No sooner have Fujifilm wowed us with the EXR sensor, than they launch the HS10; a superzoom camera priced at £375 with 10.3Mp on a BSI-CMOS sensor, a 3in tilting screen, bags of features and a mind boggling 30x optical zoom.
| Fujifilm FinePix HS10 in Compact Cameras
ADVERTISEMENT
Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Fujifilm have some pretty exciting cameras under their belt. They have the models with the EXR sensor, the 3D camera and now they're pushing the features on the superzooms. The HS10 has a 30x optical zoom and so many features, I'm losing track.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Features
We've all seen the superzooms being churned out but what has the HS10 got that the others don't? What makes it worth the hefty price tag? For a start, there's that eye watering 30x optical zoom. That gives a total coverage of 24 - 720mm in 35mm terms. That will surely destroy the amount of light that can be captured, so the HS10 has been fitted with a new BSI-CMOS sensor. BSI standing for Back Side Illuminated. With a name like that, I'm unsurprised they decided to abbreviate. The way it works is in the construction. The wiring that normally sits on top of the photodiode layer has been placed behind the photodiodes to allow more light to hit the sensitive layer. It means faster shutter speeds in lower light, higher frames per second and less noise due to being able to use a lower sensitivity.
More experienced photographers will be happy to know that the HS10 shoots in Raw although this has to be enabled in the main menu and certain features will be disabled such as the dynamic range compensation.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
A new processor has been developed for the HS10 to cope with the huge zoom, extra performance of the sensor and additional features such as motion panorama, multi motion capture and pro light mode. However, I found in the tests that the processor is exceptionally slow, especially when recording JPEG and Raw together. With a normal SD card, it took three seconds to get the preview on the screen and a total of nine seconds before the preview disappeared. This doesn't sound a lot but when you're out in the real world, it can be an age. This improves slightly using an SDHC card with the image showing on screen in just over 2 seconds and being ready for the next shot after five seconds. I still think this is a long time though and I got frustrated waiting at times.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Handling
There are number of quirky features that the HS10 has to help with your photography. The most noticeable is the tilting screen which is great for shooting high or low viewpoints. Unfortunately, it doesn't twist sideways so it's useless if you're shooting portrait orientation.
The command dial on the top shoulder has been placed at a jaunty angle so it's easier to grip onto without moving as much. This helps lessen shake which will help with that large zoom. Pro Low-light mode has been featured on the Fujifilm compacts since the introduction of the EXR sensor and it's been expanded to include a Multi-motion capture mode and Motion Remover which I think is possibly the most interesting one.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
It works by taking five images in succession, and mapping them together. It then analyses anything that has moved in the frame and removes it. This ingenious feature is great for touring the sights of a famous city where other tourists will get in the way but not so good on landscapes or on a windy day.
The chunky grip is great to hold and I like the manual zoom ring on the lens as well as a function ring next to the body. The buttons and dials are easy to use and could be susceptible to getting knocked if you aren't careful. A lot of people are happy with the inclusion of AA batteries and I think it's subjective on whether you prefer them or not. I personally don't like them but I know many people see the pros outweigh the cons.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Performance
All images were taken in Raw where possible and converted using the Fujifilm Raw converter that comes with the camera.
Exposure
In diverse lighting, the HS10 copes really well, it manages to expose areas bathed in bright sunlight without burning out highlights and still manages to retain detail in shadow areas. The same goes for strong side-lighting, the cameras metering system copes nicely.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
With sunlight directly in the frame, the camera suffers badly from lens flare which manifests in the form of hexagonal spots and light streaks. With digital cameras, a type of lens flare can occur that looks like a cluster of rainbows. This phenomenon is caused by diffraction on the image sensor.
Backlit subjects look really good with plenty of detail still in the shadow areas although there's noticeable chromatic aberration in the form of a thin line of purple fringing on high contrast edges.
Focusing
Focusing is speedier than other superzooms I've reviewed in the past and although the camera hunts through the focal range before settling on the optimum area, it gets through that range pretty fast. There are a number of focusing modes, three of which are available on the rear navigation pad.
Because of the diversity of the camera, it has to be able to cope with all styles of photography, so sports not just a macro mode but also a super macro mode that has a close focusing of 1cm. This can only be used at full wide-angle setting so be prepared for some distortion.
