The highly versatile Fujifilm FinePix HS10 has the looks, feel and handling of a DSLR,  and a multi-purpose feature set to satisfy the demanding photographer. The very solid build quality of the body and matt black finish deliver a purposeful look that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical, with nice chunky controls, an ergonomic control layout that allows both quick and easy access to functions.

At the heart of the HS10 is the frankly incredible non-interchangeable 30x zoom lens, complete with manual zoom and focus rings. This incredibly versatile lens offers a focal range starting at an ultra-wide 24mm and finishing at an ultra-telephoto 720mm, which, as Fujifilm cannily point out, would take at least two super-zoom DSLR lenses to offer similar reach. Throw in the 1cm Super Macro Mode and impressive maximum apertures of a bright f/2.8 at 24mm wide-angle to f5.8 at 720mm telephoto, and it's clear that the HS10 is perfectly suited for any subject that you can think of, near or far.

To help avoid blur resulting from camera shake when shooting in low light, Fujifilm have added a 'belt and braces' solution of high ISO sensitivity, a built-in mechanical stabilizer, and digital image stabilisation too if required. 

Unlike some rivals, the full 30x zoom range also be used movie mode, with the HS10 offering full HD 1920x1080 footage at 30 frames per second with constantly adjusting auto exposure and focus and stereo sound.  Also available are different video frame rates up to 1000 frames per second for extreme slow motion!  The dedicated Movie button on the rear makes it quick and easy to shoot a movie without missing the start of the action, and there's a mini-HDMI port."

• High Resolution super wide Fujinon 30x optical zoom (24-720mm) with manual (mechanical) zoom
• True wide-angle and extreme telephoto capture in a single compact unit
• Triple image stabilisation (sensor shift IS, high ISO IS, Digital IS)
• 10 MP BSI CMOS sensor with advanced shooting modes and high image quality
• 3.0” High Resolution tilting LCD
• Electronic Viewfinder with eye-sensor for automatic switching
• High speed 10 fps continuous shooting at full resolution and new motion-tracking auto focus
• Full HD (1080p) movie capture with stereo sound
• Super High Speed movie capture at 1000 fps
• Motion Panorama mode for ‘one shot’ sweeping panoramas
• Advanced capture modes including unique Motion Remover mode that removes tourists and other moving objects from your photographs
• Direct Shooting Command buttons and Command dial put advanced photographic features at your fingertips
• RAW and JPEG capture modes

expertreviews.co.uk Verdict: "Fantastic controls, a massive zoom, lots of fun features and excellent low-light performance make this the best ultra-zoom camera we’ve ever seen"