The new Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro UVIR DSLR camera allows you to take photographs in the ultraviolet and infrared light spectrums. Priced at $1,799.95, the Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro UVIR is available at select authorized dealers in the United States beginning September 2006.

Fujifilm USA Press Release

New, Specialized Camera Photographs in the Ultraviolet and Infrared Light Spectrums; Helps Forensic Photographers Uncover Evidence

Valhalla, NY, August 9, 2006 - Fujifilm, a pioneer in digital imaging products and services, broke new ground again today with the introduction of the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR camera. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR is the world’s first production D-SLR camera capable of taking photographs in the ultraviolet and infrared light spectrums. It has been designed for use in the science, medical and fine art disciplines, with its most intriguing applications coming in the field of law enforcement investigation. Law enforcement agencies have used ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) photography for years to uncover evidence not easily seen by the human eye, such as gun shot residue and blood stains, as well as to recover altered, burned or obliterated writing. IR photography is also used in nighttime surveillance.

With its digital capabilities, the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR makes the evidence-gathering process more efficient and accurate for investigators. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR has a live CCD previewing feature, a significant aid to the forensic photographer. This feature enables manual focusing while dark filters are attached to the lens as well as pre-capture verification.

Moreover, FinePix S3 Pro UVIR carries the same photographic technologies that have made the standard FinePix S3 Pro such a respected camera. These include Fujifilm’s unique, double photodiode (6.17 million S-pixels and 6.17 million R-pixels) Super CCD SR II image sensor for a dynamic range 400% greater than cameras of single-pixel design. This wider dynamic range contributes to the capture of finer detail, a paramount factor in the gathering of key evidence. Another performance benefit of the Super CCD SR II sensor is its high signal-to-noise ratio.

“Initially, the technology designed for the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR was for traditional visible wavelength imagery. But upon testing we found that the natural low noise tendencies of the Super CCD SR II sensor produced an outstanding image within UV and IR light bands,” explained Darin Pepple, Marketing Manager, Electronic Imaging Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. “Fujifilm conducted a series of tests and after seeing the results, we knew instantly the immense power this camera would bring to forensic investigation.

“Fujifilm U.S.A. is thrilled to provide the brightest minds in law enforcement with technology useful in solving the country’s most complex crimes.”

Along with the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR, Fujifilm will bundle its HyperUtility Processing Software. This program provides investigators with side-by-side image comparisons along with metadata analysis, a useful tool when examining images of blood stains, documents or other forms of evidence.

“Fujifilm’s new FinePix S3 Pro UVIR camera is a helpful tool in forensic investigation. Not only does it produce outstanding images, but the digital medium allows for immediate verification of a captured image. This immediacy makes evidence preservation easier and data cataloging more efficient,” remarked Michael Brooks, owner of Brooks Photographic Imaging, a law enforcement photography consultancy.

Priced at $1,799.95, Fujifilm’s FinePix S3 Pro UVIR is available at select authorized dealers in the United States beginning September 2006.

Technology Backgrounder

With the recent announcement of the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR, Fujifilm has unveiled the world’s first production D-SLR camera capable of taking photographs in the ultraviolet and infrared light spectrums. But what does this mean and how does a digital camera that can take pictures at either end of the light spectrum help to empower photographers in technical fields such as law-enforcement, medical research, art history, science and fine art photography?

Ultraviolet & Infrared Light
The human eye is a remarkable imaging device to be sure, but it can’t see everything. Its sensitivity range is limited to wavelengths that normally start at 400 nanometers (violet) at the short end of the visible spectrum and extend to 700 nanometers (deep red) at the long end. This is also the realm of standard digital and film photography where, with certain exceptions, what you see is what you get. But there are times when ordinary visible-light pictures do not reveal everything a criminal investigator, scientist, or medical researcher needs to see. This is where ultraviolet and infrared imaging comes into play.

Scientists define wavelengths shorter than 400 nanometers as ultraviolet (UV), and wavelengths longer than 700 nanometers as infrared (IR). Technically, neither UV nor IR is “light” because humans can’t see it. However, photographs taken at UV and IR wavelengths can capture and reveal information that is otherwise undetectable by the human eye – literally “colors” we can’t see but that cameras, sensitive to IR and UV wavelengths, are able to record and make visible. It is the visual equivalent of the dog whistle we humans cannot hear.

This uncanny ability to reveal the unseen is why technical professionals in fields ranging from law enforcement, to military surveillance, to medical research, to art history, to biology have long used UV and IR photography to discover crucial observational facts that would ordinarily elude the keenest human eye.

Difficulties with UV and IR Photography
Until recently, both UV and IR photography were film based and entailed the use of heavy filtration and long exposure times. In the case of infrared, special, difficult-to-handle films were required along with heavy filtration that extended exposure times and often made focusing difficult.

