Fujifilm Finepix HS30 EXR Summary
Fuji Finepix HS30 EXR Assessment
The key is versatility and a mechanical 30X ultra-wide angle optical zoom lens covering 24-720mm more precisely than any of its peers is just the start. A high-speed EXR CMOS sensor capable of capturing 16 megapixels images at 8 FPS and recording 1080p HD videos pushes things further. The triple-mode EXR technology adds to this the ability to shoot low-noise images or up to 1600% the dynamic range of conventional sensors.
This may seem like the perfect all-in-one digital camera and it certainly gives a run for it. Image quality is good and, while visibly improved from the HS20 EXR, the small sensor-size still shows at 16 MP. Go down to a respectable 8 megapixels and the EXR sensor produces very nice images, be it low light or high-contrast situations. A lot of complexity is involved in making sure the HS30 EXR delivers its best and so this digital camera is clearly not for everybody.
This camera delivers a relatively speedy performance compared to its peers. Shutter-lag is instant, shot-to-shot speeds are good and autofocus is quite fast. It remains responsive most of the time and provides a large number of external controls for efficiency. The ergonomics are good all around and the mechanical lens is truly a pleasure to use.
The ultimate in quality from an ultra-zoom still comes from the long-discontinued S100FS
Fujifilm Finepix S100FS followed by the higher-end Fujifilm X-S1
Fujifilm X-S1 which is extremely similar to the HS30 EXR only bigger, weather-sealed and with a 26X ultra-wide optical zoom instead of 30X.
Neocamera detailed review Read the Fuji Finepix HS30 EXR review here.
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
Mechanical ultra wide to super telephoto lens | Above average noise at full-resolution |
Stellar dynamic range in EXR-DR mode | Smudging of details at all ISO settings |
Low image noise in EXR-SN mode | Useless ISO 3200 and up |
Consistent sharpness except near ultra-wide | Strong edge softness at ultra-wide end of zoom |
Low optical distortion | 1s Movie record delay |
Impervious to chromatic aberrations | Shutter speed limit drops by 1 stop per ISO |
Good color response | Useless live-histogram |
Fast autofocus | Not Exposure-Priority |
Virtually no shutter-lag | Complex feature interactions |
Generally fast and responsive | Poorly placed tripod mount |
Responsive manual focus ring | Waking up camera requires power cycling |
Eye-Start sensor | |
Very good ergonomics | |
Plenty of direct controls | |
Good build quality | |
Good Good |
Recent Similar Cameras
Fujifilm Finepix HS30 EXR Related Information
Sister Models |
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Fujifilm Finepix HS10 Fujifilm Finepix HS10 - 10 Megapixels, 10 FPS, Non-EXR, 100%-400% DR, 230K Pixels LCD, No Digital Level |
Fujifilm Finepix S100FS Fujifilm Finepix S100FS - 11 Megapixels, 14X Wide-angle optical zoom, Fixed dynamic range, 3 FPS, No Digital Level, 2.5" LCD 230K Pixels |
Reviews | |
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Neocamera | Photography Blog |
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Fujifilm HS30 EXR Highlights
Sensor-Size: 6 x 5mm
Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI
16 Megapixels Ultra Zoom | ISO 100-3200 |
30X Mechanically Linked Ultra-Wide Optical Zoom | Shutter 1/4000-30s |
Built-in Stabilization | Full manual controls, including Manual Focus |
0.26" Built-in EVF 920K Pixels | Custom white-balance |
Automatic Eye-Start sensor | Spot-Metering |
1 Axis Digital Level | Hot-Shoe |
8 FPS Drive, 8 Images | Lithium-Ion Battery |
1920x1080 @ 30 FPS Video Recording | Secure Digital Extended Capacity, Internal Memory |
3" LCD 460K Pixels |
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