One of the cameras that I have fielded many questions and comments on recently has been the new megazoom, Fuji Finepix HS10. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with a preproduction model at PMA 2010.
The HS10 is a DSLR-like camera in terms of size and handling. What makes the HS10 so special though is the 30x zoom lens, which is equivalent to a 24-720mm lens on a 35mm camera. The zoom function is controlled by rotating the lens barrel, just like is done on a DSLR lens. The other superzoom cameras on display at PMA 2010 use an electronic, motor-drive zoom mechanism.
The HS10 is equipped with a 10.3MP backside illuminated CMOS sensor, which tend to provide less noisy images in low light and higher ISO settings. The HS10 can also capture a full resolution 7-frame burst at a rate of 10 fps. Additionally, the HS10 can be set to pre-record 3 frames in that burst so you can actually get shots that you missed.
The HS10 captures 1080p and 720p HD video at 30 fps. The HS10 will also capture VGA (640 x 480) resolution video and smaller, 320 x 240 resolution videos at 30 fps. All movies captured in this standard mode throughout the resolution settings are recorded with stereo sound.
The HS10 has a high speed mode for capturing video at 60 fps, 120 fps, 240 fps, 480 fps and maximum of 1000 fps. The higher frame rates will experience much lower video resolution. At 240 fps, you get 448 x 360 pixels; at 480 fps, you get 224 x 168 pixels; at 1000 fps, the HS10 captures a lowly 224 x 64 pixels. While Casio was really the pioneer of this high frame rate video capture in consumer cameras, several other manufacturers are jumping into this realm, which gives consumers more options and will, hopefully, spur more innovation in this area to bring higher resolution to higher frame rates.
The 240 fps setting can still produce a decent size video at 448 pixels wide, which is good enough for web use. To get usable footage for viewing on a TV, however, you’ll need to shoot at VGA resolution, which you can get at 120 fps and is the same as the recently introduced Nikon Coolpix P100. You can also shoot at 960 x 720 pixels at 60 fps in high speed mode, which is in addition to the 30 fps you get in standard 720p. No audio is captured at any of the high speed settings, which is typical for this feature among other manufacturers.
Unfortunately, Fuji would not let me bring back any footage from the HS10 because it was a preproduction model – although, the video and images looked solid on the LCD. If you want an idea of what the slow motion looks like from the high speed frame rates, check out my recent Nikon P100 Hands-On Review.
The Fuji HS10 has a rear LCD panel and control layout of what you might expect to see on an entry-level DSLR. About the only thing that’s missing on the back of the HS10 is an optical viewfinder. Instead, Fuji has included an electronic viewfinder with an eye sensor that automatically switches from the LCD when it is brought to the user’s eye.
The mode dial found atop the HS10 covers the typical DSLR settings, such as P, A, S and M. Additionally, the mode dial provides a quick access panorama setting, as well as auto and scene modes. Elsewhere on the rear of the camera, you get quick one-button access to ISO, metering, AF type, AF drive, white balance, macro, flash and timer settings. The HS10 provides a well-placed one-touch record button for starting and stopping video capture. A second dial, next to the mode dial, provides a means of adjusting settings and menu options on the display’s dialog. As a result, the HS10 provides a solid mix of point and shoot and DSLR control settings.
The LCD itself is a 3-inch screen that provides a lackluster 230k dot resolution. While it’s not a bad monitor, the standard for higher-end point and shoot cameras is leaning toward higher resolutions in the 920k neighborhood. The great thing about the LCD screen is the vari-angle functionality.
I’m a big fan of these vari-angle displays, particularly on point and shoot cameras and/or when video recording is available. It makes holding the camera a more comfortable task when shooting video, which can sometimes be awkward to hold the way you would hold a normal still image camera. Aside from the lower resolution, the LCD is very nice and bright. There are a number of display options available for providing you with a great deal of shooting information.
I’ve mentioned the incredible zoom range of this camera as a standout feature. And, it’s true – the 720mm zoom is a killer accomplishment. What really surprised me though was the effect of the image stabilization in the HS10 across the zoom range. Again, I could not bring back sample images from the HS10; however, I was able to shoot with it some and see the effects of the image stabilization when zooming in to 100% on the LCD.
