if i am not mistaken the s9600 has a zoom ring as well.
if weight is a factor...... lets just say the FZ50 is rather large and heavy.
noise as all the other pros have pointed out, no fight between the 2
the Leica lense is superb! superior than the fuji's one thats for sure
swivel LCD for the pana
while you are looking at prosumers, also do consider the canonG7(optical viewfinder) and the s6500FD(large bright LCD, impressive camera)
good luck in finding your camera! i myself am having difficulty choosing between the 4(FZ50, s9600, 6500FD, G7), but since i am not buying my camera yet, i can wait awhile and see the prices. each have their own pros and cons.
i personally find the fuji better though, wideangle, and impressive ISO control with their famed super CCD. not to forget it uses USB2.0 compared to the FZ50's USB1.1
2 mem cards format for the fuji as well, XD and CF, one for the pana
and batteries are really important, i didnt really have a good impression of panasonic's battery life. and rechargables can be used for more than one appliance!AA's are a real advantage!:thumbsup: