Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR Review | 108 Data compared

However, the camera does have a few drawbacks that potential buyers should consider. In terms of video performance, the camera shoots full HD video with crisp stereo sound, but it suffers from a slightly slow automatic compensation mechanism when encountering sudden, extreme changes in oncoming lighting. Additionally, there is no motorized zoom for video, meaning you have to adjust the focal length manually, which can easily introduce camera shake or operational noise into the soundtrack. Another notable limitation involves the specialized EXR shooting modes; while the EXR mode does an excellent job of optimizing dynamic range and vibrancy in challenging or overcast weather conditions, it forces the camera to sacrifice its maximum resolution, dropping full 16-megapixel images down to 8 megapixels. Despite these minor flaws, the review concludes that it is a highly flexible, feature-packed option that serves as an excellent halfway house for ambitious amateurs stepping up from pocket snappers.

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is positioned by ePHOTOzine as a versatile, affordable DSLR alternative featuring a massive 30x optical zoom, RAW support, and a 3-inch tilting screen, powered by a long-lasting lithium-ion battery. While the 920k-dot EVF offers improved resolution, the camera is noted for being heavy and bulky with an awkwardly placed tripod socket. The review concludes that while the camera is capable, the incremental upgrades over the previous HS20EXR model, coupled with a small viewfinder experience, make it a questionable upgrade for current owners.

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30 EXR is a 16 Megapixel super-zoom camera featuring a 30x optical range (24-720mm equivalent) and a bright, 3-inch flip-up LCD screen. A standout pro is its mechanically-coupled manual zoom ring, which provides immediate and precise focal control unmatched by motorized alternatives. The camera boasts a highly improved electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a crisp 920k-pixel resolution and adjustable refresh rates. Additionally, its transition to a proprietary Lithium-Ion battery significantly boosts battery life to roughly 600 shots per charge. Its unique EXR shooting modes allow photographers to optimize performance, effectively reducing noise or widening dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions. However, the camera comes with notable downsides, particularly its large, hefty DSLR-like build, making it larger and heavier than competing super-zooms like the Sony HX200V or Panasonic FZ150. While the manual zoom ring is exceptional for still photography, the review highlights that its slightly stiff plastic construction makes smooth zooming nearly impossible during video recording. The menu system is also criticized for being disorganized, forcing users to dig through long, unstructured lists to toggle vital settings like image...

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is a large, well-built superzoom bridge camera styled like a compact D-SLR and priced directly at $499.95. It is highly praised for its excellent ergonomics and physical control layout, which offers dedicated buttons for settings like ISO, white balance, and exposure, making it feel highly natural to SLR photographers. Notable pros include its 16-megapixel sensor, RAW shooting support, a tilting 3-inch LCD, and a class-leading, high-resolution 920k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). Its defining feature is a manually operated 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent) with excellent optical stabilization that allows sharp handheld shooting even at low shutter speeds. Despite its premium design, the camera has notable performance and image quality bottlenecks. The most significant cons are the disappointing, noisy JPEG images produced at higher ISO sensitivity settings, and a lens that remains slightly soft when zoomed all the way in. Furthermore, it is slow to start up, taking 3.2 seconds to boot, lacks a dedicated microphone input for video recording, and requires users to dig deep into the settings menu just to enable RAW shooting. Because of...

The Digital Photography School review positions the Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR as a highly appealing, DSLR-sized bridge camera designed for consumers who want an immense zoom reach without the burden of carrying multiple heavy lenses. Prominent pros highlighted in the review include its highly versatile 30x manual zoom lens (offering a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture at full wide), exceptionally sharp image output, and accurate colour reproduction. Additionally, the reviewer praises its tilting rear LCD screen, which performs well in direct sunlight, its sharp electronic turret viewfinder, and its top-tier Full HD video performance backed by highly effective image stabilisation. It also boasts unique EXR exposure options to maximize resolution, handle low light, or expand dynamic range. However, the camera suffers from notable drawbacks that users should consider. The most critical con is its abysmal high ISO performance; image noise becomes highly visible at ISO 3200 and escalates so severely by ISO 12800 that the distortion is noticeably bad even on the camera's small 7.6cm display screen. Performance speeds are another weak point, as the camera suffers from a sluggish three-second startup...

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is an impressive superzoom camera that delivers notable upgrades over its predecessor, the HS20, specifically through its manual zoom and focus rings alongside a massive 24-720mm f/2.8-5.6 equivalent lens. It features a highly welcome rechargeable Li-ion battery and a best-in-class 0.26-inch, 920k-dot electronic viewfinder, which is four times more resolute than the previous model and aids significantly in steadying far-off frames. Performance is bolstered by responsive single autofocus, extensive tracking options, close-focus super macro abilities down to 1cm, and a specialized EXR shooting mode that halves resolution to optimize for low noise or high dynamic range. However, the camera falls short of replacing a DSLR due to clear limitations in its image quality, which is identical to the HS20 and aggressively loses crisp detail at crucial mid-to-high ISO settings. The camera also suffers from recurring overexposure issues, a continuous autofocus system that fails to keep up with fast subjects, and an annoying focus live preview "cut out" that briefly pauses the image when half-pressing the shutter button at longer focal lengths. Ultimately, while it is a...

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is lauded by What Digital Camera as a versatile bridge camera featuring a 30x (24-720mm) mechanical zoom lens, a vastly improved 921k-dot EVF, and a convenient tilt-angle screen. Key advantages include its DSLR-like handling, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and superior user-friendliness, offering a robust feature set for a superzoom. Conversely, the camera faces limitations with its 16-megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor struggling to resolve fine details at high ISOs and a tendency for the metering system to overexpose, demanding manual adjustments. Furthermore, the continuous autofocus is deemed too slow for action, although it remains a competitive, cost-effective option in its class.

