CES 2011: Fujifilm, Casio keep up with point-and-shoot curve

Day two of CES is underway and we've some first looks at the latest fixed lens cameras from Fujifilm and Casio.

Fujifilm redevelops EXR, replenishes point-and-shoots
At the top end of Fuji's new lineup are the HS20 and S4000. They lead the pack in terms of zoom power with 30x optical zoom lenses.

The HS20, keeping in step with its HS10 predecessor, has a more advanced look and feel with a manually operated twisting barrel lens and the advanced EXR CMOS chip. It's slightly more rounded and compact than the HS10, and both cameras have a broad indented thumb rest on their respective back panels.

Fujifilm FinePix S4000

Little style changes have been made, like the red ring around the end of the lens barrel as opposed to the HS10's chrome accents. I'll admit that I'm glad to see an OEM push for development in the sensor rather than try and make an even longer zoom lens. That 30x Fujinon optic has plenty of horsepower, and the addition of a BSI CMOS sensor could potentially add a stop or two of high ISO shooting.

The compact ultrazoom F500 and F550EXR were also on display, with a nice compact feel and a slick little textured pad on the front. We were reminded that the F550EXR comes with a few more bells and whistles than the 500, namely GPS and RAW image capture.

Down the line are the XP20 and XP30 with rugged features and waterproof functionality to 16.5 feet. The XP30 is equipped with GPS, an unusual feature in a weatherized compact.

It was on display in an array of flashy colors.

Casio stays slim, adds zoom
Aside from the headline-grabbing Tryx, Casio had a handful of new slim, low-cost point-and-shoots waiting in the wings.

The new ZS5 is priced around $100 with a 5x zoom and a 14.1 megapixel sensor. Also at the booth was the new high-speed EX-ZR100 with a brand new HDR function. The user captures one image and the camera creates an HDR-processed looking image from three different exposures. The ZR100 will capture 1080 HD video at 30 fps as well as high-speed, slow motion video.

There's plenty more on the way from CES 2011, so stay tuned.