FUJIFILM X-H2S AF - The Good and the Bad - Firmware 7.10

[@julesrlz]

Your AF testing confirmed Edvards findings: The PDAF in multi isn't working properly and it seems only CAF is used, which explains why it can't focus on the nearest subject. The issue of not smooth focus racking seems to have been introduced long time ago already and never was really fixed. I even wonder if the jumping in face tracking is because it's not PDAF and only CAF 🤔 I'm hopeful though that these issues will be resolved and we can focus on the positives sides of their cameras 😅

[@SummersSnaps]

For Stills, two issues; 1) We are not able to limit where the tracking is being determined so easily like Zone boxing, unlike the GFX which actually can do this. The XH2S, supposedly the flagship for AF, should most certainly have this feature. Should you have placed your zone AF box on the cyclist 17:13, then there should be no detection occurring outside this box. The user should be able to change the size of the box, make it occupy left or right side of frame and completely avoid the scenario where the AF drifts to another subject outside the Zone box. This is how GFX does it, why the heck not here? Fuji departments are too compartmentalised and not sharing the same feature or implementations. 2) Fuji struggles most on Z axis, especially when the subject hits a threshold and is nearing the user (3-4m), the drop in keepers from 4m-1m is huge, the AF.C can't keep up with the tracking. These are actually fairly simple things for Fuji to address. The tracking works ok, give us better settings to tame it more. Improve AF.C on Z axis, even with stepping this would be HUGE. Fuji owners doing weddings have ditched Fuji purely because AF.C Z axis is so poor..

[@vinceklein4168]

That is the biggest issue by far imo.

[@stuartsilverman3797]

Well done. I’m glad you didn’t complement Fuji because these firmware updates should not have been necessary and even now, improvements are needed. Keep up your good work.

[@christophkuenster]

Thank you so much for the intense testing. I sold my X-H2s about two months ago and lately I sort of missed it. Seeing your footage and especially the exposure steps when hunting completely stopped me from missing it. The AF might be improved, but this is still not acceptable in comparison to all other brands. Fuji need to their sh** together.

[@sshapiro63]

Thank you for working on this. I updated my X-H2 last week and used it for some nature shots in a local park with an XF 50mm F1. I was using AF-S and single point and still found two issues that I had before the upgrade. 1. Sometimes when the focus box turns green I can see that the subject is way out of focus. 2. Sometimes the camera won't focus on an object, such as a flower, until I focus on something in the background and then focus on the subject again. I was about four feet away from the subject, so minimum focus distance was not the issue.

[@Mr7Poz]

My XH2 tracks superbly and focuses terribly in Stills mode.

[@lumberjack3008]

That’s why I already sold my XH2. Too many false positives results. The XH2s follows now.

[@Iamtongue]

Fuji has set the bar so low that we have to settle for "good enough" ahhah

[@ThierryGibralta]

Unfortunately kind of the feeling here. Good enough to use again but not wow effect for sure

[@nevvanclarke9225]

You could say the same thing about Sony.Colours and Sony sharpening.Why is there a bar so low with getting their colours?Right no camera is perfect

[@jcar4522]

@@nevvanclarke9225 Out of focus is the opposite of sharp. At least i can use sony footage, in focus, instead of fuji, which is unusable. Cheers!

[@vukhuat4251]

Dude, we all have seen reviews from Edvard and know exactly what is happening with Fujifilm AF so you can stop mocking about it. I remember you have made a video about which to choose between Fuji and Sony and I think this is the right time for you to do it. But I guess you will stick with Fuji because you need content to make videos 🙃🙃🙃

[@Iamtongue]

@@vukhuat4251 Exactly. I’ve made several videos telling Fujifilm to do better, not because I care that much, but because I need content. Thanks for noticing. And hey, maybe it’s time to stop being a fanboy yourself. Đừng làm fanboy nữa con ơi

[@lumilikha]

Fair tests! 👍🏽 Thank you for publishing this!

[@clearviewmarine]

Why does the evf get blurry when half pressing the shutter or in my case using back button auto focus particularly in low light even though the actual picture isn’t blurry and is in focus on my xh2 none of my other cameras from other manufacturers do this is this a Fuji thing?

[@zenstoodi]

This is never ending story and will not end until people will buy „good enough”. Fuji selling products shouldn’t make it worse and this happened couple times. Just stop buying Fuji, maybe then they’ll think twice before releasing a new camera.

[@FavoritenFebruar]

still waiting on the xt5 getting more and more nervous

[@russell4569]

For sure!