I managed to put together a quick video shot on the back of the HS10’s LCD as I zoomed in to 100% to show the detail and lack of camera shake blur when shooting handheld at 1/80s and 720mm, which is roughly a 3 stop advantage. You can see the video of this example, along with a short intro that shows the lens zoomed to different focal lengths, below.
Because I want not permitted to bring back sample images, I will refrain from opining on image quality, other than to say that it looks promising from what I was able to observe on the LCD. Another thing the HS10 has going for it in the image quality department is the ability to capture images in RAW format. Fuji provides a RAW converter with the HS10, which is powered by Silkypix. Additional third-party programs will hopefully provide support soon.
The HS10 offers a built-in popup flash and also features a hotshoe adapter for external flashes. Unfortunately, Fuji does not currently provide a dedicated flash for the HS10, and Fuji reps at PMA could not advise as to whether there are any plans to do so in the future. Moreover, Fuji representatives could not offer any significant amount of detail on the functionality and compatibility with other brands. External flash settings are activated in the HS10’s menu settings. The HS10 manual provides, “The camera can be used with flash units that provide aperture adjustment, external metering, and sensitivity control. Some flash units that are designed specifically for other cameras can not be used.” I have reached out to Fuji follow-up questions concerning external flash usage on the HS10 and will report back as soon as I have more concrete info on this topic.
UPDATE: I have heard back from Fuji concerning the use of external flashes. The following info was provided by Fuji:
“Regarding future plans for Fujifilm branded external flashes, there are no plans to introduce Fujifilm-branded external flashes at this time.
In regards to the hot shoe question:
The hot shoe is not compatible with TTL Flash (operation in full auto mode). Flashes must be operated in manual control and have a hot shoe adaptor like Metz 36 C2. http://www.metzflash.co.uk/pages/metz8.htm
[T]he external flash can be used at P/A/S/M/C mode. The same aperture and ISO setting of the camera must be set manually to the external flash. The built-in flash can be used as a trigger only which has no adjustment for the power.”
Conclusion
The Fuji HS10 looks like DSLR, and talks like a DSLR, but it’s not a DSLR. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. There is no doubt that the HS10 is a powerful camera. However, even though it’s big, it doesn’t have a big sensor inside. It’s limited to the smaller 1/2.3″ sensor as is found in many other point and shoot cameras. As a result, the HS10 is not going to rival DSLRs in the overall image quality department.
That said, the Fuji HS10 looks to be a heck of a camera, and will be plenty enough camera for many enthusiasts, as well as soccer moms and dads. As noted above, the one thing that you get with the HS10 that you just won’t match with a DSLR is reach. Additionally, the high ISO settings look promising enough that, when coupled with the solid image stabilization, the HS10 may turn out to be a solid performer both indoors and outdoors.
For sure though, the HS10 looks to be a great camera for the sidelines of outdoor sporting events. The rotating zoom lens barrel means that your lens will be at the focal length you need when you need it, and there will be no waiting on a zoom motor to catch up with you. Your tastes may differ, but I’m a big fan of manually zooming to my desired focal length. I think the HS10 just might be a killer camera this year, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a full production model to delve deeper into this megazoom camera.
The Fuji HS10 carries an initial retail price tag of $499.95 and is expected to be available in March 2010. You can order the Fuji HS10 through Photography Bay’s trusted online affiliates and support this site by using the links below.
Stay tuned for more on the Fuji HS10.
Holy s***!
WoW!
I’m anxious to see a full review of the HS10 because I’m expecting to buy one… leaving my Canon PowerShot SX20 to my wife!
Holy cow!
Please! Can you give just A FEW WORDS ON THE VIEWFINDER !
For my kind of photography, *the EVF* will be the overwhelmingly more frequently used monitor.
What is your opinion on size, resolution, and overall usefulness of this EVF as a working tool ?
