I bought this camera based on several online reviews, including Steve's Digicams, and couldn't be more pleased. I've been using it since last Christmas (bought it as a present to myself after six months of looking at various brands and models). Aside from image quality (which it has plenty of) I insisted on at least an LCD viewfinder (EVF) as well as screen, a real filter ring (no adapters, please!) easy basic controls, long optical zoom, CF card, hot shoe and the ability to use ordinary AA batteries in a pinch. Also had to fit my hand and feel natural.

This had all that, plus an actual cable release socket in the shutter button! (Thus I can easily use my cable and bulb releases, as well as a long-duration timer I have in my 35mm kit.) It also has a standard pc socket for more flash options than the built in flash or hot shoe.

The heft is good, but not very heavy. You can carry it for a long time without fatigue, but it has enough mass to steady your hand, and enough size for easy gripping. I find it very instinctive to point and shoot with it. Most of the basic control locations are convenient and easily remembered. (Zoom is manual only, but that suits me. I don't like waiting for motorized zooms to get where I want, especially with a zoom range this long.)

I'll leave it to the pro reviewers to discuss the image merits, but I will say that for me they seem perfectly sharp with very good color even at the default settings. In addition, I've gotten very good results shooting at night with very long exposures. (Starry sky, clouds backlit by the moon, streets under moonlight and streetlamps, etc.) Much less noise and "grain" than I've experienced with other cameras. So far it's the closest to film I've found in such situations - at any price I can afford, at least.

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is bright and sharp and performs well in low light. I don't miss an optical viewfinder much at all. There's a diopter adjustment to accomodate most people's visiion. (Stops just short of enough for my worst eye - comes closer than most, though - but I find I can use the EFV with my glasses on if I want).

One accessory I strongly recommend is a soft rubber, wide angle, lens shade (for a 58mm filter ring). They can be found cheap (I paid $7 at a local store) and will protect the rim of the lens when you set down the camera in addition to shading the lens. There is an included hard-plastic lens shade that clips on the outside of the lens's rim, but t's "notched" and I worry about catching it on things - I like the soft rubber ones better (they look more "pro" too). It may interfere with the supplemental illumination lamp for focussing, so you'll want to remove it when shooting close to mid-range photos in dim light.

I spent a lot of time reading reviews and posts, finally I bought it, it is the best camera I have used, I went from an old Konica 35mm film camera to a Sony Cybershot 2 mp and then to not having a camera for a while later I had a Kodak P850 (great camera also, but slow to my taste) and finally this S9000, belive me this is a great choice it is the only camera that I have found that is positivly compared to DLSR and still being a prosumer camera, that tells a lot.

The lack of picture stabilization is not a big deal, it has the anti blur mode which is almost the same, and have a full array of controls and manual settings that will help and please from amateurs to not so ameteurs.

It also has the first steps os face detection in it's multifocus mode, which focuses most of the times in subjects faces where ever they are on the frame (not necesary centered), I have to mention it has its limitations and you have to know how to compose your shot.

The User guide is easy to read, understand and follow, you don't have to know nothing about photografy with this manul you will use most of the functions in a few hours with easy.

Summary: 5 of 5!!!

Nice camera.

Many of the options on this camera are mechanically on the body of the camera rather than on an internal menu so wanting a change in focusing method etc is easy! Shaking is no problem with the 10.7x optical zoom and warning icons appear if it may be a problem. Icons appear if the subject isn't focused warning you to change the focusing method. Automatic power turnoff to save batteries after two or five minutes, your choice. You can set the camera to take instant pictures; again, your choice. This camera allows you to set your options rather than have the camera go to default after power off and having to change it back to your option. That was a problem I had with my previous camera. Maybe a little pricey, but the results are great!

