Fujifilm FinePix S20 Pro Review

Click to take a QTVR tour of the S20 Pro

Fujifilm has taken the Finepix S7000 and coupled it with their latest Super CCD SR technology to produce the FinePix S20 Pro. This compact SLR-like camera employs an ultra-sharp Super EBC Fujinon 6x optical zoom lens with an 35mm equivalent focal range of 35-210mm.

Fujifilm's proprietary 6.2 megapixel (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) Super CCD SR (Super Dynamic Range) sensor technology yields pictures with 2,832 x 2,128 (6.03 million) recorded pixels and increased dynamic range. Images can be captured and stored in popular JPEG format or for the best possible image quality you can record the raw data directly from the imager using the CCD-RAW mode. Software is included to post-process these RAW images into standard TIFF or JPEG format.

The S20 Pro can be easily connected to external flash units with its builtin flash hot shoe and standard PC-Sync port. The camera's high-speed flash sync fires at up to 1/1000 a second. To transfer image data from the camera to your computer the S20 Pro offers two of the fastest image transfer protocols: IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and USB 2.0. The transfer of high-resolution images has never been easier or faster.

In addition to still images, the S20 Pro can also capture high quality motion video at 30 frames per second with audio in 640 x 480 (VGA) or 320 x 240 resolution. To store images and movies there are two media slots available, an xD-Picture Card and a CompactFlash Type II slot. Fujifilm xD-Picture Cards are available in 16MB to 512MB capacity or you can use the Hitachi 1GB Microdrive to store thousands of images or up to 15 minutes of VGA-quality video.

The S20 Pro offers a wide range of exposure modes including full AUTOmatic, Program AE, Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority and Manual plus four Scene Program modes. The ISO sensitivity is selectable from 200 through 800 in all resolutions and can be further extended to 1600 in 1M resolution. The Top-10 and Final-10 continuous modes capture 10 frames at a blazing 4.5 frames per second and you can capture up to 40 frames in the lesser 1M, 2M and 3M resolutions.

Fujifilm includes the Hyper-Utility2 image management software for professionals, giving the photographer the power to change camera settings -- even release the shutter -- from a computer. Also included is the ImageMixer VCD2 for Finepix and the RAW File Converter EX and LE.

Finepix S20 Pro Features:

• 6x zoom F2.8 (35-210mm equivalent) with zoom/focus ring
• Fuji SuperCCD SR 6.2-Megapixel (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) resolution
• High-resolution EVF viewfinder with 235,000 pixels
• 1.8-inch color LCD monitor with 118,000 pixels
• RAW, JPEG and AVI movie formats
• Program AE, Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, Manual and Scene modes
• Continuous shooting at 4.5fps for 10 frames at full resolution
• 640x480 or 320x240 movies with sound at 30fps
• Auto TTL white balance with 6 presets and manual
• 64-zone Multi, Center-weighted averaging or Spot metering
• Super Macro focus mode, from 0.4" to 7.9"
• ISO Auto, 200, 400, 600, 800 (1600 for 1M only)
• Adjustable image sharpness, contrast and saturation
• xD Picture Card and Microdrive (2GB max) storage
• Flash hot shoe and PC sync for external flash
• FireWire IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 connectivity
• Uses four standard AA type batteries
• Exif Print and PictBridge compatible

The FinePix S20 Pro comes bundled with a 16MB xD-Picture Card, four AA alkaline batteries, shoulder strap, USB cable, AV cable, Hyper-Utility2, and ImageMixer VCD for FinePix. The camera will be available with a suggested list price of $999.