WOW! Fuji seems to have hit a grand slam. Can’t wait to get my hands on one, SOON!
Can you please commend on the AF speed? I don’t expect it to be like DSLR, but how does it perform compared to the high speed focusing of the Panasonic FZ30 or FZ50?
I thought the AF speed was pretty quick for a point and shoot camera. I didn’t experience any AF hunting during my short time with the camera. It’s looking to be a pretty solid camera.
As a now retired pro-am with a lazy life style I have decided to hang up my case of lenses and bodies and move to a fuji HS10. My only problem is I have become addicted to using a polarizing filter and the HS10 does not seem to offer any way to attach one.
Any thoughts ??????
NO way to attach filter’s ????? What about the 58mm screw thread!!!
Very interesting first review; Would very much like you to compare the Fuji with the Nikon P100 on your full review as I think both of these products have similar benefits as am considering the purchase of either.
As TOM above,I am retired, and welcome your comments regarding ease of use,image quality and size/weight of the unit, as it looks rather large for a bridge camera.
I was eyeing this model particularly for its external flash capabilities. Any word on compatibility and additional information yet?
@Jamie – I’ve updated the post above with Fuji’s comments regarding external flash capabilities.
Thank you!
Now we’ll just have to wait for the sample pictures to see if this proves to be the all-rounder I’ve been looking for.
when can we expect the review and sample photos.
I thought of buying Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ -35
but I am waiting for this HS 10 review for a longggg time..!!!
Estoy muy interesado en esta cámara,
pero vengo de una NIKON D50…
Que tal va la velocidad de grabación????
He probado una PANASONIC FZ38 y tarda 6segundos en guardar un RAW???
Te puedes morir en 6 Seg.
The sample photos are available on the Fuji Japan website at http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_hs10/sample_images/index.html .
At first glance they look very good.
Thanks for the link Don DeJarnette.
Indeed looking good, but too strong noise reduction to my likings (although average/optimal by other’s standards I’m sure). I hope this can be adjusted as I prefer true noise to noise reduction artefacts.
I checked the manual at
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_hs10/pdf/index/finepix_finepixhs10_manual_01.pdf
and Fuji indicates that image processing is turned off in Raw Mode. It is my understanding that Fuji will include Raw Mode software with the camera. Hopefully they will also include a Photoshop converter.
Thanks a lot for the third impression of the hs10! (the first are comercials – second are the F-Boys ;)) )
A special THANKS to Don for the manual-url – will be the first time that i read a manual!! ;)))
Thanks for this review! I’m a recovered photographer and am going on an African safari. I was thinking of comparing this camera to the new Canon Rebel II with an additional Canon zoom 55-300, I think. Holding a very light camera is particularly important to me. Do you think this one will do the trick on safari, or am I better off going with the Canon DSLR + 2 lenses?
Ok so WHERE is the VIDEO you say is BELOW, BUT is NOWHERE to be found.
WHY bother teasing us with CRAP!
@Robyn – It’s displaying fine in my browser.
Eric-
Good job under such limiting circumstances. Does it have a manual focussing (lens) ring? The manual toggle-lever on my Canon S3 IS is a constant source of frustration – fine control is non-existent and makes manual focus nearly useless. Also wondering about balance in the hand – lens extended looks front-heavy. Thanks!
Eric,
That was a great hands on review. Please confirm that the image stabilization allowed you to shoot at 700/720mm without the use of a tripod. If this is true then all I will need to see to sell me on this camera are the pics and to have a chance to see how it fits in my hands.
Much appreciated!
Oh cop on Fuji, make some proper dslrs already …
Just today searching for availability on the HS10 and for all interested UK readers, the unit is available at, would you believe TESCO Direct !!£399.00, and NO I dont work for TESCO !
Think I will wait hopefully not to long, for the first full review.
I’ve also been reading about the hs-10 with great interest and will be getting one here in the uk the weekend after next (17th April)- that is, if i can demo one in the store. I’ve owned and loved my old Fuji 5800 for years now & although I’ve been using my canon eos 450d for just over a year I’m keen to get this all in one superzoom bridge camera for those shoots that i don’t want to carry a bag of lens around.
