Fujifilm Finepix S9600 Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

+ Excellent choice of options from fully automatic to fully manual. As close to a digital SLR as you can get without actually buying one. Lots of control, very good bundled software, very good optical zoom. RAW shooting mode is an excellent feature on this mid-priced model. Lens feels cheep and delicate but delivers the goods well and is stronger than first thought. 58mm filter adapter is invaluable (get an ND4 filter for shooting in bright sunlight).

- Not always fully focused pictures. Amount of control options would intimidate an amateur (however fully auto mode is pretty good). Noticeable JPEG artifacts in poor lighting.

+ All the features of an SLR but not at the price of a digital SLR body. The lens is excellent and the startup time and response is excellent. Very pleased with the photos I've taken so far and haven't really put it to the test. The full AUTO mode is enough for most applications and the macro setting is very good. Dual cards is very useful, particularly CF, which I can exchange with my PDA. Video quality is good for a digital camera and with a 4GB CF card it takes 1 hour of video at best resolution.
The pop-up flash is convenient too.

- LCD is a bit too small and there are so many features and knobs, buttons, etc, it can be a bit fiddly to make a quick change of setting. It eats batteries but I recommend getting 4*AA 2500mah NiMh rechargeables with a Uniross 15 min express charger and you can snap to your hearts content.

+ Easy to use in auto mode but with great features for the more experienced photographer. Great Picture Quality.

- none yet

+ This is a good 'step up' from a point and shoot camera - it allows you to experiment with 'real' photography but with the back up of an automatic feature if you get flustered!
Excellent picture quality, so far have printed up to A4 size which has been crystal clear

- Not found any so far!

+ Good image quality

- No image stabaliser

+ as a novice i needed simple dials and big performance, passed in all fields. I picked this camera becouse of the super macro facility. I breed small tropical fish and the picture quality on this camera is fab

- none really

+ excellent creative control. very easy to use

- size. so try before you buy!

+ sLR FEATURES EXCEPT THE LENS,GREAT BUILD QUALITY DUAL CARD COMPATABILITY,IDEAL FOR PEOPLE WITH BIG FINGERS

- NONE

+ it so accurate on image and the macro it amazingly good and zoom good part from my shaky hands. best camra so far
and the screen idea it brillent it helped me so much on angle shots
focusing is easy and it has little guide to tell you if in focus or not

- cant change the lens, when dark and you dont want to use the flash the noise level is mad

+ It is a step up from your standard compact and fills the gap between compact and SLRs. easy to use with just about every feature you could want. excellent at night shots with the recent full moons all in all an excellent piece of kit.

- None that I have found so far

+ Compact, multi-function camera.

- The tele-lens features are very bad when used for distant objects (anything beyond 10 to 15 feet).
Landscapes shot in low light (twilight) of very poor quality.

+ Able to use eye piece or LCD screen without any disadvantage.
Once having learned how to switch things on and off able to use almost all the facilities offered.

- It does take some time to learn how to access all the additions that can be used to make a picture better.
It is important to lean how to use the camera fully so that the pictures become more than snap shots.

+ Great functions and intuitive handling and menus.

- Slightly complex for amateurs or those upgrading from a compact.

+ The Fuji S9600 Zoom has all the features of a digital SLR at around a quarter the price and without the hassle of carrying around extra lenses. Also, you can take video, which you can't on an SLR. I like the manual focus as sometimes auto-focussing doesn't pick exactly the spot you want absolutely in focus, and the majority of the button/dial controls are easily accessible while you are taking a shot. More plusses are being able to use filters, an external flashgun, cable release etc and the brilliant quality of macro shots.

- The Photometry (metering method) dial is small and fiddly and in an awkward place; my little digital compact Fuji F700 Zoom just has a button to press to change those settings. When the ISO setting is high there is quite a lot of speckling in the pictures, though that's also the case with many other digital cameras.

+ Manual zoom, Zoom range,LCD excelent for low shots.

- none

+ Still getting used to camera

- Menu not easy to use. Buttons rather small for my clumsy fingers

+ Manual zoom, 2 memory cards, AA batteries, EVF, Eyepiece adjustment, Takes external flash, Tilting LCD Screen.

- No External TTL flash, Cheap feel to Body material.

+ Lens focal length, viewing screen, light weight.

- Nothing significant

+ quick start up; excellent picture quality; easy to use; lightweight.

- would have been useful to include an xd card and case but can't fault the camera itself.

+ Excellent range of features - almost on a par with a digital SLR - and superb image quality. Wonderful lens with 28-300mm range which would cost almost double for an equivalent DSLR setup.

- None so far.

+ I love My S9600 so much, she is amazing :) since I placed my order and she arrive, I was so happy and still am with my new camera, she is amazing!! a lovely camera 10 out of 10 always

- NONE!

+ Good quality prosumer camera with plenty of features for those who like to think about their photography. It takes acceptable snaps in auto mode and the recharge time is surprisingly short. Anti-shake option works very well for candid shots on the move and I particularly like the rapid fire feature . The zoom range is good with a remarkably good macro and super-macro facility. Picture detail is excellent in the macro mode with little loss of definition even on very high resolution.
Photos are stored on compact flash card with up to 8 gigabyte memory available now! The camera is surprisingly frugal on batteries allowing over 1000 image captures before slowing slightly. That's a boon if you're trigger happy.
The good quality lcd display swivels so that there is a good view of the composition in awkward positions. I find the electronic view finder easy to work with and rarely use the lcd display.
Overall build quality is good. The camera feels robust and the ancilliary switches and buttons feel up to the job.
In summary,a good camera with excellent features that would have been found only on much dearer slr cameras a few years ago. It performs well on balance and encourages you to think of your photography. Would I buy one again? At the price there is little to beat the S9600.

- Despite the 9 mega pixel ccd the images can be poor.This is not to do with poor focussing as I have seen cameras with lower rated ccd produce better images under identical conditions in auto mode.The S9600 is on the large side and keeping it steady can be difficult. The exposure can be out on medium to high contrast subjects in auto mode. Flash penetration is weak and good mainly as a fill in application. It is difficult to find a compatible additional flash and Fuji do not offer a dedicated unit.
The lens has acceptable optics but I feel that the image degrades more than expected on maximum zoom. Overall, good images can be achieved with experimentation.

+ Camera is reasonably light. The flip out LCD screen makes ground-level shots so easy to get right.

- Slightly bulky, battery layout prevents the use of a rechargable battery pack.

+ Image quality and zoom range is excellent, There are many different settings and features to experiment with. This camera also feels like a camera should and comes with a handy tilt screen. For the price this camera is you can not fault what you get, a very good quality camera for a great price!

- None,

+ Ease of use

- nothing of any importance

+ great picture quality and excellent zoom lens

- a bit complicated for a novice photographer

+ Reviewer left no comment

- Iso 1600, 800 too much noise.

+ Next best camera to a full SLR without the hassle of having to change lenses. So many features to use - yet to be fully explored as I have only owned camera for couple of months.Last used at family wedding - took 112 pictures and used 106 for CD - not bad for a start!

- Rather involved handbook (more like workshop manual!) means that you initially feel safer using "auto" mode until you have taken in the information.Would have liked offer of case/protection bag included in package at time of purchase, even though price would have been a little higher.

+ Fast start up and responce when shooting

- Menu system not very easy to find functions. No display of battery state.

+ Manual Zoom. Picture quality, Price.

- None

+ Very easy to use. Very good facilities if you want to imitate an SLR camera without the disadvantages of an SLR. It has everything I want in a camera.

- Probably a little on the large size but is well worth it.

+ Reviewer left no comment

- have not found a bad point

+ This product has a great feel about it and sits great in your hands. Not too heavy to carry either. Switching from one mode to another is simple and the zoom is amazing. The clarity of the images are fantastic whether in jpeg or raw. I had heard that this model went through batteries quite easily, however, i took 140 photos indoors with the flash and it lasted ok and then went on to take another 60 outdoor until they needed changing.

- The manual setup can be a bit challenging however this is the same for most cameras and novices.

