I like my S2!

[Tom V]

I have owned my S2 for more than 16 months, and find it a tremendous tool! It has transformed my photography, saved countless hours, thousands of dollars in lab and scanning fees, and made deadlines all the more meetable.

I am very glad I bought the S2 and do not regret it for a minute.

Anybody want to buy my obsolete film cameras?

[Linda G]

I bought my S2 last summer after having Canon based goods for decades. The switch was traumatic in that I lost all those little accessories one tends to gather over years that are system specific.

Ah, but what a change. I was familiar with the S1 from work, where I've had to use it for different things since it was introduced but to have one of my own (!) and see what it does to what I take, I haven't been sorry.

I do miss a few things, but not the end result. Went from a D30 for a first digital and upgraded to the D60 a few months later, then jumped to the S2.

Maybe I had a bit of a push with Mel being Nikon based, we had a 'few' flashes and things to go with it.

Love the camera, love how it lets me record what I want it to.

[Sleeping Bear]

I purchased my S2 in late March of this year after 3 months research into digital slr's. I have not been sorry for one second!

Linda, it looks like you've updated your avatar! I might have to do the same as well if I can find a photo of myself.

[Don65Stang]

[i]Linda, it looks like you've updated your avatar! I might have to do the same as well if I can find a photo of myself. [/B]
Ron,
I like your avatar. It goes really well with your id. Reminds me of a sleeping bear comming out of the cave to see what's the matter. Definately one of the coolest out there, well, except for 4-eyes.

[Sleeping Bear]

Originally posted by Don65Stang
Ron,
I like your avatar. It goes really well with your id. Reminds me of a sleeping bear comming out of the cave to see what's the matter. Definately one of the coolest out there, well, except for 4-eyes.

Don, Thanks. That was shot by one of my daughters while we were having fun with an old army surplus lantern we had bought at a flea market in Durango. We were about 100 feet away from the triple water fall on a narrow wooden bridge crossing a creek and there are caves about 150 away as well!

[Andre]

I've had my S2 for 13 months now. I think I'm at about 6000 shots (mostly on weekends).

It has taught me a lot about photography, as I came from the point & shoot world.

This site (and the people here) has taught me more though...

[pauly99]

I've had my S2 for a little over 5 months now and have approximately 2600 shots on it. Felt that some of my shots were getting better due to my new toy and have made a few dollars from the investment. Contacted a local photographer in the area that asked me to give him a hand in shooting a local sports event or two. I'm more than happy of course but in our initial meeting he asked that I shoot film. Ugh.... I haven't picked up the N80 for 5 months now. Anywho... he does shoot with the D100 in his portrait sessions and I hope I didn't come on too strong in my recommendation to use the S2 in future shoots. :cool:

[Val]

I have had my S2 for 4 months now, love it, love it, love it.
1300 pics not as much as some of you guys, but I am just learning.

PS
and did i mention.......... I love my S2. :)

[Igor]

Another happy user I am :)
6 months of fun and frustration, delight and worries, 7,000+ shots with 1/3 of them deleted, constant learning, reading, trying, testing, etc.....

Yes, I LOVE MY S2 for the way it changed my life and for giving me the chance to meet so many great friends !!! :)

[GaryB]

The camera is great - now I have to learn to love Photoshop!

[ballroom_boy]

I purchased my S2 in August of this year after using the S1 for about a year. A lot of S1 users have complained that the S2 is too soft for them - this is not the case for me. The S2 surpasses the S1 in all regards, and the S1 is an excellent camera too!

The S2 has opened up a new world for me (not to forget allowing me to use that lovely AF-S glass!) and I am a better photographer for it. I am also glad I discovered this community - you are very helpful, supportive people. I have learned a lot from you.

Glad we're all getting back together!

[RacerX]

I've taken thosands of pictures so far and really love my S2. I purcahsed it in August 03 and since then have taken over 4900 pictures. It's still working just like the first day I got it. :D

[justinb]

Even though I am the person who started the endless "S2 softness" thread on the last forum, I love this camera and the ability to complete all of my photo printing/management needs at home. Would not trade it for any other.

Justin

[HenryC]

My first digital cam- been shooting 35 and med format a few years. Yikes- what images!- with prime Nikons - 60 and 105- . Shoot people all the time- and never get caught. It's changed my life- almost- no more weekends devoted to scanning and cleaning film images- now weekends are spent sorting best jpgs' for editing/printing. Love the S2.

[Serge]

Coming up to just 3 weeks this Friday for me, after 30+ years shooting with Nikon film SLR's.

And off course I love it, this forum helped me to decide to jump in without waiting any longer. Have to confess to being a conservative old f ... t in the past regarding auto focus and auto exposure SLR's, but I am a passionate convert :rofl:

After doing a workshop in September and using a Canon 10D,
I was sold on the validity of DSLR's, it made sense to stay with a Nikon mount, very glad I found this Forum!

my only personal gripe :stupid:
and its user error, is the ISO dial, I have to constantly check that
I havent't accidentaly slipped the release mode dial, have missed a few shots waiting fot the self timer to go off doh..

aside from that, it handles just like my trusty FM2 and then some
:D

...oh happy days...