My main concern is the EVF too especially after using my DSLR and also if the raw format conversion process with fuji tools is a pain before opening with photoshop/lightwave raw processing (but i guess this extra step might be just a small nuisance) Everything else is looking pretty good.
Forgetting the x30 zoom and gizmos for a minute, do you think the hs-10 provides better/worse image quality than the s200exr?
Will be back with my results if i buy one or my thoughts if i decide not too after i demo it.
Supposedly available from Walmart (sadly) on-line only, but can be shipped to local store for pickup. I personally refuse to shop at walmart unless I can’t get the item elsewhere, so I will wait.
I just bought this camera and I love it very much. You may find some sample photos in the above link.
Jackie – impressive samples but please explain to an idiot what the xxx.x mm information in your second line refers to eg. f4 at 126.0mm. Also do you have experience with the s200exr? Is the quality of image about the same? I was going to purchase the s200exr but now I am not so sure.
I was asked to upload the full size of the sample pics. Due to the large file size, I made some 100% crop. Please click the above link to have a look.
Dear Peter, f4 means the aperture used at that shot, and 126.0mm is the actual focal length of the lens, which is equivalent to 720mm in FF camera. Since I don’t have S200, I could not make a comparison between the two. What I could comment is that S200 uses SuperCCD, which is famous for its fine detail, and HS10 uses the newly developed BSI CMOS, the quality of which I believe should not be better than SuperCCD. However, the zoom range of S200 is only 30mm-436mm, whilst that of HS10 is 24mm-720mm. If you want to have 24mm wide and 30x zoom, you have no choice but HS10. If you think that 30mm wide and 436mm is enough, go for the S200. If you do not have the idea of 24mm, 30mm, 400mm and 700mm, click my below link to have a rough idea: http://www.pbase.com/middlehill/focal_length_vs_angle_of_view
Great sample shots there Jackie, thanks for the link. Glad to see that there’s hardly any CA in the high contrast shots and the full zoom comparison shot is really helpful. I should be getting my HS-10 next weekend and am looking forward to testing it myself now!
I uploaded more sample photos in the above link. May it help you.
Thanks Eric. This really help me in the decision I further want to make.
Only there are certain issues that quibble in my mind:-
1) Has a great image stabilizer?
2) How does it capturing moving subject
3) Excellent image quality?
4) HD quality?
5) Does the noise is really disturbing?
Sorry for the long question.
Thanks.
hi Jacky, may I know where is this camera made? In Japan?
At the bottom of my HS10 with the serial no. 0S6098xx, it shows that the camera is made in Indonesia.
I just picked up the Fuji HS10 after shooting over 120,000 photos with a Sony HX50.
I took the painstaking effort to read through the whole manual while I held the camera and went through each control and setting because there is a boatload of features and I setup all the controls.
The camera is solidly built and feels good in my hands which are small.
The manual focus feels smooth, however if you are use to rotating a DSLR lens your hand is going to hit the flash housing before you get the lens manually zoomed all the way out. You have to rotate the manual zoom from under the lens in half rotations.
Menus are clearly laid out and easy to follow.
LCD display is very crisp and clear
There are many modes easy, sr auto, Advanced, SP1 and SP2 which you can set to whatever you want. I used one for landscapes and the other for enhanced portraits) Panoramic mode, and a bunch of manual modes.
A cool feature is that to the left of the viewfiender are direct buttons for ISO, AE, AF, AF csm and White balance. No hunting through the meny for these
The 30 X zoom is marvel of engineering is all I can say. I am very impressed with the zoom and one of reasons I bought this camera.
Any camera can work in perfect day and perfect light
What I was looking for is something for those imperfect conditions
The test shots I have taken have highly impressed me and I take enough photos to know.
I think image quality is way above expectations. I have no problems at all with the image quality and very impressive to me.
The ability to use low light and other functions has allot less noise than many other cameras I have used
HD video full mode, I play it back on 50″ HD TV and it perfect
Microphone is stereo, noise is only apparent in a high wind
I think for the internet this camera is way overkill and your HD videos will blow anything on youtube away
Slow motion video to capture one drop of water falling? How killer is that?
