Hello everyone! Guess what?! My husband informs me that I can most likely have a new camera for my birthday! Isn't he wonderful? :) Okay, so, nevermind that my birthday is in November...I'm /already/ looking around with great enthusiasm. While I love my little compact Canon IXUS 500, it has a lot of limits. The auto-focus is infuriating at times, and I long for the ability to take pristine macros and generally improve my photography knowledge and skill.

Now, previously, I have always been a diehard fan of Canon cameras. I have been seriously considering the Canon Powershot Pro 1, as per Zacko's recommendation. We can clearly see from his gallery that the camera is pretty good at capturing a photographer's vision...the quality of the landscapes and macros is superb. But, interestingly enough, I have read mixed reviews. Plus I can't even find this camera at any shops I have investigated in Belgium (Brussels).

I'm not quite prepared for the financial expenditure of an SLR, so I extended my search to other non-Canon SLR-like cameras. And I came upon something quite interesting: the new Fujifilm FinePix S9000. The reviews seem pretty excellent so far, and the camera itself seems to have everything I could hope for. I even went to a shop and held it in my hands, and it felt so solid and comfortable. I even gave it a hug. I have a good feeling about this one, but...it's not a Canon! Do any of you own this camera, by any chance..or know someone who has? Do you have any thoughts, comments, or frantic warnings? Are there any other cameras around the same price range that I should probably investigate?

Thank you in advance for your replies. You folks are always so kind and helpful that I don't think it would feel right to purchase a new camera without consulting you first. :)

Stefanie