Digital UV and IR photography had its own set of problems. Since the CCD and CMOS imager sensors of digital cameras incorporate strong UV and IR filters to achieve good color accuracy with standard visible-light subjects, a normal D-SLR is not very sensitive in the UV and IR ranges and is therefore inconvenient to use in these applications. That’s why many technical specialists, who needed UV and IR imaging in their work, modified their existing D-SLRs by removing the UV and IR filters, an expensive procedure undertaken by small private companies. Even if properly done, this bit of modification work voided the camera’s warranty.

The solution: An advanced UV and IR D-SLR Live View CCD
In response to the genuine need expressed by many top professionals in the law enforcement and scientific communities, Fujifilm developed the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR, the world’s first and only factory-made D-SLR designed specifically for UV and IR photography. It has many of the same features that made the standard FinePix S3 Pro a stand-out—like the Super CCD SR II sensor for expanded dynamic range and a Live View CCD that allows for real-time subject focus for up to 30 seconds—with some modifications.

The IR and UV filters were removed from the standard model and, after exhaustive field and lab testing, replaced with a specially formulated glass protective filter. The FinePix S3 Pro’s menu system was also reconfigured to be more user friendly for UV and IR shooters – for example, the Live Preview shooting now mode comes up on the very first screen.

A Better Mousetrap?
Just how important are these advances? Mike Brooks, a well-known consultant to law enforcement agencies who checked out a late prototype of the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR put it this way. “Capturing and displaying the alterations in a forged document, or the information hidden in an obliterated one using IR photography is now easier by leaps and bounds. With IR films, the amount of light required often meant exposure times measured in hours; with the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR typical exposure times range from 1/250 at f/16 to 1/4 sec at f/16. And with mirror lock-up and Live Preview, you can focus easily via the LCD even when you mount dark IR or UV filters over the lens to capture critical details. With more precise focusing plus the instant feedback of digital, you now have the ability to take sharper pictures in less time. Even more important, you can judge which filter is most effective in specific applications in real time, which can literally save you weeks.”
Obliterated Writing Sample Image - Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro UVIR Digital Camera (©2006 Brooks Photo Imaging)

Brooks continued, “The enhanced image quality is another great advantage of this camera – it has the ability to capture mid-tones, which is crucial with the contrasty subjects we commonly shoot and it provides a wider exposure latitude than other D-SLRs. The software also makes it much easier to display comparison images, a key element in law enforcement. Having a factory-made UV and IR camera of this caliber available at a competitive price is nothing less than a great step forward in forensic photography.”

How and Where UV and IR Photography works
While UV and IR photography are not really like the “X-ray vision” of comic books that lets you see through solid objects, both UV and IR can be used to reveal sub-surface details that are invisible to the naked eye. In a recent example provided by Brooks, police used differences in reflectance made visible only with IR photography to positively identify a charred body in a gangland murder. It revealed the victim’s prison tattoo, which was invisible under ordinary light.

In a similar manner, both UV and IR photography can corroborate the presence of gunpowder, show altered signatures and the difference between similar-looking inks on a document, or make bone fragments stand out in a plowed field. Medical researchers and police investigators use IR and UV photography to find injuries below the skin. They can even determine whether an assailant wearing a specific ring punched someone, or if a set of two-week-old, no-longer-visible bite marks were made by an alleged perpetrator’s teeth.

Infrared photography is also a great tool for nighttime surveillance with “invisible” IR flash or under IR-rich sources such as common street lamps – the same basic principle used in night-vision glasses. And since different plants reflect light in different shades of color or gray under IR, it can be used to detect illegal plants such as marijuana or opium poppies growing in a farm field.

Applications Aplenty
While the primary markets for Fujifilm’s innovative FinePix S3 Pro UVIR are undoubtedly the law enforcement and technical-scientific communities, there are also legions of fine arts, portrait, and wedding photographers who will be attracted to this unique camera. Following in the footsteps of such legendary greats as Minor White and Ansel Adams who brought IR imaging into the art world with their stunning American landscapes, they have long used IR as a way of creating unique and beautiful images that set them apart from others in their fields. Many of today’s top portrait and wedding photographers have made IR photography an essential part of the services they offer to their clients.

Now, at last, they have a camera worthy of their highest aspirations.

About Fujifilm
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. is a subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. and delivers technology solutions to meet the imaging and information needs of retailers, consumers, professionals and business customers. As a global leader in digital imaging, Fujifilm pioneered the development of digital medical systems, and today is the leader in digital minilab systems. The company was ranked number 18 for U.S. patents granted during 2005, employs more than 75,000 people worldwide and in the year ending March 31, 2006, had global revenues of more than $22.8 billion.

In the United States, Fujifilm is a leader in delivering high quality, easy-to-use imaging and information solutions in the following categories: Digital Imaging Systems, Film and Imaging Systems, Recording/Storage Media, Motion Picture Film, Graphic Arts and Printing Systems and Medical Imaging and Diagnostics Systems. Fujifilm is an environmentally friendly, humane enterprise and an exemplary corporate citizen.

For more information on Fujifilm products, consumers can call 800-800-FUJI or access the Fujifilm USA Web site at www.fujifilmusa.com.

Consumers also can receive news and information direct from Fujifilm USA via RSS. Subscription is free at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.