ShunCheung Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Finally it is official, the <A HREF="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=317351&is=REG"> 6MP Fuji S3 is listed at $3499.95 at B&H</A>, but it is not in stock yet as of 16th October 2004. That is $1100 higher than the initial price for the S2 almost 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanthree Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 It's also about a grand higher than Tallyns, another retailer. That camera, unless it has top-secret capabilities, won't sell at that price. I'd wait for the first price drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_woodard Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 wayyyyy overpriced, very slow shutter sync, buy the D70 or wait till fuji sees the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 Hmmm, I wonder whether that is a typo on B&H's web site. (BTW, "one grand" is slang for $1000 for those who are not native English speakers.) However, I checked several retailers and they all have some price in the $3000+ range; some higher than B&H and some lower. Even at $2400, I doubt that Fuji will sell a whole lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey moore Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 It's doubtful that B&H would commit a typo on price, or if they did it likely that it wouldnt' stay there very long. I do agree that with the current DSLR offerings, in addition to the upcoming Nikon D2X, $3500 for a 6mp camera is way off the mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_h Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 One would have to be completely retarded to buy a 6mp DSLR for 3500$. For that price you can get a 1d2 (roundabout) which can shoot faster, has more mp (real megapixels, not interpolated crap), is weather sealed and most probably cleaner too. And the 1d2 has a real vertical grip, unlike the S3 which has only a vertical shutter but no vertical controls (well done Fuji...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_woodard Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 edward, completely retarded people are at the helm my friend so lets not jump on a certain catagory of people just to make a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorgeortega Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 It is listed at Vistek in Troronto at $3499 canadian dollars. That would be around $2500 US http://www.vistek.ca/details/detail_over.asp?eCode=217746&TYPE=&Specs=N&Box=N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg s Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 My guess is that the S3 will sell (I mean be priced) for around $2500 or so. Higher prices might appear for awhile for those who 'just gotta have one'. As an S2 owner I've grown weary and disappointed with various aspects of the S3 and what was once anticipated as an event seems like a non-event. I understand the sensor upgrade (I think), but the rest of the body design decisions are a mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_michael Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Well, I hope Fuji had straightend out the Circuit Board problem. I'm on my third one. They had a ton of them come back for repair. As far as 3G goes............I'd rather get a Nikon. The Fuji just isn't built as ruggedly as a Nikon of similiar price. The only reason why I went with the S2 from the get go is because of the flash capabilites. The S2 can use any Nikon flash or Metz dedicated unit. I took this photo with the S2 and a Metz 45 TTL series. No comp was required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zapped Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Gary Woodard wrote: "edward, completely retarded people are at the helm my friend so lets not jump on a certain catagory of people just to make a point." As an American and as a Texan I can't let this remark go by. >>> Gary, you are SO right! <<< I really despise politics but sometimes the Emperor's complete lack of clothing needs emphasis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepas_nigs Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 It's Y224,697 (delivery not included) in Japan, or USD2,056 (based on www.xe.com currency converter). And the stocks are full, you can pick it up immediately off the shelf literally. That is very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_carlsson Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 If $3499.95 is accurate, it's overpriced by at least $2000.00. I have an S2 and a D70. Bought the S2 gently used at $1400.00 a year ago, the D70 just 2 months old. I love the S2, but in more ways than one, the D70 is a superior camera. No way in my view is the S3 worth more than $1500.00-1600.00 max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymond bradlau Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 I thought the S3 was a 12 megapixel camera with more dynamic range than the current crop of DSLR's? If so $3000 US would not seem over priced. regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecarter Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Ummm - yes and no on the resolution question. The Fuji S3 is a 6 megapixel camera that interpolates the image up to 12 megapixels. The sensor doesn't actually record all those pixels (neither did the S2, which pulls a similar trick). As far as the increased dynamic range of this camera, that is something that I'm really looking forward to seeing, but whether it is worth the pricetag... who knows? The S2 I feel is a great camera, and the S3 probably lives up to it at least, but $3500 does seem pretty costly for this camera - especially when Adorama has it listed for a more reasonable $2500. I suspect B&H goofed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris m., central florida Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 If the S3 dynamic range improvements are all they're cracked up to be, it'll be worth it for me. While I'd rather see a price point in the $2K range, the extra $500 would be worth it for wedding and portrait photography. I'm very impressed by the S2's image quality in controlled conditions and the flash exposure is notably accurate. While the AF isn't very fast - I do use it from time to time - I think it's the best image quality and color rendition out of a digital SLR I've seen yet. All anyone can do right now is speculate on S3 performance until we see real world tests and comments by professional and amateur users. It's too bad some think it won't sell well. Some retailers have waiting lists for this camera that are at least six months old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted October 18, 2004 Author Share Posted October 18, 2004 To Eric Carter: Can you show us a link to Adorama's listing of the Fuji S3? Since I suspected that B&H's listing could be an error, I immediately searched Adorama and couldn't find the S3 listed. Other retail prices in the US that I managed to find are all in the $3000+ range, some as high as $3999. Fuji initially announced the S3 in February; now 8 months later, they still haven't been able to deliver it in the US yet. That in itself is another major problem. There may be waiting lists but only because Fuji cannot deliver, yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanthree Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 B&H has seen the light, and lowered their price by a thousand. Funny how that competition thing works, eh? Then again, probably just a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted October 18, 2004 Author Share Posted October 18, 2004 Thanks David. I had just checked the B&H link about 30 minutes ago and it was still $3500. Looks like it was indeed a typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecarter Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 I know my response is a little late, but... http://www.adorama.com/IFJS3.html?searchinfo=fuji%20s-3&item_no=1 That's where I saw it. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted October 18, 2004 Author Share Posted October 18, 2004 Thanks Eric. Still, unless $2500 is yet another typo :-), I think Fuji will have a hard time selling the S3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecarter Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 If they bring it down even another $500 it'll make a big difference in their sales. $2500 still seems pricy to me, but the dynamic range of the camera could justify a $2000 pricetag even to a penny pincher like myself. Not that I'm shopping, mind. I like my D70 just fine. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_taylor____mequon__wi Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 I doubt anyone will even read this since it's a week or so after the last post, but to clarify a couple of things: the price at B&H is $2500, as of today. The dynamic range of the S3 has been improved by virtue of the two arrays of sensors (6 million apiece). I saw a very impressive demonstration at the Fuji booth at the PhotoPlus Expo in NY that clearly illustrated the additional latitude that the 12 million pixels provides. The highlights did not start blowing out until the exposure was pushed two full stops. At 1 1/2 stops, it was very printable. This makes a huge difference for event photographers, in particular. The 12 mil pixels does not increase resolution. The camera basically produces the same res as a 6 meg camera. The combination of the two arrays of 6 megs each addresses the exposure latitude issue. At half the cost of the D2x, it's worth looking at. I have a king's ransom invested in Nikon lenses, and so I need to be looking at one of these bodies. I don't know anything about the S3 in terms of focusing speed, metering system, etc., so I don't know if the $2500 savings over the D2x is a false economy. I'll have to wait until the production models are out and some really definitive testing has been done. But, right now, the S3 looks pretty good, especially considering that in a couple of years I'll probably have to replace whatever I buy today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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