| Likes |
|
- Nice 10.7x optical zoom lens
- Folding LCD monitor
- Comfortable handgrip
- Great low light performance
- Flash exposure compensation
- Records full motion video (with zoom functionality)
|
| Dislikes |
- No image stabilization
- Single pin hot shoe
- Viewfinder and LCD are grainy
- LCD is small, grainy, and solarizes easily
- AA battery power
- Molded plastic body
- Difficult handling of buttons
- Slow, limited burst
- Significant shutter lag
- 9 megapixels results in noisier images than should be to compete in price range |
Conclusion
The concept of SLR shaped digital cameras that cost almost as much as DSLRs doesn’t really make much sense unless consumers really want video capture, live previews, and a stabilized lens at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the S9000 lens is not stabilized. Still, accessorizing is one of the Fujifilm FinePix S9000’s best traits. It does, after all, have a hot shoe and a threaded lens. Although, again the S9000 falls short with only a single pin connection for the applied accessory flash. The S9000 aims to please with its manual, priority, automatic, scene and movie modes. It borrows elements from compact cameras like its VGA movie mode that shoots 30 frames per second and its color modes and in-camera image parameters. The S9000 also has that SLR look with its large handgrip and 10.7x optical zoom lens with focus and zoom rings – although the lens isn’t detachable. The camera’s body is bulky and heavy, even though it is constructed from molded plastic parts. There is a folding 1.8-inch LCD monitor that adds interest, but the actual screen is grainy and has a very narrow field of view, thus solarizing easily.
The Fujifilm FinePix has rich colors and does well in low light, so it certainly produces nice looking photographs. Getting those gorgeous photos could be an issue though, as this camera is anything but easy to use. A few read-throughs of the user manual and several shooting sessions are required to learn the non-intuitive nuances of the S9000. Another major obstacle for this model is its dependence on four AA batteries to power it. Users could go through forty bucks of batteries just trying to learn how to change the aperture. For a retail price of $699, there are certainly easier models to use that take great pictures. And there is always the option to upgrade. Consumers can now purchase DSLRs online for around $700.