This is a $500 camera with the abilities of a Canon and a few lenses totalling $2000 or better.
I can honestly say anyone that would be disappointed in this camera has other problems in life.
If you take the time to read all 150 pages of the manual, you will understand the technology that went into building this camera and its abundance of features.
There is nothing on the market in this price range that comes close. It is that awesome.
4 AA batteries means bring some spares and never ever worry about having to recharge which to mean is a bonus. After playing with the camera all day and making all kinds of test photos the battery indicator hasn’t moved
Tomorrow I am going to the amusement park and will shoot 300 photos or so
If anyone needs any let me know at admin@visualthailand.com
Hey B-RaD, I was just wondering – when looking through the electronic viewfinder and selecting different shutter speeds/aperture etc with the wheel control, is the information relayed onto the EVF or just the main LCD display?. I’m guessing it is displayed on the EVF but just wanted to check.
Still hoping to get mine this weekend.
Thanks
StiGGy
We are still hoping for HS10 to sell in India. I think it is going to be a sensation. But the wait is going to kill many people.
Photography Bay reader, Bradford, sent me the following comment to pass along because he was encountering errors when attempting to comment. See below:
Tried to post an update 2 times and upon click submit when to blank page
Here is an update review to post
Well sorry, I posted a long post but it did not take when I submitted
Stiggy displayed in the EVF which you can set to only come on when you look in there, the rest of the time will be off
Summary
6 hours in bright sun over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Used up 2 gb card shooting photos and HD video Largest size
Battery life only used 1/4 of a brand new set of AA alkaline
1. Temperature light would come on after multiple repeat videos (normal)
2. If you manual adjust during HD video recording it will jump. The manual adjust is not smooth enough to zoom without a jump
3. Fuji chrome color setting too bright in some photos
4. HD Video is in .mov format videos super clear (I will try to upload to youtube when I get converted)
Here are some full size shots right out of the camera with no retouching
Point and shoot, no preparation, no tripod in auto mode, SR Auto, SP1 and SP2 only. Non professional.
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/beads.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/color.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/flower.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/fruit.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/head.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/zoom out.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/zoom in.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/zoom.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/zoom_overhead_tram.JPG
http://www.visualthailand.com/images/beads.JPG
Comments and questions always welcome.
I am extremely happy with the HS10.
The 30X zoom is worth it for me.
HD video uploaded to youtube
I just got my HS-10 the other day and although i haven’t had much time with it yet I’m really pleased with it so far.
Here a brief rundown of my pros & cons at this early stage.
Pro’s
Size and weight is almost the same as my Canon 450d DSLR which for my hands is perfect. The weight is balanced very well and feels sturdy in my hands.
Build quality is very good with plenty of rubber grip. I especially like the rotating command dials and the various button layouts which become second nature to find after such a short time.
Zoom action is very smooth and auto focus although not being ultra fast should be quick enough not to miss that perfect shot. Auto Focus noise isn’t overly loud but then again I’ve never been bothered if it’s silent or not.
Surprisingly, the EVF is very good and updates very well (choice of either 60fps or 30fp) Being used to a glass viewfinder i wasn’t hoping for much but it’s actually better than i expected. The eyepiece could do with being a little bigger but that’s probably only because I’m used to my Canon?
No obvious CA found in any of the high contrast test photos I’ve taken so far.
Pop out LCD screen was found to be very useful when setting up a few macro shots that were low to the ground.
Finepix software is actually quite good & the Raw file converter is on par with Photoshop. I still prefer to manage my collection with Lightroom though.
Choice of GUI colors (black for me) & x2 shutter sounds – although I’ll never get used to those ‘simulated’ shutter sounds and much prefer the physical clunk of my DLSR :-)
Manual focus takes a little while to get used to but works very well. I especially like the option of having the center part of the image auto zoomed to make fine focusing adjustments that little bit more precise.
Cons
No rubber on the manual focus ring.
