Fuji HS10: hot or not?

Fuji HS10: hot or not?

Fujifilm Finepix HS10 Digital Camera (10 Megapixel, 30x opt.Zoom, 7.6 cm display, image stabilizer) (Electronics)

Customer Review

If you look at the reviews here (and elsewhere), one can already get dizzy. There is hardly any other camera, the reviews, also in the trade press, such as split in the HS10.

First of all, the rough facts: The HS10 is a superzoom camera with a small sensor that is installed in many compact cameras. So it is in good company of all competitors. What the HS10 singles out from the crowd, is an overwhelming range of functions. And, judged by many clearly see the HS10 as bridge camera, the image quality DSLR direction is expected.

I myself use for over 2 years, a Fuji S100FS (11 megapixel, 14.4 x zoom, large sensor and pretty hunk) that already comes very close to those expectations. Still, I was curious whether extract nowadays more of a compact camera sensor with increased technical complexity. The hoped-for advantages over my "old" S100FS were:

- Lighter and more compact
- Higher speed (autofocus, continuous shooting, store hours, etc.)
- Better and larger display, even in direct sunlight
- Even greater zoom range, both in wide-angle and telephoto range
- HD video

Low image quality losses I would have taken into account for these benefits even.

First, I have a Nikon P100 tried, but I have returned fairly quickly disappointed again. Despite (or because of?) The many totally contradictory reviews, I then ordered a HS10, with the supposedly forgotten all problems transmitting firmware version 1.0.1.

And, as some other reviewers also, at first I was pretty excited. Handling, functionality, speed, everything much better than in my old S100FS. And then it was time to compare:

Advantages of P100 compared to the HS10:

- Even lighter and more compact
- Better Display
- Something more coherent picture vote, less "Squish" fine details

Advantages of the HS10 against the P100:

- Better image stabilization (and without going in freehand telephoto almost nothing)
- Wider range of functions
- Lower noise
- Great macro shots possible
- Easier operation, in particular the manual zoom is much faster and more accurately (of course subjective)
- Filter thread and internal focusing allows trouble-free use directional filter, for example, flow filters or polarizing filters, and saves one when using a UV filter, the annoying lens cap
- Standard AA batteries (inexpensive, widely available)

And then came the crux:
Advantages of my old S100FS against P100 and HS10:

- Image Quality
- Image Quality
- Image Quality

The all-important question of whether a higher quality camera of a small sensor can bring out more than a compact camera has to be clearly answered with 'no'. Quite obviously still applies that the sensor surface is irreplaceable, not even through innovative sensors (CMOS-BSI) and elaborate camera retouch. This applies both to the Nikon P100 and the HS10 and was ultimately the reason for me to return both cameras. I'll keep my Although slower, but significantly better image-S100FS. The unique advantages in image quality let the drawbacks fade into the background. To be fair, I must hasten to add that I have a Sony HX5 use in addition to the S100FS than ever-this camera because I want the S100FS not always carry around / can. The image quality of the HX5 is certainly on a par with P100 and HS10.

The much-maligned "slush surfaces" of the HS10 are still visible also available with firmware 1.0.1, and indeed at all focal lengths.

The HS10 also offers RAW format. The disadvantages as higher memory requirements, significantly longer processing times and the necessary finishing each image have been me and keep me from even further away, to raise the standard RAW format. Therefore, I have only little playing around with it, especially since I no significantly better results are managed with RAW format and post-processing easier. But as you can perhaps gain a little more exercise a little more.

The long telephoto focal lengths are limited in HS10 and P100 in freehand operation available. Due to the moderate image stabilizer has at P100 only really optimal light conditions (alternatively high sensitivities with all side effects) a chance to stable images. The success rate with the HS10 was noticeably larger (better image stabilization, higher weight), but here is something in low light No more hands-free operation. Due to the significantly better image quality can be customized with the S100FS by cuttings almost similar image results as HS10 or P100 achieve full telephoto focal length, in which case more than the in-camera retouch limit the sensor resolution details. The advanced wide-area one has the S100FS however not available.

Oh, and Full-HD Video?

The image quality in the P100 is pretty good, as long as you use a tripod. The optical image stabilizer is in the video mode is not available, substitute is digitally stabilized, which quickly leads to blurring of moving objects and freehand videos makes de facto impossible. In this form HD video is completely unusable for me.

The HS10 is reflected as something better, here the image stabilizer seems to be working, at least initially. However, there are already at gentle swinging movements very slightly rough jumps and how to operate the manual zooming in video mode hardly smoothly possible.

For HD video in digital camera range is now probably the Sony HX5 the benchmark: Super Image Stabilizer, customized zoom speed, excellent image quality, reasonably useful sound. Because really gets into existence Everyone impressive videos.

Two issues, which I am of course stumbled (sporadically defective JPG's saved and much too early "battery empty" display) can now be solved with a new firmware update and it would not surprise me if it for the "slush surfaces" would also give another update soon. Apparently abusing the first customers as beta testers Fuji follows the general industry trend.

My Conclusion:

Who the standards of today's compact camera applies when the picture quality will be delighted by the HS10. Those who expect (perhaps because it feels like), the HS10 is a real bridge camera with a correspondingly high image quality will be rather disappointed. And these very different expectations of potential buyers of the HS10 will probably be the main reason for the extremely divergent reviews. Apparently from a Nikon P100 expected far less because the local reviews be significantly positive in but quite characteristic of the cameras. I personally like the HS10 significantly better than the P100, but I am, especially when compared to the pre-predecessor the HS10, rather disappointed. At the end remains the sobering realization that a small sensor that is installed in compact cameras, unfortunately, does not provide better pictures even in higher-quality cameras. That leaves the only advantages over compact superzoom cameras like Panasonic TZ10, Canon SX210 or Sony HX5 a rather restricted usable extended telephoto range and additional manual control options. Both, however, must be paid by both the size and price-wise expensive. HD video is much better implemented in some compact Superzoomern.

Buy recommendation: If you want to have an extreme zoom range and is absolutely satisfied with the image quality of current compact cameras, is well served with the HS10. Alternative: without the extended telephoto range and buy a good compact superzoom: at least as good picture quality, better videos, much more portable and on top of that saved money. If you want, however, have a good bridge camera, must be present probably look on the used market.

And who wants to compare himself, should at times dcresource (P100, various compact super zoom) and imaging-resource (HS10, P100, various compact super zoom) drop by.

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