Is the Fujifilm finepix 6500 alright to use as a casual camera aswell as for photography?

I'm investing in a new camera the one ive narrowed it down to is the fujifilm 6500 because its the only super zoom one in my price range with a viewfinder.

I will be using it for serious purposes (nature photography etc) but is this camera the kind of camera i can take with me for casual use? Like taking pictures of myself and my friends when we are out and about? With the big lens that kind of sticks out its making me have second thoughts.
It's not exactly the kind of camera i can slip into my handbag is it?

Ok one big question i do got to ask is what is your price range? Have you looked at any other Superzooms out there? Have you looked at the: http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/consumer/digit...
this is a 9mp 28-300 zoom...plenty of zoom for all around photography and don't forget there is attachments for this camera to get more zoom.
I personally own the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50...10.1mp 35-420mm lens and this too is a prosumer camera and not a DSLR. great pics and i have not complaints...now i bought this camera for $450 back in june and i still think i got a great deal.

Well it has a much smaller sensor than a DSLR, so the ultimate resolution will be less using the 6500.

The equivalent 28 - 300mm lens is a good start for shooting nature, but in the end, you will want a lot longer lens.

Here is a link to help you in your nature quest.

http://www.leppphoto.com/learn/index.htm
http://www.georgelepp.com/

In the end, you may want to buy a DSLR so you can use the longer lenses ... 400mm, 600mm and such.

I'm not sure what 鈥搃f any鈥?the actual question is, Megan. You seem to have seen the camera, or at least be aware that it's not exactly pocket-sized... well then, it's not. Whether you can use it casually, take it with you when you go out with your friends, and slip it to your handbag, is entirely up to you... mostly because we can't possibly know how you plan to use it, whether it will be an annoyance to you to carry it with you when you go out with your friends, and how big is your handbag.

What the S6500fd is not, is the smallest super-zoom camera with viewfinder; that merit would go, I guess, to the Olympus SP-560 and the Fujifilm S8000fd (the Panasonic FZ18, while generally considered a competitor of the two previous ones, and in several aspects the best of the three, is somewhat larger), both of which actually have a much more powerful zoom than the Fujifilm S6500fd, although at the cost of a quite poorer ISO performance (image quality at high ISO levels).

check out the canon sx100