Another quick session with the Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, mounted with the AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-70mm 1:3.3~4.5, a digital SLR camera and lens combo that should appeal to both vintage and/or CCD enthusiasts. Vintages as both the camera and lens are way past their production timeline, which was from 2002 to 2004 for the FinePix S2 Pro, and 1986 to 1989 for the Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-70mm 1: 3.3-4.5 (MKI). Both the camera and lens were made in Japan.
Interest and enthusiasm for the camera is centered on its F-mount lens system and the 3rd-generation 6.1MP 'Super CCD' sensor, which is capable of producing 12.1 million (4,256 x 2,848) pixels of interpolated image.
The FinePix S2 Pro, introduced two years after the original FinePix S1 Pro in 2002, is built on a Nikon N80 film camera body based on a 'Frankencamera' concept, common during the period, where components from two or more manufacturers are fused together to make the whole. In the case of the S2 Pro, the upper body part and exposure controls, together with the lens mount based on the Nikon D80 (F80) SLR film camera body, while the image sensor, and its management routines, are by Fujifilm.
Unlike the later S3 Pro which requires a set of 4xAA batteries to operate, the S2 Pro, which can be considered still in the infancy stage of its development, requires two sets - a pair of C123As for the Nikon body side and a pack of 4xAA batteries for the Fujifilm integration.
The AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-70mm 1:3.3~4.5, despite being nominated as one of Nikon's 10 Worst Lenses by Ken Rockwell, is still a fine and capable (as can be seen with these images) performer. The lightweight, with 8 elements in 7 groups and 6 aperture blades in an all plastic with a metal-mount body, has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 meters normally (0.35 in macro mode) and takes 52mm filters.
Iterations of the AF Nikkor 35-70mm 1:3.3~4.5 include the MK I which was manufactured in Japan from 1986 to 1989, and MK II, from 1989 to 1994. The MK II was initially manufactured in Japan (serial number starting with #4) before production was shifted to Thailand, with serial number starting with #5.
The S2 Pro, despite its age, is still a smooth operator and a delight to work with, with the simple and direct controls on the front of the camera a testament to its heritage, and the management of the digital imagery at the back of the camera the potential of things to come. The 35-70mm AF Nikkors are downright low-priced, easy to come by on the auction listings, and should give the enthusiast ample opportunity to be both creative and experimental.
Personally, I have been through 3 (three) of the S2 Pros, bought, tested, used, and sold. All three units displayed the 'ERR' message when only the C123A batteries were installed, and were fully functional with the additional 4xAA battery pack deployed, something to read between the lines when looking up low-end listings of the camera.
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