Fujifilm X-H2S preliminary evaluate: A hybrid speedster

(Pocket-lint) – With the discharge of the X-H2S, Fujifilm has made one factor clear: it is bored with being neglected by the video crowd.

The mirrorless camera packs some critical video chops, together with the flexibility to report ProRes 422 internally with no report cut-off dates. On the identical time, it maintains highly effective images options, together with staggeringly quick burst capturing at as much as 40fps.

The query is whether or not it will probably compete with the likes of Sony, Canon and Panasonic, whose choices have lengthy been longstanding favourites of the hybrid-shooting world.

We received the possibility to take the X-H2S across the Goodwood Pageant of Pace – listed here are our preliminary impressions.

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Design

• Physique: 136.3 x 92.9 x 84.6 mm
• Weight: 660g
• Climate-resistant physique
• 1.28-inch monochrome LCD

The X-H2S is a delight to carry – the grip feels pure and safe whereas all of the essential buttons and dials stay inside straightforward attain.

There is a sizable show on high of the digital camera that lets you test your battery life, storage standing and key settings. It is just like the show on the older X-H1, however, this time, it is higher positioned, and the inverted colors make it look far more fashionable.

It has been some time since we have used a digital camera with a standing LCD like this, and we had nearly forgotten how helpful it’s. It stays seen even with the digital camera powered down, and allows you to shortly test your remaining battery and what number of pictures you have received left with out having to show the digital camera on. It is nice stuff.

The design is unassuming, we might say, nevertheless it’s engaging and has a delicate retro allure about it. After all, it is not probably the most essential factor on this planet, however images is a visible medium, so it is honest to imagine that lot of the goal market will respect a handsome software.

In a departure from its normal choices, Fujifilm has achieved away with the classic shutter velocity and ISO dials, as a substitute choosing a mode dial (with an abundance of customized presets) and a devoted video recording button. We’re certain some photographers can be lower than happy with this determination, however, for a hybrid shooter, this structure makes far more sense.

Connectivity and shows

• Full-size HDMI, 3.5mm headphone and mic sockets
• CFexpress and SD card slots
• 3-inch 1.62 million dot LCD monitor
• 5.76 million dot OLED EVF

As it is a little bit of a video workhorse, having the fitting connectivity is essential – and, fortunately, Fujifilm has achieved a terrific job right here. There is a full-size HDMI port that is able to outputting as much as 6.2K RAW or 4K 4:2:2 with 10-bit depth. And that is joined by a devoted 3.5mm microphone enter and a headphone socket – all of which may be accessed with out blocking the articulation of the flip-out display screen.

It is a small element, however one which’s actually appreciated.

A CFexpess sort B slot has additionally been added to deal with the weighty new codecs (we’re speaking 2754Mbps for six.2K ProRes HQ), however, for much less intensive duties, there’s nonetheless an SD card slot. The digital camera has a USB-C connector, too, which can be utilized to energy the digital camera, cost the battery or switch information to a pc. So far as we are able to inform, you are not in a position to report on to an exterior SSD, although.

The day of our testing noticed very blended climate, from darkish rain showers to brilliant daylight, and each the EVF and monitor carried out admirably all through. Each supply loads of readability and allowed us to drag focus and evaluate clips with ease – even in direct daylight.

One factor we did discover, nonetheless, is that the auto-detect sensor for the EVF was just a little over-sensitive, typically shutting the monitor off whereas we have been making an attempt to border a shot. After all, this, together with just about every part else, is configurable within the menu system, nevertheless it’s one thing to be careful for.

Photographs and movies

• APS-C stacked CMOS sensor – 26MP stills
• As much as 40fps burst capturing / 15fps with mechanical shutter
• As much as 6.2K 30fps/ 4K 120fps/ 1080p 240fps video
• Inside ProRes 422, HQ and LT help
• 7-stop IBIS

Seeing as we have been at an occasion crammed with blazing quick sports activities vehicles and high-flying stunts, we spent plenty of the day capturing high-speed bursts and tremendous slow-motion video. Fortunately, these are areas through which the X-H2S excels. We shot with a mixture of the XF16-55mm f2.8 and the XF50-140mm f2.8, relying on the state of affairs.

Beginning with the photograph efficiency, we discovered ourselves capturing plenty of 15 fps bursts with the mechanical shutter and autofocus. There’s one thing addictive about rattling off pictures with that machine-gun sound, and whereas we’re sometimes fairly reserved with what number of pictures we absorb a day, we shortly racked up hundreds of photographs.

Autofocus is way improved over the XT4, notably with the improved eye-detection algorithms for human topics. It really works with animals, too, which we’re comfortable to see, however, sadly, there weren’t any on the occasion to check it with.

As we have come to anticipate from Fuji, the colors are nice and the pictures come out wanting sharp and lifelike. There weren’t too many darkish areas for us to check out the low mild capabilities, however we managed to seize a few pictures with the ISO within the low 4 figures and have been impressed by the dearth of noise and cleanness of the picture.

Shifting on to video outcomes, the X-H2S continues to impress. We particularly liked the 4K 120fps footage that we have been in a position to seize, though it is value noting that high-speed 4K movies are topic to a 1.29x crop. At 60fps, you may get no such cropping.

In our case, with far-away topics and the restricted attain of our 140mm focal vary, the crop labored in our favour. We did not expertise any overheating, both, however your mileage could range in hotter climates.

We shot plenty of 240fps 1080p footage, too, and, whereas every part appears superior at such a excessive body price, the picture high quality definitely suffers – and you’ve got a bigger 1.38x crop to cope with. We discovered that high-speed 1080p movies got here out wanting just a little smooth and with some uncommon noise that wasn’t too pleasing to take a look at.

We’re not precisely certain why this occurs and hope that it is one thing Fujifilm can handle in future firmware.

In regular framerates, the video high quality is great and produces very good colors and sharp, detailed footage. There’s an abundance of codecs to select from, together with ProRes 422, so you possibly can choose the fitting bitrate for nearly any challenge conceivable.

The autofocus for video is excellent, as effectively, and the most effective we have seen from the model to date – nevertheless it’s not fairly on par with Sony.

The IBIS is the same story. It is nice, however not fairly on par with Panasonic. We expect it will put the digital camera in a little bit of a wierd middle-ground for pure video shooters except they’re useless set on 4K 120fps with an APS-C sensor, however we’ll be conducting some extra thorough testing over the following few weeks so as to again up this preliminary suspicion.

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Writing by Luke Baker. Enhancing by Conor Allison.