Fujifilm FinePix S9500

I think of this as a semi professional digital camera however the price seems to put it in the amateur camp. Certainly making adjustments to zoom and focus on the lens stem is a big leap from point and shoot.

If you don't want to fool with interchangeable lenses (or you prefer framing shots with an LCD panel), and you don't need the gee-whiz features found on other advanced models, the S9500 is a good compromise

Detailed review of Fuji FinePix S9000, with actual sample images, and a detailed data sheet.

Fujifilm's new FinePix S9500 targets enthusiast buyers who want a high-resolution, feature-rich camera without the bulk, weight, hassles and expense of a high-resolution digital SLR. With its 9-megapixel imager and 10.7x optical zoom lens - and under-$1000 price point - this new model meets at least some of these requirements.

Fujifilm FinePix S9500 (Compact Camera): 4 out of 5 stars from 3 genuine reviews on Australia's largest opinion site ProductReview.com.au.

As the S9500 isn't an SLR, some may feel it shouldn't be in this test. However, the price puts it in direct competition with models like the Nikon D50, and Fujifilm is clearly aiming it at the same

Announced at the end of July 2005, the FinePix S9000 (S9500 in Europe and Asia) is the latest in a long line of Fujifilm 'prosumer' camera designed to bridge the gap between fixed lens compacts and interchangeable lens SLRs, and effectively the replacement for the popular S7000. With each generation that gap has been closed a little bit more, and with the arrival of the S9000 Fujifilm's marketeers have taken the brave step of openly positioning it as a true alternative to a digital SLR... even going as far as to say in many ways it's actually better... And certainly, on paper, they've got a point; it's designed to look and feel like an entry-level SLR, it has a broadly comparable feature set, and it has a big zoom covering a useful 28-300mm focal length range. It's also got an SLR-like sensitivity range (80-1600), fast startup and a screw thread for filters and add-on lenses, hot-shoe and pc-synch flash compatibility, and movie mode and live preview - something many compact users upgrading to an entry-level DLSR sorely miss. Let's find out if the S9000 really is an SLR-slayer, or merely a sheep in wolf's clothing.. Here's a quick run through of the main selling points to get us started:

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