Considering buying the HS30

Do you have any thoughts about or better experience with the findings at http://manitobabirds.blogspot.nl/2012/03/fuji-hs30-super-zoom-point-and-shoot-or.html ?

<Quote>The most disturbing thing we found was that as the AF starts to lock on the image in the viewfinder jumps briefly and once the AF does lock on the focal point can have shifted by as much as several inches. The other problem we encountered was that when you initially aim at something the image is so badly out of focus you have to 1/2 press the shutter button to get it to focus before you can start looking for your target. <unQuote>

If you are considering to buy the hs30, I would not hesitate to reccomend but if you can wait, then wait. Early next year fuji would release new products so there might be a hs40.

Hi Axel,

I read the blog - well, it's a pretty good description of an ordinary amateur's blues when starting to use HS30. It is definitely NOT P&S camera - and the author seemed to notice it from the start, but did not get a clue from that. Is it worth buying? Yes and no.

No if you are  after an easy camera with large zoom - I would send you to Nikon domain for their P510. No if you are after pixel-peeping galore - see something Canon with 12Mp sensor maximum.

Yes if you are after inexpensive but very capable camera with ergonomics so close to DSLR that you may feel at times that you are using one. Yes if you take images for Internet, TV slide shows and small (up to A4) prints (applies in general to all small sensor cameras -  otherwise go to 4/3s or DSLRs). Yes if you are are not scared of playing with camera settings and bother to read the manual, and if you looked for a small sensor camera that will work from dawn to dusk.

Because HS30 actually is a camera with DSLR functionality minus DSLR image quality. And if you are after something better and bigger (but not DSLR) - you also may have a look at the latest series X-S1. Fujifilm ironed out  most of initial X-S1 bugs, and this camera is definitely worth considering. For some examples of what HS30 is capable of - welcome to my gallery: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/4334154981/albums

Definitely agree on this one.

Agree. My old Canon superzoom is a day-time camera. It stays in the bag at night. My HS30 can take acceptable shots at night of posed people. You can take action shots as long they don't move too quickly or you want to show movement in your shot.

If you're a first time Fuji user, be ready for a love-hate relationship. There are times that I seriously contemplate on keeping my HS30 in pristine condition so I can resell it at reasonable cost whenever I'm frustrated but I like how Fuji preserves color even in high ISO shots but I also hate the water-color effect when I zoom-in on pictures... so don't be a pixel-peeper. hehe

I have expressed this sentiment exactly over the course of 10,000+ posts here.  Yet the rabid drooling fan boys think my entire purpose here is 100% to slander Fujifilm in every way, shape, or form.   Just amazing.

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Just spend a little more and get the X-S1, I've seen loads on e-bay going for £300. It's the nearest you're going to get to shooting a DSLR.

What Michael Melb AU said about the HS30 With ergonomics so close to DSLR that you may feel at times that you are using one. is way over the top, the HS30 looks and feels like a fisher-price toy camera compared to a DSLR let alone the the X-S1, the X-S1 actually feels better built than a lot of mid-range DSLR's.

Paul.

And definitely minus DSLR focusing speed and DSLR viewfinder

Axel, you can look at this in a positive way too: be glad it is not a dslr. The HS30 is relative compact, has an enormous and usable zoomrange (a dslr would look like a bazooka and you have to move it using a lorry). A4 printing is big enough 99,9% of the time. You can spent your money for other nice things instead for expensive glass. Once you have installed the proper settings (the Kim Letkeman settings) you only have to push the button half to focus and whole to take the picture. The battery life is enormous, it is built like a brick. And last but not least: when you have bought the camera you won't regret it!

Peter

Why bother then? DSLRs are so cheap these days... BTW, in live view my Canon T2i is nothing faster in focusing than HS30.

Hi Paul,

As always you are right, but not correct. X-S1 is not nearly as bulky or heavy as a Nikon with 600mm lens, so it does not really feel that way - it feels much lighter and more versatile, and HS30 is even more compact - while being ergonomically a "twin" of X-S1 and the closest thing to DSLR world in compact kingdom.

I think you guys are right, and maybe correct, but frankly a little factually challenged

Pro HS30:

• great 1/2" sensor that can (and should) be shot in RAW+JPG as per: How to shoot an EXR Camera
• Very long reach with adequate stabilization
• Fairly small and light
• Cost

Pro X-S1:

• bigger sensor with somewhat cleaner images at higher ISOs, but mitigated somewhat by the need to shoot JPEG
• Smoother zoom action
• Better EVF

All in all, both are good. And much better than we see on that blog.

