Digital Home Thoughts: Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR Offers Super-Zoom Lens In A Compact Body

"The Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR is a new super-zoom digital compact camera. Looking and handling like a DSLR, the bridge-style Fujifilm HS20 EXR boasts a 30x zoom lens which covers a 35mm equivalent focal range of 24-720mm and also features mechanical image stabilisation and twist-barrel manual zoom and focusing controls. Other highlights of the camera include a 16 megapixel EXR Back Side Illuminated CMOS sensor, a 3-inch tilting LCD monitor, electronic viewfinder with eye-sensor for automatic switching, full 1080p HD movie recording with stereo sound, ISO range of 100-12800, High Speed movie capture at 320 fps, continuous shooting at 8fps, 0.16 second autofocusing, full manual controls and support for the RAW file format."

Super-zoom digital compact cameras pose a quandary for many photographers. While they offer an incredibly versatile lens with a very long format zoom, there are always compromises in a lens that tries to do as much as these do. Compromises can include such things as image distortions at the extremities of the lens and perhaps being a little short on the wide-angle end of things. But, there are advantages to such a powerful lines in a compact camera format. They are small enough to easily carry around for extended periods, and they can replace one or more lenses that you would normally have to carry in your kit if you are using a DSLR with multiple lenses. I personally have debated the relative merits of these cameras over the years, but have ended up going the DLSR route with a set of lenses to cover multiple situations. However, with the advances that cameras like this one have demonstrated, it may be time to reconsider.

Photography Blog has provided a detailed and comprehensive review of the camera, covering both its physical aspects and its use as a photographic tool, in the process providing a variety of sample shots that illustrate the capability of the camera as a whole. Clearly, it excels in many areas, including what I would consider seems to be very decent performance in low-light settings (the ISO range extends to ISO 12800, and there is an interesting Pro Low-Light mode as well). If you are interested in a super-zoom camera, this one, or its predecessor, would be well worth considering. Keep in mind as you read the review that your photographic needs may be unique. If you are taking photographs of indoor sporting events, for example, this sort of camera may be challenged. It is truly a matter of balancing the advantages of a compact camera with a versatile lens, versus the ability to acquire pleasing photos in the conditions your photography will present.