Seems S6500 also not quite bad.. Almost every specs are same, except for:-
S9600 - S6500
a. Pixels 9.1M - 6.3M
b. LCD 2" - 2.5"
c. Flash, S6500 is more powerful
d. S6500 have face detection, how about S9600??
e. Sensitivity 1600 - 3200
f. S9600 made in Japan, S6500 make in ???
So...