Home > Consumer Reviews > Fujifilm FinePix S9600 Digital Camera - Black (9.0MP, 10.7x Optical Zoom) 2.0 inch LCD

If you like photography you will love this camera. It is very easy to use as all the main functions are controlled by dials and buttons and not scrolling through a menu. The lcd screen is crystal clear and the ability to tilt it is very useful. The auto exposure is near perfect and the manual zoom is a treat to use. It is ideal for museums where flash is not permitted. My wife took photos without flash in dim light with this camera when my video camera suggested that I had the lens cap on! The only downside is the size and weight but it is as close to a digital SLR camera as you can get without spending twice the money. We returned a Sony H7 because of poor picture quality - this camera is superb.

Just swapped my s9500 for a s9600 and there is a big difference in pictures
they are sharper and the color is better I loved my s9500 but the s9600 is a real improvement, if you thinking about this camera don't hesitate. I prefer this to a DSLR no lugging lenses about and no chance of sensor dirt as its all sealed and the pictures are just as good for half the price.

I'm no professional, but I like a good solid camera with lots of features and a solid feel to it. The Finepix 9600 is just that, and at less than half the price of an SLR equivalent. You really can't argue at the price, as this includes a 28-300 equivalent lens built in (I've not seen better). The "natural" light setting takes some great shots without use of the flash. The "macro" feature lets you get really close up to your subject.

I would recommend:
- buy the biggest memory card you can afford
- buy the soft leather camera bag (everything fits)
- buy a battery charger and a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries (it eats disposables for breakfast)

The only snag? The viewfinder (as opposed to the little screen) is digital, and its very difficult to tell when you've have accurately manually focussed the camera.

If you are considering stepping up from a digital compact to an SLR I would urge you to seriously consider the S9600. This camera combines the best of both worlds. This camera will serve you well while learning the advance features of SLR photography. The biggest advantage of this camera is that it has a wide range of focal length availabe without having to change the lense. Most importnatly you have the simplicity of a compact camera and the flexibility of an SLR, all for under £300!

I have used this camera intensively over the last 3 weeks and am very satisfied with its performance.

The strengths:
1.Flexibility
2.Good auto focus even at full zoom using macro
3.Good range of f stops using Aperture mode
4.Fast autofocus with option of continous auto focus
5.otical stabilisation (although I would have preferred to have image stabilization that could easily have been achieved by the manufacturers)
6.Powerful flash (The flash does not pop up automatically which can be a disadvantage for those who are used to automatic flash)
7. Dynamic range of exposure options that alows to see what the picture will look like
9. Good picture quality (however some slight barrel distortion whcih you get even with the more expensive SLR's. In any case you cannot really see it unless you look for it)

The negative points
1.LCD couly have been larger
2.While the camera comes with a 28 to 300mm zoom I would have liked an 18 to 300 but that might not have been possible. However you can get a wide angle converter lense from Amazon.
3. Manual focus can take a long time to work through as the manual focus ring is close to the body of the camera and a little awakward to use.
4. Uses AA batteries instead of a lithium Ion battery whcih lasts longer.

ALL IN ALL IT IS A GRETA CAMERA AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. I have my eyes on the Nikon D200 whcih I hope to buy in a years or so time when the price comes down.

First and foremost I've had a Fuji camera for many years, and when I decided to update I seemed to somehow forget all about them. So off I went checking out forums, etc until I arrived at the gadget show website, and I sort of liked the write up about the Fuji F31 with its face recognition, and the mention of quality close to an SLR.,But I was at a point where I felt grown up enough for an entry level SLR, so after much deliberation it all came down to the Canon 400D SLR, and the contending F31 point and shoot . Ah, but did it? because suddenly I realised my choice was confused because I secretly wanted to advance my photography, but the inert part of me still loved a lazy point and shoot camera. So I kept looking. And that's when I suddenly found the Fuji S9600, and what a camera, fantastic design and well priced, although it wasn't money that decided me, it was more the excellent write ups it had achieved, and that was impossible to ignore..!
Once I finally decide on a piece of equipment, I then allow the economic cell in my brain to dictate the thrifty part of my character :-) But only to the degree of purchase, because I must be committed to the product heart and mind.
So off to Google although I always seem to start on EBay, and never forget to check out good old Amazon, which to be honest always seem to win. So I wasn't surprised to find they beat the competition, with an added bonus of free delivery for good measure. Oh, and no I don't work for them, but credit where credits due.
Couldn't help feeling excited at the prospect of having a new camera, because I'd had my Fuji 4700 since it's launch (1800 and frozen to death I believe :-) Hey, and I'm keeping it, because it's still an excellent camera.
But WOW, the Fuji S9600 can definitely have my last Rolo, it's the most fantastic camera I've ever had the pleasure to use. It feels like a million dollars, it looks like a million dollars, and it makes me a much better photographer with very little effort on my part.
As I said I read all the write ups, and couldn't help noticing a few had mentioned a shaky picture when used on full zoom. Well yes, it will, if you honestly expect to use maximum zoom in an hand held condition, because everyone's hands shake to a certain degree. But I found two answers, the fist is obvious, use a tripod and a remote shutter, but the second, is to hold your breath as when targeting with a rifle, then press the switch half way to focus, and gently squeeze again like firing a gun. The camera has lots of buttons, but no ambiguity here because although it may seem overwhelming at first, as the day goes on you find they are perfectly placed to an advantage.
I also purchased the wide lens FXS6, and in my opinion completes the lens range beyond anyone's expectations.
Unlike the Fuji 4700 the batteries seem to last an eternity, but considering there are four of them as opposed to the 4700's two, and they've also gone from 1600Mah to 2700, it seems quite logical, and yet with so many more options on the S9600 it's still a surprise, (pleasant of course).
I much prefer to use a viewfinder to a TFT screen, but the screens mobility is very useful for those candid shots. So if you consider the zooming by hand, the SLR type click, and the added grip of this camera, it makes you feel like an old pro with a thoroughbred. There is absolutely nothing about this camera that can be placed in a negative context, because as we all know some things are easier on one camera than another, but none, not even the most expensive, contain every conceivable plus side to photography, but this one comes very close.
Well I missed my favourite programme writing this, but it had to be said. I guess It's a case of Yin and Yang, I had to do something negative to even out the balance or I'd be consumed in a plethora of happiness :-)
Just a couple of questions remain in my mind, and they are both aimed at Fuji themselves. (1) How can you be so clever? And (2), how can you sell such innovation for such a bargain price? Whatever,,, just thank you, and I promise I will always check Fuji equipment out first in future, (save myself a lot of time). Summary: Its got everything, buy one, buy it now..!
I really should have put the camera down to write this, but I can't :-)