Camera Labs

Hello,

I have been looking for a perfect (nope, doesn't exist) "bridge" camera for quite some time now. First I picked Fujifilm s6500 (s6000), it was exactly what I wanted, especially the low light capabilities compared to other superzoom cameras. However, it was discontinued and I cannot find one anywhere Now there are two models I'm looking at:

1. Fujifilm Finepix s9500 (9000)
Pros:
Low light performance (huuuuge plus)
SLR-like design and handling
Tons of options
A lot cheaper than a dslr ($370 on amazon)

2. Panasonic FZ18
Pros:
Huge zoom (although I'm not sure how often I would actually use it)
IS
Small and light compared to Fuji
Great value ($340 on amazon)

Which one do you think is better value for the money? Fuji is always being compared to DSLRs in the reviews, and it of course cannot stand up to them, but what about other "bridge" cameras?

Thanks in advance, I'm looking forward to your answers

Hi Lethe, welcome to the Cameralabs forums!

The s9500 is pretty old now, but could still be worth a look - our review is here:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/FujifilmS9500/

And our buyers guide for superzooms is here:

http://www.cameralabs.com/buyers_guide/ ... mera.shtml

Gordon