Aside from the macro modes, on the left side of the screen are two buttons, one marked AF C-S-M which scrolls through continuous, single or manual focusing while the button above rotates through the focusing point options such as multi-point, centre-point, area select and tracking. The AF tracking system is a simple idea enabled by pressing the left key on the navigation pad, but it's not efficient and can't keep on the subject if they move quickly.
Resolution
Images straight out of the camera are a little soft and in need of some sharpening in an editing suite and for this reason the camera seems to not be able to show as much detail as it's capable of recording. They're not out of focus though, so I don't think it's a dodgy focusing system but I got a new model to test to be on the safe side.
Raw files come out of the computer at 15.18Mb while JPEGs are a more modest 3.95Mb. When a Raw file is compressed to JPEG through the Fujifilm Raw processing system, the finished image comes out at 3.67Mb.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Noise
In a similar way to the Ricoh CX3 which was reviewed on 15th April 2010, the backlit sensor helps improve noise performance because the increased light on the sensor allows for lower ISO in darker situations. Also, the shutter speeds don't have to be as long and long shutter speeds make the pixels heat up because they're active, which also creates a type of noise.
This improved performance has seen the manufacturers dare to add an extra step of sensitivity on the camera and the HS10 has a top setting of ISO6400 which also remains at a full size image.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Noise reduction on the HS10 works really well and in natural light, I can't see noise appear at all until ISO800 where the image starts to get the painted look because the detail is starting to be smoothed out. Multi-coloured pixels start to appear in low and mid-range areas of the pictures and these get worse as the ISO settings are increased.
At ISO3200 most of the detail in the scene has gone and the only difference between ISO3200 and ISO6400 is the addition of blue and purple spots in contrasting areas of the frame.
In controlled light, a similar result occurs than what I found outside. The images are really nice and smooth at low to mid-range ISO settings. ISO800 shows a slight change in the quality as noise starts to creep through and break down the edges of sharp lines. To be fair to the camera, you have to view the images at 100% magnification to see the changes taking place and it's not until ISO3200 that the quality degrades enough for it to be an issue at normal viewing distance.
Even though ISO6400 is suffering from a big noise problem, the camera still tries to hold onto its dignity by producing a half decent image. In fact if these were the results I get all the time, I'd have no problem using a high ISO setting.
Colour reproduction
One area I think the Fuji could be improved on is colour saturation. I found in natural light that cool colours such as blue and green just didn't come out as rich as I'd like or expect. Still, this could be attributed to Fujifilm programming sensors to give the look of 35mm film that they make because it has a coolness to it. Bold colours are reproduced nicely, although in bright light, I got some bleeding of really strong red onto darker colours. Foliage and sky blue aren't unpleasant when looking at the picture but compared to the actual scene, they're ever so slightly off.
In controlled light, blue is over saturated as I expected from Fujifilm while warmer colours appear more pale. Tricky colours such as purple are handled well and I like that even in images with strong colours, pastels and subtle hues aren't ignored. Earthy browns and greens look a bit darker than I like but mono tones, I think they've come out nicely.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Emma B is a model for hire, you can visit her portfolio here:
Emma B
Dynamic range
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 has the dynamic range compensation system which is found in the main menu and has three settings of DR100, DR200 and DR400.
At ISO100, only DR100 is available, at ISO200, DR200 also becomes available and from ISO400, all three are open to use.
White-balance
I got some balanced results from the HS10 in natural daylight, it cooled down the warmth of sunlight while warming up shaded areas. There are three fluorescent settings to combat the strong cast of strip lights. The reason being that there are different types of strip light that give a different cast, so it's simply looking at the scene in each setting and using the closest match. Luckily, the camera will show the scene behind you so you can see the colour change as you select the setting. It's best to have something white in the frame so you can teel the correct setting easier.
The nearest setting that I had came out quite well unlike the auto setting that gave a very green finish. The tungsten setting also worked well enough in the preset mode while the auto setting gives an orange cast as it can't cope with the warmth of the lights. It's always best to take a manual reading if you can and it's easy enough to do with the Fujifilm FinePix HS10. Choose the custom white-balance setting in the list, hold the camera over something pure white such as a piece of paper and press the shutter release button. Once the camera has registered the new setting, press Ok and the setting is saved.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Battery life
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 uses 4x AA batteries which aren't my cup of tea in the slightest, I prefer a rechargeable Lithium Ion type. Sure I know the advantages of AA batteries, but it still annoys me when they don't last as long. I don't like batteries dying on me at all regardless of the variety they are. For that reason. Even using rechargeable batteries irks me so I tend to gravitate towards cameras that I'm more confident won't run out of power.
