Fujifilm HS10 User’s Experience

Review Date: June 06, 2010

Category: Beginner to Serious Amateur

Fujifilm FinePix HS10

USER’S EXPERIENCE

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 – Here’s what I receive in the box:

FinePix HS10
No memory card [Fujifilm sent me a 2GB SD memory card for the review]
4 AA Alkaline batteries
Shoulder Strap
Lens Cap, Retaining String
USB Cable and A/V Cable
Documentation: Basic Manual
Software CDs: Owner’s Manual; MyFinePix Studio v1.0 (Win), FinePixViewer v3.6 (Mac OS X), RAW FILE CONVERTER (Win & Mac)

The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 bills itself as an all-in-one solution that provides many of the manual controls and functionality of a DSLR without the hassle and expense of investing in additional lenses and other accessories. As such, it comes fully loaded with features, including a whopping 30x ultra wide-angle optical super zoom lens (24-720mm equiv.).

No other super zoom digital camera comes as close to the handling and feel of a DSLR. As if to leave all doubts behind, the HS10 is designed to look, feel and handle like a DSLR — and makes no excuses for being as big and heavy as one.

There are lots of buttons, one for almost every function you can think of. There is a Mode Dial, an ISO button, an exposure compensation button, a button to select metering mode, a drive button, a WB button, and a Focus mode selector (Continuous-AF, Single-AF, Manual Focus). Then there is this wonderful manual zoom ring.

Some important functionality is still hidden deep inside the MENU: RAW (min. 16 button presses) and Image Stabilization (about 25 button presses) are both accessed in SETUP.

When it comes to choosing the digital camera that is right for you, there is an incredible number of choices out there. We have compact ultra zoom digital cameras that are now pocketable; super zoom digital cameras smaller than the HS10; entry-level DSLRs smaller and lighter than the HS10; and now the new compact Digital Interchangeable Lens (DIL, or mirrorless DSLR) cameras. At around $500, the Fujifilm HS10 is close to entry-level DSLR territory (with a shorter zoom lens).

So, is the HS10 a good alternative to a DSLR? And is it the best digital camera for you?

If you are a point-and-shoot digicam user and want to upgrade to DSLR handling, performance and image quality — but do not think you’ll ever buy additional lenses, and what you really want as far as a lens is concerned is a long zoom — then the HS10 may be what you’re looking for. A Fujifilm HS10 costs much less than a DSLR equipped with the same equivalent long zoom lens and may be all that you’ll ever need in one well-built camera.

If you are a DSLR user, want DSLR-like performance, image quality and super zoom coverage — but don’t want to lug your expensive pro digital camera and lens to family and social events — then you may find that the HS10 comes closest to what you’re used to in a digital camera.

Notice we said, DSLR-like. To expect a tiny sensored all-in-one super zoom digital camera to do the job of a much more expensive DSLR is just unrealistic. If the HS10 could be equal in image quality and performance to a DSLR, no one would be buying DSLRs anymore! For the HS10 to do everything at an affordable price (compared to a DSLR with equivalent zoom power), there needs to be compromises.

The FinePix HS10 is a wonderful super zoom camera. There is however one area it needs some improvement in: overall performance. Depending on your shooting style, the following items may or may not be a problem for you. Certainly if you are shooting landscape, they are non-issues, I think. If you are into sports photography, they probably are.

Though the FinePix HS10 does not have any shutter lag, it does have a rather annoyingly long delay between shots (@ 2 sec.).
Autofocus is about 1 second. Tip: get into the habit of prefocusing and this becomes a non-issue.
I like the eye sensor but find it just a tad on the sensitive side: it keeps blanking off the LCD everytime my hand passes over it as I select a setting or press a button.
The Auto Power Off feature will not wake up the camera with a touch of the shutter release button.

Of course, these slight irritations do not prevent you from taking great pictures with the HS10.

Implying motion using zoom: 1/40 sec., F8.0, ISO 200, and zoomed from 24mm to approx. 80mm (equiv.135)

Since the zoom is wonderfully manual, you can zoom in and out as slow or as fast as you want, as well as control exactly where you want to stop. You can also use the manual zoom to imply motion. There is no zoom creep. If you have never used manual zoom before, you’re in for a treat!

A note to those who like to shoot movies. Since the zoom is manual, the smoothness of the zooming will depend a large part on you. Handholding and zooming at the same time while you are recording a movie will probably result in lots of shaking. Use a tripod and practice smooth zooming. This is no different than using the movie function on a DSLR with a manual zoom ring. Practice makes perfect.

To handhold a camera/lens combo at 720mm focal length, the rule of thumb tells us that we need to use a shutter speed of 1/720 sec. or faster to avoid camera shake — and you can expect to be able to do so in only the brightest and sunniest of days. Even if we factor in the image stabilization to help us gain about 2 stops, we still need a shutter speed of about 1/180 sec. or faster. In other words, it can be quite challenging to hand hold the camera and avoid camera shake at the full zoom. Even though a picture may appear to be acceptably sharp when reviewed on the camera’s LCD screen, a closer inspection at home on the PC’s big screen reveals the inescapable truth. In selecting which pictures to show as samples for this review, it was often simply a case of selecting the sharp ones and rejecting the fuzzy ones [due to camera shake].

