As with the HS10 Fuji have kept the tiltable LCD screen with the HS20 but have improved it considerably. Now the LCD is a 460,000 pixel screen as opposed to the 230,000 pixel model on the HS10.
You may have read in one of my previous posts that care is needed with this LCD as its easy to get the exposures wrong. The added clarity and color of the LCD is both a Boone and a Bane.While greater clarity (improved focus) and better color rendition is desirable, you need to take into account what the setting on the LCD is when you get it. If like mine its set to +-0 (default) I would suggest leaving it there until you are used to the camera. With the HS10, I was able to run my LCD at a setting of +4, not fully bright but nearly so. This worked out to be a good level to have it as it fairly accurately rendered the correct exposure on screen.
Not so for the HS20. I recently shot a wedding with the HS20 as well as using other cameras, and noted that even though the light was horrific at times the camera was almost uniformly underexposing. This came about from having the LCD brightness set to +4 as I had with the HS10, thus all the images appeared brighter on screen than they actually were when the shot was taken. Fortunately this under exposure wasnt too dramatic, but it makes for a lot of extra work in Lightroom or Photoshop.
So far my experimentation with this LCD is that it should be set to 0 or perhaps -1 for bright light and higher if the scene seems too dark.. If possible take a series of test shots and review them in camera or if you have a laptop with you in your preferred Post Processor.
Kim Letkeman over at his "Nothing Special Blog" outlines some ideas for shooting with EXR cameras. Although he hasnt at present had the chance to review the HS20, He has the F550 a similar sensored camera to the HS20, not to mention several others.
Kim's article can be found here
Update:
I have now settled on +1 for the LCD setting and this seems to give me pretty accurate results per exposure. Its bright enough even in intense sunlit areas and generally bright enough for low light shooting as well. I use Provia film simulation exclusively, so for those who may use other F/Sim you may well have to readjust the brightness of the LCD for accurate viewing.
... Kiwi: I have been following and appreciating your blog for weeks. I sold my HS10 last week, and picked up my HS20 yesterday.
ReplyDelete... Immediately, it is obviously an essential and impressive upgrade. The obvious weaknesses and frustrations of the HS10 have been addressed.
... A) The painfully inadequate write-speed has been measurably improved.
... And B) The inadequate LCD has been measurably improved. The HS10's LCD was extremely low-def, but the HS20's is excelent, bigger, brighter, and clearer.
... The LCD alone is worth the upgrade.
... The HS20 is everything that the HS10 should have been.
Hi Iain, glad you enjoy the blog. I'm still very much getting to grips with the HS20. Knowing what mode to use for different applications is the key to this camera.
ReplyDeleteI had the opportunity to get a few more Autumn light shots today and will upload a wee bit later.
... Hello again,
ReplyDelete... Came across this video, great fun.
... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfnv9pRUJrU
... Cheers.
Fuji have recently acknowledged that the rear LCD can show images as being darker than they are,so have issued a firmware update,V1.03,to rectify this.
ReplyDeleteContact Fuji,or go to their website.
I do agree the HS20 is a marked improvement on the previous HS10,as good as it was.
ReplyDeleteI think that in this camera,Fuji have produced a first class camera(apart from the eyepiece,but I can live with that!)and if you can't produce decent photographs with the HS20,I would suggest you give up photography!
I have owned the HS10(good,but slow),and still own it's replacement,Panasonics FZ100,a great camera,but lacking the "feel" of the Fuji,so I find the HS20 combines the speed of the Panasonic,and the solidity of the HS20,so is my ideal "All-in-One"!
Well done Fuji!
My "all in one ' camera too :)
ReplyDelete