(Wife of account holder)I knew before I bought this camera it was just what I needed! I am a semi-pro-am that does photography as a hobby and a job. I knew I didn't need the $5K camera we have at work, but wanted something more than my $200 point and shoot. This is it! Out of the box, it took about 15 min to take my first pic. Hardest part was threading the camera strap with the lens cap holder - a nice little detail. The main selling point for me was the "Natural Light" mode. Tried with flash and without in N mode and the quality is amazing. My little P&S didn't do any good in low light without flash, this camera gets an A+.
A few minor notes I wanted to make before I was lovestruck: The LCD screen has no protection, just kind of out there in the open. A cover or even just that little plastic stick-on most low end cameras come with would be enough to make me feel like it isn't going to bust. The viewfinder is really just a mini-LCD screen, which I imagine does a bit of a number on the batteries, though not as much as the full size LCD on the back. The menu looks pretty extensive, but fairly easy to navigate once it becomes a little more familiar. So far, I love it, but took off one star because of the LCD issue. Maybe I can find a cover or something for it to help me feel better about it.
Other than that, I can already tell this camera will do everything I need to take great pics and get creative with some manual settings and exposure manipulation. Love that it takes xD and CF cards - and both can be in the camera at the same time! Save movies to one, pics to the other! It feels pretty solid, and takes super inexpensive AA batteries - another selling point for me, as were the hot shoe and sync capabilities. If you are looking to go SLR, but can't fork out the dough, this is a perfect alternative. (Though check around for price - with [...] rebate, I got mine for less than [...]!!)

Good price for a 9MP camera with 10x zoom.

Image quality is good. I'm still shooting mainly on the 3MP and 5MP with good results. The spot metering works really well, especially while shooting on a bright day with the objects sitting under an umbrella.

The Macro works nicely. I still yet to find a good use for the Super Macro.

The camera recycles between shots pretty quick. The anti-blur mode (using higher ISO rate) works well.

Controls/menu make sense. Although I wish the memory switch feature is not buried too deep in the menu. That's another good feature. You can have 2 memory cards in the camera and with the xD being so cheap. You can combined the capacity instead of having to buy a bigger and more expensive card.

I especially like how the menu is displayed even inside the viewfinder (it's an exact copy of the LCD). That way, I don't have to take my eyes off of my object while cycling through the menu.

I wish the battery life could be better. In effort to conserve battery power, I shoot mainly using the viewfinder and avoid using the flash by using the anti-blur mode.

But on the bright side, one can just carry more high-capacity, rechargeable AA's. It just takes a while to get used to the battery consumption rate. I carry a 2 sets of backups where the third one is Alkaline.

Great product for people that want more out of their digital camera. Not so easy to operate at the beginning, but learning is quick and the results are extremely satisfying. With a little dedication, you will be able manipulate the secrets of high end photography. Best buy for the buck!

If you are looking for a great all around camera, this is it! Our kids play sports and are in constant motion and the sports mode captures it all. Also love the "Last 4" feature, gets some great action shots. We had the Fuji 7000 before this and they have definately fixed the features that bugged me. Love the new manual zoom (if you like 35mm lenses your like this) as well as the battery drain. I used to have to replace batteries every day, now its more like once a week with the amount we use it. My other favorite feature is the dual memory slots for those times where I forget to put it back in the camera after downloading! So there is always one in there!. The video comes out great and with the new manual lens you can zoom during video shots. In general, without spending A LOT MORE, you get a great camera that keeps up with an active "picture happy" family!

As an early adopter of digital, dating from 1999 and the Agfa ePhoto 1280 and 1680 to the current iteration of the Nikon family, I can attest that this camera is as flexible as any of my film cameras that I use for studio and location work. Fujifilm has migrated the best features of a mecanical film camera over to this model.

From a hot shoe for external mounted flash and a sync terminal for off camera flash, to the cable release socket on the shutter button, Fuji has melded the best of the analog with the best of the digital.

With 9 mega pixel resolution, ISO from 80 to 1600, shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000, a 1.6 inch CCD sensor, Fujinon 28 to 300 mm (135 equivalent) zoom, tilting LCD monitor (if you use those things), RAW file format support, real time histogram display, eleven shooting modes, movie recording, AF assist illuminator and full manual control when needed, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, et al have a lot of catching up to do.

No need to change lenses means a sealed camera and that equates to the sensor staying spring time fresh in the body. No dust getting in every time a lens is swapped (although, I still miss all that Nikon glass).

All this for less than $ 600.00

I bought this camera in february, and after taking 6 shots the camera almost died, I could review the photos I had taken, but when switched the dial to take photos the camera turned out black either the LCD/EFV, and only turned off when I removed batteries, I sent it to Fuji repair center, and got it back again almost one month later. then six months later the camera did exactly same thing, I haven't received my camera back yet, But I'm sure never will buy a Fuji camera again and of course my camera will died again in the next months after I get from the repair center and at the end of the day I will have wasted almost 500 dlls.