[Gurrah]

DO I love my S2.. :-)
Ive used it since late january this year and after takin it for a testshooting at a very particular church for a very particular imageformat, Full Spherical 360.panorama - I just knew I had to get one.
It arrived in early February and since then Ive shot about 6.000 exposures or so with it - and it gets better and better... :-)

I have also just recently bought the new Nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye and that is a marvellous lens !

Anyone interested in the first ever S2-job I did youll find the link here:
http://www.panograf.com/kunder/zoomify/index.htm
("ONLY" 512 megapixels..)

and the so far biggest full spherical 360 is here: 968 megapixel:

http://209.61.146.107/omega/museumsgata/m6Smart.htm

and some smaller and easier produced panos of 11.200x5.600
sphericals here:

www.panograf.com/nikon16

In order to view these panos you must install a great little active-x-control called Zoomify - if you dont have it you will be asked to install it.
Then it streams the 120 Mb panorama that is on the server in a very short time if on a DSL and fully acceptabe on ISDN and even a modem...

There are more panos coming from this S2 I Promise - In January Im contracted to go shot at the Icehotel far far north in Sweden -
that will be an absolute joy.

Will return with images from there.
Meanwhile have a look at what is inspiring me while waiting to go:
www.icehotel.com

and this one is from last summer - stitched from a set of shots to reach a final of 7500x4691 - here at 500x273

http://www.panograf.com/images/MOLNET_2000.jpg


merry Xmas all and a happy New...

Gurrah

[okidoki]

aaaaah the S2...

It has ruined my life, I can't lie to my friends anymore that their 3MP cameras produce fine images in 8x10" size. And I can't take another, "so what's so special about your camera" or "oh its digital, I've never seen such a digital camera" this camera has made me into a real "rude digital nerd". The fact that I spend hours shooting, testing and trying new stuff and looking up stuff online has not translated well in the eyes of the wife either... But what a heck I love the camera and don't think twice about bragging if I have the energy to do so, and the wife does not complain when I bring home "the bacon"...

T

[lightwrangler]

OK, my name isn't happy but...

I'm very pleased with the S2. Number one entered service 15 months and some 9000 frames ago and it's doing a great job. Like Tom I feel that the savings of time and materials has been huge (although I was already used to that). The image quality is great and I have no desire to go back to film.... bring on the next Fuji!!:D

[Ron Friedman]

I've had my S2 for just about a year now. My wish list includes a vertical grip, a full size chip so a 28mm remains a wide angle and is 5 fps or more with a bigger buffer asking too much?

[David Smith]

I purchased my S2 Pro in Sept. of '02 and comming from a film background along with the fact I never owned any camera that had anything automatic about it, it has taken me some time to get even partially familiar with most of the functions of the S2 but like everyone else I love it too! Never sorry for a moment that I purchased it, in fact I feel very elated to have choosen a camera that seems to be the 'Benchmark' that most of the others are trying to equal, no offence to the other cameras as they're all good but I'm glad, and probably you are too, that I/we choose as we did! I will have to say it has been quite a learning curve for me and is by no means finished but it's very enjoyable too!

It's very rewarding to be able to produce quality JPG images, I shoot most things at a Fine setting of 2304 which produces beautiful images right from the camera and I'm able to print them with equal clarity, richness of color, and tonal characteristics, which is very rewarding indeed. I'm not a advocate of PS or the like if I can help not having to use it but that all part of the learning curve and has certainly opened up another world of photography for me!

I will have to say 'Thank Goodness' for, 'Thom Hogans S2 Guide' on CD which has been a big help in many ways!

I'll post some images once I figure out what the problem is so I can do that.

[seanmcclain]

While it really pains me to do anything other than complain about any product I have to admit: I love my S2! I started into digital photography in November '03 with a coolpix 990. At the time it was supposed to be a gift to my wife. However, after a few months I stopped shooting film for a great deal of applications.

In July '03 I picked up the S2 after months of research. It has been a fantastic tool. I no longer use film for my landscape photography or family/travel photos. My enlarger sits unused and I have sold all but one of my film cameras.

The aspect that most pleases me about the S2 is its ability to capture pleasing skin tones and deep blues and greens as well as its high signal to noise ratio.

I have been a Nikon user for about 12 years now and it was very difficult for me to choose the S2 over the D100. But, I have been very pleased with the Fuji product and service. I look forward to the release of the S3 and (hopefully) many more years of service from my S2.

[easternherp]

I said I would never buy a digital camera as the quality will never be as good as film.
How wrong could I have been. I bought my S2 in August 03 and haven't looked back. The result I am getting from Raw files are as sharp as the good old Hassleblad.
Flash can be a problem but from what I have read on the flash forum is that metz seem to have done a fine job with all their guns.
Can't wait to see what fuji will bring us next.

[kari]

i got mine some 17 months ago and done over 12000 shots, it's nice andnow that people are jumping about s3 and to buy or not. i've been thinking that the new must be very very much better to even be a better than s2.
what i really ned better is a better understanding and eye to see and shoot better fotos, this s2 can now deliver so good images that i need to learn more shooting than get a better gear ;-)