I know this must be the thousandth gear thread this week but...My birthday is coming up and I want a decent camera. I know a bit about working with cameras after using a friend's Fuji s3 and have a summer ahead of me to learn to use whatever I get. I also need extracurricular activities to put onto my college applications and taking yearbook would be a good excuse to get a good camera.I figure that anything around $600 is reasonable nowadays since the exchange rate is so damn good these days and that amount of money should not be unreasonable to my parents. In that price range two models stand out to me: The Fuji S9600 and the Nikon D40/x with the 18-55 lens.I know the issue about lens autofocus compatibility on the D40 but I don't mind it so much because the compatible lenses aren't too hard to get, but I like the live view and AA batteries on the S9600. I have an old 50mm F 1.4 Nikkor lens and a F801 body and having an extra lens (albeit manual focus) is a plus.Whatever I get will have to be pretty versatile. I want to shoot at concerts, but need to have pictures for sport events as well as general pictures with friends. I also live in a very large city with pretty interesting architecture and would like to share them with family in the states.Please discuss the merits of buying either camera.EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon IXY DIGITAL 60Maximum Lens Aperturef/2.8Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaLens Size5.80 - 17.40 mmFirmware VersionFirmware Version 1.00Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution180 dpiVertical Resolution180 dpiImage Created2007:06:07 20:41:07Exposure Time1/60 secF-Numberf/2.8Lens Aperturef/2.8Exposure Bias0 EVFlashFlash, Auto, Red-Eye ReduceFocal Length5.80 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1600Image Height1200RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoScene Capture TypePortraitFocus TypeAutoMetering ModeEvaluativeISO Speed RatingAutoSharpnessNormalSaturationNormalContrastNormalShooting ModeKids & PetsImage SizeUnknownFocus ModeSingleDrive ModeSingleFlash ModeRed-Eye Reduction (Auto)Compression SettingSuperfineMacro ModeNormalSubject Distance0.420 mWhite BalanceAutoExposure Compensation3Sensor ISO Speed128Image Number102-3472
>>194695If you had read those other thousands of threads, you would know not to ask this question.>Please discuss the merits of buying either camera.IE, please troll my thread.Be more succinct next time you post.