Fuji S5 Pro sensor - 6MP or 12MP resolution???

Naboo32

Naboo32

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,278
Name
Andy
Edit My Images
Yes
Getting very confused over what I've read about this camera :(!

So, are the images from the 6+6MP sensor comparable to a 12MP full-frame sensor, when cropped to the same proportions, or simply the same as every other 6MP camera, but with better dynamic range? :thinking:

I was thinking about getting an S5 Pro to improve my long-range 'wildlife shooting' options, without changing my glasss, but if cropping the images from the 1.5x sensor gives images with less detail than a same size crop from a full-size (12MP) sensor - there's not much point really!

All expert clarification welcome :).
 
The S5 is a 6mp camera.

BUT they apparently do something which allows them to give you an image equivalent to a camera with a higher mp count. But the thing is do we care? It is decent camera which is very similar to the D200 but cheaper.

I have just bought a D1x which is 5.3mp to use as my second body. It takes a crackingly good image and unless you want to blow the final image up beyond A3 it does not matter. :)
 
cowasaki said:
The S5 is a 6mp camera.

BUT they apparently do something which allows them to give you an image equivalent to a camera with a higher mp count. But the thing is do we care? It is decent camera which is very similar to the D200 but cheaper.

I have just bought a D1x which is 5.3mp to use as my second body. It takes a crackingly good image and unless you want to blow the final image up beyond A3 it does not matter. :)
Click to expand...

:thinking: Well, without wishing to sound ungrateful or (worse :() confrontational :), I "care" because I want to know if it will give me better resolution than my D700, or not!?

Your first two paragraphs appear to contradict each other and highlight exactly the thing, which I am unsure of - do the extra 6MP worth of sensors between the "regular" 6MP sensors, provide better resolution, or just more dynamic range!???

Essentially, my question is:

Will I get equally "grainy/pixelly" images with 100% crops from an S5 Pro (with the same FX glass) as I would from my D700, or will the images be twice as grainy due to the lower (main) pixel count?*

Simple question ... potentially confusing answers :(!

*N.B. This does matter for cropped images, such as in wildlife photography.
 
it is 6mp but they get more information which allows them to create a image which they feel is the equivalent of a higher mp camera. They do explain it on their site but it IS just 6mp in reality. The comment about should you care was in reference to the quality which is very good. They are apparently particularly adept at portrait work. The d700 gives about the same cropped doesn't it? If you really want more pixels then it's going to be a d80/d200! Hope that clarifies what I am rambling on about.
 
You need Puddleduck for this, he has both cameras.....

If it helps/adds to the confusion, the Fuji produces 4256 x 2848 images, compared with 4256 x 2832 from the D700
 
"the S5 uses some nifty processing to turn what is effectively a six megapixel capture into a twelve megapixel output image (in its earliest incarnations Super CCD always came with a healthy dose of interpolation). This is despite the fact that the S and R 'pixels' are in fact dual photosites that are combined to produce a single input pixel."

So it is six mp and uses interpolation to get twelve mp.
 
If you look at their price in the completed auctions of ebay it goes up and down like mad. £350 for one BNIB (1 bid) then a few days later £420 for one used for 3 months (12 bids). There are also ones which have sold for more than £500 and some that did not sell at all at £400.....

very strange!
 
6 megapixel linear resolution.

The sensor has two layers - 6 megapixels for standard dynamic range, with another 6 that record higlights at about 2 EV higher than normal.

There are 12 megapixels in a sense, but the extra 6 do not contribute to horizontal or vertical resolution, just highlight extension.

I "care" because I want to know if it will give me better resolution than my D700, or not!?

No it won't. It'll look like a very good 6 megapixel camera.
 
The sensor in £400 camera is not going to match that of one in a full frame £2.5K D3 :¬)

Thanks for the technical description PD. Curious, why are you proud to not have a gripped D700? Is there some kind of grip-snobbery I'm not aware of? It's invaluable for portrait shooting. Got mine loaded with Hybrios (£14 for 8) - battery duration has doubled over the standard battery :)
 
Is there some kind of grip-snobbery I'm not aware of?

I hate them! I'm a well known grip hater :)

I refuse to inflict such an overpriced monstrosity on my D700.

Not snobbery, just an "in-joke" :)
 
Andy, the Phottix battery grip works well on the D300 and balances it up very well when a longer lens is attached.The same grip works on the 700.
 
puddleduck said:
Is there some kind of grip-snobbery I'm not aware of?

I hate them! I'm a well known grip hater :)

I refuse to inflict such an overpriced monstrosity on my D700.

Not snobbery, just an "in-joke" :)
Click to expand...

Ah fair enough :) No denying it is very expensive!

I find it helps balance the D700 body with the larger 2.8 zooms. Bet you were very happy when they announced the D700, since the D3 has the 'built-in' grip :)
 
Thanks to everyone who contributed their time and energy to this thread.

Now I understand what the S5 Pro is and how it works. The bottom line, as puddleduck has kindly spelled out for me below ;), is that it's not going to help me in my quest for better wildlife images (only faster/longer/pricier :( glass will do that, it seems).


puddleduck said:
6 megapixel linear resolution.

The sensor has two layers - 6 megapixels for standard dynamic range, with another 6 that record higlights at about 2 EV higher than normal.

There are 12 megapixels in a sense, but the extra 6 do not contribute to horizontal or vertical resolution, just highlight extension.

I "care" because I want to know if it will give me better resolution than my D700, or not!?

No it won't. It'll look like a very good 6 megapixel camera.
Click to expand...

Oh well, back to square one :thinking: ....
 
The S5 Pro does take quite nice wildlife pics though IMHO

I shot a few images at my local wildlife park over the weekend with a D700 and also have taken the S5 Pro there with the same lens, and IMHO there is very little in it.

I suppose I could show 100% crops from both, but given they were taken on different days (year actually) I'm not sure it would prove much.

IMHO for wildlife a decent lens makes much more difference than the camera body.
 
puddleduck said:
The S5 Pro does take quite nice wildlife pics though IMHO

I shot a few images at my local wildlife park over the weekend with a D700 and also have taken the S5 Pro there with the same lens, and IMHO there is very little in it.

I suppose I could show 100% crops from both, but given they were taken on different days (year actually) I'm not sure it would prove much.

IMHO for wildlife a decent lens makes much more difference than the camera body.
Click to expand...

Oh I agree, 100%. It's just that the next lens up from my Nikkor 70-300mm VR is going to cost about 2-3 times more than the Fuji camera would have cost, so I was just exploring the options.

In the short term, I might be better off trying to get closer to my subjects, instead of just barging in on them and expecting them all to pose for me :D.
 
Naboo if your looking for an S5 then you better be quick about it. I have been looking at them for a couple of days as a backup body and the prices are going up as supplies are running out fast. Missed out on all the £440 jessops ones. Clifton cameras missed out by 30 mins on the last one they had at £460 and only just managed to get one of the £475 ones from calumet who are raising the price to £499 today in line with all other suppliers. From other forums dealers at Focus on imaging were saying they werent getting any more stock of these.
 
laser_jock99 said:
There's an explanation of how the interpolation works here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_CCD
Click to expand...

Well, thanks for the link :). I read it, twice, but it's just waaaaaaaay too technical for me I'm afraid :thinking:.

Anyway, I've shelved all plans to buy any more gear for the moment, as the recent price increases (on just about everything) have just put all of the gear that I'd like beyond reach :|.

Better save my dosh for more important things like food, rent and beer :D!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top