This model has often been discussed - please use the search feature to find previous posts. See also this and this for extra help.
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I have been looking at getting one of these for my other half to replace a Minolta Z1. The only thing that wold be against this move is that the Minolta goes as far as 380mm (135 equiv) compared to 300. But seeing as the though the 9600 goes up to 6mp compared to 3.1 then this should not pose a problem. Take a trial run is what I suggest,I dont think you will be dissapointed.
The Fuji S9600 has 9 Megapixels. I've got its predecessor, the S9500. It's a pretty versatile all round bridge camera, although like most non-SLRs, the autofocus can be a bit slow - I understand that the S9600 has some improvement to this. Features I particularly appreciate are the 28mm equiv wide end (though I see this is becoming more common with recently released cameras), filter thread on the lens (58mm), articulated LCD, cable release thread on the shutter button, and the control layout - many functions have their own dedicated buttons, rather than having to wade through menus. It's probably as close as you can get to a dSLR without going there, with the obvious limitations of slow AF, non-interchageable lens, and noise at higher sensitivity.
IIRC you can put the lens to manual focus and use a twist-grip ring rather than an electric switch to manual focus, so for the few occasions when you really need to focus quickly, you can do it by hand.
Erm.., no. Even with the enlarge-the-centre-of-the-screen option, the manual focus on the S9500/S9600 is not quick or easy to use - it's an electric focus-by-wire, not a proper mechanical focus ring. However, I was able to use it to focus on the lunar eclipse a few weeks ago - not enough light for the AF (and a little beyond the range of the AF illuminator )! Another S9500/S9600 feature that I really like and forgot to mention before is the manual zoom - that is a proper mechanical linkage and is very quick and easy, unlike the rocker switches or push buttons of some other cameras I've tried.
would you buy one knowing what you know.. i've just recently taken up photography , would this camera be a good all rounder i take a lot of motorsport picts would this camera suit
I'd say the S9600/S9500 is a pretty good all round camera, however, I'm not sure it's an ideal beginner's camera - it takes a bit of practice and experience to get the best from it. As always, flexibility comes at the cost of complexity. If you do get one, be prepared to work at it. The auto modes can give you nice simple snapshots, but it's capable of a lot more when you learn to make best use of all its features. Motorsport can be a particularly demanding subject, but if you practice prefocussing and panning technique you should be able to get good results. You probably wouldn't do a lot better with anything short of a fast professional DSLR and lens - several grand's worth.
OOh, I'm not sure I completely agree with that Alex, I came from a Fuji S7000 and found you really had to work around it to get motorsports pics (though I had some successes), I've since bought a, barely any dearer, Nikon D50 DSLR kit and a cheapo Sigma 70-300 and the responsiveness and, frankly, the end results are SO much better. While I appreciate the 9600 is a few generations newer than the old S7000 I don't think it's much quicker.
Sorry Dom, perhaps I didn't get quite the right emphasis on my point - I was trying to avoid discouraging the OP. Even a low end DSLR and budget 300mm zoom is going to cost substantially more than the S9600, You've obviously got more experience of motorsport shots than I have - it's good to know you had some successes with your S7000 though.
what shutter speeds and aperture settings would suit best as a starting point to get started ? I have had some success but probably out of the 300 or so pictures i took the other weekend at a local motocross track up here in the highlands ,success rate was about 30% were in focus .