I have had this camera for several months now and could not be happier. I'll preface this posting by saying that I always do meticulous research (borderline a%$l retentive) before making purchases over $400. This camera was no exception.

I was using a "credit card" camera before and was often disappointed with the results. This camera has corrected that in a big way. The pictures are crisp and the video files are very good (although they do hog a lot of memory). You must upgrade the memory card that is provided. The battery life for me has been equal to the credit card camera I had in the past. If you take a lot of videos battery life will shorten. I carry extras in my case.

Having always been an amateur "photog" this camera is an excellent upgrade. The weight and feel of the camera is perfect for me. I have friend who has a Nikon. The only real difference that I can see is that he can change lens for various situations, oh and about 500 bucks. Overall this is a very good camera.

I had been looking for a great camera, and really wanted something more professional. Like most people the cost of a professional camera got in the way. I researched a couple of cameras and finally decided on this one. I could not believe how beautiful my pictures were. I received my camera the week before Easter and since then have taken over a thousand pictures (mostly of my little girl). Most of my family members have asked at least once where I had my pics done. I just laughed and told them the truth - I did them. They could not believe it.
I love this camera. Maybe it is not the best on the market, but for me and my family it has been a great investment in our memories.

I had the S7000 and was extremely happy with it but it was stolen and Fujifilm doesn't make anything like it now.

Sweet:
This S9000 has 9 megapixels. (Do we need any more than that?) The biggest photo I can print is only 8 x 10 anyway. It is good for cropping and zooming when editing photos. It also takes wonderful movies with sound and because the zoom lense is manual you can zoom in and out during your movies!! The S7000 had a auto zoom and once you started the movie you couldn't zoom in or out. Be sure to get a 1Gig card and you can take 1/2 hour or more of movies. With this camera you don't need a video camera.

Bitter:
Because the zoom lense is a manual lense it makes the camera big and bulky.

The other disappointment is the continuous shooting mode. It is nothing compared to the S7000. First of all it shoots much slower than the S7000 with a picture every 1.5 seconds. On top of that it only records 4 frames nothing more. If you set it to take up to 40 frames it only records the last 4. This is a total bummer because if you need it to record something fast moving such as a racing boat or a snowboarder going off a rail it is more difficult to get the perfect photo. (I got many perfect photos with the S7000 because at least one of my 8, 10, or more photos recorded what we wanted.

It depends on what you want as to whether you would buy the S9000 or a refurbished S7000. Now you know!

This camera is awesome. I had a previous version of this camera and this was purchased to replace a broken unit. I have had wonderful results using this camera and it is very easy to use.

When I first received my S9000 I was completely in love with it. It had all the features I was looking for in one package for my travel needs. Only weeks after I had been using the camera the selector dial quit working making it unable to access certain menus and features reducing it to a fancy point and shoot camera. Then I enlarged some of my photos and realize about 1/5th of the left side of each photo was blurred. The rest of the photo was in focus. I went into my archive and realized this was the case with each photo I had taken when I pulled them up to 100%. I then inspected my zoom photos and not one of them was in focus when the zoom was used at full extension even with tripod. This all happened while on vacation. When I returned home I mailed in camera to Fuji to be repaired. It was sent back with blur problem on left fixed but zoom was still fuzzy. I informed them I was leaving on another trip and I needed a quick remedy. The only thing they could do was tell me to ship it in once again. I reluctantly shipped in the camera and was sent a different one...which also had problems with fuzzy zoom. I called up in tears telling them the problem was not yet fixed and once again was told to send the camera back in. I was assured they would fix and return it to me in time for my trip. They did overnight fed-ex me a shipping label, so I had some hope that they were on the ball. But I checked the Fed-Ex shipping number just before we left for our trip and I know Fuji had received it a couple days earlier but it had not been logged in by customer service. We were gone for a 10 day trip and I made it back home before the camera was returned from Fuji. They sent me a totally new camera and I've been so disgusted with the whole experience that I won't use the camera. I'm very happy with the Nikon D80 we bought to use on the trip after the S9000 was not returned to us in time.

I don't think I will ever buy another Fuji product because I now have serious doubts about their quality control and I'm fed up with their customer service. If you do plan to buy this camera, buy it with plenty of time to work out the bugs before any important trips.

