Fujifilm Finepix S9500 Zoom

(Fujifilm Finepix S9000 Zoom in the USA)

Review Date: November 28th 2005

Introduction

The Fujifilm Finepix S9500 Zoom is being heavily promoted as a better alternative to a digital SLR camera by Fujifilm, and it's not hard to see why by looking at the S9500's specification. A 9 megapixel sensor, 28-300mm lens, RAW mode and full manual control are features that most entry-level DSLRs can only dream of. The Fujifilm Finepix S9500 Zoom also has a lot of other DSLR-like features - completely manual zoom control and focusing ring on the lens, flash hotshoe, viewfinder and an ISO range of 80-1600. Fujifilm have really pulled out all the stops to make the S9500 as similar to a digital SLR as possible. But they haven't stopped there - this camera also offers features that are unique to compact digital cameras and which, the company hopes, will persuade buyers to choose the S9500. There's a 1.8 inch tilting LCD screen, integrated lens which avoids problems with dust getting onto the camera's sensor, and a 30fps, 640x480 movie mode. All of this functionality doesn't come cheap - the Fujifilm Finepix S9500 Zoom is more expensive than all the other super-zoom compacts on the market, and is similarly priced to entry-level DSLRs like the Nikon D50. So does it have what it takes to really be a viable alternative to the digital SLR? Carry on reading to find out.

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