Fujifilm FinePix S9600 Review

To Anand,Re camera choices.
I've owned the Panasonic FZ7,FZ8,FZ18,and recently the FZ28,a Nikon D40,and now a S9600.
The picture quality on the FZ28 is the best Panasonic super zoom so far,and very good,BUT,as I use the viewfinder in bright conditions,it is half the size of the FZ18,and the S9600,come to that,so I sold it.
But,if you like a smaller,lighter camera,full of features,with a big zoom,with "Anti shake",the Panasonic FZ18 is the one to get secondhand.(look on Ebay),
If you want a more substantial camera,also with a big zoom,the S9600 really takes some beating.
However,if you can afford it,the Nikon D40,is a cracking DSLR,with superb image quality,quick focussing,and easy to use,but you need to consider the cost of additional lenses(and the extra weight!)
Which is why I tend to use the S9600 most of the time!

hi,
iv just started photography but love it, i dont know what to get, please help me, dont recoment anything second hand, above £250 thank you. what should i pick out of these:
fuji s9600
fuji s9500
fuji s6500
fuji s8100

any help would be much apreasiated thanks (sorry about the spelling)

I've had the 9500 for a couple of years and loved every minute with it. The only drawback is that it's not fast so I bought a Canon 1000d to let me shoot some particular fast action shots. I thought I'd use the Canon more but almost always reach for the 9500 for everyday photos. Its much more convenient than the DSLR and quality is superb. The versatility of this camera is great and I can't think of another that offers an screw in cable/air release option at this price (which is handy at times).
Now I find the 9500 is packing up I'm looking to replace with the 9600 before they become too scarce. (I've noticed second hand prices are rising on ebay).

I've been using the s9100 for over three years now, and have taken close to 15,000 photos, mostly in manual mode. The camera works great and the color is rarely if ever off. I prefer taking natural light still photos, and this camera works well for that. The lens is limiting in that it does not produce a super sharp image, and the image is especially less sharp at the wide end away from the center (supermacro shots are good only in the center of the photo). On the other hand, the very slight reduction in sharpness makes it easy to get great photos straight out of the camera where a slightly soft result is desired, and the image can be sharpened postproduction. Due to the f/2.8 limit at 28mm equiv. with f/4.9 best at 300mm equiv., it is hard to control focal depth/boukeh effect. Also, when working with indoor light or low lighting, moving objects (people, clouds, tree leaves) and hand-held shots are problematic. I intend to move up to a DSLR for improved low-light imaging, and for the added sharpness and focal depth control. However, this camera has been great as an alternative to getting a DSLR. Other notes: 1) the motorized manual focus is difficult to use, 2) the viewfinder is not TTL, which is great for sunset photos so that you don't harm your eye, 3) I just started loading photos I've taken with this camera at http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/tamcat/