I would give this camera only one star after my experience if not for the fact that it takes great micro macro shots. That was one feature I was pleased with even when the left side was blurry. It would be the only reason I would hang onto this camera that has me so frustrated.

The good points, great macro mode, fast start up, manual zoom faster and sucks less power than motor controlled zooms, swing out LCD. The bad points, if you get a clinker that slipped past quality control you will spend a lot of time cursing, wishing you had bought a different camera and getting substandard shots with a defective camera.

Good camera. Does everything according to what you would expect in a digital camera. Optics and final product are close the SLR quality. Only drawback is the flash. I bought an external flash using the hotshoe and the quality of inside flash photography went up a 100%. Good entry level Digital camera. Read the directions if you are not up on how digital cameras work. lots of capacity for direct control of the photos, but for entry level users, the auto feature will give you very acceptable pictures throughout the range of ordinary snap-shot photography.

If you want more, take a digital photography course and use this camera, or just buy a book and start experimenting. This camera will take you through all the levels up to just short of professional.

Great Camera, lots of features, Also very simple settings. So far so good.

I ordered this (S9000)just before Xmass and got it in time. No problems with order or delivery and it is as much or even more camera than I had expected.
I did add a 2gig fuji card from Best Buy the next day. Would have ordered it with camera but could not figure out how on Amazon order site? I should have just gone to Beach Camera and ordered it in hind site.

I purchased this camer because of all the great reviews, 9.2 MP, & 10+ optical zoom, etc. Well....that was a mistake. The clarity is just lacking & the picts are filled with noise. I am not new to digital photography & I know how to use the settings. The noise in the dark areas of the picture look like someone just took a paintbrush & dabbed a muddy color there. Flat & ugly. This occurs no matter how I change the ISO, EV, all the program modes & Etc. The only decent picts were ouside in bright sunlight. But....they were still noisy. It was nice to have the swivel LCD outside. To date I have taken 3000+ picts with it....I have just decided to turn this camera into the beach camera. Do to the POOR!!! Quality!!! I won't really be to upset if it gets dropped in the Sand!!!

The AF is way toooooo slow. I have lost many action shots because of this. Yes I am aware of the multi-shot mode. But...you can't use the flash.

The only other good feature was the movie mode. It was great being able to zoom during the Vids.

I also bought this camera because of my past experiance with my Fuji-A500. For only 5MP it outshines the S9000 all around.
[...]

This camera's versatility is what keeps it in my camera bag. It can go from a video camera to a telephoto to a macro at the push of a button. I now own a canon 30d and the thing that keeps the fuji in my bag is the versatile nature of the camera. It covers every possible situation, it's fast and easy to use and is fairly compact. I have used it for many situations and it does great on it's auto settings.

I could go on for pages but all I'll say is that if you don't want to jump to a SLR or want a versatile camera that does it all with a wide lens range then this is the camera to buy.

Bought 1 month ago. Used daily since then. Excellent macro mode, very good lens, terrific low-light capability, great lens range (28-300mm), fantastic AA battery life (use 2500 mah batteries), one of the best movie modes I've ever seen in a still camera. Read the manual - this thing has a lot of features to learn! If you don't want to spring another $200-$400 or more for an interchangeable lens DSLR, or if you simply you want an all-in-one package with tremendous versatility, this is your baby. However, image quality, while very good, won't quite compare to a full-fledged DSLR. The S9100 is supposed to be a little quicker and sharper. Check it out for yourself.

I had a Fuji Finepix S5100. I thought I would be upgrading to a newer, faster, better model. This camera was a huge disappointment. The lag time makes it almost impossible to use. I've tried everything to correct this. Unless you are shooting still life with a tripod just forget it. You'll have nothing but a blur every time. It was an awful waste of money. I still use my S5100, but I am looking at the Canons now. Apparently the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi has no lag time. I guess it is time for me to make the move from this point and shoot (or should I say point and wait?) to a DSLR. I can literally count to 3 between the time I press the button and the picture takes. Good grief.

exelente resolución, pero lenta para enfocar y procesar la imagen, ademas de una inusual luz verde que ayuda al sistema de enfoque y el zoom es manual especial para fotos fijas y sin movimiento y con buena luz a menos que tenga un tripie y no haya movimiento.