That being said, the standard pack of batteries that came in the box lasted me the entire test period with around 200 - 300 images being taken, using the screen on the back mostly, reviewing every image and recording to Raw/JPEG which takes more processing time. I also shot some video footage which isn't thrifty on power a the best of times.
Sanyo Eneloop batteries are a popular choice for people who like to use cameras that have AA battery compatibility and you can get a pack of these batteries and a charger for £24.99 from Park Cameras here:
Sanyo Eneloop x4 AA and charger
Buffer read/write times
There are a two continuous shooting modes and they're accessed using the button on the top plate between the shutter release and mode dial. You can choose from Top7 (Top6 if you're shooting in Raw) and Best frame capture.
The Top7 mode takes six or seven quick succession images which it transfers to a temporary buffer to process onto the card once the camera has finished. That way, speed isn't affected by the processor trying to work on the images. It took the seven JPEGs in half a second which is a speed of 14fps. Very fast and a shame it can't do more than seven pictures. It's also a shame that the pictures take a total of 29sec to take, preview and process the images.
In Raw, the speed is noticeably slower to take the pictures but takes a similar total processing time. The six Raw images are taken in a little over a second.
Lens performance
Considering a Fujinon lens has been used on the HS10, I'm surprised at the lack of quality. As well as the previously mentioned softness all over, chromatic aberration and lens flare, the lens also suffers from much softer resolution at the edges. Because of the all over softness, centre sharpness is dicey at best although the massive zoom does make it a bit better if you zoom in.
A lens hood would've been a great addition to the extras in the box because it would've helped with the lens flare problem although judging by the amount of flare showing, it would have only reduced it.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Verdict
When we drill down to the nitty gritty, is a massive feature-set and a few unique systems really enough to warrant getting a camera such as this one? Colours can be pale and the lens isn't the best I've seen on a Fuji camera.
Comparable models include the Olympus SP800 UZ at £329.99 which also has a 30x optical zoom but Olympus have sacrificed 4mm at the wide end to add 120mm at full zoom, so it depends on if you prefer the Fujifilm 24mm wide-angle or the Olympus 840mm top end. The Pentax X90 has a smaller 26x optical zoom but has a 26mm wide angle view that extends to 676mm in 35mm terms but comes in at a more appealing £294.99.
There's tonnes of features on the camera, more than enough to keep you busy for a long time, there are innovative features such as the motion remover, 30x optical zoom and Fujfilm are pushing the technology by being one of the first manufacturers to use a backlit sensor. Despite all this I can't help but feel that the camera has to come down in price to nearer the £300 mark. I think then it will be a good price.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Specification
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 costs £374.99 and is available from Warehouse Express here:
Fujifilm FinePix HS10
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 flagship superzoom sports a 30x optical zoom but also features a back-illuminated sensor and sweep panoramic mode. |
Fujifilm have some pretty exciting cameras under their belt. They have the models with the EXR sensor, the 3D camera and now they're pushing the features on the superzooms. The HS10 has a 30x optical zoom and so many features, I'm losing track.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Features
We've all seen the superzooms being churned out but what has the HS10 got that the others don't? What makes it worth the hefty price tag? For a start, there's that eye watering 30x optical zoom. That gives a total coverage of 24 - 720mm in 35mm terms. That will surely destroy the amount of light that can be captured, so the HS10 has been fitted with a new BSI-CMOS sensor. BSI standing for Back Side Illuminated. With a name like that, I'm unsurprised they decided to abbreviate. The way it works is in the construction. The wiring that normally sits on top of the photodiode layer has been placed behind the photodiodes to allow more light to hit the sensitive layer. It means faster shutter speeds in lower light, higher frames per second and less noise due to being able to use a lower sensitivity.