Very thin and rough camera strap, will be replacing this with something more comfortable.
No lens hood (have since found a screw on bayonet type on eBay that will also work with 58mm filters attached).
No printed manual (apart from a brief summary) – Although the .pdf manual version on the CD is good.
No HDMI cable included
Super Slow 1/1000s videos look great on the small LCD (dropped a few pebbles into a bowl of water) but the low resolution means that on a PC or TV it’s a pixelated mess. Shame, but movie mode wasn’t why i brought this camera anyway.
It’s also a shame Fuji doesn’t adopt the standard RAW format.
USB cable is very short (I’d say just over 1.5 ft) O.k if you have a desktop USB hub or USB port on your monitor but I would image you might struggle if if you have your PC at floor level under your desk.
Regards
StiGGy
hello i have a new fuji hs10 but after reading the manual and the pdf i can not find how to switch to raw mode thankyou
–StiGGy asked me to pass along this follow-up comment–
Hi Douglas, switch on the camera and press the menu button in the centre of selector controls (item no.37 on page 19 of the .pdf manual).
Then, press the left control button which will highlight the ‘orange camera’ icon in the menu.
Then press the down button to highlight the ‘blue spanner setup menu’ & press the centre selector control again.
Finally, continue to press the down button to browse down through the menus items until you find setup menu no.4, were you should see the RAW selection mode (think it’s the 3rd option down). This will allow you to select RAW-off, RAW-On & Jpeg & RAW -On.
Hope this helps.
It’s seems quite a long step to get to the RAW options but once you’ve done it a few times it becomes second nature.
I’ve only had my HS-10 for a few days now so maybe I’m doing this wrong and there actually a quicker way to get to the RAW options??? Would love to know if anyone else finds out.
I’ve been uploaded a few test shots on my blog since purchasing it on Friday. Today was all about the zoom and boy what a zoom. Even hand-held at the full 720mm end, it’s rock steady!
My only problem seems to be with playback of HD video on either 1080 or 720 mode. It seems to stutter when played back through Quicktime on my PC. Don’t think it’s my PC specs as they’re quite high. Anyone shed any light? Is it anything to do with zooming/focusing?
Regards
StiGGy
http://stiggyblog.wordpress.com/
Thanks Eric, much obliged. Swapped PC’s maybe it was my browser preventing me from posting.
StiGGy
Hi,
I would be realy pleased if someone could tell me if this camera is stabilized good enough for taking shots without tripod on wildlife (720 mm, daylight)…
I own a sony dsc h1 (20X) which is pretty good but i do want something better so i’m allmost ready to go for fuji hs 10 and this is why i ask for your help…
Alex
Fuji just released a firmware update for the HS10. It corrects the problems below:
1. Some distorted images with pin-cushion type can be captured at AE bracketing mode
2. Sometimes unclear details in images
3. In RAW + JPEG mode, JPEG images are sharper
4. Soft image or not smooth enough color gradation in D-range 200, 400% than in 100%
Downloadlink:
http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/software/firmware/s/finepix_hs10/fupd.html
Great & Beauty – I buy that camera today , and I do have one FujiFinePix602s
befoure and that one the New one HS10 its something , Much much better dent any DSLR with2 lences and off cose the price – perfect things for so low price and so much in at – Great things -All the best for All users with FujiFinePixHS10 you will have so much fune – Zbimac
My older camera is a Canon S3IS which only have 12X.
Now with HS-10, I can shoot much further with 30X.
I am happy with the image quality.
I am using manual mode much more than automatic mode.
I feel I am using a DSLR which cost only 1/2.
I am glad I made a sound decision.
Hello…I just bought the HS10 but I dont know how to do the firmware update. I read that if it is not done properly that you can permanantly mess up the camera. Is there somewhere I can go so some1 can do it for me? Also when I take pictures in auto mode the pics come out blurry and also when its in more than 20x zoom. Is there anything I can do to fix this? And what is the difference between raw and jpeg? Which one should I take pictures in? I know its a lot of questions but thanks in advance! = ]
Also…can anyone recommend some excellent quality batteries that I should buy as well as a memory card…thanks
Hi alex,
Please refer here for some 720mm shots:
http://www.pbase.com/middlehill/hs10_telephoto_shots
Hi Mom of 2,
I recommend Sayno Eneloop batteries.
