FujiFilm FinePix S9100 (FinePix S9600)

Opinion: Bonza camera...had it for a number of years and performed excellently as you would expect....have taken around 15000 pics with this one including many movies and as a general rule 97% are kept pics. Love the ability to take with one hand and manage holding on to objects with my other hand...especially as we own and sail a yacht...big advantage. Could not be happier!!

Opinion: I have my camera now for just over a year and I couldn't be more satisfied. The reason I chose this camera was because of the excellent 28-300 standard lens that is attached to the body. So no dust intrusion and changing lenses all the time, just one lense that can do it all. The second reason is the design. I want to feel a camera in my hand, not a lightweight "box" with a lense and a flashy thingy (dinky toy). I have quite big hands, so I used to get (parts of fingers) in the photo. Now with this camera this is virtually impossible. The only 2 things I bought as an extra were a 58mm Polarisation Filter and an external flash (besides batteries, a case and some CF/xD cards). This really is a great kit for a keen and enthousiastic amateur photographer. The only thing that still remains a bit of a problem is the noise on ISO 1600, but hey, what do you expect? It's not an SLR, but it comes close, real close.

Opinion: I am an avid user of the S9100 now for two years. I have not had a single problem. My images are exactly what I need and to my liking. I see NO PF or severe problems with anything connected to lens quality. I have no problem running manual focus nor do I have problems with night shooting. I like the fact that this camera uses AA batteries instead of lithium ion. I do NOT like image stabilization nor do I need it. Flash is fine with way it is whether used from camera or another more powerful flash. How can a camera come with any better features than this? I love this camera and recommend it wholeheartedly. I prefer that it is made 100% in Japan because the quality is simply the best. Sorry China I just do not like your quality issues.

Opinion: The 9100 is feature-packed and well built, comfortable and familiar to hold and
operate. Movie mode is great. Got this as a replacement for my E-20N, but it will
instead share the gadget bag with my trusty aluminum warrior as they both have their
strengths.

Correction on a previous review: the lens hood DOES have the ability to be flipped and
mounted backwards on to the lens barrel.

Opinion: Fujifilm considered that this camera is too good for the price and retired it from the market.
The same story that happened with s6500fd happens again with s9600fd.
For example in Romania you can not find this type of camera anymore.

Opinion: Very good ergonomics. Good grip and placement of controls. Compared to other prosumers that I have used, the Fujifilm is of a good size, well constructed and versatile. The long all-in-one zoom range is a key advantage compared to DSLRs with kit lens, although in terms of picture quality at higher ISO, DSLRs are better. The difference is much less or even not noticeable at low ISO such as 80 or 100.

Pros: 28-300mm zoom, very smooth manual zoom action, fully featured, light and easy to carry around, low light performance is acceptable, 28mm wide angle is useful, very useful tilting LCD screen, very fast start-up time, filter thread, hot-shoe.

Areas that could be better: focusing in low light at long end of the zoom could be faster, manual focusing is good but not perfect, no ISO button, slight softness of the lens at the edge and corner.

Overall, a nice package.

Opinion: Using this camera for a year now - but putting it for sale... these are the reasons:
- crappy JPEG compression algorythm (event on best quality artifacts are very visible)
- unadmissable level of purple fringing for this class
- sometimes weird and unnatural colors
- slow in recharging flash
- incredibly stupid menu - some examples: in order to activate RAW mode you should go several levels in the menu; no direct button for timer; and some other usual settings burried deep in the menu structure
- sometimes inexplicably out-of-focus even though it says is focused
- the above mentioned RAW mode is fairly useless - it takes forever to save the files, and the result is not better than the jpegs... all the problems are still there...
these are the cons - but this camera isnt all-bad - here are the pros:
- excellent viewfinder
- rotary control for aperture/shutter (dslr like)
- fine mechanical zoom control
- bright and wide lens
- metallic tripod thread
- excellent battery life - and runs on AAs too
- good storage media - Compact Flash

Opinion: I've been using the 9600 for two years, bought in 2006 even if the brand wasn't that known and appreciated here in Italy.