More experienced photographers will be happy to know that the HS10 shoots in Raw although this has to be enabled in the main menu and certain features will be disabled such as the dynamic range compensation.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 The back has a similar layout to other Fujifilm compacts. |
 These buttons down the left side of the screen are similar to a Nikon design. |
 The two dials on the shoulder are angled to make using them easier. |
 It's a shame that the 3in tilting screen won't swivel left and right as well. |
A new processor has been developed for the HS10 to cope with the huge zoom, extra performance of the sensor and additional features such as motion panorama, multi motion capture and pro light mode. However, I found in the tests that the processor is exceptionally slow, especially when recording JPEG and Raw together. With a normal SD card, it took three seconds to get the preview on the screen and a total of nine seconds before the preview disappeared. This doesn't sound a lot but when you're out in the real world, it can be an age. This improves slightly using an SDHC card with the image showing on screen in just over 2 seconds and being ready for the next shot after five seconds. I still think this is a long time though and I got frustrated waiting at times.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 Sweep panorama is taken in one long exposure as you twist by your waist. Problems such as the moving car on the right can spoil it though. |
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Handling
There are number of quirky features that the HS10 has to help with your photography. The most noticeable is the tilting screen which is great for shooting high or low viewpoints. Unfortunately, it doesn't twist sideways so it's useless if you're shooting portrait orientation.
The command dial on the top shoulder has been placed at a jaunty angle so it's easier to grip onto without moving as much. This helps lessen shake which will help with that large zoom. Pro Low-light mode has been featured on the Fujifilm compacts since the introduction of the EXR sensor and it's been expanded to include a Multi-motion capture mode and Motion Remover which I think is possibly the most interesting one.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 The back buttons are very easy to use, they're firm to the touch and very responsive to your commands. |
 The built-in flash aids the hot-shoe for external flash systems although I couldn't get it to power a slave trigger in the studio. |
It works by taking five images in succession, and mapping them together. It then analyses anything that has moved in the frame and removes it. This ingenious feature is great for touring the sights of a famous city where other tourists will get in the way but not so good on landscapes or on a windy day.
The chunky grip is great to hold and I like the manual zoom ring on the lens as well as a function ring next to the body. The buttons and dials are easy to use and could be susceptible to getting knocked if you aren't careful. A lot of people are happy with the inclusion of AA batteries and I think it's subjective on whether you prefer them or not. I personally don't like them but I know many people see the pros outweigh the cons.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Performance
All images were taken in Raw where possible and converted using the Fujifilm Raw converter that comes with the camera.
Exposure
In diverse lighting, the HS10 copes really well, it manages to expose areas bathed in bright sunlight without burning out highlights and still manages to retain detail in shadow areas. The same goes for strong side-lighting, the cameras metering system copes nicely.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 |
 |
 Top left: Backlit subjects still retain information in the shadow areas. Top right: With direct sun, the camera suffers from lens flare. Bottom left: The camera meters well using the multi metering option. Bottom right: A good dynamic range retains detail images with strong light. |
 |
With sunlight directly in the frame, the camera suffers badly from lens flare which manifests in the form of hexagonal spots and light streaks. With digital cameras, a type of lens flare can occur that looks like a cluster of rainbows. This phenomenon is caused by diffraction on the image sensor.
Backlit subjects look really good with plenty of detail still in the shadow areas although there's noticeable chromatic aberration in the form of a thin line of purple fringing on high contrast edges.
Focusing
Focusing is speedier than other superzooms I've reviewed in the past and although the camera hunts through the focal range before settling on the optimum area, it gets through that range pretty fast. There are a number of focusing modes, three of which are available on the rear navigation pad.
Because of the diversity of the camera, it has to be able to cope with all styles of photography, so sports not just a macro mode but also a super macro mode that has a close focusing of 1cm. This can only be used at full wide-angle setting so be prepared for some distortion.
Aside from the macro modes, on the left side of the screen are two buttons, one marked AF C-S-M which scrolls through continuous, single or manual focusing while the button above rotates through the focusing point options such as multi-point, centre-point, area select and tracking. The AF tracking system is a simple idea enabled by pressing the left key on the navigation pad, but it's not efficient and can't keep on the subject if they move quickly.
Resolution
Images straight out of the camera are a little soft and in need of some sharpening in an editing suite and for this reason the camera seems to not be able to show as much detail as it's capable of recording. They're not out of focus though, so I don't think it's a dodgy focusing system but I got a new model to test to be on the safe side.
