Fujifilm FinePix HS10 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD

I am an avid amateur photographer who wanted to step up a notch to a megazoom camera without all the extra lenses. Some that I reviewed were Canon, Panasonic, Kodak and the Fuji HS10.The Fuji HS10 on paper was the best of the bunch. It was ironic that while I was considering this camera, my last months issue of Popular Photography did a feature article on the Fuji and gave it pretty high marks across the board.Once it arrived, I was impressed with its DSLR body and its durability. After putting the batteries in it, I was immediately taking photos without even reading the basic manual. I was impressed with the photo quality, click to capture speed, tilting LCD screen and the EVF with the electronic eye. The 30x optical zoom is top notch in this camera. Shooting at high ISO's, this camera has exceptionally low amounts of noise up to 800 and even for a amateur like myself,I could go higher without any issues. This camera even shoots video at 1080p. Now to the feature that really make this camera an outstanding value for the money. Fuji developed the new, Honeycomb-Shaped Super BSI Image Sensor. Didn't understand the technology jargon either until I read about it. For you techies, instead of conventional CCD with square pixel arrangements, Fuji's Super BSI has octagonal pixels situated at 45 degree angles. What Fuji claims is that the octagonal profile of the pixels increases sensitivity,improves signal to noise ratios, produces richer , true to life colors and excellent clarity. Although I'm still in the learning stage with this camera, because of all its features, I can say my photos have pop like I've never seen before.I have sampled some images taken with a 14 MP camera and I honestly believe my photos at 10 MP are sharper and the colors are brighter.Just a couple more notes on this camera; definitely use the cd manual as it details all the options this camera has, the macro and super macro settings are exceptional, and on the downside, some features on the camera require you to hold a button and turn a knob at the same time, a bit awkward however, not impossible! This camera sets the new standard for megazoom point and shoots. Very happy Fuji HS10 owner.

I've owned a multi-lens SLR for years, and my Fuji Finepix HS10 for about 3 weeks. I have taken about 300 test shots with it to test many of the features and functions as well as learning how to use it. Overall, I am very pleased with it. Image quality (IQ) is quite good, and it's fairly easy to use. The flexibility and number of features enables it to compete with basic DSLR's.Lens: The OPTICAL zoom range is incredible (24 - 720mm)in a single lens! The overall performance of the lens is outstanding. Having a 24 - 720mm zoom range, there is no need to change lenses. Yipee! Say good bye to lugging around several lenses, and having to change them all the time!Fuji has taken a lot of time to carefully design and engineer this camera. To get the most out of it, I've thoroughly read (and follow) the manual and have had great results. Most of the issues written by users I feel may be (IMHO) operator error; not following the manual. The manual however, could be somewhat clearer regarding some of the settings. Examples: Some of the settings / adjustments (ISO, White Balance, etc.) work only in modes other than Automatic or SR (which makes sense, but should be more clearly stated). Ref. page 49 "Autofocus Mode" - "Area" and "Tracking" modes work only when face detection is turned off which is not noted in the manual.Examples of what I feel may be user errors / comments:Battery life. NiMH batteries must go through 3 - 5 full charge / discharge cycles for them to operate at full capacity -this is why the camera has a battery discharge function! Brand-new NiMH batteries will not operate at full capacity until they have been discharged and recharged multiple times. I have found when the camera displays the red low battery icon, there is still significant battery life left; giving the user plenty of notice. I am using Sanyo Eneloop's which have 2,000 mAh capacity and worked great.Ergonomics / lens zoom & manual focus operation: I find the manual zoom ring near the camera body, and zoom function to be smooth and both are easily operated. The other controls are well placed and with practice can be used without looking.Write speed: I have found the shot-to-shot time to be fine. Be sure to format the SD / SDHC card IN THE CAMERA before use(again, read and follow the manual!)! Use "Class 6" or higher SDHC cards - especially for video capture (the "Class" number indicates the write speed - the higher the number, the faster the write speed). Also be sure to update the firmware when new versions are available (again, follow the manual!).The flexibility and control of shooting modes (fully automatic to fully manual), control of aperture and depth-of-field (DOF), shutter speed, sensitivity (ISO), white balance, color settings enables the HS10 to compete with DSLR's.Focusing: Generally, the camera takes sharp photo's, however at time I have found while in Auto mode, the camera may not focus on subjects when zoomed-in all the way. Switching to SR Auto puts the camera in macro mode and the camera will then focus. I've called Fuji to let them know. The camera should focus regardless of the mode in which it's operating.I like the chrome color setting for outdoor photo's - accentuates greens and blues.I have been a 3-lens SLR user for many years, and have found this camera was a great choice for me - a single lens w/ a 24 - 720 mm focal length range, a great combination of features, good IQ, flexibility, functionality, and at the price a great value!

I have had this camera for only a little over a month now and have taken about 450 pictures (some good, some bad). Almost all of the bad ones were my fault (experimenting and learning). I have two other "point and shoot" digital cameras (Olympus & Sony) and a very old Olympus OM1 SLR that is "bullet proof". That being said, this Fujifilm Finepix HS-10 is a dream come true. It has all of the simplisity of my "point & shoots" and the versatility of my SLR without having to change lens all of the time. I am inpressed with the 24mm wide angel as I take a lot of "scenery" shots in the high country of Colorado. Also, the 720mm is impressive for the same reason (suggest a momo or bipod for the long tele shots even with the stabilation built into the camera). I have taken several shots using the macro and super macro and all turned out very clear and good color balance. I am sure that it will take several months to learn all that this camera is capable of, but that's the fun of it. One drawback that I can see is not having a printed manual supplied with the camera. You can find out all you need to know by using the PDF file on the Fujifilm site, but you can't take that to the field with you.I am far from being a professional photographer, but I would highly recommend this camera for anyone who wants to take really good pictures and isn't affraid to play with the manual controls (that's part of the fun & you can delete your mistakes).It is nicely finished (looks like top quality), very light, and a pleasure to use.There are a lot of other similar cameras out there, but this one gives you a lot of "bang for the buck".