Friday, April 30, 2010

HS10 Review Part 13 – More Close Ups

This is one of the HS10’s strengths. It has two macro ranges, macro and super macro. The latter allowing focus when the subject is almost touching the lens.

The F70EXR, on the other hand, is forced to shoot macro from a bit of a distance, although there is a wonderful trick – discovered by Fuji Talk Forum member Altruisto - where you shoot at a zoom range 55mm with aperture f/4.9 and obtain the highest possible magnification with a much nicer background. I did not use that trick here.

I happen to like the F70EXR for close ups, so I like comparing it to the HS10 to see if that camera is also livable as a close up camera. I’ve already shown several longer zoom images shot by the HS10, and there the camera shines without question. So how does it perform really close up with the lens at a wide angle of view?

Here are some pairs of images with a bit of analysis for your perusal. Click through as always.

HS10

DSCF5283_hs10_tempgauge[1]

F70EXR

DSCF4304_f70_tempgauge[1]

The Angle here is slightly different, so we can’t make much in the way of judgment of the handling of the glare from the stainless steel next to the gauge itself. However, we can see that both cameras render the rust well, with the HS10 getting a bit more in focus, possibly as the partial result of a slightly smaller sensor.

The lettering and water inside the gauge are very clearly rendered by both cameras with any real differences the result of the slight change of angle of light.

HS10

DSCF5284_hs10_screw[1]

F70EXR

DSCF4305_f70_screw[1]

Again, the HS10 has slightly better focus on the tip of the screw and the base. Indicating a slightly wider depth of field. I may be unconsciously going closer and getting higher magnification on the F70EXR shots, since that’s a much smaller camera. 

The HS10 is heftier and thus a little easier to control overall. There is some body to it and it does not shake as much nor does it drift as easily in any one direction.

This may be why I tend to get slightly better renderings when close up with the HS10. That and, of course, the HS10’s amazing magnification when the zoom is extended or super macro is engaged.

Note through, that details in the focused sections of both images are very good. These cameras have sharp lenses.

Stepping to the fence and holding back a bit from the subject, which is a vine that is coming into bloom in the lattice of the fence:

HS10

DSCF5285_hs10_lattice[1]

F70EXR

DSCF4307_f70_lattice[1]

Again with the slightly different angle, which changes the background seen through the lattice at the very bottom. But everything else remains essentially identical.

The sun that pours through the fence strikes the vine in the same spot and we can see the same difference as mentions in the previous part – the dynamic range of the HS10 is very narrow. The sun burns the branch a bit on the HS10 shot and not on the F70EXR shot, although the latter is in a higher key overall.

So this is the classic difference between these two sensors … the HS10 cannot quiote hold highlights in teh same way. It is not a bad camera for highlights, but the EXR is simply better. This was *entirely* predictable, but it is something once must be aware of when choosing a bridge camera. If one really desires this ability to save highlights and skies under harsh lighting, one can always choose the S200EXR, which is the F200EXR sensor in the S100fs body. A nice bridge camera itself.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

An excellent series of tests Kim
Thanks for the F70 Macro trick.
I have been comparing the F200 and 70 and have now realized the 70 does Macro FAR better than does the F200EXR.
They are both awesome cameras mind you.
But, My God, that F70EXR is versatile!
I am still on the fence about the HS10 at this point, missed out on the S100fs while fence-sitting...

Kim Letkeman said...

Thanks Lili. The F70 is still the one for me. Nothing comes close overall. Bummer about the S100fs, a nice all round bridge cam with serious features.

Unknown said...

It is as well, both the ones I passed were used, I prefer New and that is no longer possible with the S100fs.
I may be pulling trigger as they say on a S200REXR very soon :)

And the F70 is my 'carry cam' now ;)

Amal said...

Thanks a lot Kim for the HS-10 review series.
I have just ordered the camera based on your reviews, and I would like to tell you that I have learnt quite a bit from reading this blog.

Now I know what to expect, what the camera is good at, and what it's not (mush etc).

I request you to continue the HS-10 discussion with even more comparisons and tests, you have an excellent knowledge of photography which I don't.

Btw, were the tests done before or after the firmware upgrade?

Kim Letkeman said...

Amal - I shot all my tests in a 10 hour period. I don't own an HS10, else I would tailor a few other tests to the new firmware, these were all shot on the old. The reason there is so little mush is that I set ISO to 100 and DR to 100 and left it there, except for the ISO ladder. For the ISO ladder, I kept DR to 100. Not, though, that I would never set DR above 100 on a non-EXR platform, since I firmly believe that you can do DR processing very well yourself by underexposing and opening shadows in post processing.