+ Well built with loads of advanced features, also a very good lens.

- Some noise in areas of little detail (Skies etc).

+ Very fast point and shoot with added features of take your time photography.

- Reviewer left no comment

+ 28-300 (equiv) zoom

- slow continuous shooting mode

+ easy to understand instructions and to use itself

- none

+ An excellent camera overall.

- 1. Lack of aperture settings restricting
2. Would benefit from a 2.5" screen

+ Fast start.Fast focus.Fast zoom.Very clear screen.

- None

+ It has a variable telephoto lens from 28mm to 300mm - this is more than I used to use in my Pentax ME Super (non digital) although I did have extra long lenses which I seldom used

- Reviewer left no comment

+ Quality, ease of use and great value

- None so far

+ Light weight, Angled display, 10X Optical Zoom, Image quality, Manual operation features.

- Owners Manual - Basic Operation Guide could have indicated page references to camera`s functions.

+ One word... Brilliant!

- None really.

+ Very sharp photos and flexibility and allows for creative shooting. Great Zoom.

- Sometimes the flash misses out and need to take the picture more then once to get the flash in.

+ it takes a very good picture and is very easy to use if you know how to work an SLR.

- the digital view finder isn't the best and the auto focus is a bit dodgy.

+ ease of use, point and shoot on auto,good for anyone with PHD in photography (PHD push here dummy).

- none so far even after taking over 600 shots.

+ EVERYTHING ABOUT THE 9600 IS GREAT.

- I COULD NOT FIND ANY BAD POINTS AS I HAVE WON 4 COMPETITION SINCE PURCHASED IT.

+ The product is very easy to use in any of the modes or on automatic. The tilting view finder is great for shots in a crowded place. The video function is simple and easy to use with great playback quality. Without going to the trouble of an SLR this camera and lens set up is one of the very best i have used both for extreme close ups and landscape photography.

- If you buy normal batteries to power this camera you have to change them on a regular basis. Rechargables or high power batteries is the only way to go.

+ Next best thing to a SLR camera

- Battery "consumption" is relatively high

+ Fully featured, easy to use, good image

- none found so far

+ Allows you great flexibility at a value for money price in one convinient, handy package

- menus can be a bit fiddly and you can buy further lens

+ Has lots of features that will satisfy the photo enthusiast. Easy to use for those with less experience as it can just point and shoot as well.

- The flash can be over bright and we are constantly adjusting the flash strength to compensate.

+ The manual zoom is a good feature, a lot quicker and more accurate than pressing buttons.

- When shooting in Camera RAW the images are poor quality.

+ The layout of the buttons is very good.
Good option of different options to use, such as manual and automatic.
Good LCD display as it is very big and moveable.

- Weight

+ Easy to use and good quality images

- Haven't come across any

+ Good value for money and excellent results so far.

- Difficult to buy a flashgun for it as so few are available that are not dedicated.

+ very easy to use in auto mode

- manual photography you have to read the manual carefully!! The battery usage is quite short.

+ 30 second shutter speed, manual focus and super macro

- videos are too large file size

+ All the features you could want plus flip-out LCD, threaded shutter release, external flash socket, handy controls.

- Blocky JPEGing, fiddly to switch between JPEG and RAW, lens needs improvement. Out-performed by my daughter's Ixus 70 for picture quality.

+ Excellent low light pictures. Zoom lens is very useful and because it is manually adjustable, very quick to position and no drain on the battery. I am still exploring some of the features which will move me on from my previous Fuji which was a point and shoot. I am delighted with the quality of many of the pictures taken so far.

- None to speak of so far as long as you take the time to read the manual and practice with the optional facilities. When things do go wrong it always something I've done

+ The Look of an SLR but the ease of a compact.

- None to think of.

+ Reviewer left no comment

- quailty differs all the time in the room

+ does everything it says it could do in the addverts,and when i saw the results, it was even better.

- size; I was replacing a old SLR so the size was ok for me,but if you want it to fit in your top pocket?

+ All the control of an expensive SLR
Batteries last well

- Too many features to remember to use...