Is is a good upgrade from D100 to Fuji S3pro?

[Hi Tuan Ly]

I have a D100 for a while and I would like to upgrade to a better camera.
I know the D2X would be best. However, the Fuji S3 Pro seems to fit my budget more. I need your input on this.

Thank you very much

Hi

 

[Gale]

Won't get a go ahead from this D100 owner. Hang on there will be a replacement for this camera, sooner or later. D100 is a good camera.

Get good glass lined up first..

But that is just me.

 

[JeffKohn]

The S3 has a great sensor the problem is that pretty much everything else about the camera is pretty lackluster. The Fuji SLR's seem to be a couple generations behind the Nikon bodies when it comes to things like ergonomics, shooting speed/buffer, AF performance, battery life, etc.

 

[TOLady]

Jeff, hate to disagree but Fuji's ARE Nikon bodies, they only have Fuji guts. I love the ergonomics of my S3Pro, a lot better than any of the D series that I tried out. I like the good sized grip on the camera, and it has a vertical grip with shutter button as well. Yes it's not a sport photographer's camera re speed but then again, I love the incredible dynamic range it produces which is why I shoot pictures - I want them beautiful, I want them detailed. I'm shooting bright white swans in high daylight with NO blown pixels, not a one! I was shooting black trees this past winter against white snow, and had details in both the dark tree trunks and the white snow. The best thing about shooting with this camera is the instant histogram on top of the picture right after you shoot - you can instantly see how your exposure is doing. The auto focus with good lenses is instant, they also use 4xAA batteries in a tray in the bottom of the camera and I can usually get about 600 shots from one set of batteries, and some of those are using fill flash as well. I also use the Digipower Powerpacks when shooting more than 600 pics at a time.
Almost forgot: NO noise at ISO 1600!!! You can really grab some shots with this camera that you couldn't get with others at low light without a huge amount of noise. This really helps with bird shots as sometimes they're hiding in very dark places. I've even left it on ISO 1600 accidentally and not noticed in my pics. Check the EXIFS on some of my pics and you'll see which ones.
Hi, do some tests for yourself in a camera store if you can. Have a look at my Summer2005 and Spring2005 galleries as all these shots are with the S3Pro. You have to look at your shooting style to see what camera would be best for you.

 

[The chemist]

Also it really depends on what you shoot. The fuji does have a great sensor. Have you looked at a D2H or a D1x??

 

[GaryW]

Hi Hi,

I have the D100, and recently bought the S3 Pro. At this point, I regret buying the S3 because of the incredibly slow writing to the CF card while shooting RAW. If you don't shoot RAW, it is a fine camera.

Gary

 

[Hermie]

Did you see Thom Hogan's review of the S3?

http://www.bythom.com/fujis3review.htm

Herman

 

[Kevin Scott]

I'd have to echo what Sandi said. I used an S2 for about a month before deciding on a body. It really depends on what you intend to shoot. The Fuji does extremely well with skin tones, very good high ISO noise performance, great jpg output, great dynamic range, etc. Some drawbacks might be slow writing performance, slower focusing than a pro-Nikon model. But it all boils down to what your needs are.

Will you be shooting a lot of wildlife (birds in flight?) or fast moving sports? Fuji may not be for you. Of course Sandi has demonstrated it can be used effectively for wildlife.

I'd probably wait to see if a D100 replacement comes out, if you can hold out that long. Otherwise it's a tough call.

 

[Chris101]

Hi Hi (heh - mostly I just wanted to say that )

I don't think that there is a (Nikon bodied at least, don't know about Minolta, Canon, Olympus, etc.) camera that is all around better than the D100. Some things are better on almost all the models, resolution on the x, speed on the h, buffer on the 70, price on the 50 and colors on the S2 and dynamic range on the S3.

The D100 however does OK in all these areas and exceeds the X in affordability and size, the H in resolution, the 70 and 50 in construction quality and the Fujis in ergonomics and battery life. Over all, the D100, while full of compromises, is (imho) the best over-all camera. This explains how a 3 year old digital camera remains a major seller, and why so many people are holding off purchasing a new camera until it's replacement is available.

Oh, that, and D100s take beautiful pictures when placed in the right hands, right Gale?

 

[Gale]

thanks Chris,
I get a few now and again..

Not to bad for an ol' woman newbeeeeee....

VR VR VR lololol

 

[JeffKohn]

Jeff, hate to disagree but Fuji's ARE Nikon bodies, they only have Fuji guts.

Agreed but when I said the bodies are a generation or two behind Nikon's own what I mean is that while for instance the D70 is also based on the N80 it's improved in quite a few ways, while the S3 isn't. I just think people buying the S3 should be aware of some of its limitations:

slow frame rate
slow CF writing
10 segment metering
1/180 flash sync
DTTL flash (as opposed to iTTL)
only 6 ISO choices
1/2 stop exposure adjustments

Also, the CAM900 AF, lack of mirror lockup, 93% viewfinder and lack of command dials on the vertical grip seem disappointing to me considering the price tag and target market . That may be a sweet sensor in there but the rest of the "guts" are pretty disappointing when you consider it's outclassed in almost every aspect by the 20D and honestly, the D70; both of which cost less than half as much on the street.

For some the sensor is what matters and the rest is no big deal; a lot of JPEG wedding/portrait shooters seem to like the camera. For more general photography it just seems like the S3 falls short considering its price.

But boy wouldn't it be sweet to see that S3 sensor in the D200 replacement. With Sony teaming up with KM it would make a lot of sense for Nikon to get their sensor from Fuji.

 

[Hi Tuan Ly]

Thank you all for the helpful input. I have learned alot since I found this site. You guys are great. Thanks again.

Hi. Pronounce "He"

 

[Hi Tuan Ly]

Those are great pictures, Sandi. Thanks. Hi

 

[TOLady]

Thanks Hi for the compliement. Yes, there are limitations to this camera and as long as you are aware of them and factor them into your work scheme.... More and more wedding photogs are using the S3 because of the ability to capture white wedding dresses, etc in daylight.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this unit, and I had my choice of any camera I wanted, money was not a factor - I chose this one for my own reasons - I wanted to make beautiful pictures. The XD card writes a LOT faster than CF cards. This camera accomodates both CD and XD at the same time. I always write to the XD when I can, esp if I know a spurt is coming up (ie some good swan pics). The quality of the output is what I was most after. Hope this helps, Cheers, Sandi