FUJIFILM
FINEPIX S3 PRO UVIR
Fujifilm has announced a specialized version of their S3 Pro digital
SLR. The new UVIR suffix model has been modified to be able to take photographs
in the Ultra Violet and InfraRed parts of the light spectrum, this feature aimed
primarily at law enforcement, science, medical and fine art. Like something from
CSI the new S3 Pro UVIR is capable of uncovering otherwise invisible evidence
such as gun shot residue, blood stains and burned writing. This new model (which
appears to be US only) will be available at select dealers priced at $1,799.
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 was the first D-SLR to feature 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.
SEEING THE UNSEEN: HOW THE NEW FINEPIX S3 PRO UVIR D-SLR FROM FUJIFILM WILL
HELP LAW ENFORCERS, MEDICAL RESEARCHERS, ART HISTORIANS, AND SCIENTISTS REVEAL
THE TRUTH THAT LIES BEYOND THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM
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
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."
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.