Hi Jacky LEE,
Thanks for your respond,
I had already seen your (very good) fotos but you do not say anything about tripod there…
1. Are them all taken without the use of tripod?
2. have you made any improvement to those fotos or they are the original (they looked like they have been a little bit sharpened…)
I am about to order the camera tomorrow so if you have any serious negative empressions please write something about them…
Thanks…
unfortunately, there’s no filter for the camera from 3rd party suppliers nor from the fujifilm itself.
Does the HS10 have HDR capability like the Nikon P100? TIA
As I get familiar with the HS10 I have found while using the “Adv” shooting mode in the Pro Low-Light setting it gives me 2 exposures not 1 exposure as the manual states. I have allowed for camera movment by using a tripod and ruled out movement of the subject by shooting a picture of a hanging painting on the wall.
I always end up with 2 exposures instead of 1 forcing me to delete pictures which uses up battery life.
Has anyone else experienced this with their HS10
Please advise.
I would like to hear from someone. This is really bothering me.
ON HS10 trying to figure out if in S or P mode or somewhere else if I can set for 3 shot exposure bracketing and RAW and have these settings remain until I reset them without it changing any of the Auto settings in other Modes.
Would be using this mode for HDR shots.
Also is there a way to set auto mode to never allow ISO over 400 to avoid grain.
Thanks
I just bought the Fujifilm HS10 a couple weeks ago.I was very impressed overall.There are a couple things i found annoying.The fact that HD movies are in the Apple .MOV format and none of my software is compatible on my PC.The software provided is way to basic and virtually useless.As well as the Raw feature,it actually saves in .RAF,not compatible with Photoshop.Also the camera can save frames as RAW and JPEG or RAW only,but not JPEG only.It has a hotshow as well,but havent found a compatible flash as of yet,i’ll keep looking though.
Hi Alex,
1. No tripod was used.
2. Only resizing and a mild degree of USM has been applied to the resized images.
My comments are:
(1) HS10 offers 24mm with 30x zoom (to 720mm). There is currently no other competitor with such design. I am a user of SLR for nearly 20 years and has been seeking for a single lens/prosumer camera with wide angle and long zoom capability for daily use. I had Tamron 28-300 in the past but still it is too heavy to be a daily-carry camera. I have been waiting and waiting, from the 10x megazoom era, 20x megazoon era and now 30x megazoom era. It is really a good news for me since HS10 starts from 24mm, which is very useful for taking landscape / architecture photos.
(2) In terms of sensor size, although there are many critisms about why Fujifilm did not choose a large sensor in HS10 (e.g., 1/1.7″) as a flagship model, I don’t think that the 1/2.3″ BSI CMOS does a poor job. For sure is that if Fujifilm chose 1/1.7″, the image quality may be better, but the drawback is that the overall size and weight of HS10 would also be increased to such a degree that it may not be suitable as a daily-carry camera. Small camera means that it is better for you to take street snapshots with long zoom end since your subjects would not easily realize what photos you are taking.
(3) In terms of colour, HS10 always produces natural gradations, both in sunny and cloudy days, which is not the same taste as the Fuji SuperCCD (like slide). Personally I love this arragement because it leaves more flexibility in post-editing. If you don’t like post-editing, you can still produce saturated images by setting HS10 in slide mode or adjust the “Colour and Tone” setting inside the HS10 menu.
(4) High ISO performance is very good. I don’t expect a 1/2.3″ sensor could deliver such high quality in high ISO. The newly developed BSI technology and the in-built jpg processing engine in HS10 should be appreciated in this aspect.
(5) CA control is excellent. I can hardly find any CA in photos with high contrasty edge. If you take raw, CA will not be corrected.
