Fuji S2, S3 or S5 PRO?? Assistance Needed!

mistermejia wrote:

chooflaki wrote:

mistermejia wrote:

chooflaki wrote:

I have an S3 and S5. Despite being older and more limited I prefer carrying the S3. Dead easy to use and handle despite being a big camera. Also better menus and controls. IQ is much the same. Sadly the S3 will not meter with older AI-AIS lenses. With the S5 I have added a split image focus screen and can use all the old lenses on manual or aperture priority. The build quality of the S5 is better than the S3.

Although I agree on the fine qualities of the S2, too many appear on Ebay that are not working and for parts only which is a worry.

chooflaki, does the S3 and S5 have the same exact "film modes", such as F1 and bla bla bla? And also is the LCD size the same on both these? What i REALLY like about the S3 is the built-in grip, very nice!

thanks.

The S3 has STD, F1 and F2 modes. FI more for studio work and using lighting and F2 for landscapes and vivid skies etc. The LCD is smaller than the S5 and slower to refresh. However it is very sharp, good colour and easy to view. With the grip the camera is a joy to hold and well balanced. I can hike all day with the S3 swinging from my hand without any bother and no strap. No need to hang around my neck.

Nice! Does the S5 have more picture modes beside F1, and F2?

How is the view finder on the S3 ? i will be using manual focus lenses on it.

Last, is there a way to find out how many actuations a S3 has?? I know how to do it on a S5 but not on the S3. Some guy is selling a S3 for $400 and he says he has taken only around 1000 shots. I don't trust him. But my friend that is selling his S3 is giving it to me for $200 with around 20K to 30K actuations.

what is your suggestion on the best bang for the buck, or should i just get the latest S5 that everyone raves about ??

The S5 has 6 picture modes. The viewfinder is much bigger on the S5 and far more suitable for manual focus. Plus it can meter with manual focus lenses which the S3 can't do. I do not think it is possible to have a shutter count from the S3. I would be wary of very low stated shutter counts as this now quite an old camera. 20,000 would be reasonable for an amateur use camera. If you want to shoot manual focus then the S5 is by far your best option.