ISO comparison

As with most compact cameras, photo quality really comes down to expectations and what you plan to do with your photos. In general, the HS30EXR's photos are very good and it is capable of taking some excellent shots. However, it may take a lot of adjusting of settings, shooting in raw, or experimenting with its EXR modes to get the best results. If that's not something you're willing to do, this probably isn't a good choice. Its EXR Auto mode is very good as auto-shooting modes go, but even tweaking that mode's settings can get you better shots.

Basically, if you're considering this expecting digital SLR photo quality for this price with its lens and features, you're going to be disappointed. If you understand that this is essentially a point-and-shoot camera with a lot of control and a long lens, you'll probably be quite happy with what the camera can produce under the right conditions.

My main issue with the results is that there is a lot of visible artifacts when photos were viewed at larger sizes, and subjects look soft. The higher the ISO used, the worse it gets. Unfortunately, using the 30x zoom regularly requires the higher ISO sensitivities and the camera tends to jump right to them when in auto. Again, the best thing to do is take away some of the camera's control.

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