Likewise, even though I said that the AF is precise, even in low light, do expect to have your share of out of focus pictures. Two reasons mainly: your subject not having enough contrast to focus on and camera shake. Tip: take a number of shots, especially if your subject is in low light. Use Continuous Shooting if necessary. For the indoors pictures of animals in the zoo, I used Continuous Shooting to ensure at least one of the pictures is in sharp focus.

There is also a thinner fly-by-wire manual focus ring but I find it too close to the body to use comfortably. Every time, I turn the ring, my fingers rub against the body and move the camera. The ring rotates freely so there is unfortunately no “Infinity” position per se. Tip: press the AE/AL Lock button to engage auto focus; then you can then fine tune with the manual focus ring.

Motion Panorama

You will want to try out the Motion Panorama that allows you to sweep the camera from left to right (or from right to left, from top to bottom, or from bottom to top) and capture a panorama stitched in-camera. Note that Motion Panorama will only work at full wide-angle (i.e. zoomed all the way out; makes sense, since you are trying to capture as wide a scene as possible). The more scene you include in the panorama, the smaller your image size and resolution. Tip: Place your camera on a tripod or your “horizon” will be wobbly.

Messing with a winning formula

MyFinePix Studio 1.0

The FinePixViewer software is one of my favorite because all the information is contained in one screen. Each image’s filename is clearly visible and you do not need to launch another window to view the EXIF info. You can also do basic image editing, re: auto adjust, manual adjust of brightness, saturation, hue, contrast, sharpness, sepia, B&W, correct red-eye.

Unfortunately, the FinePixViewer software is now only for the Mac, with a brand new MyFinePix Studio 1.0 for Windows. Why do I say, unfortunately? Because why mess with a winning formula? MyFinePix Studio is not bad at all — just not better than the FinePixViewer it is replacing and certainly much less intuitive:

It does not carry over my saved settings in FinePixViewer, especially the folder where I want to save my pictures in.
By default, it annoyingly searches for a new update to the software every time it starts up. You can disable this in Settings.
The feature that I dislike the most is the separate window for EXIF info. You have to select an image, click on EXIF info, close window; select the next image, click on EXIF info, close window; …. you get my drift. There are lots of space on the right so the next version should make that window dockable there.
A menu bar is also missing so that you have to hunt and click to find a particular functionality.

Like the FinePixViewer, MyFinePix Studio displays RAW files and, in addition, on double clicking, will load RAW FILE CONVERTER.

A Basic Manual in how to setup and operate your camera is provided in print. The Owner’s Manual is on the CD, which means you can’t carry it with you [unless you’ve got an iPad?], but on the other hand it is easily searchable.

What I like about the HS10:

Very good image quality at ISO 100. Good image quality and low noise up to ISO 400.
Excellent handling, well thought-out and pleasing professional-looking design.
Amazing ultra wide-angle 30x optical super zoom that is useful at every focal length.
Precise AF even in low light.
Full exposure flexibility with advanced manual controls.
Tiltable 3.0-in. LCD is very convenient (and prevents neck strain, too).
35mm equivalent markings on lens barrel is a nice practical touch.
High Speed movie capture with slow motion playback opens up a new world of exploration (though at severely reduced image size and resolution).
Easy to take great pictures with and a joy to use.

No review is complete without a couple of improvement suggestions:

Internal Buffer: Provide a bigger internal buffer and/or more powerful processor to reduce the shot-to-shot time
Eye sensor: Add just a slight delay before the LCD switches to the EVF
AF speed: This level of camera definitely needs a below 1 sec. AF speed
LCD resolution: Provide a higher resolution LCD and EVF for easier and more precise manual AF
Manual Focus Ring: Move it away from the body
Infinity lock: Why can’t anyone provide an easy Infinity focus?
AF Area: Implement Spot AF metering; also, AF Area needs to apply to macro mode
Sleep mode: Implement a sleep mode with instant wake up on touching the shutter release button
Face detection when using self-timer: Once acquired thru half-press of shutter release button, don’t face detect and auto focus again when the self-timer triggers the shutter
Tripod: Make it metal and inline with lens.

Don’t let the improvement suggestions stop you from considering the HS10. There is no perfect camera and there are always tradeoffs. Also, comparing camera features on paper alone is never a good idea. I thouroughly enjoyed using the HS10 in the field in all kind of lighting situations and it has performed very well as far as I am concerned. I take mostly landscape pictures, so take this into consideration as you read this review. Many beginners wonder what settings I use for my pictures. I would recommend using P shooting mode, ISO AUTO (400) [or (800), if you don’t mind some noise], Multi-pattern metering, IS ON, NR ON, Auto WB,

Buy the Fujifilm FinePix HS10 if you want a flexible bridge super zoom. You get a super zoom with image stabilization, manual zoom ring, and good to very good image quality up to ISO 400. It is packed with advanced features that will keep a beginner learning and growing for a very long time — and give advanced photographers the flexibility they require for capturing great shots. Recommended.

Next: Fujifilm HS10 QuickFact Sheet / Buy