Here is the short version.

Oct05
I bought a Fujifilm Finepix F460 digital camera for $299.99.

Nov06
Camera stopped working correctly - snapshots have alternating
bright/dark horizonal strips across them.

Jan07
I sent the camera in to Fujifilm's service center for repair stating that the camera was always handled with care and that a ~$300 camera should work for more than just 1 month after its warranty expires.

Jan07
The service center sent me a repair estimate for $70.00 + tax and shipping totaling $85.95 (I spent $16.52 to send it to them so my total expense would have been $102.47 for the repair if I accepted).

Feb07
I contacted the service center and stated that I think they should stand behind their product and fix the camera once they verify the malfunction was not caused by user abuse. And that I don't think that it makes sense for me to pay $100 to repair a $300 camera that stopped working only 1 month after the warranty expired. The service rep, named Christina, asked me to fax her a copy of the original reciept and she would see what she could do. I complied.

Mar07
Fujifilm returned the camera to me unrepaired with a note saying that I did not reply to the estimate.

Now
I will now send them the camera and its memory card and a printout of this review asking them to refund the cost of the camera, its memory card, and the shipping I paid.

This is a camera with an excellent performance/price ratio. One of the best.

This is the second Fuji camera I've bought. I've had this for over a year now. I sell my photographs at art festivals and show in galleries, and this is the camera I use. I think it takes fine photographs. You do need to study the manual a bit because it has extensive features. It is slow but I don't take action shots. The manual focus us useless. You can set the camera to manual and adjust the speed but the focus is still "auto." Having said that, I have no problems with noise as someone else mentioned. I love being able to switch to shooting black and white by just pushing a button. I think eventually I will try another make of camera just to see what I'm missing.

Purchased this camera for work and its proved a versitile camera that produces good photos under less than good conditions. The lens resolution is very good and the built in flash is surprisingly good even for longer shots...

i upgraded to theis camera from a sony, i loved and love this on. it makes me want to take better pictures. i really love going out and taking pictures now. overall great camera

This camera is worth every penny i had other digital cameras before and they worked fine, I thought it was time for an upgrade so I decided to look at the fuji , i had no regrets its worth the price and the features is awesome especially the the lcd screen at the back of it.Its detachable feature makes photography more and more amazing,thanks to amazon and its affordable prices ,anybody want an affordable digital high quality camera try this fuji finepix s9000

I jumped from a very simple 4 mega pixel Kodak point and shoot digital camera to this SLR like Fugi. I had experience with the Fugi line before using my father's S5200 so I understood the different types of functions and menus. The picture quality on this camera is GREAT! I brought it on my vacation to Maine just days after receiving it and got some great shots of local lighthouses, the beach, and some AWESOME shots on a whale watch! Due to the shutter lag on this particular digital, the action (or movement) mode is best used when your subject is moving about...something that has come in very handy at my son's football games! It's been taking some great action shots!
The battery life is shorter than expected, but I read that before I purchased the camera, about 200-250 shots before you need to change batteries. I use just regular batteries, nothing special, and have found they work just as well as some brands "digital camera AA batteries" or the lithium batteries on the market. The battery life is to be expected with a camera that takes 9 megapixel shots.
The manual zoom is great! On the S5200 you used battery power and had to wait for the camera to do the zooming. On the S9000, the zoom is all in your hands giving you more of a SLR feel too.

This product satisfies fullly my expectations and its delivery was rapid and opportune, I'm very happy with my new professional camera

I am still working on all the different features this camera has. It is an all-around great camera, and probably the best this much money can buy.

I have had this camera for a year and I enjoy taking pictures. This camera is easy to work. I recommened it for a first time slr user.

I have had this camera for over a year now and thought it was time I write a user review, as I find user reviews the most helpful when making a purchase.

This camera has so many pluses that it is difficult to list them all. First, the lens is so versatile it can be used in almost any shooting situation. It is a bit slow though. But the images it captures are great! Having a non-removeable lens eliminates the dust on the sensor issue.

The fact that this camera uses regular AA batteries is a real plus. They are less expensive than propriety batteries. I have several sets of rechargeables. I can shoot all day!

