to a web site.
Takes my Nikon lenses
menus and controls are well thought out
It works great in the studio using the custom white balance under tungsten.
high ISo rating is nice to overcome slowness of focusing for greater depth with moving subjects

Focus is pathetically slow, but that is because Fuji could only get Nikon to let them use an N60 (I heard this straight from the Fuji reps' mouth - it is an N60)
lack of user selction between single and Continuous AF modes - again, due to N60 base

So convenient that I'm selling my N90s. I work as a mail order catalog photographer and freelance on the side with sports. It works great for the catalog both in the studio with it tethered to a Mac G4 and outside using a 1GB Microdrive.

Also works great for landscapes and portraits, though if you like to shoot wide angles for landscapes you might take notice of the 1.5x magnification due to the CCD being smaller than a 35mm piece of film. (I.E. it make my 20mm have the angle of view of a 30mm) I now need to buy a wider lens to get the depth that I had with my 20 when shooting film.

If you don't shoot things that are moving fast, then it is perfect.

If you want to enlarge bigger than an 8x10, get a medium format film camera. I use a Pentax 67.

When either Nikon or Fuji takes the digital back part of this camera and puts it in an N80, F100, or F5, I'll buy 2 of them.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Olympus C2000
Nikon D1

User friendly
Options
Priorities easily set
high definition/resolution
Great optics with nikon lenses
comfortable grip and feel
focusing is fast in auto,
manual focus is easy
choice of memory systems
fast USB download
good software bundled

Battery hog

Priced right for a solid professional camera body with great optical options. The menu system is very very idiot proof. The three priority systems make unlimited options in control. It actually feels and sounds like a focal plane camera. I am pleased that they thought this product out so well. With the 1gig smart card, I don't have to worry about memory!!!

Customer Service

Nothing so far

Similar Products Used:

Kodak, nikon

Amazing Image Quality (2304 X 1536 setting)
Nikon Lens mount
Almost no post-processing needed
Uses Microdrive, CF and Smarmedia

Not as tough as say Nikon's D1
Lowest ISO of 320
Slow Focus
No Spot Meter

This camera is great for landscape photography. Action shots would be a little difficult, but if you got it just right, the quality would amaze you. Would be nice if you could use Nikon's new AI-S lenses, but they cost almost as much as the camera. People pictures are awesome with this camera. Good choice for someone who wants to take the plunge into digital and wants to have a "film feel" to the images. If you don't need faster than 1.5 frames / second then this is the camera for you. One tip though: I was using the 3040 size setting and was happy with results, then I tried the 2304 setting with sharpening off and sharpened in Photoshop......what a difference! My pics are sharper, colors are spot on, and I can still print up to 13 X 19" If I want to. One other advantage of this size is I get about 750 pics on a 1 gig Microdrive!

Customer Service

Haven't tried yet

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D1
Canon EOS D30
Nikon 990
Nikon 950

Comparative cost (against D1). Superb image quality for such a small CCD. Saving me a fortune in film and processing and very happy clients.

There is no flash dedication despite the manual's TTL garbage (D1 gets around this by modified sensor fitted)
Tripod screw/base flimsy and sure to break soon.
Eats batteries.
Effective lens focal length X1.5 (not great for wide angles) Nobody told me this before I bought the camera. Won't take S lenses.

If you don't need lots of frames per second, fast focussing and are prepared to buy external battery packs, this is one hell of a camera. The non flash dedication is a huge failing. Advice I've already read and agree with: Set camera to 2304 pixels, highest quality jpeg, and turn sharpening off. Photoshop does a far better job of interpolating and sharpening than any other software I've encountered. Overall I'm glad I took the plunge into digital photography.

Customer Service

UK contact very helpful and no bull (very refreshing)

Similar Products Used:

None

*Fantastic Image Quality
*Fast operation
*Easy to use
*Uses Many Nikon Lenses

*Based on Amateur Body
*"Plasticy" feel
*Can't use AIS Lenses

This camera is great for casual photogs and even some pro uses. Only 1/2000 sec shutter? So what! If you need faster, use an ND filter! No Spot metering? Big deal! No Nikon AI-S Lenses? They're very expensive anyway! What is the bottom line? This camera produces GREAT Images!
One Little tip:
Use these settings--
Sharpening---off
Tone---------std
Color--------std
I use the 3040 size setting in Highest qual JPG. I can print 11" X 17" prints that rival any lab. If I need a 13" X 19", I upsample a little in Photoshop. Always print at least 160 dpi for best results.
BUY THIS CAMERA!

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D1
Canon D30