My Fujifilm X-H2S failed catastrophically within 2 months

[@robert_may]

The camera/lens is now in the process of being repaired under warranty, for the lens mount issue at least. Also my new editing machine died whilst working on this video and that too is being replaced under warranty. Both of these are just the latest in a couple of months of various things breaking 😮‍💨 Taking suggestions as to what I should exercise my curse on next.

[@robert_may]

@@ghvanderweg Someone actually already crashed into it earlier this month and it too is being repaired 😭

[@JoATTech]

@@robert_may Please do not review your house then ...

[@scottc8274]

had a very similar (but kinda polar) experience, EVF working but LCD blanked - I've reverted to shooting either the SD or CFExpress but not both. Had this issue on two separate XH2s, but not on the XH2. Issue went away when I removed the CFexpress or SD card. Might be a buffer write issue, maybe the buffer has a software bug handling writing to simultaneous cards

[@robert_may]

Oh that’s very interesting. It does seem like the buffer is order-dependent or something and fails if it can’t write the file at the head of the list 🤔 I wonder if they’re doing something different in the X-H2S to deal with the fast clearance needed

[@paolopaolo9510]

I feel your pain. I think your situation was worse than mine. I'd had the xh2s for 4 months and took it on an interstate holiday to South Australia. About a week into the trip the shutter became stuck. I had the 100-400 on it and swapped it out with the 10-24. Took a test shot and that's when the problem happened. For 3 days I'd tried everything l could think of, battery pull, camera reset, different lenses, no lens and more. I used my wife's xs10 in the meantime. A Dpreview forum member suggested using the Fuji app on my phone to trip the shutter. And that freed it! So I used electronic shutter for the remaining days. When I got home i took it to the store from which is bought it. It stayed in the store for 3 weeks before being returned to me unfixed. They did not send it in at all and had no explanation. I took it to Fuji myself and 3 weeks later it was returned with a replaced shutter. But the front button for S/C/M was not working so back for 3 more days. It's been performing fine ever since but yeah it leaves you with a fear of future failure. I've had 3 other brand cameras fail over the years all within the warranty period and one of those was on another trip many years ago. I always carry a backup body now for any trips. So I always have 2 compatible (if disparate) bodies. I wonder if your problem is a main board issue rather than the lens mount? Good luck.

[@robert_may]

Damn, that sounds like a real pain! I do definitely want to pick up a second body at some point, though I'm going to wait and see how the repaired X-H2S fairs when I get it back before investing any further in the system now. Hopefully they provide some info about what the failure is. Luckily the lens mount failed for the WEX employees when I took it back to them, so they at least witnessed one of the failures. The data loss issue is so bizarre that I'm hoping I can confirm what triggers it as I really want to avoid it in future.

[@nigelpong143]

Do you think it might be user error? I’ve only ever been able to afford second/third hand cameras and have never had one fail on me.. :0 although you should probably steer clear of that camera store. Sounds like really poor after sales service

[@paolopaolo9510]

@@nigelpong143 HI Nigel, thanks for the reply. In my 20+ years of purchasing digital cameras I only purchased one used, it is still working fine so maybe that is the secret to avoiding cameras issues lol. I have had about 4 new cameras over those years that I needed to send in for repairs ( different brands, interchangeable lens cameras, all under warranty). In all cases, once they were repaired they performed flawlessly. In the case of the XH2s I cannot imagine what one could do in normal use to get a shutter to stay permanently closed and unresponsive. The shutter was replaced and has been fine since. Regarding the local store, they have been fine otherwise over the years but I am staying away for a while until I feel comfortable going back in. I do prefer to support the local stores as there are not many around outside of the city. Cheers

[@oregonduc]

I've had the XH2S since around the time it launched. I don't use any V90 SD's, I only use Angelbird CF's and so far it's been working as expected but I do keep up with firmware updates and I've only used entry to mid tier lenses. Been in high humid heat in tropical islands, to cold rainy situations in Japan and hot dry Vegas. Hopefully Fuji can find out if there are issues with SD cards on high speed recording and maybe fix it via firmware.

[@Simon-Simon-Simon]

you don't use the second card slot ? how can a camera have issues suddenly even on my XT3 lower version SLOT 1 for normal photos video SLOT 2 can you use SLOT ONE for video or higher burst rate but I cant see why SD slot 2 wouldn't work like years gone by

[@oregonduc]

@@Simon-Simon-Simon I rarely use the 2nd card slot on my XH2S because the CF is way faster than the SDs I have. Also I use a 512GB CF. I'm not a professional photographer so I don't really do redundancy. Even on my Olympus EM1 MK2 I only use the 1st card slot. Only on vacation I think I used the 2nd card slot to have a backup of photos since it was for my vacation.

