I had spent my first day with the HS20EXR and was generally very pleased with the functionality and performance. Make no mistake, this is not a DSLR, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. This camera packs some capabilities and features that I would dream to have in one of my DSLRs. Although it's not a large camera, for those who've used the HS10, you'll already know that the build feels solid and the handling is somewhat like a smaller DSLR. The menu system is fairly easy to navigate and more common functions, like exposure, focus, and flash modes are easily accessible via dedicated controls. Be prepared to spend an hour or so getting familiar with the controls and menus - it may be intimidating if you're brand new to this type camera, but most experienced photographers will pick it up quickly.

A couple of early concerns materialized. First, I experience the temperature warning display that has been noted in some early reviews. However, I didn't see any... Read more

The HS20 shares the same body and lens as the HS10, but has been beefed up with much faster and more capable electronics. It is what the brain-dead HS10 should have been. After all, it should be expected that one of the biggest uses for a superzoom camera would be shooting live action long distance shots and sporting events. This sort of photography makes full use of the superzoom lens, but does need very fast focusing and fast shot to shot times.

I had earlier purchased, reviewed, and returned the HS10. The camera had terrific features, but was just too slow for anything more than predictable portrait shots.

The HS20 focuses faster and processes and stores images faster than the HS10. Not as fast as a full fledged DSLR, but close enough. An example of a few runs I did on this camera: At 16Meg Fine resolution, with RAW turned off, I could get off 16 shots in 20 seconds, manually clicking away. With RAW and JPG both turned on, the speed dropped sharply to... Read more

I have had this camera for several weeks with all sorts of shooting involved.

I have over 40 years experience as a photographer, both as an enthusiast and part-time professional. I don't know-it-all nor do I pertend too, I'll just give my impression as honestly as I can. I purchased it as an all-around shoot everything without having to pack a DSLR and lenses.

For an amateur, I'd say it would be quite easy to learn to get many good shots. For the intermediate user, it has a number of features that will help you produce outstanding shots. For a more advanced photographer such as myself, all of the manual controls and abilities to "replicate" Fuji's film qualities are much appreciated.

Overall, I find the quality of the construction to be among the best out there in terms of a "less than DSLR". The photos I have shot are very good given the size of the sensor. Color reproduction is outstanding, low light performance is just OK, speed is good,... Read more