(6) Distortion control is also good in jpg. You can hardly find any noticeable distortion in wide angle shot in daily use. For sure is that if you are serious architectual photographer, you would choose DSLR or even lens with manual perspective control. Distortion remains there in raw images.
(7) Lens flare control is nice. In most of the time, the lens flare is acceptable while sometimes you would find lens flare in terms of some small circles at the opposite diagonal side of the light source, which could easily be removed in PS.
(8) Light fall-off is not a big issue in wide angle shot in daily use.
(9) HS10 is not a camera for serious protrait shots although it can zoom to 720mm because the min. focus distance is 2m. The DoF and bokeh effect could not be comparable to DSLR. In my experience, for head shot or half body shot, 300mm is desirable because the min. focus distance could be shorter, thus resulting in a blurrer background. Despite this, DoF and bokeh effect in macro or super macro shots are quite impressive because you can get closer to the subject to create an even blurrer background.
(10) Image stabilization is rather effective.
(11) Built-in flash is reliable in most of the times, but sometimes images would be over-exposued if you adjust auto ISO 1600 or higher. I usually set auto ISO 400 when using built-in flash.
(12) Focus speed is acceptable in properly-lit situations, but rather slow in poorly-lit ones, and sometimes even fail to focus unless you activate the focus assist lamp. Focus assist lamp is not always desirable because it may disturb your subjects. Remember to switch off the focus assist lamp when you take street snapshots.
(13) MF ring is only a gimmick, which is not useful in my opinion.
(14) Sweep panorama in handheld situation is not good. You may have to try many many times to get a successful panorama shots.
(15) Pro-low mode is very good in low-light scenes without tripod.
(16) Multi Motion Capture and Motion Remover Mode are not as good as demonstrated in Fujifilm website. There are many restictions for such modes to deliver successful results.
(17) Black and White mode is good.
(18) Final words: HS10 is good for daily shots, street snapshots, landscape, architecture, close-up, flower and night shots, but not good for protrait, sport, fast-moving objects and baby.
Hi Joe,
You can screw in any 58mm filter to HS10.
Hi Mike,
HS10 has HDR capability. Please refer to my test here: http://www.pbase.com/middlehill/hs10_dynamic_range
Hi Jon,
One of the photos is original photo (without pro low-light setting) while the other one has. HS10 offers you to choose one of them and compare the two images after you apply the setting in the shot.
Hi Joe,
“ON HS10 trying to figure out if in S or P mode or somewhere else if I can set for 3 shot exposure bracketing and RAW and have these settings remain until I reset them without it changing any of the Auto settings in other Modes.”
Yes, AEB is offered by HS10 with raw image.
“Also is there a way to set auto mode to never allow ISO over 400 to avoid grain.”
Yes as well.
found out how to shoot in jpeg only,turn off raw.Takes a few extra seconds each frame to save raw,if you need high speed shooting you need a really fast sdhc card,reg cards just won’t cut it.Also i fthere are raw images or .MOV files on your cardthey will not be compatible with a HP Photosmart D5460 printer,all the lights start flashing and printer has to be shut off and card removed.Reg external card reader worked fine though.
Note to all users of the HS10!
Fuji have just installed the very latest Firmware update on my HS10,Version 3!
It’s not even listed on Fuji’s UK website yet,it’s that new!
They have not specified what’s been improved,and I’ve asked them to confirm what improvements have been made.
It’s definitely improved focussing,particularly at the long end of the zoom,and the camera just seems to respond better,although it was already pretty good.
Definitely recommended,as makes a good camera even better!
It’s just a pity Fuji didn’t get the camera quite right to start with,so contact Fuji ASAP,and get your camera up to speed!
Don Bronsema Your comment is awaiting moderation.
October 29th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Hello, I really like my HS10 and the ease of use is great. But I do have a question you may be able to help me with. Flash. My flash stopped working. It did work and the next time I went to use it no mas. I have checked all settings, and checked the manual with no positive results. I had a photographer friend who knows alot more than myself look it over with the same results, it does not flash. So, do you know of anything it could be or anything I could try.
Thanks for you time and thank you in advance.
Don