Raw files come out of the computer at 15.18Mb while JPEGs are a more modest 3.95Mb. When a Raw file is compressed to JPEG through the Fujifilm Raw processing system, the finished image comes out at 3.67Mb.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 Images are a bit soft and benefit from sharpening in editing later. |
Noise
In a similar way to the Ricoh CX3 which was reviewed on 15th April 2010, the backlit sensor helps improve noise performance because the increased light on the sensor allows for lower ISO in darker situations. Also, the shutter speeds don't have to be as long and long shutter speeds make the pixels heat up because they're active, which also creates a type of noise.
This improved performance has seen the manufacturers dare to add an extra step of sensitivity on the camera and the HS10 has a top setting of ISO6400 which also remains at a full size image.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 |
 The ISO100 test. |
 The ISO200 test. |
 The ISO400 test. |
 The ISO800 test. |
 The ISO1600 test. |
 The ISO3200 test |
 The ISO6400 test. |
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 |
The ISO100 test. |
 The ISO200 test. |
 The ISO400 test. |
 The ISO800 test. |
 The ISO1600 test. |
 The ISO3200 test. |
 The ISO6400 test. |
Noise reduction on the HS10 works really well and in natural light, I can't see noise appear at all until ISO800 where the image starts to get the painted look because the detail is starting to be smoothed out. Multi-coloured pixels start to appear in low and mid-range areas of the pictures and these get worse as the ISO settings are increased.
At ISO3200 most of the detail in the scene has gone and the only difference between ISO3200 and ISO6400 is the addition of blue and purple spots in contrasting areas of the frame.
In controlled light, a similar result occurs than what I found outside. The images are really nice and smooth at low to mid-range ISO settings. ISO800 shows a slight change in the quality as noise starts to creep through and break down the edges of sharp lines. To be fair to the camera, you have to view the images at 100% magnification to see the changes taking place and it's not until ISO3200 that the quality degrades enough for it to be an issue at normal viewing distance.
Even though ISO6400 is suffering from a big noise problem, the camera still tries to hold onto its dignity by producing a half decent image. In fact if these were the results I get all the time, I'd have no problem using a high ISO setting.
Colour reproduction
One area I think the Fuji could be improved on is colour saturation. I found in natural light that cool colours such as blue and green just didn't come out as rich as I'd like or expect. Still, this could be attributed to Fujifilm programming sensors to give the look of 35mm film that they make because it has a coolness to it. Bold colours are reproduced nicely, although in bright light, I got some bleeding of really strong red onto darker colours. Foliage and sky blue aren't unpleasant when looking at the picture but compared to the actual scene, they're ever so slightly off.
In controlled light, blue is over saturated as I expected from Fujifilm while warmer colours appear more pale. Tricky colours such as purple are handled well and I like that even in images with strong colours, pastels and subtle hues aren't ignored. Earthy browns and greens look a bit darker than I like but mono tones, I think they've come out nicely.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 |
 |
 |
 Top left: Bright colours look good but the camera suffers from colour bleed. Top right: Foliage comes out a fraction off true colour. Above: Saturated reds are bright and vivid. Right: I love the way the camera handles skin tones. They're balanced, realistic and there's no over sharpening done either. |
 |
Emma B is a model for hire, you can visit her portfolio here:
Emma B
Dynamic range
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 has the dynamic range compensation system which is found in the main menu and has three settings of DR100, DR200 and DR400.
At ISO100, only DR100 is available, at ISO200, DR200 also becomes available and from ISO400, all three are open to use.
White-balance
I got some balanced results from the HS10 in natural daylight, it cooled down the warmth of sunlight while warming up shaded areas. There are three fluorescent settings to combat the strong cast of strip lights. The reason being that there are different types of strip light that give a different cast, so it's simply looking at the scene in each setting and using the closest match. Luckily, the camera will show the scene behind you so you can see the colour change as you select the setting. It's best to have something white in the frame so you can teel the correct setting easier.
