Fuji FinePix S9100 Digital Camera Review

Fuji FinePix S9100

Digital Camera Review

Sep 27, 2006 - By Richard Baguley
An update of the venerable (well, venerable in the digital camera industry, at least) FinePix S9000, the S9100 has enough features to confuse a Ph.D. student. For starters, there’s a 10.7X optical zoom, a 9 megapixel sensor that uses Fuji’s Real Photo technology, a flip-out 2-inch LCD screen, plus picture stabilization and an intelligent flash system which Fuji claims more intelligently balances the flash output with ambient light. There are also dual CompactFlash and xD-Picture Card slots. It’s all built around a 9 megapixel Super CCD HR Image sensor in a case that has the look and feel of an SLR camera, but has a non-removable lens. One thing to note: the S9100 is known as the S9600 outside of the US, where our images were taken at the Photokina show in Cologne, Germany. So we didn’t get out models confused: we just traveled a bit to get them.
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Fujifilm Finepix S9100 Digi...

 

Value
No pricing information has been released by Fujifilm yet, so we can’t comment on value. Previous models have retailed for around $700, though and we wouldn’t expect the S9100 to be radically different to that. If it is available at this price, it's a lot to pay for a fixed lens camera of questionable build quality; however, those drawn to the fixed lens, high sensitivity design should see it as a reasonable value. 
 
Comparisons
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 – The R1 has a similar design to the S9100, similar resolution (at 10.3 megapixels) and a similar set of features. However, the R1 has a wider lens (at 24mm) which makes it better for taking group shots. But there’s no movie mode on the R1, and the price is slightly higher: if the S9100 comes in at $700, that’s nearly $200 less than the R1.
  
Who it’s For
Point-and-Shooters- Although it can be used as a point-and-shoot camera, that’s not who it is designed for: many nervous users would be put off by the number of buttons and dials on the camera.
 
Budget Consumers – It’s on the high side for the cost-conscious consumer, although you do get a lot for your money.
 
Gadget Freaks –The production of bells and whistles, plus the tilting LCD screen will attract photographers who swoon over shiny new toys.
 
Manual Control Freaks – The S9100 offers plenty of options for manual control freaks, and most aren’t too difficult to get to. However, the single dial does make setting  both shutter and aperture a bit awkward: if you’re shooting manual mode a lot, look for another model with two control dials.
 
Pros/ Serious Hobbyists – It won’t replace a dedicated SLR, but the S9100 might make a good pick as a second or backup camera for a pro.
 
Connectivity / Extras Page 9 of 10 Conclusion
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