Set the zoom before you start, keep the view as wide as is possible in terms of the composition, keep as still as possible when recording and pan the camera slowly if you have to pan. Nothing is more off putting to watch than video that darts around and zooms in and out even though its fun to make. If the main problem with the HS20 is focusing when zooming but...
I really feel the need to mention this again because we seem to keep coming back to the zooming focus issue and ignoring a more serious focus issue. This isn't simply about poor focus while zooming. This is also about Fuji auto-focus not being able to keep up with action without constantly hunting for focus which in turn creates far too much out-of-focus video footage.
Technically speaking, I could not agree more with the technique of avoiding zooming while recording. Constant zooming while recording is annoying to watch. Fast, jerky panning is not only annoying but it makes me dizzy. So, I have always avoided doing these things when shooting video unless I was hoping for some sort of artistic effect with zooming... or zooming in on a small detail. Using this effect should be rare, but it occurs at times for artistic reasons. Other than that, I prefer to avoid zooming while recording. And there is
never a good time for fast, jerky panning so I will concede that we should
minimize (not throw out) the complaints about focus problems related to this.
That being said, I still expect any camera which is
advertised to record video to be able to accurately focus on kids playing at the playground... kids swimming... kids playing sports... or any of a million family/kid activities. This is why families want video capabilities. Unfortunately, the Fuji cameras have great difficulties with keeping fast, accurate focus on moving subjects and this not only is problematic for most people, but it seems to mostly be problematic for only Fuji camera consumers.
Fuji actually advertises "Super High Quality" video and "high sensitivity to capture exceptionally crisp and colorful full HD video". "Super High Quality"? "Exceptionally crisp"? When Fuji advertises something such as this, I believe it is very reasonable that the consumer expects a certain level of
quality video. Once a manufacturer advertises 'super high quality HD video' it is no longer just a 'freebie' addon feature that the consumer should just accept at any quality, or lack thereof. Fuji is advertising exceptional video and trying to sell their cameras as functional 'Super high quality HD video"... end of story. This claim of these Fuji cams being functional HD video cameras comes right from Fuji. So, the consumer should have a reasonable expectation of the advertised camera providing 'acceptable high quality' video.
A camera which is advertised to provide 'super high quality HD video' should do just that when I buy it to record the precious moments with my children playing. It should not provide footage of in and out and in and out and in and out auto-focus hunting.
A camera which is advertised to provide 'exceptionally crisp and colorful full HD video' should indeed be crisp and colorful
and in obvious HD. It cannot be 'crisp' if it is hunting for focus because my kids are in motion... or because the dog is running... or because of a million other things that move in a video, hence shooting video and not a still image. And, if it is 'super high quality HD video', as the manufacturer claims, I should not see blotchy compression artifacting on my television screen during playback.
Fuji has made claims about their cameras being high quality HD video cameras. Now, the users want to see the 'high quality' Fuji claims in order to sell these cameras. I do not feel this is an unreasonable request. Especially since other manufacturers do indeed provide reasonable and acceptable quality.
Patrick