The nearest setting that I had came out quite well unlike the auto setting that gave a very green finish. The tungsten setting also worked well enough in the preset mode while the auto setting gives an orange cast as it can't cope with the warmth of the lights. It's always best to take a manual reading if you can and it's easy enough to do with the Fujifilm FinePix HS10. Choose the custom white-balance setting in the list, hold the camera over something pure white such as a piece of paper and press the shutter release button. Once the camera has registered the new setting, press Ok and the setting is saved.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
| Fluorescent | |
 Auto white-balance fluorescent. |
 White-balance fluorescent. |
| Tungsten | |
 Auto white-balance tungsten. |
 White-balance tungsten. |
Battery life
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 uses 4x AA batteries which aren't my cup of tea in the slightest, I prefer a rechargeable Lithium Ion type. Sure I know the advantages of AA batteries, but it still annoys me when they don't last as long. I don't like batteries dying on me at all regardless of the variety they are. For that reason. Even using rechargeable batteries irks me so I tend to gravitate towards cameras that I'm more confident won't run out of power.
That being said, the standard pack of batteries that came in the box lasted me the entire test period with around 200 - 300 images being taken, using the screen on the back mostly, reviewing every image and recording to Raw/JPEG which takes more processing time. I also shot some video footage which isn't thrifty on power a the best of times.
Sanyo Eneloop batteries are a popular choice for people who like to use cameras that have AA battery compatibility and you can get a pack of these batteries and a charger for £24.99 from Park Cameras here:
Sanyo Eneloop x4 AA and charger
Buffer read/write times
There are a two continuous shooting modes and they're accessed using the button on the top plate between the shutter release and mode dial. You can choose from Top7 (Top6 if you're shooting in Raw) and Best frame capture.
The Top7 mode takes six or seven quick succession images which it transfers to a temporary buffer to process onto the card once the camera has finished. That way, speed isn't affected by the processor trying to work on the images. It took the seven JPEGs in half a second which is a speed of 14fps. Very fast and a shame it can't do more than seven pictures. It's also a shame that the pictures take a total of 29sec to take, preview and process the images.
In Raw, the speed is noticeably slower to take the pictures but takes a similar total processing time. The six Raw images are taken in a little over a second.
Lens performance
Considering a Fujinon lens has been used on the HS10, I'm surprised at the lack of quality. As well as the previously mentioned softness all over, chromatic aberration and lens flare, the lens also suffers from much softer resolution at the edges. Because of the all over softness, centre sharpness is dicey at best although the massive zoom does make it a bit better if you zoom in.
A lens hood would've been a great addition to the extras in the box because it would've helped with the lens flare problem although judging by the amount of flare showing, it would have only reduced it.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.
 Fujifilm FinePix HS10 wide angle |
 Fujifilm FinePix HS10 zoomed in. |
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Verdict
When we drill down to the nitty gritty, is a massive feature-set and a few unique systems really enough to warrant getting a camera such as this one? Colours can be pale and the lens isn't the best I've seen on a Fuji camera.Comparable models include the Olympus SP800 UZ at £329.99 which also has a 30x optical zoom but Olympus have sacrificed 4mm at the wide end to add 120mm at full zoom, so it depends on if you prefer the Fujifilm 24mm wide-angle or the Olympus 840mm top end. The Pentax X90 has a smaller 26x optical zoom but has a 26mm wide angle view that extends to 676mm in 35mm terms but comes in at a more appealing £294.99.
There's tonnes of features on the camera, more than enough to keep you busy for a long time, there are innovative features such as the motion remover, 30x optical zoom and Fujfilm are pushing the technology by being one of the first manufacturers to use a backlit sensor. Despite all this I can't help but feel that the camera has to come down in price to nearer the £300 mark. I think then it will be a good price.
| Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Pros |
 30x optical zoom |
| Backlit sensor increases light sensitivity |
| Loads of interesting modes |
| Great noise performance at low to medium settings |
| Feels good to hold and use with the manual zoom and chunky grip |
| Brilliant metering system and dynamic range |
| Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Cons |
 Bad chromatic aberration from lens |
| Pale colours in natural light |
| Soft images |
| Bad lens flare |
| FEATURES |  |
| HANDLING |  |
| PERFORMANCE |  |
| VALUE |  |
| OVERALL | |
Fujifilm FinePix HS10: Specification
| Price | £374.99 |
| Contact | www.fujifilm.co.uk |
| Optical zoom | 30x Fujinon f/2.8 - 5.6 |
| Resolution | 10.3Mp |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3in |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS (back-side illuminated) |
| Max. Image size | 3648x2736 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Focusing system | TTL |
| Focusing points | |
| Focus type | Area, multi, centre, tracking, continuous AF, manual focus |
| Focus distance | 50cm - infinity, 10cm - 3m macro, 1cm - 1m supermacro |
| File types | JPEG, Raw |
| ISO sensitivity | ISO100 - 6400 |
| Metering system | TTL |
| Metering types | Programme AE, aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE, manual |
| Exposure compensation | +/- 2EV in 1/3 step increments |
| Shutter speed range | 4sec - 1/4000sec |
| Frames-per-second | 10fps for 7 frames (JPEG) or 6 frames (Raw) |
| Image stabilisation | Yes, CMOS shift & High ISO & Hyper digital Image stabilisation |
| Monitor | 3in colour tilting LCD |
| Media type | SD, SDHC |
| Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Power | 4x AA batteries |
| Size | 130.6x90.7x126mm |
| Weight | 636g (excl. batteries and card) |
The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 costs £374.99 and is available from Warehouse Express here:
Fujifilm FinePix HS10
Buy Now
We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items. Fujifilm Finepix HS10 SEARCH |
We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items. Fujifilm Finepix HS10 SEARCH |
Support this site by purchasing Plus Membership, or shopping with one of our affiliates: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, ebay UK, MPB. It doesn't cost you anything extra when you use these links, but it does support the site, helping keep ePHOTOzine free to use, thank you.
ADVERTISEMENT
Photographs taken using the Fujifilm FinePix HS10
-
Report Error / Abuse
23 Apr 2010 10:45PM"Sanyo Eneloop batteries are the preferred choice for people who like to use cameras that have AA battery compatibility "
What makes you say something so blatantly biased towards one company's products? Where is your evidence for that statement?
Tests by a German magazine show that Eneloops are no better than several competing products including Panasonic Infinium. In fact the Panasonic cells won their tests.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.chip.de/artikel/Ready-to-use-Akkus-im-Vergleichstest_33343906.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpanasonic%2Binfinium%2Btest%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D30&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&twu=1
My own tests, where I kept some fully charged cells for 3 months, confirm the findings. The Panasonic won, although sample variation probably means it should be declared a draw. There are also several AA cells that are rebadged Eneloops, including the made in Japan white top Duracell Low Self Discharge NiMH cells.
If you are sponsored by Sanyo, then I think you should declare that fact up front.
-
Report Error / Abuse
24 Apr 2010 5:30PM-
Report Error / Abuse
26 Apr 2010 9:03AMQuote:You say:
"Sanyo Eneloop batteries are the preferred choice for people who like to use cameras that have AA battery compatibility "
What makes you say something so blatantly biased towards one company's products? Where is your evidence for that statement?
Tests by a German magazine show that Eneloops are no better than several competing products including Panasonic Infinium. In fact the Panasonic cells won their tests.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.chip.de/artikel/Ready-to-use-Akkus-im-Vergleichstest_33343906.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpanasonic%2Binfinium%2Btest%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D30&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&twu=1
My own tests, where I kept some fully charged cells for 3 months, confirm the findings. The Panasonic won, although sample variation probably means it should be declared a draw. There are also several AA cells that are rebadged Eneloops, including the made in Japan white top Duracell Low Self Discharge NiMH cells.
If you are sponsored by Sanyo, then I think you should declare that fact up front.
Hi,
no I'm not sponsored, I can see where you got that idea from and I've amended the review to reflect it further. In my review of the Pentax K-x, I mentioned that I thought the camera was heavy on the AA batteries. I had many, many comments about using Eneloops instead of any other brand.
While I wasn't saying it was the sole choice, I felt that after the amount of comments I got, it was a very popular choice of battery.
Pentax K-x review
-
Report Error / Abuse
26 Apr 2010 6:27PM-
Report Error / Abuse
28 Apr 2010 12:48PMIt corrects these problems:
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%
-
Report Error / Abuse
6 Apr 2011 9:30PM-
Report Error / Abuse
1 Jun 2018 7:56PMPersonally I like having easily found AA cells powering my compact and bridge cameras but I found it amusing that there is an item in the menu for choosing the battery type, lithium, alkaline or Nim H. (You have to have batteries in the camera to access the menu!)
The battery door catch has failed, seems far too weak to hold the 4 x AA cells in against the strong springs, now held shut with multi elastic bands.
I have always disliked the nasty on/off switch on the Panasonic, I am used to it being around the shutter release button.
You must be a member to leave a comment.
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Join for free
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.
ADVERTISEMENT