The Fujifilm X-H2s is the latest mirrorless camera with a stacked APS-C sensor, which features pro specs that make it the best mirrorless APS-C camera currency on the market. We’ve been watching the rumours for a few months with anticipation, and when Fujifilm made the announcement, it confirmed everything we had been waiting for – a true hybrid camera for stills and video.
The Fujifilm X-H2 has more features to make videographers happy, but will equally make stills shooters excited with the 7 stops of IBIS (image stabilisation) and an electronic shutter burst of 40 frames per second. This is ideal for wildlife and sports photographers. There’s even a option to purchase a transmitter to wirelessly send your photos to the news-desk if you’re a press photographer.
The Fujifilm X-H2s has the specs to finally compete with cameras released by Sony, with highly advanced ai tracking, which enables the camera to accurately follow animals, people, cars, bikes and anything else that moves quickly. Up until this point, the AF accuracy from Fujifilm has been way behind the likes of Sony and Canon, but this camera brings them right up with the best cameras on the market. Fujifilm are clearly competing for the Sony market now, and giving people a reason to think about an APS-C sensor, over a full frame option.
The Fujifilm X-H2s features a PASM dial, which was widely talked about by Fujifilm fans before it’s release and follows the X-S10 which also features the PASM dial. The dial sits on the top left of the camera, and enables the user to switch between Program, Aperture, Shutter and Manual modes, and is often found on Canon cameras. This move away from the retro styling and tradition film camera dials such as dedicated exposure compensation, shutter speed and ISO dials has been criticised by many Fujifilm fans, which prefer the original styling.
The right side of the top of the camera is dedicated to a large digital screen, providing all the information you need from the camera regarding your current settings. This is similar to the X-H1.
The new EVF (electronic view finder) specs are simply incredible, featuring 5.76 million dots, which will produce a beautiful and colour rich screen. It also has an increased refresh rate, meaning they’ll be no lag when tracking your fast moving subjects.
Here are the feature headlines announced by Fujifilm regarding the X-H2s:
- 26.1 megapixel backside illuminated stacked sensor (X-trans CMOS 5) which has 4x faster readout than the previous model, and 30x faster readout than the first X-Series model from Fujifilm in 2012.
- X processor 5
- 40fps blackout free (elec shutter)
- 30fps shooting for over 1000 frames
- Improved AutoFocus
- Subject detection AF
- 6.2k 30fps
- 4k 120 fps
- Increased recording time
- Apple pro res support
- IBIS 7 stops
- 5.76 million dot EVF (electronic viewfinder)
- Weather Sealed body
- Raw video output
- CF type B card – up to 340 mb/second at 6k
- Large grip for handheld shooting
- Remote feature for tablet to control multiple cameras for video production
- F-Log 2 for video (14 stops of dynamic range)
Those of you who share my love for a more retro styled camera, with nostalgic styling and a more filmic image sensor will possibly find this release to be a step in the wrong direction for our taste. This camera feels more like a workhorse, whereas the other cameras in the X-Series lineup have looked more like a piece of art.
Holding the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 would summon a love of photography from within, simply by it’s look and feel, whereas the X-H2s lacks that beautiful styling. This camera is designed to show people that Fujifilm can compete with the larger camera giants, such as Canon and Sony.
What i’m really hoping is at that in September Fujifilm will announce the release of other cameras in the lineup that also have the same technology on board, such as an X-Pro 4 or a X-T5. This will calm the fears that Fujifilm have moved away from the retro styling, and bring the other cameras up to date with the X-H2s.
If you’re a wedding photographer, videographer, sports or wildlife photographer then the Fujifilm X-H2s has a lot to offer you. To be able to track your subject accurately and capture images up to 40 fps, with 7 stops of IBIS is an extraordinary achievement by Fujifilm, and will make your job so much easier – giving you incredible results.
If you’re a stills photographer, like me and rely on high image quality, and prefer to take your time to consider your composition of a landscape or street photo, then you may want to skip this release and either wait for the Fujifilm X-H2, which is due to be unveiled in September 2022, and will feature a 40mp APS-C sensor, or do as I have and purchase a Fujifilm GFX camera instead. The GFX range has a medium format sensor inside, and image quality far higher than anything the X-H2 or X-H2s can produce.
Fujifilm are also releasing a new series of lenses to go alongside the X-H2s. They are:
XF 150mm – 600mm f5.6-f8 WR (225m-900m), featuring a linear motor for near silent internal focussing and a 0.15 sec focus speed.
XF 18mm – 120mm f4 WR (27mm-180mm), which will be a great video lens with Fujifilm Cine lens quality for completely smooth zoom, focus and aperture changes. This is a universal lens that will be great for both video and stills photography.
Fujifilm also announced three other lenses currently in development, which are:
Xf56mm f1.2 Mark II
Xf 30mm f2.8 macro
Xf 8mm f4.5
The XF56 f1.2 Mark II lens will be hugely anticipated as the first generation model has been one of Fujifilm’s most popular lenses, producing highly professional images with beautiful, smooth bokeh. Fujifilm have announced that the mark II version will have better bokeh and a crisper feel to the final image.
The XF 8mm f4.5 lens will also be a very interesting release, as it will be the widest Fujifilm lens currently available for APSC cameras, making it useful for interior and landscape photographers.
The Fujifilm X-H2s is an incredible camera, with pro specs that will greatly help your workflow, and it’s release price of $2499 will make it very popular. It’s a mass market camera that will cause heads to turn at Sony and Canon, and will probably cause a lot of filmmakers to switch to Fujifilm.
However, if you’re a fan of the retro styling and old fashioned dials on top of your camera, you may want to skip this one and wait for an X-Pro 4.