Fujifilm FinePix S9000

tweener camera that offers features from point and shoot and DSLR digicams

By John Virata

With the advancements of digital cameras, two camera types have emerged as the most popular, the inexpensive point and shoot cameras that are relatively compact enough to take anywhere, and the more traditional digital SLR, full size cameras that feature high megapixel imaging capabilities coupled with the benefit of interchangeable lenses and flash units. The center of the market belongs to those cameras that offer the best of both the point and shoot cameras and the DSLRs. Fujifilm's FinePix S9000 fits squarely into the center, providing the capability to shoot in the JPEG file format that is common in the point and shoots, as well as the Raw file format, more common on the digital SLRs that professionals use.

Specs
The FinePix S9000 is a 9 megapixel digital camera that features a 1/1.6-inch super CCD sensor using the Fujifilm Real Photo Processor. It supports DCF-compliant, compressed Exif v. 2.2 JPEG images as well as DPOF compatible uncompressed CCD-RAW (RAF) files. The S9000 can also shoot movies in the AVI MJPEG file format as well as WAV mono sound. It can capture Raw images at 3488x2616 pixel resolution, as well as the following resolutions in the JPEG file format; 3488x2616 (fine, normal mode), 3696x2464 (3:2), 2592x1944 (5 megapixel), 2048x1536 (3 megapixel), 1600x1200 (2 megapixel), and 640x480 (03 megapixel). Video is captured at 640x480 at 30 frames per second, or 320x240 30fps.

The Fujifilm S9000 features a 28-300mm equivalent lens.

The camera is built around a Fujinon lens with 13 elements in 10 groups with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 28-300mm (6.2mm/66.7mm). It sports a 0.8 second start up speed, real time histogram, an aperture range of f2.8 to f11, 10.7x wide optical zoom lens, and a 2X fixed digital zoom. Focusing modes include auto focus (through the lens (TTL) contrast type), continuous auto focus and manual focus. AF Frame selection includes center, multi, and AF area. The focusing range of the lens includes wide angle, which is about 1.6ft to infinity (high speed shooting mode is 6.6ft to infinity) telephoto is 6.6ft to infinity, while in high speed shooting mode, 13.1ft to infinity. The lens also features the macro mode button(which is easily accessed via the Macro button (the flower button), on the side of the camera, underneath the mode selector switch, which enables you to switch between continuous auto focus, single auto focus, and manual auto focus. Macro settings include Macro (wide angle 3.9 inches to 9.8ft; telephoto 3.0ft to 9.8ft), and super Macro (0.4 inches to 3.3ft). Above the mode selector switch is the info button, which you push to garner image information such as photography mode (displays the current settings such as white balance and sharpness) and playback mode, which displays the information of the currently displayed image. Exposure control features include auto, manual, and programmed AE, aperture or shutter priority AE (shutter lag time rated at 10ms with AE/AF locked), five pre-programmed scene types, including anti blur, natural light, night, portrait, and landscape. The camera can shoot up to 1.5 frames per second for moderate action sports shooting.

3696x2464 pixel resolution. Click for full view.

3488x2616 pixel resolution. Click for full view.

2592x1944 pixel resolution. Click for full view.

2048x1536 pixel resolution. Click for larger view.