s900 slr-like

[remember]

Hello guys. First time here but wish to stay. I was obsessed with the fuji s9000 and as soon as i saw it i thought it was slr. I was pretty sure somewhere it said it was slr. its specs just blew me away and just recently i discoveres on dspreview that its an slr-like and after investigating i found out that its not really slr. but well slr like. haha. I am very disappointed. I saw some 200 - 300 dollar cameras with slr and this s9000 for 600 dollars +/- doesnt have slr. Is slr something i would really want. What am i missing if i get this s9000 as opposed to an slr camera somewhere in the 600 dollar range +/-. Can someone point me in the right direction for slr or tell me if this is the right camera (the s9000) for me? Maybe there some other camera? Ive gotten real good with a sony mavica (the floppy disk camera) only like a4x zoom. and that s9000 with like 10.2 is insane for me. I really wish to pursue photography (digital that is) for a long term and wanna start off with a good camera. Maybe you guys can cheer me up. My birthday is coming uip soon and i wanted to decide on what to get. I dont think my parents will buy it for me though im only 15 but still. I do web design, coding, pc building/modding and run linux and like photography. i wish that s9000 was slr. but maybe clue me in on ths slr like i really dont understand what it is. .... thanks

[photowebor]

I would buy this camera if I had the cash. I have the S5100, and it is a great camera, but limited in some ways the S9000 is not.

First off, you have to understand my background. I went semi pro in the 80's. I had 35mm cameras and medium format Mamyia cameras. I had 4 high power flash units, and I freelanced when I could.

I had nothing published, but I had an open door policy with the head of the photo department at the San Francisco Examiner. I used to take rolls to them in hopes they would publish a shot or two, and they would ask me if I needed film, take a bulk box of Tri-X (100 roll box), and dump it in my camera bag.

With that said, I take artistic photos and I do them 100% manual. All my 35mm and medium format cameras were 100% manual with no auto at all.

I like auto, but I need full control over the manual mode. The Fuji cameras give me that control. Also, the S9000 has an ASA1600 mode, where as the S5100 I have only goes to 400.

I'm also limited by the S5100's F9 aperture, where as the S9000 goes to F11.

I can do about 98% of what I need to do with the S5100, but I feel if I had the S9000, I could do 100% of what I want to do.

BTW, I shoot small apertures, long shutter exposures and low ASA numbers with a tripod.

Oh yes, I might add, I seldom use the LCD. I use the viewfinder just like an SLR. I can see the detail better, and on playback, you can zoom in and really see if you got the detail you think you got.