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

F70EXR

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

F70EXR

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

F70EXR

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.