[@Simon-Simon-Simon]

@@oregonduc I separate video and photos depends on how much video X100S FUJI 100mp people use OLD SD CARDS bust best something in settings - I want a XH3 :)

[@KidWiz3]

I just picked up an X-H2S as well, noticed that the setting to take photos without a card is on by default, turning it off and I cannot remove either card and take photos (with dual cards set to anything other than overflow). I found it odd the setting allows shooting with no card by default, maybe that got enabled again in your settings? If it's not that, that's a scary bug considering I'm not buying a cfexpress card just yet. My condolences for your data, been there done that before

[@robert_may]

That's usually one of the first settings I check, so I'm _pretty_ certain it was off, though it is entirely plausible that it could be toggled back on somehow by the camera (as they do have a tendency to change settings in odd ways). If the camera returns with my settings intact I should be able to check that though!

[@KidWiz3]

@@robert_may I've noticed that as well, I'll change between my C modes and random settings will be slightly different or overridden by main mode settings, yeah. Hoping either way that Fuji sees this video and researches it too! (And that your camera comes back quickly and good as it should've been, haha)

[@sue.Hoo123]

I’ve just had the X-H2S and 150-600 on loan from Fuji, I was very impressed with the performance and I’m seriously considering buying them. I would think you’ve just been unlucky with yours, but also pleased Fuji offers a 2 year warranty and that their repair centre is very local to me in Bedfordshire.

[@robert_may]

I'm really hopeful that this is just a one-off, as otherwise I've been very happy with this setup so far!

[@andyjones6127]

Would you have still switched to Nikon if you did not have any of these issues with the XH2S? Or were you already not satisfied with it?

[@robert_may]

Ooh good question! I think it would depend on what I was doing. I do miss the XH2S as an every day camera - it’s a great camera. I do prefer the Z9 for wildlife, but less for a general use camera. And I do miss the Fuji 16-55 lens, which was awesome

[@paul--b]

Bring back the OM-1!

[@m.i.andersen8167]

I was once stupid enough to buy a Lexar SD card, I had problems from the start and quickly stopped trying to use it. Since then I have only used SanDisk cards and have never had any problems with the cards. In the long run, it is not cheap to buy the cheapest, especially when it comes to memory cards. Maybe your video should have been called "My Lexar SD card failed catastrophically.."

[@robert_may]

Curiously I've been using these cards for the past year with the OM-1 without any issues. But whether they prove to be unreliable or not doesn't really excuse the camera from failing to write files to a completely separate CFExpress card if the SD card fails, as that's a failing in the firmware and how it handles the cards.

[@fordfanjpn]

@@robert_may It's important to keep in mind that a digital camera is essentially a computer that stores and manipulates data on the cards we provide. Those cards connect to a data bus in the computer, and if a card is defective or malfunctions, it is still connected to that data bus and can cause data transfer errors with itself or other cards connected to the bus, interfere with the operation of the computer, or in the worst case, cause actual damage to the computer. I have no idea why Lexar cards seem to function fine with other cameras, but it is clear from the large number of people who have complained about problems with their Fuji cameras and memory cards that turned out to be Lexars, the obvious solution, or at least the best practice, is to simply not use those cards with any Fuji cameras. Since tossing out the few Lexar cards I had and switching only to SanDisk, I've not had any further memory card problems with any of my Fuji cameras. I wish you the best of luck with your camera.

[@m.i.andersen8167]

​@@fordfanjpn You are absolutely right. I couldn't agree more.

[@robertvanempel5810]

Moments like these really put you down. We buy cameras for a reason and that is to capture moments that probably won’t happen again. My OM-1 is currently being checked out for issues I experienced, issues my E-M1X didn’t have at the same event.

[@ALIENdrifter66]

Not sure why, but Lexar cards tend to fail and cause strange behaviours on many Fujifilm bodies, it has been a known issue for a few years. I've had issues with pictures corrupting when writting to the card with two Lexar cards, changed to AngelBird and never had an issue again

[@robert_may]

That's good to know (now), thanks! 😁 Rather annoying that they're listed on the compatibility list in that case. I was eyeing up some of the AngelBird CFExpress cards recently as they seem pretty good value for money. My Delkin card seems good so far but the larger sizes are particularly spicy in terms of price.

[@robertvanempel5810]

@@robert_may I would try a different sd card when your camera is back.

[@TheJ_G]

@@robert_may I can second the Lexar/Fuji issues. Multiple Lexar cards across several Fuji bodies (XE1, XE4, and XPRO2) have caused problems with all of them in my experience. I’ve also had Lexar issues with some Panasonic and Sony cameras. I nearly bricked my XE1 at one point. Just locked up and stopped working altogether. I finally got it to work again by removing AND changing the battery and sd card. I’ve also had a few card corruptions with different Lexar cards and that was the breaking point for me. These days I’ve pretty completely sworn off Lexar as an option. Too many problems. I’ve also had a few delkin issues but usually just on Panasonic for some reason. Never had an issue with angelbird or sandisk though, with any camera brand.

[@fordfanjpn]

Same problem here. I've been using Fuji cameras for 12 years and the few Lexar cards I tried all caused problems. I now stick with SanDisk and have no more problems.

[@thelazyphotographer4761]

LOL! Love your sense of humor. Well done

[@tamsaiming2003]

Which is the most stable card for xh2s? (Brand and model number) Thx

[@robert_may]

I've not had any direct issues with the Delkin Black 160GB CFExpress Type B card. As for SD cards, no idea unfortunately!