[@SummersSnaps]

I did some testing on 7.1 with the 90/2. I did some side profiling shots like you show at 1:39 etc. What I found is that Face Detection (no eyes) did a better job of prioritising the eye closest to the camera than using Auto Eye. I think with Face, how it works, is it basically front focuses but not to the extent it chooses tip of nose (ever as far as I can tell), and thus the cheek area and eye closest always gets the priority. With Auto Eye, it is not always doing this and will give preference to the eye with better contrast, even if it is the eye furthest away. So for the vow stuff I would actually trust Face more than Auto Eye. In general Auto eye is still very erratic and panicky, always toggling and I think this introduces too many micro pulses as well.

[@finken2007q]

Thank you for testing! I have the same findings on my XH2. Video AF-c has gone from useless to useable, but it is far from fixed. The erratic and visible focus steps are ruining the video This is too little too late in my opinion.... and now Edvard has revealed a flawed autofocus software even since XT3. Instead of putting more lipstick on the pig, they really should scrap it and rewrite the whole thing.

[@polygoncoco]

I tried the newest firmware and firmware 2.01 is still better for me on my X-H2. Fuji really need to fix this issue that edvard highlighted with the stepping

[@ThierryGibralta]

I haven’t seen Edvard’s video yet, I will have a look when I get some time.

[@matango1979]

​@polygoncoco how hard it is to install an older firmware? Is there a chance that something could go wrong or is it fairly simple?

[@simon359]

The biggest question I have, as others have said, they were doing still photography, and the images looked like they were sharp in the camera, but when they went to the editor, they were blurred?

[@ThierryGibralta]

I did not have this problem. Overall the images that I took were in focus when the box was green and on the subject.

[@simon359]

@@ThierryGibralta Just waiting for the XT5 firmware update

[@ysfclp]

Teşekkürler kardeşim. Merak ettiğim noktaları anlatmışsın. 😊

[@LandonEpps]

Assuming this talking head video was shot with X-H2S AF, I find the focus adjustments distracting. Not sure if it's hunting or if it's because you move your head forward and back a bit as you talk, but the background blur jumps pretty significantly.

[@ThierryGibralta]

It was shot with the X-H2S and the 18mmf1.4 Ok I did not notice that as much but thanks for the feedback. I do move my head quite a bit when I talk.

[@SummersSnaps]

As for the people walking behind the subject, Fuji need to bring the 'Front', 'Centre' and 'Auto' AF.C settings that exist on Photo and port across to Video. Thus if you choose the Tracking and Sensitivity settings in AF.C (that you like), but then can also choose 'Front', then the AF should do better in keeping stuck on you and ignoring subjects in the distance. It could be more useful as well in KZbin/product showcasing videos as you bring something closer to the camera and it sees the new object is closer than the face and so it now focuses on this item.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Fair point 👍 That would make it easier for a lot of users.

[@RandumbTech]

I disagree with one thing you mentioned - a paying client is ABSOLUTELY going to notice the stepping (non-smooth) focus in video. Even if you switch to manual focus, it still steps because it's focus by wire. Fuji's AF system is optimized for stills, not video, so it's best to use it for that purpose. Thx for taking the time to do this comprehensive analysis.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

For a wedding scenario I don't think people care.But for a advertisement type work they would care.But I wouldn't use a Fuji for professional advertisement work we have to remember.These are $1500 cameras. They are not 15k hollywood cameras

[@SummersSnaps]

Clients vary, one of my clients could not tell the mono prints had a green tint whereas I saw it and felt it was very pronounced/strong. Probably in this instance some other technique such as letting them walk off into blur (i.e. use manual focus and do not chase them with focus) would look better than a system that steps and leaps and wobbles when catching up etc. This is what I would call working around limits of the camera. I try not to deliver work I am not pleased with as a general rule.

[@ThierryGibralta]

I would say that it depends on the client - if you work on weddings/elopements, 90% of the clients would not notice. Now would I be happy with this on commercial work - No. But usually I would manually focus for those cases.

[@chunhangtang]

For the multi, you should tap on the part that you want it to focus. If you want the camera to focus in the center, you should use single point. I don’t think the multi is supposed to be a ‘product-focus’ mode.

[@edvard2942]

The hardware, the camera can focus like a sony , The programming is very bad , their software development for autofocus is so bad. It is now almost same level as fw1 (wich is also bad ,but usable). Thanks for the video Thierry :D (Also if you do this 11:48 with AREA also but maybe with your 33mm , the same thing will happend sometimes , no focus)

[@ThierryGibralta]

Thanks for watching and for yours as well. I haven’t watched your last one but a lot of people referenced it in the comments. I will have a look when I get some time. Yeah I am not sure what is going on there. Maybe lack of contrast, but it would be weird that my hand would not be in focus if that was the only issue.

[@edvard2942]

@ check my last vid 😅 fuji prioritizes cdaf now no contrast = no focus

[@GodIsOneNotThree]

I am done with Fuji. Sadly. I might keep a lens or two and see what they bring in the future.

