Fujifilm XH2S - A Filmmaker’s Review - Should you Upgrade?

[@fauland_photography]

Thanks for sharing your (critical) thoughts. I use the X-H2s (rigged up) now since a year. And getting to know it better (with all plus and minuses) pushed my production value shooting with it. Indeed a true "Cine X One" one day in the near future would be amazing . I keep fingers crossed. But first of all: Can we say all together: " How great is you Dune-like footage" in the beginning of this video ! Wow !!!!!

[@cleverghostchili]

I’m very excited for Dune part 2! I had more planned but when I got there it was restricted airspace and couldn’t use my drone. Womp Womp

[@MrJayclas]

This footage is absolutely gorgeous!

[@XingxianYAN-dc2lc]

Great video .amazing work

[@davidmc3741]

I agree about the eyepiece sensor being a pain, but, you can press the "viewmode" button next to the eyepiece to disable it. Great vid btw.

[@cleverghostchili]

Yeah I guess I’m lazy. Im going to keep it primarily on LCD-only moving forward

[@madsappeal]

Judging from youtube Vidoes, the output of the XH2s is a big step up from previous Fuji cameras. I rate it over the Sony FX30. Not quite Blackmagic though.

[@cleverghostchili]

I shot a loooot of videos with the xt3 so I can clearly identify 3 differences. More dynamic range (less clipping), softer roll off, better color in highlights and shadows (14bit)

[@aramisgrey8601]

I've also heard that it rivals with the FX30... and the colors you get from it are probably better.

[@Searchingk9]

Love it!!!

[@spillars]

Great video! So how do u handle the flog2 footage in DaVinci?

[@cleverghostchili]

I have a video on it. Arri log c with small adjustments

[@smartideas-pedro1690]

Great video. I really like that you recently started commenting instead of only shooting. About FLOG2, you can use DCTLs to convert to Aces or DWG, look for "Tatcher Freeman DCTL Tutorial Episode 3", he made a conversion DCTL for free. Also, I've been using Kase Clip In ND16 filter for Xmount, it's internal and helps to tame the 1250iso with 4stops, also gives a subtle softness to the image. But i must say, you're right about this camera being poor value. If it was priced between 1500-2000, would be awesome but at 2500, it kinda missed the point, specifically compared to current Lumix options.

[@cleverghostchili]

Great share! I think the Lumix s5ii is better for video, but I still love Fujifilm for photography

[@christianwmeyer]

Great review, and like how you present it like a movie 🎬 I'm so close getting one but having the X-T3 and liking it makes me think about your words. Choose wisely, totally agree ☑️

[@cleverghostchili]

Its just that the xt3 is too good of a camera and an upgrade will only be for quality of life things like film simulations, ibis, flip screen, battery which do make a difference but in terms of image quality, you can’t really tell the difference when I used an xt3 for the macroshots of this camera versus the usual. That being said I’ve seen this camera for 1700$ and that is a great price for an upgrade

[@christianwmeyer]

​@@cleverghostchili thx for your opinion. Research for a new camera is in the beginning fun, but at some point it's only frustrating; there will never be the perfect camera ever🤣 A camera is in the end only one tool of many during the filmmaking. I wish you good shootings with your XH2s 😉🎥

[@robinfro3610]

Would xs20 be a better upgrade?

[@cleverghostchili]

I believe the xs20 is far better value, can basically get two xs20 instead of one xh2s, identical image quality but slightly worse performance

[@anirudhtd2670]

Hi I wanted to ask you about this. Xh2s seems to be able to record 14 bit flog2 while Lumix can record only 10 bit. How can they be equal?(I am leaning towards lumix, asking this question to make me more grounded)

[@cleverghostchili]

According to Fujifilm the xh2s records at 10bit, but only processes the information at 14bit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep_NqWqHfaZ_f7Msi=1SEhCSIicj2qJ7Hx (10:15). I think the Lumix is better for video, softer image, ibis, more video tools, many consider full frame a plus but that depends person to person. Fujifilm has ProRes 4:2:2, extremely good rolling shutter, color and photos are also better imo, but has a plethora of problems outlined in this video. Now that the price of the xh2s and s5ii can be found less than 2000usd I think they are both amazing buys. On paper the xh2s looks incredible but if you don’t mind the sharpness and love film simulations it is a great choice. If you really need ibis and video tools I’d go for Lumix. Can’t go wrong with either. Spend wisely. Also don’t forget about the mount.

