Compared to... Panasonic FZ30

Below you will find a studio comparison between the FinePix S9500 and the 8MP Panasonic DMC-FZ30. We have included samples for the lowest and highest ISO settings for each camera 80 and 400).

Studio scene comparison (@ ISO 80)

• Fujifilm FinePix S9500 Zoom: Aperture Priority mode, ISO 80, Default Image Parameters, Manual white balance, +0.7 EV compensation
   
• Panasonic DMC-FZ30: Aperture Priority mode, ISO 80, Default Image Parameters,
  Manual white balance, +0.66 EV
   
• Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI.

Fujifilm FinePix S9500	Panasonic DMC-FZ30
ISO 80, 1/40 sec, F5.6	ISO 80, 1/40 sec, F5.6
4,344 KB JPEG	2,852 KB JPEG

Although the S9000's image is slightly softer than the FZ30, there seems to be little - if any - difference in the amount of detail being captured. That said, there's no doubt the S9000's sharpness drops off in the corners more than the Panasonic (check out the watch face) - something we saw a little of in our real-world shots too.

Color is excellent, and very natural (and nowhere near as over-saturated as many Fujifilm consumer cameras), and the noise levels admirably low. Very nice.