The features and settings available on this camera seem to go on forever... which is also a bit of a drawback--at least in how the options are layed out. Some of the menu items are nested pretty deep and I often struggle to remember where they are located. Most of the frequently used settings are quickly accessed, if I can remeber where they are. This camera can do so much, even the video is excellent!

The white balance is almost always perfect, and photos taken in natural light look amazing. People comment on how my photos look like they came from a magazine (I take that as a compliment....). I have actually shot a few weddings with this camera for friends and I've been very pleased with the results as were they.


Probably the biggest complaint I have about this camera is really my fault anyway. I really would like to have a dedicated TTL external flash for this camera. I purchased a very nice flash and I get excellent results, but I'm not that great at changing all the settings necessary when I'm shooting in a hurry. This is a limitation imposed by my skill (or lack of), but the availability a compatable TTL type flash would have made this camera perfect.

If you are looking for a camera that takes excellent photos with the simplicity of a point and shoot to the flexibility of a full manual camera, and you are on a tight budget or just entering the world of digital photograpy, this camera is for you.

When I went shopping for a new high quality digital camera to replace my aging Minolta 7i, I made up a list of features and functions that I wanted:
1. Powered by "AA" batteries. I dislike proprietary battery packs, which generally cost at least 4 times more than a set of four "AA"'s.
2. Compact Flash Memory. At the time, CF was the most economical memory option. As of November 2007, CF and SD cards cost about the same, so memory type isn't as much of a concern.
3. Ability to shoot stills and VGA video. Only fixed lens cameras offer this, so I was not considering a D-SLR.
4. 10x or better zoom lens with manual zoom ring for fine control, and ability to change zoom while shooting video (some cameras lock the zoom while shooting video).
5. At least 8 megapixels. The more resolution, the more a photo can be cropped.
6. Good image quality on both stills and video. Of course, no fixed-lens P&S camera can compare in image quality to a D-SLR like the Canon D-40 or Sony Alpha A-700, but I needed the ability for both stills and video, which D-SLR's can't do (yet).
7. RAW image capture with lots of manual control. As it worked out, I have never used RAW other than for a few sample photos, so this requirement wasn't really necessary.
8. 28mm wide angle. Many cameras in this category have lenses that offer only 35mm wide angle, which can really cramp your ability to shoot large landscape features, architecture, or indoor rooms.

As of November 2007, I have shot about 5000 stills and 4 hours of video clips with my S-9000, and have been pretty pleased with the image quality. Auto-Focus is reasonably fast, and usually much more reliable than the old Minolta 7i I used to use. At ISO levels up to 200, the images are crisp and colors are very good. ISO 400 is still pretty good, but at ISO 800 the images get too noisy to be pleasing. The electronic viewfinder is pretty good, even in twilight conditions it's useable. I rarely use the LCD panel because it drains the batteries a lot faster than the EVF, but it is handy for viewing stored images and making menu selections.

Other notable features of the S-9000:
-Dual Media. The camera can mount both a CF card and an XD card. Switching between them requires a trip through about three levels of the menu, however. I usually only use the XD card if the CF card has been filled to capacity and I am still shooting. The XD card seems to be slower than the CF card, and I have had trouble shooting video on it.

Things I like about the S-9000:
-Uses "AA" batteries
-Lots of manual controls, or just shoot Program mode if you want to go automatic.
-Captures really nice VGA video, and you can zoom the lens while capturing video (some cameras lock the zoom in Video capture mode).
-Still image quality as good as I have ever seen from a point-and-shoot. Nice large lens with manual zoom control. Manual focus (electronic focus-by-wire).
-Feels good in the hand, ergonomics similar to an SLR.

Some shortcomings of the 9000S:
-Lousy sound quality on videos, but that's to be expected. I don't know of ANY digital still camera that has "good" audio. If you want good sound, buy a video camcorder and equip it with an external shotgun microphone.
-Menu system buries some frequently used commands too deep (this is a minor annoyance).
-I think that image transfer is USB-I, not USB-II. Downloading a full 2 gig CF card takes FOREVER. This issue can be worked around by using an external USB-II card reader.
-No optical image stabilization. The 10X zoom lens is really nice, but at full telephoto, camera shake can really fuzz out your pictures if you don't have a tripod. Many super zoom cameras, even cameras in this price range, have some kind of image stabilization that moves either the sensor or a lens element to compensate for shaky hands.
-When shooting video, the lens is Auto focus only; you can't set manual focus when shooting video. This is a serious problem in scenes with low contrast, for example seascapes on foggy days. When I took the camera to Alaska last May, many of the video clips I shot in Resurrection Bay on a cloudy/foggy day were ruined by the camera frequently losing focus lock and "hunting" back and forth to try and re-establish focus.