[@anirudhtd2670]

@@cleverghostchili thanks man. Gonna go with the s5iix

[@madeiramedia]

Amazing video ❤

[@cleverghostchili]

Your comment brightens my day ❤️

[@AdekunleJohnsonEseyin]

Good video, which one will you advice me to pick between sigma fpl and fujifilm xh2s because I watched you your fp video.

[@cleverghostchili]

This is really dependent on what you're looking for and i know nothing about your needs. For video, Sigma FP is better for intermediate and advanced shooters, the Fujifilm is better for novices especially because of the autofocus and wider dynamic range. For photography the fujifilm is more reliable and has a more enjoyable experience, the Sigma fp has a higher skill ceiling and reward suitable for professional work involving photo editing. I think Sigma has a better image overall but Fujifilm is more fun and easier to use. Id recommend Fuji if you are just starting out, but try and get it used for 1700$. xs20 is a much better deal than the xh2s.

[@MoTecZA]

My main concern with this camera is the lack of organic. It takes so much work to get it looking for organic or less digital , whereas with my little Sony zve10 using Slog 2 with a simple lut and minor tweaks it looks organic and realistic

[@cleverghostchili]

yea but at least the photos you get are still top notch. i will say that this camera can do film emulation very well

[@MoTecZA]

@@cleverghostchili i take my previous comment back after watching one of your videos using colour space transform in node aswell as out node using arri log C it made a huge difference to the footage ,previously i was only using Fujis conversion lut and the image was flat sharp and lifeless however with a bit of tinkering with space transform ,wow ,thanks man all the best with your channel. I still dont underatand colour space transform as much as i would like to

[@cleverghostchili]

no worries, we're all growing @@MoTecZA

[@JaymesMedia]

Very nice video

[@cleverghostchili]

Your support gives me strength 🫡

[@JaymesMedia]

@@cleverghostchili 🙏🙏🙏 always happy to show it.

[@XingxianYAN-dc2lc]

Good 👍 good 👍 good 👍

[@hankypanky4u]

I shot with the XT3 for years (still do on occasion) bought my XH2S last November with intent to get into video, which I also do on occasion. You touched good points but even I didn’t buy this with the idea of it being a true “Cinema Camera.”

[@cleverghostchili]

Right at the end of the day my opinion is my own, and never let someone else spoil it for you. I actually do love using this camera and it has increased my appetite for a true cinema camera. Probably should find a new title

[@francissosing]

@@cleverghostchiliI find it very good for action photography and filmmaking. Thanks for your review

[@botbot3698]

have you checked out the mavo s35 mk ii

[@cleverghostchili]

Yeah I love how it has an interchangeable lens mount

[@TheDreInDaHouse]

Your points are very conflicting, especially with your value point. I would argue as well that this is a upgrade from a black magic due to flexibility. It may have one less point for video, yet the rolling shutter and photo abilities carry it farther. I would say the main Benefits for a black magic camera or any cinema cam is the video tools and inputs. Image wise, it’s on par if not better depending on the skill of the user.

[@cleverghostchili]

Value with respect to upgrading from a fuji camera as image quality is the same. I recommend this camera for someone completely switching to fujifilm. I think the dynamic range is likely better on the xh2s, but i disagree that the image on the xh2s is on par with blackmagic for filmmaking. It’s a good value compared to canon and Sony, but against Panasonic and fujifilm? You can buy two fujifilm xs20 for the price of an xh2s and I already see many people selling their xh2s. It’s a good camera no doubt, but so is the xt3. I get basically the same performance minus the dynamic range and rolling shutter as you said

[@fanjan7527]

I've been enjoying Fujifilm for abotu 6 years now, currently doing professional work on a T3 and T2 as backup. However it seems Fuji keeps on bringing out a great feature, only to abandon it with the next model. Also, for the money I think Panasonic is a better value for deal (given it offers cine video tools built in), apart from the H2s offering way better rolling shutter performance or the need for shooting 40 fps in stills.