The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is an ultrazoom bridge camera designed to appeal to enthusiasts through its DSLR-like handling, though its core updates yield mixed results. Key pros highlighted in the review include its advanced mechanical zoom ring, a by-wire manual focus ring, and an extra-sticky rubberized body coating that provides an excellent physical grip<¢ual(citationKey="0.1.1", source="""Texture and extra sticky rubberization surround the body, making it very easy to grip""", node=135)/>>. Additionally, the camera boasts exceptional DSLR-level color accuracy—particularly when utilizing the Provia film simulation mode—and a highly impressive "Super Macro" focus option capable of locking onto subjects just 1 centimetre away from the glass<¢ual(citationKey="0.1.1", source="""The most accurate one is Provia, and we recommend shooting with it at all times.""", node=141)/>><¢ual(citationKey="0.1.1", source="""With "Super Macro" focus mode, it's possible to lock as close as 1 centimeter away—with subjects nearly touching the glass.""", node=136)/>>. It also introduces a new sensor and adds support for shooting raw files to give photographers greater editing flexibility.

The Reviewed evaluation paints the Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR as an enthusiast-targeted bridge camera that ultimately falls short due to subpar imaging performance. Priced at $499.95, it distinguishes itself with several prominent pros, most notably a versatile 30x optical zoom lens equipped with a mechanical manual zoom ring that allows for quick, precise focal adjustments. Enthusiasts will appreciate its excellent body ergonomics, comfortable rubberised handgrip, RAW file support, and an impressive "Super Macro" focus mode that can lock onto subjects just 1 centimetre away from the glass. Additionally, it yields highly accurate color reproduction when utilizing the native Provia film simulation mode and offers a flexible, tilting rear LCD monitor. However, the camera is severely limited by critical cons related to its core image and build quality. Despite featuring a brand-new sensor, the overall image quality is mediocre, plagued by poor sharpness, extensive distortion across the zoom range, and heavy chromatic aberration (purple fringing) at maximum zoom. The sensor is incredibly noisy even at low ISO settings, which effectively destroys the camera's dynamic range. Furthermore, reviewers noted highly unpredictable automatic white...

Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR Review Summary The Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR is a large, well-built superzoom camera priced at $499.95 that mirrors the design, size, and handling of a compact D-SLR. Its standout features include an excellent 0.26-inch eye-level electronic viewfinder with a crisp 920k-dot resolution—one of the best in its class—and a highly functional control layout that provides photographers with direct button access to settings like ISO, autofocus mode, and white balance. It is equipped with an optically stabilized 30x zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent) featuring a manual twist zoom ring, allowing for quick and natural focal length adjustments. The camera is responsive during shooting and includes a tilting 3-inch rear LCD screen and unique film emulation modes like Velvia. However, the camera falls short of earning an Editors' Choice award due to disappointing image quality at higher sensitivity settings and a slightly soft lens. It is also noticeably larger and heavier than its competitors, weighing about 1.5 pounds and measuring 3.8 by 5.1 by 4.9 inches. While the manual zoom control is excellent for standard photography, it may be less desirable...

The Fujifilm Finepix HS30EXR is positioned as an versatile, affordable bridge camera featuring a 16-megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, a 30x (24-720mm) manual zoom lens, and a 921k-dot EVF. Key advantages include its flexible tilt-angle LCD, 1cm super-macro mode, Raw shooting capabilities, and improved lithium-ion battery life, according to What Digital Camera. Conversely, the review highlights notable downsides, including a tendency for overexposure, requiring constant exposure compensation. Additionally, the camera is hampered by slow continuous autofocus and significant image noise at high ISO settings, specifically rendering the 12,800 ISO mode unusable, say What Digital Camera. What Digital Camera

The Expert Reviews evaluation highlights the Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR as a highly capable, SLR-styled ultra-zoom bridge camera that provides excellent ergonomics and a wealth of physical controls. A standout feature is its 30x optical zoom lens, which operates via a manual twisting lens barrel rather than a motorized lever, offering immediate and intuitive framing. Stills photographers will appreciate the inclusion of RAW capture support, a flash hotshoe, an articulated LCD screen, and a significantly upgraded 920,000-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) that makes manual focusing easy. Furthermore, the camera transitions from AA batteries to a large lithium-ion battery that successfully handles up to 600 shots per charge. When operating in its dedicated 8-megapixel EXR mode, it delivers crisp details, remarkably low noise at high sensitivities, and an expanded dynamic range. However, the review points out several significant limitations, particularly regarding performance bottlenecks and video functionality. The camera suffers from frustrating write-speed delays, during which physical controls become completely unresponsive for several seconds while photos—especially RAW files or continuous bursts—are being saved to the memory card. The continuous drive mode is also hampered...

The Fujifilm HS30EXR demonstrates exceptional color performance and precision in Shutterbug lab tests, featuring a highly accurate 3 percent overall color saturation rate and natural skin tone reproduction. The camera also delivers high image resolution, recording 3,156 lines of picture height, and provides excellent color fidelity for brighter nuances. However, this high resolution is achieved through intense sharpening that creates significant, distracting halo artifacts, marked by a 30 percent overshot and a 5.41 percent undershot, according to the review. Additionally, the automatic white balance shows a minor, consistent shift towards the green and yellow spectrums, indicating a slight processing inaccuracy.