Fujifilm Finepix HS20 EXR Summary

The key is versatility and a mechanical 30X ultra-wide angle optical zoom lens covering 24-720mm more precisely than any of its peers is just the start. A high-speed CMOS sensor capable of capturing 16 megapixels images at 8 FPS and recording full 1080p video pushes things further. The triple-mode EXR technology adds to this the ability to shoot low-noise images or up to 1600% the dynamic range of conventional sensors.

This may seem like the perfect all-in-one digital camera and it certainly gives a run for it. Image quality is noisier than ideal at full-resolution, but go down to a respectable 8 megapixels and the EXR sensor produces very good quality images, be it low light or high-contrast situations. There is a lot of complexity in making sure the HS20 EXR delivers its best results and so it is clearly not for everybody. There is little else to complain about for image quality, except the occasional cast left by automatic white-balance under artificial light.

In terms of performance, this digital camera does reasonably well, nothing much slower than average and nothing much faster either. As with all fixed-lens cameras, this one is not ideal for action photography either but it has fast continuous modes to improve the odds of capturing the right moment.

The ultimate in quality from an ultra-zoom still comes from the Fuji Finepix S200EXR and S100FS
Fujifilm Finepix S100FS, both are great cameras with wide-angle mechanical zooms but lack the ultra-wide coverage, HD video and high-speed features of the HS20 EXR. There is no way to get everything and the final choice is about priorities.

Neocamera detailed review Read the Fuji Finepix HS20 EXR review here.