[@cleverghostchili]

Exactly my thoughts. S5ii is too good of a camera. Though I would still personally take the xh2s for my niche uses of macro photography. Xt3 is just unbeatable, I don’t see how they can upgrade it, maybe more softness for video.

[@shueibdahir]

There's two things that really seem to hinder this camera's beautiful image. The overly sharpened image (definitely needs an OLPF) and the flog2 seems to severely compress the highlights. When we look at the images you shot though it doesn't seem to suffer from those issues especially the highlight compression. This camera is in serious need of RAW

[@cleverghostchili]

I really adore this cameras color science. I want to film with it more and flog2 is finally transformable in Davinci this summer. For me I’m still not fond of the texture and 3d rendering, the images fall on a 2d plane for me. But I do like the highlights of the camera so this summer I’ll revisit with some colorgrading improves I’ve picked up on. I also tried more of your method for my most recent video, shines in certain places

[@shueibdahir]

@@cleverghostchili Yeah the highlight compression issue might be the LUT more than the Log curve itself but i'm not sure. I love davincis transforms since they are mathematically accurate. Yeah I watched your recent video and immediately noticed it. It might work more often if you take the Midgray shifting into mind. Mine always has 3 stops above midgray and 8 below so it's quite easy to predict.

[@maurice-vincent-komischke]

You talk about the subject as if you have a lot of experience as a cinematographer. I don't quite understand what you want? I have compared my xh2s with my Red Epic Dragon and Blackmagic Ursa 12k and am satisfied. What are the points you are missing?

[@cleverghostchili]

Perhaps I didn’t articulate my points well, I love this camera and fujifilm. As an upgrade from the xt3, my blabbering is mainly that don’t find that the camera is worth the price of two new xs-20 when you can get nearly identical photo quality from the xt3 and get a more substantial cinema camera for 2500$. The most substantial gripe I’m having difficulty coming to terms with is the fact that it’s been a year and Davinci resolve doesn’t support the flog2 profile, I don’t know internal workings between Fuji and blackmagic, but I still consider this quite unacceptable given that a photo camera like Leica can have their log profile supported before fujifilm. Other small gripes like a poorer build quality are very disappointing for their flagship model. You also don’t need to take my word for it, don’t let my critique ruin the camera for you

[@maurice-vincent-komischke]

@@cleverghostchili For Flog 2 you can use ARRI Log C in Davinci - Flog 2 and ARRI Log C are identical. Did you try that?

[@cleverghostchili]

Yes! That’s my main workflow I even made a video on it. It still leans a little green while some reds become a little over saturated, just small adjustments. There is also another ACES work around, but the principle is whether we should have to make workarounds for their premium video camera in the first place. For me I don’t mind using Arri log C at all, but it still feels like Fujifilm doesn’t care about video users. Also I don’t like how the prices go up and the quality goes down. We went from titanium chassis on the xpro3 to carbon fiber?

[@maurice-vincent-komischke]

@@cleverghostchili If you want to have the same sensor of the xh2s in a cinema body you can check out Kinefinity MAVO S35 2 😌

[@Iamtongue]

just get phantom luts bro solves that arri problem you're chasing lmao..

[@cleverghostchili]

B…But then how will I sell my colorblind LUT pack?

[@Puppetsinmyhead]

I’ve never had a video make me completely change my mind and not want a camera like this one. As well as wanting to watch Dune again😐

[@cleverghostchili]

After nearly 2 years they did finally add flog2 support in Davinci 19. Ever recent Fuji release is essentially the same camera rehoused, the image quality and texture is identical to previous cameras so you are paying 1000 more for a stacked sensor just for better rolling shutter. I still maintain the xs20 is the better purchase.

[@xikefocus]

What do you think about the new Fuji XS-20? Do you think it has similar look compared to XT3 since it uses the same sensor?

[@cleverghostchili]

I think it is great value. The video is not going to be as good as the xh2s as it is 10bit vs 14bit but it’s half the price and you still get flog2, ibis, nostalgic negative. I think it will look better than the xt3 from flog2 alone

[@CO8848_2]

Interesting

[@Christo_glenn]

Hey mate, been loving the content. I know we like to all fawn over our gear, but at the end of the day it comes down to the best tool for the job. After a year of using the XH2-S, I've been able to dial in the image and it can produce fantastic imagery. With that said, I've looked into why the image has a very sharp and sometimes extreme digital edge to it. I've read up on it and saw a few videos where it points to extreme chroma smoothing and NR in the processing pipeline that cannot be turned off is the culprit more than the high resolution alone. The image can be finessed a bit, but I still desire a softer more organic image. If Fuji fixed the processing, it would really put it up there with the greats. I've been pondering the FP after I saw your video on it and I would sacrifice DR, IBIS, useable AF and a flippy screen for the organic beautiful image it produces. I've learnt that great specs don't always paint a full picture.

