The FinePix S9000 is the world's first 9-Megapixel "SLR-like" digicam for advanced amateur photographers. It incorporates Fujifilm's groundbreaking Real Photo Technology, a 5th Generation Super CCD HR sensor, Fujinon 10.7x wide-angle zoom lens, high resolution color viewfinder and a tilting color LCD display.

The FinePix S9000 features 11 different shooting modes; Program AE, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, Manual, Anti-blur, Natural Light, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene and Movie. The Fujinon 10.7x wide-angle zoom lens is the equivalent of a 28-300mm zoom and focuses as close as 0.4 inches. A fixed lens means no dirt or dust gets onto the imager, a common problem with interchangeable lens digital SLR cameras. A powerful AF-assist lamp allows the lens to focus properly even in low light conditions. The zoom is controlled by a ring on the lens barrel and another ring handles precise manual focus control. The builtin flash can be supplemented with more powerful clipon flash units via the hot shoe and the camera can be connected to bracket mounted or studio flashes with the external PC flash sync port.

Real Photo Technology reduces the amount of graininess (noise) in digital pictures. This noise is often apparent in high-resolution photos, particularly those shot at high ISO-equivalent sensitivities. With Real Photo Technology, the S9000 can take pictures at ISO 1600 -- at full resolution. The Anti-blur mode uses this higher sensitivity to select faster shutter speeds to prevent blurring from camera shake or subject movement. The Natural Light mode lets you shoot in low-light situations without using the flash, handy in places that prohibit flash photography. Other benefits of Real Photo Technology include speed of operation; the S9000's start-up time is only 0.8 seconds with a shutter lag of just 1/100 second and longer battery life.

Framing pictures through the S9000's LCD is easy, the display pulls out and tilts to cover a wide range of shooting angles. You can put the camera low and emulate a waist-level finder or hold it up over your head in a crowd scene. Both the LCD and EVF displays "gain up" in low-light conditions to make it easy to frame your subject and can be set for 30fps or 60fps refresh rates.

In addition to high resolution still images, the S9000 also captures VGA quality (640x480 pixel) motion video with audio at 30 frames per second. The zoom is fully useable during movie recording and the exposure and autofocus systems ensure that the picture is always "just right" as you follow your subjects.

Images and Movies can be stored on either xD-Picture Card or CompactFlash devices thanks to the dual media card slots in the large handgrip. Still images can be saved as standard JPEG files or for the best possible image quality you can save them in RAW format for later processing with the included software. Downloading your data to the computer is fast and easy thanks to the high-speed USB 2.0 port. It also allows you to connect and print directly to any PictBridge compatible photo printer.

FinePix S9000 Features:

• 9 million pixel 5th Generation Super CCD HR image sensor
• 10.7x wide-angle zoom lens (28-300mm 35mm equivalent)
• SLR-like design with zoom and focus rings on the lens
• Compressed JPEG and CCD-RAW file formats
• 0.8-second boot-up time; shutter lag down to 1/100th second
• Powerful AF-assist illuminator for quicker focusing in low light
• Super Macro Mode for close-ups at 0.4-inches
• Movie Mode; 640x480 30fps w/sound AVI format
• Program AE, Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, Manual, Anti-Blur, Natural Light, Night, Portrait and Landscape modes
• High resolution eyelevel color EVF viewfinder
• Tilting 1.8" color LCD for high and low-angle shooting
• 256-zone Metering: Multi, Center or Spot options
• ISO sensitivity range: Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Adjustable image color mode and sharpness
• Shutter speeds: 30 secs. to 1/4000 second
• Flash hot shoe and PC sync terminal for external flash
• Dual media slot accepts xD Picture Card and CompactFlash/Microdrive
• Powered by four standard AA type batteries
• USB 2.0 connectivity and PictBridge direct-print

DIWA Gold Medal Award Amsterdam, 21. November, 2005 - DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organization of collaborating websites within digital imaging, today announces a DIWA Gold Award to the 9 Megapixel Fujifilm FinePix S9000 digital megazoom camera. Image quality is fundamentally depending on two vital elements in a digital camera, the image sensor and the lens. In both respects, Fujifilm is in full control. Their successful development of the unique Super CCD image sensors is a key factor in the S9000, with remarkable 9 Mp resolution and wide sensitivity range, between ISO 80 and ISO 1600. Also the lens exhibits unique features with 10.7x zoom range from 28 mm wide angle to 300 mm supertele, high f/2.8-f/4.9 lens speed and 1 cm super macro. This magnum lens is still surprisingly compact, beautifully integrated into the S9000 SLR-like camera body. Optimum user friendliness is granted by two conventional rings for zooming and manual focusing, assisted by enlarged image for precision control. The bright and high resolution (235,000 dots) electronic viewfinder also features 100% coverage, diopter adjustment and full information display. User friendliness is also distinguished by the flexible 1.8" LCD screen for high and low shooting angle. Kai Thon, DIWA's test manager comments: "The FinePix S9000 is a compact package that will solve most photographic challenges from virtually any photographer, professional and amateur alike. It is also very budget-friendly, considering the price of any 28-300 mm f/2.8-4.9 zoom lens with super macro capability as close as 1 cm, not to forget the well reputed Super CCD HR image sensor with 9 Mp resolution and many professional-like features. DIWA experts found the FinePix S9000 to be a perfect assembly of imaging essentials built into a user-friendly body at a very competitive price." Meeting the demands of ambitious photo hobbyists, the FinePix S9000 is equipped with a multitude of options for customising image quality, such as RAW and JPEG formats, fully automatic and manual control over exposure, white balance and flash, live histogram, creative color settings and adjustable parameters for image processing, as well as USB 2.0 High Speed interface. The powerful pop-up flash lifts almost 9 cm above the lens to minimize the risk of red eyes and provides up to 5.6 m flash range. Fast auto focussing even in dim light is guaranteed by the ingenious pattern projecting AF-lamp. Continuous shooting is handled by Fujifilm's clever 4-image pre/post option with 1.9 fps, supplemented by high quality VGA movie shooting with 30 fps, voice narration to still images, hybrid auto focus with selectable focusing points, continuous AF, grid display for composition ease and a multitude of other useful features. First and foremost, however, it's the fundamentals of the camera, such as ergonomic design, wise assortment of creative options and high image quality that made the Fujifilm FinePix S9000 worthy of a DIWA Gold Award.