PREFACE: This review is primarily intended for Point & Shoot types. I do not delve into MANUAL adjustments, nor do I have any interest in that. I want something that will take good pics without undue hassle and is convenient to take on travel.

Well, after a fairly long wait for Fujifilm to release the HS-30, mine arrived this afternoon. I charged the li-on battery (no more four AAs) and took it outside to take around ten test shots. They turned out perfectly. I had the HS-10 ... then HS-20 before this latest incarnation, and really liked both cameras. I've no doubts I'll like this one at least, if not more, than the previous HS-20. You can read all the specs, etc., so I won't get into that. Physically, the electronic viewfinder and LCD are sharp, clear, and bright - and I do detect that slight shortening of the flash unit, which protruded a bit annoyingly on the HS-20. Thus, no problem at all focusing with the manual lens (which I love). I also did not detect the lag one... Read more

Good:

Very good build. Better than the HS-20.
New lithium ion battery is very good. I have yet to run it down in a day's shooting.
Excellent color and sharpness (set size to medium for ISO 100 and DR to 400).
Very low noise in daylight.
Good low light.
Excellent Electronic View Finder (EVF).
Awesome 2x digital (60x total) zoom. Actually able to shoot 60x handheld due to great Image Stabilization (IS).
Focus is faster and more accurate than the HS-20.
Electronic level works great and is very useful for landscapes.
Intelligent sharpness works well.
JPEG enhancement is excellent and usually beats my ability to process RAW files.

Bad:

Awful manual. Inadequately describes functions and how they work. I received most of my info/help from the Fujifilm Forum on DPReview.
The HS-30 does poorly in burst mode or continuous shooting. The live view does not let you see continuous action... Read more

First, I want to compliment Amazon on the free shipping. I ordered the HS30 on April 9th and received it on April 14th. Two to five days before the estimated time it was supposed to arrive. ( between 16th and 19th ) Very pleased with that Amazon.

So far I think the HS30 is great! The IQ is not bad at all. I have a Nikon d3100 which takes great pictures but sometimes I would miss a great shot because I didn't have the right lens on at the time. I took a closeup pic of a Finch on my porch railing yesterday that I never would have gotten with my Nikon, I'm sure, because I would have had to change lenses. The pic came out excellent! Crisp, sharp and detailed. Took a great pic of a quarter-moon this morning. Again, crisp, sharp, and closeup. Now, is every pic like that? No. But, neither is every pic taken with a $5,000 camera.

Take time to go through the menus and learn the camera, and you should be fine. I mainly wanted the long lens and the panorama feature. So far... Read more