The HS30 can probably be had a lot cheaper, and that would make it a real bargain for the shooter willing to use RAW.

Regarding the comparison to a dSLR of any kind. Sensor is too much of a handicap. Even against m4/3 it is way overmatched. I shoot Panny m4/3 bodies now and have the 100-300 (200-600EFL) lens and I cannot imagine shooting a bridge cam with the kind of discounts you can find on older bodies like the G3 ($299 for the kit at BHPhoto) ...

But for those that do not want to swap lenses, both these cams are pretty excellent.

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

Ergonomics, the engineering science concerned with the physical and psychological relationship between machines and the people who use them.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/ergonomics

​HS30 does look DSLR-alike, feels DSLR -alike, but does not produce DSLR quality images, and  not expectedto do that. Sorry I can not put it any simpler and any more factual. As for lens change - I tried to do it on a dusty airfield in wind - that was an overrated experience

Although not for that cheap as you mention, took the kit with standard zoom.

And I did the math: HS30's image circle diagonal is 8mm, G3's 21.6mm. That means relative crop factor of 2.7, when cropping the G3's sensor area to HS30's size.

This cropping extends the the stantard kit zoom's max equivalent focal length from 84mm eq to 226mm eq (sufficient for me right now). Wanting more, I'd buy 40-150mm (80-300mm eq), that would yield (when cropped with relative factor 2.7) reach of 810mm in equivalent terms.

Cropping the G3's output by relative factor of 2.7 also means getting the resolution down to 2.2MPix, which is often sufficient (approx 1700x1300 pixels in 4:3 terms). So you gonna lose the resolution, but there's no hope in obtaining high quality 16 million pixels (or even 8MPix) from small sensor camera anyway. Again, the overall situation is to be improved with a purchase of the telezoom lens (such as 40-150).

That's about it regarding the long end. The wide end's output is uncropped, ie. qualitativelly hugely better than small-sensor output.

Gains ? Cropping freedom (non-existent with small sensors), decent glass (with fewer optical compromises & with decent firmware autocorrections), efficient IS, great autofocus speed, great video, great EVF.

I just see no need for the bridgecam anymore.

I had a play in the shop with a HS30 I thought it was pretty good, but I can't comment on the AF much because I didn't get to use it in a real world situation.

It's not much over £200 odd for the HS30 which is a pretty good deal really

XS-1 is coming down nicely too just over £400

Pays your money takes your choice!

The only advice I have is whenever you buy any camera product (or anything else come to that) stick to the bigger sellers either a well known shop or online retailer, if you have any problems just send it back.

I've never hesitated to send cameras back if I was not happy with them probably much to the annoyance of Nikon who likely made a loss!

With Fuji yes there is a love/hate element at times, but most agree quirks and all you will likely come down on the like it side rather than the other.

I'm not sure what you are on about here ... who said that the HS30 was capable of producing images that could match a dSLR?

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

It's a tough call, but the G3 with 14-140 is a lot of camera with no lens changing.

And then there are pretty excellent primes like the Sigma 19mm 2.8, which cost me $149 ... and many other amazing choices. The Olympus 45mm 1.8 is pretty incredible ...

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

Nikon was almost certainly thrilled when you sent the third one back and chose to torture other brands ... that is a loss in no one's book

Most agree? Most what? Chickens? Goats?

Seriously ... Fuji's sales belie your presumptuous use of "most" ...

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

That might qualify as the strangest post ever made. Your own history of savage hyperbole with respect to everything Fuji (please remember that hyperbole works both ways) belies what you wrote there ...

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

And minus start up speed, shot to shot speed ...

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

Well .....

Alternative 1: Nikon D3200 + TAMRON 18-270

D3200 == 505g + 18-270 VC == 450g, total 955g
        X-S1 = 920g
        HS30 == 687g!

The latter one is definitely lighter ... but not as much as might have been expected for something that feels flimsy by comparison.

Alternative 2 (my fave these days): G3 or G5 with Panasonic 14-140

G3 == 336g (!)  G5 == 396g
       14-140 == 460g
       100-300 == 520g

Lots of options I think ...

True ... the HS30 can be had for a comparative song ... but you need to shoot RAW and process in Lightroom to get results that most would be happy with (although we see enough smeared sparrows and squirrels to somewhat mitigate the veracity of what I just wrote :-)) ...

Thanks for the shoutout my settings

I think that 1/2" sensor is a Fuji gem. But again, mainly when shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom. Luckily, RAW performance is adequate and Lightroom has gotten very inexpensive in version 4.

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com