Thanks for your feedback Keith (and others) on the FujiFIlm S5 Pro (thats just thrown a bit of a spanner in the works). The Wide Dynamic Range definately sounds great and am wondering if my budget will stretch that far. Have seen same sample images on dpreview.com of the S3 which look fantastic (I'm assuming the S5 will be the same - no samples there yet), but has anyone got any sample links to VR's using the S5 or even the S3 with the Nikon 10.5mm.
Also, do you know if there's a 360Precision Absolute panohead to suit the S5 with 10.5mm lense and how much it is?
Keith Martin <email@hidden> wrote:
Sometime around 26/3/07 (at 17:26 -0700) WPS said:
>I'm looking at fully upgrading my VR equipment and am trying to >choose between
the Nikon D80 and D200 with the Nikkor 10.5mm lense >(and the 360Precision panohead).
I've been going through more or less this precise question myself. I'm using a D70 with a Nikkor 10.5mm lens and 360Precision (now named 360Precision Absolute) pano head.
Both the lens and 360P head are superb, and the D70 is a really nice camera to use... but I've been wanting a little more than the camera can deliver in terms of resolution. I was virtually convinced by the D200, but after some research and also discussion with someone who's opinion I rate pretty highly, I chose the Fujifilm S5 Pro.
It took me a little while to come around to it so I'd better explain my reasons:
The S5 Pro is essentially Fuji's technology built into the D200 body. Other than the Fuji-chipped battery it uses D200 peripherals, right through to the lenses. It has a slight edge in resolution, no chance of that occasional 'corduroy'
effect appearing at certain settings**, better noise handling in high ISO settings, and - what sold it for me - it has an excellent dynamic range. And settings that mimic different film stock? Cake, meet icing!
A professional photographer (who shoots panoramas as well) told me he rates the S5 Pro so highly that he's just sold his 6-month-old D200 and uses the S5 Pro instead. And a MacUser reviewer who's opinion I rate gave it a definite thumbs-up for all the factors that matter to me - which are the ones above, primarily.
The only downsides I've been able to figure out are relatively slow performance (max 3fps full-res into the buffer, multiple seconds to write a full buffer to card), although that doesn't bother me at all as I don't do lots of high-speed sequential shooting... and the fact that my CF cards will run out of room that much faster because of going from a 6mp camera to a 12mp one.
Dang.
However - I haven't yet bought one. Probably later today so I'll be set, practised and ready for the California trip in April. Watch this space!
k
** (Google the words 'corduroy' and 'D200', although don't panic when you read the results. Personally, I'd never heard of it before finding these web sites.)
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