Fujifilm X-H2S evaluation: The strongest APS-C digital camera but | Engadget

Intro

Four years after releasing the X-H1, Fujifilm has lastly adopted it up with not only one however two fashions. One of these is the highest-resolution APS-C digital camera up to now, the 40-megapixel X-H2. The different is what we’re taking a look at at present, the high-speed X-H2S designed for sports activities, wildlife taking pictures and extra.

The largest function of the X-H2S is a brand new stacked, backside-illuminated 26.2-megapixel sensor. Its excessive velocity permits burst taking pictures at as much as 40 fps, quicker autofocus and decreased rolling shutter. It additionally guarantees improved picture high quality, and comes with in-body stabilization, a high-resolution viewfinder, twin card slots and extra.

These enhancements and options don’t come low cost, although. At $2,500, the X-H2S is now probably the most costly APS-C cameras on the market, with the identical value as comparable full-frame fashions like Canon’s EOS R6 and the Sony A7 IV. Is it value paying that for a smaller sensor?

Body and dealing with

The X-H2S isn’t your typical Fujifilm digital camera. At 660 grams bigger and heavier than the X-T4, although it’s a contact lighter than the X-H1. It has a a lot larger grip as effectively that imparts a sense of stability, splendid should you’re attaching huge lenses for sports activities or wildlife taking pictures.

As talked about, the structure is extra like rival mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony than different Fuji fashions. Instead of dials that show shutter velocity, publicity compensation and ISO just like the X-T4, it has standard entrance and rear dials. The just one on high is a mode selector, and on the again you’ve gotten a joystick and D-Pad management. It’s received at least 12 buttons, most of which may be reprogrammed for various capabilities. As with the X-H1, it has a high LCD that reveals major settings.

Since it’s designed for sports activities and wildlife taking pictures, which requires altering settings on the fly whereas maintaining a tally of the topic, the structure is smart. However, I do know many Fujifilm followers desire the normal dials – although at the least you may see settings on the highest LCD show if taking pictures from the hip. The solely management I didn’t take care of was the document button, because it’s tiny and awkwardly positioned. The X-H2S makes use of the identical logical menu system because the X-T4, so settings are comparatively straightforward to seek out.

Also good for motion photographers is the digital viewfinder (EVF) that gives blackout-free burst taking pictures and better decision (5.76 million dots) than both the Sony A7 IV or Canon EOS R6 (3.68 million dots every). It additionally packs a high-resolution, fully-articulating contact show that allows you to management focus, fast menu and different capabilities.

For I/O, you get a high-speed USB-C port with energy supply, plus WiFi and Bluetooth for digital camera controls or transfers. Unfortunately, Fujifilm’s digital camera app for reside view taking pictures or picture imports is comparatively primitive (the low 1.7 Play Store ranking is a clue), failing to point out issues like publicity and audio ranges for video, or enable burst photograph taking pictures.

Video customers get each microphone and headphone ports, together with a pleasant full-sized HDMI jack for exterior recorders. To deal with the additional velocity and video capabilities, it has a pair of card slots, each UHS-II and high-speed CFexpress. And lastly, the battery (the identical variety because the X-T4 however upgraded) permits as much as 720 photographs on a cost and effectively over two hours of 4K 30p video recording.

Performance

With as much as 40 fps burst taking pictures speeds at full decision, the X-H2S is quicker than some other APS-C digital camera, however there are some caveats to that. It will solely hit these high speeds in launch, quite than focus precedence mode (that means it takes the shot even when it’s not in focus). That means plenty of your photographs shall be blurry, so it’s not a sensible mode for motion taking pictures. Dialing all the way down to 30 fps, nevertheless, I received much more photographs in focus and the hit price was almost good at 20 fps

Shooting with the mechanical shutter, I noticed 15 fps burst speeds, very respectable and a match for Canon’s EOS R7. On high of that, the mechanical shutter could be very quiet (and sweet-sounding), notably in comparison with the clattery shutter on the EOS R7. In that mode or the 20 fps silent mode, I used to be in a position to seize upwards of 300 photographs at a time to a quick CFexpress card – over 10 seconds of taking pictures. That’s proper up there with sports-centric cameras like Canon’s EOS R3.

The X-H2S is Fujifilm’s first digital camera with chook and animal monitoring, and may also comply with vehicles, bikes, bikes, airplanes and trains. It labored fairly effectively for a primary iteration, although it will lose monitoring relying on the taking pictures angle and different elements.

Face and eye monitoring, although, is one of the best I’ve seen on any Fujifilm digital camera. It tracks easily and tenaciously, supplying you with extra photographs in focus. It additionally did a great job of getting a topic’s eye and never their eyelashes or nostril in focus. Overall, the autofocus on the X-H2S is way improved from earlier than, however not fairly as much as Sony and Canon’s requirements.

It does beat all its rivals relating to taking pictures discreetly, although. The stacked sensor’s fast velocity means it has minimal rolling shutter in silent mode, so you may confidently use it for taking pictures birds, wildlife, sports activities and different fast-moving topics.

Promising seven stops with supported lenses, the in-body stabilization additionally carried out effectively for photographs, letting me get sharp photographs at comparatively low shutter speeds. However, it doesn’t work as effectively for video, as I’ll element shortly.

Image high quality

With the same 26.2-megapixel sensor to the X-T4 (with the addition of the stacked expertise), the X-H2S is among the many finest APS-C cameras for coloration rendition. Everything appears to be like pure, whether or not you’re taking pictures landscapes, animals or individuals. JPEGs look good straight out of the digital camera, with a barely higher steadiness between noise and sharpening than earlier than due to the tweaked coloration science.

Like the X-T4, it makes use of a dual-gain sensor, with the candy spots at ISO 800 and 3200. High ISO efficiency is almost on par with the X-T4, with noise moderately effectively managed and detailed preserved as much as about ISO 6400. It does supply usable photographs past that, however publicity must be appropriate otherwise you’ll have extreme noise when boosting blacks.

The 14-bit RAW information supply loads of room for adjustment, with some exceptions. Because of the dual-gain sensor, it’s higher to shoot at larger ISOs than attempt to shoot on the base ISO 800 after which increase the blacks, as noise ranges are larger. Still, you may increase blacks in high-contrast photographs by a number of stops with none points. It doesn’t carry out fairly in addition to the X-T4 on this regard, seemingly because of the stacked expertise which might increase the noise flooring.