Fujifilm HS50 Positive/Neg

I have looked at and rejected a number of previous Fuji cameras, after having bought and sold the FS100S (a bad camera with a lot of purple fringing and bad controls that reset everytime the camera went into sleep mode)

Fuji develops great camera on paper, the actual implementation appear to fall a little short, therefore Four things that need to be in place for the HS50

• Speed and bracketing - Fuji has this anoying habit of displaying thumbnail when bracking stopping any additional picture taking
• Controls - I am concerned to see that the buttons on the XS1 for WB/ISO are gone, need to understand how these functions are controlled
• Viewfinder/LCD switching - this function on the XS1/HS30 was not reliable when wearing glasses
• Lens 24-1000 covering a 1/2" sensor - the laws of physics might be exceeded here

You've noticed one of the downsides of having that god awful rotating LCD, there are now 5 quick access buttons missing making the camera even less user friendly.

The HS series are only P&S's with a long lens. One of the most annoying things when using the HS30 was having to move your hand to press the play button to review your shots, I see they've left it in the bottom right on the HS50 too.

If you want a bridge camera, get a bridge camera, there's only one on the market.

Paul.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

One thing I love is the manual zoom ring! I hope they never abandon that feature.

There are two super zooms that draw my attention now; Canon SX50 and Fujifilm HS50.

In the end, the IQ will be the crucial factor for me. HS50 must deliver better IQ than HS30 did, and at least equal SX50. Lets find out how the new sensor does the job.....

I did a size comparasion between them in 1:1 scale



Can you add the X-S1 to the right of the HS50?

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

I've just noticed you have the Q menu now so it might work like the XF1.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

Hi Paul! That "awful" rotating LCD is one of the things I miss the most when I jumped from Canon superzoom to Fujifilm. It's actually very useful.

Yup, that is what the HS series are but the EXR sensor makes them better in terms of DR (confirmed in practice) and noise handling at higher ISO (I'm satisfied but haven't compared it with the HS30's contemporaries). I used to hold the X-S1 in high regard and was expecting it would blow away the HS30 in all aspects except for reach but I was disappointed to see the same artefacts in XS-1 shots that I see in HS30's when pixel-peeped. Anyway "not pixel-peeping" solves that problem.

For those who only shoot scenery etc. I can see the articulated LCD being unnecessary, but I missed mine when I moved from an FZ50 to a Canon XSi (dslr). That was one of the considerations when I recently upgraded from the XSi to the T3i, which got me back my articulated screen.

Look below my sig for a photo that I got with my FZ50 because of the articulating LCD, one I'd have probably not gotten otherwise.

--

I got this shot reaching up overhead and being able to aim the camera down into the birds' nest which I had no other way to see into. The articulated screen is a useful feature in my book.

You don't TAKE a photo, you MAKE a photo.

No, you would have got that with the LCD on the HS or X-S1, it tilts down for shooting over your head.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

In that case then quite possibly. Certainly a tilt-only LCD is better than nothing but still at a handicap compared to a tilt-swivel.

However - if Fuji added the full articulated LCD at the cost of removing body controls, I can see that as being a very questionable trade-off.

--
You don't TAKE a photo, you MAKE a photo.

How, give me an example, the only thing I can think of it a self portrait.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

Portrait orientation of a similar shot would be another example. Plus you can close the LCD with the screen facing the camera which is safer.

I prefer the flippy screen as opposed to the twisty one.

I have found three positives going for the twisty, none of which would sway me to choose a camera based on them, they are:

1                     Many times one can twist the screen around and basically protect the screen when shooting with the vf.

2                     If twisted outward the screen can act as an additional rest….rest the screen on your shoulder while using the vf with camera pressed against your face…a little more stability

3                     As Paul said, self portraiture

wj

--
nikonfujiandricoh

By the same token you can snap it off a lot easier.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

If the X-S1 had a swivelling LCD it would be folded away facing the camera as I very rarely use the LCD.

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

Other than a self portrait, you can use the 'viewfinder' of the camera from any position you like while the camera is mounted on a tripod - front, side, above, at an angle, you don't have to be behind the camera to see it. You can compose a shot from anyplace and still be able to see the LCD.

--
You don't TAKE a photo, you MAKE a photo.

I seldom use mine for taking photos - when I do, it's usually because I need the articulating screen for some reason. But I use the LCD for checking / changing camera settings so I leave it facing outward.

--
You don't TAKE a photo, you MAKE a photo.

Funny, I don't recall ever seeing a post from someone asking 'how do I repair my snapped off articulating screen'. I'm sure it can happen - anything can - but I don't think it's a reason to not have one. 99.9% of the time it's safely nested on the back of the camera.

--
You don't TAKE a photo, you MAKE a photo.

Exactly so is it worth it foe 0.01% of your shooting needs?

--
The 10% Rule:
You Must Be 10% Smarter Than The Equipment You're Operating

Another use for screens that have more degrees of freedom is that they provide greater stealth, and not just for street photographers that want to avoid calling attention to themselves by facing away from their subjects. I've heard some wildlife photographers say that some (smart?) birds are easily spooked if they see you looking in their direction. Animals too.

True, but did not happen in my previous camera. And that would depend on the user.

If Fuji didn't drop any of the physical buttons, you wouldn't really have anything to lose when you go from tilt-only to tilt-swivel, just more degrees of freedom. And I don't think I have read Canon (S*, SX**, A6**, and G*) users wanting to have their tilt-swivel screens replaced with tilt-only screens.

Note: I just found out that they dropped the swivel screen on the G15, and dpreview lists it as one of its "Cons".