FujiFilm HS10

Overall, image quality was consistently high and FujiFilm should be commended for implementing an optimised 10MP sensor rather than pushing to 14MP or more just to fight the megapixel war. Detail levels were good but JPGs were ever so slightly soft; increasing the in-camera sharpness helped, as did sharpening in software. Noise at higher ISO settings was well controlled but increased beyond ISO800, which means that ISO3,200+ should be reserved for absolute must-have shots. The HS10 is mechanically stabilised with secondary digital stabilisation available, but camera shake makes it difficult to get a truly sharp shot at the longer zoom ranges without a tripod. That said, the camera definitely has the capabilities if the user can find a way to brace it.

Shooting in RAW is slow, as is continuous shooting, with long write times post capture but the HS10 will effortlessly snap its seven super-quick JPGs before it has to empty the buffer. Video quality in 1080/30 mode was high, with autofocus making things simple, but a lot of camera noise is picked up by the built-in stereo microphones and there’s no external microphone support.

FujiFilm’s HS10 has a long list of features and heaps of functionality but is expensive, sitting right at the top of the prosumer price range. While it won’t match a DSLR or hybrid in terms of outright image quality, they’d have a terrible time getting from 24mm to 720mm without a bag full of expensive lenses. The HS10 is designed to do just about everything a camera can do and it does most things quite well indeed, so it’s worth a look if you really need that extra long reach.