[@cleverghostchili]

Right, I actually do somewhat like colorless noise, Arri has something similar in their newer alexa35, but it does behave a bit too aggressively sometimes. I was quite harsh in this review but I still feel I made valid points about this camera, I think the xs20 is much better value and the build quality is comparatively one of their worst. Can still produce great images, FP is still my preferred camera with shockingly incredible color science

[@spincityvisuals]

, probably could color match some what to Blackmagic footage with a bit of work. Not bad for the price though, far from a 'cinema' camera... Red / Arri / Panavision are the only ones that exist in anyone with common sense when talking about cinema cameras.

[@TyCrane26]

Lol no. There are a ridiculous amounts of cinema cameras and “cinema cameras” out today. This theory has been dead for the last 10 years

[@spincityvisuals]

@@TyCrane26 i wonder why all of our productions use arri then, i guess we could save a few hundred grand and shoot on little off the shelf cameras lol. you are utterly clueless it’s hilarious

[@TyCrane26]

Lol I been in the game for 10 years now and I’m “utterly clueless”? And it’s based on budget and the need my man. Lol why you so mad? Ain’t no one coming at you. I’m saying there is plenty of other options. Not every production is a Hollywood production with the budget to put a red or arri on the equipment list. There’s a reason why you see so many different kinds of cameras on Netflix’s camera list. Are all those cameras not cinema cameras? Probably some of your favorite movies were probably shot on cameras you wouldn’t even believe. Lol. You gotta expand your mind a little bit friend.

[@spincityvisuals]

@@TyCrane26 got a good idea for you. send chris nolan or any top director a dm. say you’ve got some amazing xt4 let’s say, and you want to be the next dop on his set with your rigged out ‘ cinema camera’ let’s see how many responds you get. the term cinema camera is thrown around and is for people who don’t have the money to get a proper camera and try to rig out their shitty shelf cameras to make themselves feel better, when in reality if you had the money and where a pro that is worthy of the sensors out there that are industry standard, you would buy a alexa or a raptor and be able to operate a proper build. i’m sure that’s why every camera store either website or in store doesn’t have a sign saying ‘cinema cameras’ … they just say cameras. people who own actual cinema optics and bodies don’t need to showboat about their little cameras because they hold their own in the industry. we get purely booked because we have skilled eyes and the cinema level kit to go with it. end of story. keep working and i’m sure you’ll get there bud.

[@TyCrane26]

@@spincityvisuals 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I feel sorry for you friend. Keep shootin brother. May you have success in your life. Don’t let this industry ruin you like many others. Good luck and good fortunes. 🙏🏾

[@clausstahl5166]

I agree. It's good but it's not as good as it could.

[@cleverghostchili]

The build quality and lack of flog2 support make me question if Fujifilm are even proud of this flagship product. That being said I do enjoy using this is camera and love it, just won’t recommend it

[@spincityvisuals]

Fuji do know how to crack their colours, that WB setting is atrocious though, I hope that's not the only way you can change it. Sony shooters pay like 4 grand for some milky crappy skin tones is so laughable, most of their Alpha line cameras are worse than a XT3 for 500 bucks on eBay which is so funny.

[@cleverghostchili]

There’s a way to set it with the Q menu and command dial but that’s like 4 button presses and covers even more of the screen. I always found Sony to have too much base saturation but all cameras are good if you know how to use it, even xh2s I need some workarounds.

[@brentwalkerfilms9843]

Its a great b-cam to my blackmagic 6k pro. A lot easier to use for gimbal work since(lighter and can use autofocus for tracking subjects). Also, its a great hybrid camera for those that have clients that want both photos and video.

[@cleverghostchili]

Right this camera is amazing for photography, I just didn’t touch on it since this review was a cinematography perspective