CONCLUSION: At the current street price of $379, the S9000 offers a lot of value, if you can live with it's few shortcomings (the video focus problems being the most serious). If you need a single camera that can shoot really nice stills and VGA video, this one is an excellent choice. For more serious photography needs, a "real" digital SLR with a bagful of assorted lenses will be more versatile and offer better low-light images; couple this with a high-def camcorder (The Canon HV20 is getting rave reviews) and you will have all bases covered, but at a price of at least several thousand dollars more than the S9000 will cost you. Even if you are a serious D-SLR owner already, the S9000 could be a valuable back-up camera for use in environments or situations where you might not want to risk damage to more expensive equipment.

The Fuji S9000 is an excellent camera, especially for the price. I use cameras professionally for magazine work, and the increase in available resolution (up to 9MP) is an advantage. I considered buying a Canon SLR because I have good Canon lenses, but the S9000 provides dust-free sealed optics and everything I need. The first S9000 received from Beach Camera had a defective viewfinder circuit (both viewers) that resulted in a partially solarized view. The replacement works perfectly, and I'll soon have learned button locations well enough to be proficient with it.

This product does what it says it would do--take pictures with excellence. It also has a video feature. You cannot go wrong with this cam. However, because there are so-o-o many features, I need the manual by my side at all times in order to get the good shot. Good cam for the $$$$.

The camera is fine as long as nothing goes wrong. Fuji has the worst customer service I have ever delt with. They pass you from one person to another and do everything they can not to help you. Be prepared to deal with the worst customer service in the business. I really hope this helps you.

This camera serves all the purposes that I have a need for, starting from the simple photographs of objects, through portraits and finishing on nature. I started with FinePix S7000 and upgraded to S9000 a while ago. S7000 seemed to have a more solid body, my S9000 is loosing its rubber grip which I am a little dissapointed about. The zoom on the lens gives you a professional feel - too bad you're only limited to one lens... but for the price of a compact, 'pocket' digicam, you get almost a professional SLR. I'm highly recommending it to advanced amateur photographers who are still learning photography, and are not quite into spending $800+ on a professional SLR.

this is good camera, but in less than year i already lost one dial button and flash doesnt stay in the sleep position. i treat it gently, i keep it always in the case and don't kick or smash it. but it's fading. cheaply made, i guess.

all that I need but LCD is a bit of small and I don't feel comfortable with 1.8inch.
I think if Producer make a 20x tele len then I 'll Love it than

I curretnly have the Finepix S5200 and LOVE IT !!! But the thing I was lookig for since I go to concerts alot was the zoom in and out while taping instead of the fixed taping and I was thrilled when I saw that Fuji has one - since I love the other camera and i know how to work it and I already have all the accessories. Cant wait to get it since i have 6 concerts coming up from now throuhg every weekend of May

I had tried Sony DSC H9, Canon S3 IS but compared to all of this i found this to be very good. We can play around with photos when we set it to Program Mode & Manual Mode. I day light i get very rich colors but when it is cloudy you may have to increase some more exposure.

After my experience with my S7000 I WOULD NEVER RECOMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE!!! BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU BUY THEIR PRODUCTS THEY DON"T STAND BEHIND THEM VERY WELL........

I really love this camera. I debated between this on and the Rebel XTI. And I'm so glad I choose this one! Not only is it cheaper but comparing pictures with others Rebel pictures it blew them out the of the water. Settings take a little work. Flash is a little bright at close range. But nothing a cheap diffuser can't fix.

I am a professional photographer, and I must say I dont mess with the hassle of a costly SLR with even more costly additional lenses. I use the Fuji S9000 camera as my main camera, and the Fuji S5200 as my back up. Both cameras give excellent photo quality. I bought the Fuji S9000 for the hot shoe mount, the megapixels, and the zoom. It works beautifully. Im even thinking about buying a second one so I have two just incase. I highly recommend this product. If you want to see photos using the camera, go to my website www.jessicanigrophotography.com.