[@marlenelandstravels]

The colour grade in this talking head is beautiful. Did you receive a free hasselblad too? Shame it doesn’t really do video, would have been an easy switch for you haha 😅

[@ThierryGibralta]

Thank you 🙏 Free hasselblad? I wish lol People do?

[@marlenelandstravels]

@@ThierryGibralta ​​⁠ yes pretty much every photographers on KZbin received a free X2D in exchange of a video. Adrien, the French guy in Hiroshima just released a video too. Doesn’t sound like a bad deal haha

[@EmptyShadoow]

The focus plane stepping on the fuji XH2s 7.10 is not smooth like on the sony / xt3 v1.0. Its like this ------...----..----....--.....---....- while sony is like this --..--..--..--..--..--..--..--

[@EmptyShadoow]

This is important like smooth aperature steeping also is.

[@goliathmoumousse]

Bonjour Thierry, Merci infiniment pour tes vidéos intéressantes, et surtout moins agressives et blessantes que certains...On peut parler de tout et avoir des reproches à faire sans être systématiquement sarcastique. Je pense que ce n'est pas dans la culture nipponne et beaucoup doivent se sentir blessés dans l'entreprise. Bref , merci pour toutes ces informations qui confirment mon utilisation. Arrivant de chez Pentax , que j'aime beaucoup, je t'assure que beaucoup de critiques sont celles d'enfants gâtés 😄 J'ai un fils ingénieur en informatique qui est fan du Japon et qui adorerait y travailler, je suis certain , que vous vous entendriez bien 😉Bonjour de France !

[@ThierryGibralta]

Merci bien! J’essaie de rester objectif, sans attaque personnelle. Mon but n’est pas de faire le show mais vraiment de voir si je peux utiliser mon X-H2S dans certains cas. C’est possible oui que certains se sentent visés, mais pour avoir parlé à certaines personnes de chez Fujifilm au Japon, ils sont généralement assez réceptif des critiques.

[@GungKrisna12]

and Fujifilm might say "this is just the beginning"

[@nativestrong7253]

It doesn't matter if you have it in 'multi-mode' every camera auto focus system will suffer when lens aperture is wide open. It is looking for a specific target to focus on at that point, not everything in the field of view.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Are you talking about the test with the object in frame? I understand the struggling aspect, but the fact that it absolutely does not detect the object, for me that has nothing to do with 1.4. The detection dors not happen. Not the “pin point” part.

[@JaymesMedia]

This is true. I had used Sony twice, once on a production shoot and another at a wedding. Even when the couple were exchanging vows, the autofocus was hunting as well. Both cameras were set up by their owners and still had focus issues. No camera is perfect.

[@Predatorlinchen]

Thank you very much, Thierry, and kind regards from Germany! 😊❤😊 ("Predatorlinchen" is the german minimization-word for a very small and cute Predator, e.g. his smaller sister 😅)

[@ThierryGibralta]

Thank you for watching!

[@Predatorlinchen]

​@@ThierryGibralta You're welcome!

[@n0f8r]

"multi" is very poorly defined in the X-H2s manual, it just seems like a bad option to use when you you don't have subject detection on. From the X-H2S manual: "MULTI The camera selects the focus area automatically." How is it supposed to know which object you want it focus on? Or to put it another way - how are you supposed to know what it will select to focus on ? given that definition. It seem to me that it's not meant to be used without subject detection, and in that use case you should be using touch select, or area mode focus.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Yeah I am not sure either but for my test case, given how “big” the subject is in the frame and given that the camera just ignores it tell me that there is an issue here. Either it does not behave the way I think it would or there is still an issue here.

[@eagleeyephoto8715]

Multi is used always with subject detection or back in the day user input a.k.a back button focusing to be able to track subject

[@sfinnera1]

I follow you but if you’re gonna do a review of the autofocus I think you need to be a little more specific. When you say it is ‘useable’ at 2:37 and you refer to pulsing in the highlights - can you highlight where? Perhaps put an arrow to show where you are referring to because it looks fairly perfect to me and thus discounts your argument. When you are doing your tests at 4:35 and 6:05 what are your custom settings for autofocus tracking and speed? Perhaps I missed it if you said it but I’d suggest putting the figures on the screen. I dislike non specificity in this regard. It’s unhelpful and non transparent and unfair to Fuji. Though I appreciate your findings with your face detect and twirling experiment 8:02. Though when you say ‘pretty much good’ here at 9:58 do you mean it works or was there room for improvement and if so in what regard? Also at 10:44 I think to be fair it’s unfair. You’re positioned to the far right of the frame and for all intents and purposes are you not the subject of the frame, or if you are, you can understand why the camera is giving you less priority. It’s just bad framing. Lastly at 15:18 when you say ‘most’ are in focus, what percentage are you talking about? 90% 80% ideally how many not in focus? Display the results if possible as Pal2tec would or Gerald Undone. It would make the review seem a little more objective rather than a rant like all KZbinrs are on atm re Fuji with detracts from your useful content. At 16:13 I’d suggest utilise the tracking feature rather than zone if your tracking a specific subject. All probably a little harsh and pointed but hopefully used as constructive criticism. I’ll keep subscribed but just a few tips

[@lombardy3274]

To be fair, that is quite a difficult test with a sun flare pulsing in and out of the frame!