:: The Body ::

The camera is quite well built, is near all-plastic made but it can surely last for years even under an hard use. There are still some weak points, like the infamous gear on the rear right, which in the older s9500 model caused many and many copies of the camera to get serviced. Another weak (but not that weak) point is that the lcd isn't protected as some lcds from Canon cameras...but let's say that most cameras on the market shares this point.
Apart of that, the camera is pretty well built: the lens doesn't wobble, the body doesn't makes odd crick-crack sounds, and generally the ergonomics is very nice.

i've heard that Fujifilm enginereed this camera with Nikon...i don't know if it's true, but it may be.

By the way, i've seen a copy of the lens mounted on the S9600 exposed by Tamron: there were many voices that the lens was made by Tamron, but now, it's confirmed :o) . It's a small Tamron lens, built for Fujifilm.

:: Taking Photos ::

The camera feels responsive enough to take most photos, but not enough for sport or action shooting. There are a few good reasons: the AF, even though still decent in good light, goes hunting in low light (but even in good light, you have a compact digital camera AF not a reflex one ;o) it won't make miracles); the slooooow burst speed; the speed and amount of buffer (the camera takes 2 or 3 seconds to process an image after you took it).

That said, the camera is ok: the zoom ring is smooth enough, there's no shutter lag, the viewfinder is good and has a nice refresh rate (but NOT in low light, as most electrical viewfinders). I also would like to explain a thing about the manual focus ring: is there, you can use it, you may even take photos using it. But.
But has a slow response, not immediate, has not enough grades for MF adjust. Honestly, it hasn't the feel of a manual focus ring, to tell the truth it hasn't a feel...but i don't think it would be that useful, since the evf and the lcd aren't big enough to make good use of it. So, don't wonder, if you aren't going to buy the camera for it.

About batteries: this is a reason for what i preferred this camera. Standard batteries. Ok, maybe they doesn't last for an impressive bunch of photos, but you can buy 8 or 16 AAA batteries (and that is more comfortable to look for the precise model of lithium battery that you camera need).
Ah, i was forgetting to say that the camera is pretty lightweight, maybe not for his cathegory, but surely for a camera with an equivalent 28-300 lens attached it is :o)

:: Image Quality ::

The camera can shoot in Jpeg (with different resolutions and quality) and in Raw (unique size and resolution). Let's say that i've never used any Jpeg setting apart of the better and bigger one, and the 3x2 one. A note: i've started using the 3x2 one after a few months i got the camera, cause i discovered that the 3x2 format suits well for a lot of things. Plus, the 3x2 weights around 1,5-2 mb while the best 4/3 weights around 3,5-4 mb. And let me say that there's basically the same detail in it, at least in the way i setted the camera ;o)

Ah, my settings for the Jpeg if you want to know:

Contrast: standard
Saturation: standard
Sharpness: the lower level.

I'm applying this settings cause i discovered two important things:

1) with standard sharpness, you get a kind of "mudding" of the finer detail: you lose most noise, you gain some edge sharpness, but you definatly lose the finest detail;
2) If you set sharpness at the lower level (but leaving the other two settings as default) you obtain a really interesting thing: you gain detail, good colours (standard saturation) and good contrast (standard contrast)...so, you gain a kind of raw picture! And then you can apply sharpening as YOU prefer!

Needless to say that i shoot mostly in Jpeg :o), even though i've used raw sometimes, but i don't think there's that much more detail in a compact camera raw file (than in a digital SLR -that i do have).

What else to say? Well, about the price, i've paid it 500 € in Italy, probably i may have spent less (around 350€) on the internet but i preferred to buy it in a physical shop.

Opinion: I'm actually an owner of the S100FS.....

Longin Adamczyk - your comment: "Beside this camera, not like her successor FinePix S100fs

being made in Communist China, it was made in Japan so you can see the

quality of workmanship in every detail."

What has made in China Got to do with it!!?? - If i was Chinese I would be pretty damn offended by this 'loaded' - boardering or racist comment!

Im' sure Fuji, when deciding WHERE to perform the final construction, even though it is probably a 'cost excersise', chose VERY CAREFULLY, WHO they were going to use & where, so as to maintain their HIGH Standards. You'll probably find that the componant parts of the camera are made ALL over the world (Including Japan) , & it is only the final assembly that happens in China.

I'm impressed with BOTH cameras, NOT by your bigotted comment!