Introduction

Not content to merely flood the market with pocket cameras, Fujifilm has expanded their SKU-bombing strategy into the full-size superzoom segment. The HS30EXR is one of—count 'em—six brand-new, bridge-style cameras that Fujifilm plans to release in North America in 2012.

Whereas last year's HS20EXR sat atop Fuji's superzoom lineup, the HS30EXR is the lesser of the two enthusiast-baiting bridge cams offering RAW capture. It falls beneath the premium X-S1 model, which we previewed last week.

We spent some time with the HS30EXR on the showroom floor at CES 2012. Honestly, the HS30EXR hasn't changed much at all from its predecessor. But with the truly high-end X-S1 in the mix, its place in the market isn't as clear, so we decided to give it a fresh preview, mainly as a way to compare it to its bigger, more powerful cousin. It might help to open up the X-S1 preview in a separate tab, and read our first impressions side-by-side.