[@ThierryGibralta]

Possible yes. I do work backlit quite a bit so I do want to test this scenario.

[@greenbirdertv]

What about bird mood?

[@ThierryGibralta]

I don’t shoot birds.

[@oregonduc]

Fuji just needs to be bought by Canon, Nikon or Sony at this rate to get AF

Long story short it s worth the money

[@ThierryGibralta]

I would say Long story short, I can make it work for my use case. For people shooting sports for example, not ideal still.

[@MRpapageorgeo1]

I think it is their lenses. Hard to fix af when the lense is compromised. That last video example happens all the time when I use the 23mm 1.4 but not with the new 16-50 both set at F/4.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Hmm I don’t think so, as it happens to a lot of people with different bodies with the new firmwares while people using older models don’t have similar issues

[@germancreatives88]

just trade to nikon zf

[@japamax]

Je vois aussi que tu filmes à 1.4, c'est pas trop demander quand il y a du mouvement, 1.4 c'est bien pour les portraits mais en fermant un peu plus l'autofocus devrait s'en sortir mieux non ? de f1.4 à f2 on doit être non flou 30% moins de temps et donc l'autofocus a besoin de 30% moins de calcul et de pompages ? Si en fermant un peu, on peut le rendre fonctionnel alors pour moi c'est Ok Le cycliste (à 15mn24) , il a l'air d'être venu dire 2 mots ? Il t'a fait du tracking sur ta personne ? T'étais trop sticky ?? 🤣😁😄😉 a+

[@ThierryGibralta]

Oui je filmais à 1.4 pour tester. Effectivement dans la plupart des cas je ne serai pas toujours à 1.4. Il m’a contourné ahah mais pas eu de problème lol

[@Maktheblade]

There is only so much AF can do; it can't read your mind. If you have several people in frame, why do you expect it to follow one in particular and not the others? If you put yourself at the side of the frame, and a person walks in from the other side at roughly the same distance, the AF is going to try to track them - it doesn't recognise you in particular. So much of the content we see is manually focused - I worked on a corporate video recently and the videographer used a BMC4K - all in manual. The only people that use AF for video are KZbinrs looking to create drama. What about actually using the camera for a passion project? Film a mini cinematic, see where AF works and where MF is better suited. Mirrorless cameras all have issues, and Sony AF is NOT bulletproof - just ask it to focus in a low-contrast scene and it'll fail. Just saying to think it through more, and not just race a Range Rover on a track against Porsches.

[@ThierryGibralta]

So this test is for me to see where it works and where I should use MF. As I explained, I need to know what is the limit of the camera and which cases of AF is usable before bringing to a project or for work.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

How often do people that your videoing go out of frame and back in....errr your job is to keep people in the frame 🤔....id like to see a test where someone is holding the camera and moving about.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Did I make many tests where I go out of frame for video? Maybe 1 instance. And yes I agree with you, it does not happen often.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

@ThierryGibralta No I wasn't criticising you.I was probably more referring to a lot of other people who tested the camera doing it like that unsilly jumping test I think. Your test was very fair

[@photomaker4502]

I never understood professional wedding videographers using Fujifilm to do work. I have always found Fujifilm for casual shooters using it for vacation with family or friends, never for professional work. I’ve always equated professional work with Sony and Canon and even Panasonic LUMIX.

[@marcosdamata8325]

That's just silly. Are you saying photographers are either "wedding/sports pros" or "casual family vacation shooters"? Go do some research, go beyond your youtubers-insta-influencers, because professional photography is not just commercial photography. The Magnum current president shoots with GFX 100S II, as do the former president (if you wanna Google 'em - Cristina de Middel and Olivia Arthur). Other Magnum members shoot Fuji as well, like Lindokuhle Sobekwa (GFX50r), Emin Ozmen (X-100s) and David Hurn (X-pros). Many studio artists also go Fuji because GFX is the next best thing after Hasselblads (or better than), like Bastiaan Woudt. Those people are not just "pros", they're artists, and they couldn't care less for "which brand has the fastest eye-autofocus" talk. For some wedding professionals reference, I'd suggest checking Kevin Mullins work.

[@ThierryGibralta]

I have about 50-60 galleries delivered to client that would prove your opinion wrong.

[@lumberjack3008]

Your patience and dedication is adorable. Leaving the XF system is my choice.

[@ThierryGibralta]

To each their own. Leaving the system also costs money so business wise I gotta weigh my pros and cons.