PREFACE: This review is primarily intended for Point & Shoot types. I do not delve into MANUAL adjustments, nor do I have any interest in that. I want something that will take good pics without undue hassle and is convenient to take on travel.

Well, after a fairly long wait for Fujifilm to release the HS-30, mine arrived this afternoon. I charged the li-on battery (no more four AAs) and took it outside to take around ten test shots. They turned out perfectly. I had the HS-10 ... then HS-20 before this latest incarnation, and really liked both cameras. I've no doubts I'll like this one at least, if not more, than the previous HS-20. You can read all the specs, etc., so I won't get into that. Physically, the electronic viewfinder and LCD are sharp, clear, and bright - and I do detect that slight shortening of the flash unit, which protruded a bit annoyingly on the HS-20. Thus, no problem at all focusing with the manual lens (which I love). I also did not detect the lag one... Read more

I tried the Nikon 510 and the Canon HX 40 and returned both.

The FUJI has many more features than the other and much better build quality.
It also has a 58 mm thread so you can add filters or a teleconverter

Image quality is good but it is an enthusiasts camera not for someone that just wants point and shoot.
Manual is quite good as these things go.
I have compared images with it to my canon S100 and Sony Alpha 65 and I am quite happy with this camera
The only thing I didn't like is that it does not have true live view like my other cameras and the exposure meter in manual mode is bit touchy it reads the scene one way them when you push the shutter half way down it jumps to something a bit different and the exposure meter is not graduated it is just a line and you have to estimate where the middle is.

Good:

Very good build. Better than the HS-20.
New lithium ion battery is very good. I have yet to run it down in a day's shooting.
Excellent color and sharpness (set size to medium for ISO 100 and DR to 400).
Very low noise in daylight.
Good low light.
Excellent Electronic View Finder (EVF).
Awesome 2x digital (60x total) zoom. Actually able to shoot 60x handheld due to great Image Stabilization (IS).
Focus is faster and more accurate than the HS-20.
Electronic level works great and is very useful for landscapes.
Intelligent sharpness works well.
JPEG enhancement is excellent and usually beats my ability to process RAW files.

Bad:

Awful manual. Inadequately describes functions and how they work. I received most of my info/help from the Fujifilm Forum on DPReview.
The HS-30 does poorly in burst mode or continuous shooting. The live view does not let you see continuous action... Read more