[@007silverwings]

You got the camera back yet Robert?

[@robert_may]

Sadly not! Fuji's repair times in the UK seem to be very long at the moment, which is kinda worrying.

[@007silverwings]

@@robert_may hopefully you'll get it back soon. Still got the OM-1 in the meantime? I think that's an amazing wildlife camera for BIF.

[@JET-Photo]

I think you just got a bad body. I've had my X-H2s since launch and used the 50-140 2.8 heavily with no issues. That's a really heavy lens compared to the rest of the lineup. I know people that can't wear a watch because they just stop running lol. I always record my video to the CFX card, but I also record in Pro Res LT. Hopefully they can get it figured out.

[@thrallingFRglory]

Me thinks you need to bring back the OM-1 :p

[@richardfink7666]

Hello, I would have swapped the OM1 for an R6II at most.

[@robert_may]

The R6II does look like a very nice camera! Just a shame that Canon's lens prices are extremely high right now with no third-party lens support.

[@ronnywenkeimages9313]

Hi Robert. The exact same Lexar card broke on a wedding I shooted 2 years ago. Luckily I had a second card in my Sony camera body. This was the last time I used Lexar. Now I am using more expensive (and maybe better) SD cards. Cheers and greetings from Austria 😊

[@robert_may]

Thanks Ronny! Seems a few people have had issues with them, and particularly with Fuji cameras. Weirdly I'd been using them for a year with the OM-1 and never had any trouble, so maybe it only happens if they're pushed to the limit 🤔

[@ScrubbedAgonizing]

The play on the lens mount for my X-T4 and 100-400 lens is atrocious. If yours is anything like that then I'm not surprised at all to hear about the disconnection issues. By comparison, a friend's Canon R5 with 500 f4 is completely solid, as is my Olympus E-M1X and 300 f4 that has replaced my Fuji kit. The SD card issue you mention sounds like poor error handling on the part of the camera. SD cards fail every now and then, but you should be able to rely on the camera to handle it in a proper manner that alerts you to the issue so you can appropriately rectify and continue shooting. Losing images as you have is really unacceptable for a camera such as that. I had too many occurrences of lock-ups due to unknown issues on my X-T4 to the point where I lost confidence in the system.

[@robert_may]

Yeah I never had lens mount issues on any Canon camera. I'm sure they do occur but by design it's likely a stronger mount (larger diameter etc). I fell on my 7D MkII lens-end on and did absolutely nothing to it or the Sigma 150-600mm attached to it. I did have some mount issues on Olympus gear but never on the camera body - I dropped my OM-1 with the kit zoom and it collapsed the mount on the lens, but the camera body was completely fine. Similarly one of my teleconverters kept coming unscrewed at the mount, which was annoying more than particularly troublesome 😅 I'm hoping it was a one-off, but if the lens mount wears out rapidly again I'll have to ditch the system, as losing the camera for a month for repairs every two months isn't exactly viable.

[@Simon-Simon-Simon]

ALL THE LEXOR CARD HATE new ones work fine 1800 V60 REVIEWS ARE GOOD

[@rotatingdriveline3466]

It's a shame you've had this experience. I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with Fuji and Lexar V60 cards First with the X-T4 and XF 100-400, and now with the X-H2 and XF 150-600. I even dropped my 100-400 onto concrete (fell out of my bag) and the only thing that broke was the zoom lock switch--it still focused and took photos perfectly. Fuji fixed it for free, under warranty, which took a couple of weeks. As a software engineer, I'm sure you're aware that squeaky wheels are the loudest on the internet, so I would guess you and the various corroborating reports are the exception, not the rule. I wonder what the real statistics are on failure rates of the mount and SD cards? Fuji must have some data. As a satisfied Fuji user, I am often quiet, while people who have issues are speaking up, but I felt the need here to provide a counterpoint. Cheers!

[@philipsutton2316]

I agree - Fuji has gone to the dogs. I shoot events and gigs with paying customers and need reliable gear. After a decade of persevering with Fuji APSC gear, I swapped over a few months ago to Nikon Z. Camera gear is very expensive here in Australia and two Z 6ii's with four lenses cost me over $10,000. However, I have not regretted it. My clients have commented on the increased quality of my images and the gear works flawlessly. I had Nikon for 3 decades (starting with film them digital), and only swapped over to Fuji because my D3X was too huge. But now that Nikon has gone to mirrorless, my Z6ii is not bigger than the Fuji X-T3 I had. I feel your pain, because half of the enjoyment of photography is using lovely gear. If it starts to turn around and bites you, then that is a pain.

[@robert_may]

The Nikon Z system is gonna keep getting more appealing as they've opened the mount to third party makers. Should be interesting to see what Sigma chooses to release on it next!

[@philipsutton2316]

@@robert_may Good thought Robert, but I shoot Nikon because of their brilliant Z lenses - would never think of using a 3rd party.. In fact, my Z24-70 2.8s, is so incredible, it has made my 3 Z 1.8 primes (24, 35, 50), obsolete. Except for the odd time I need a little more subject separation or for bad lighting, I only ever use my zoom. In fact, I had a big all day event shoot yesterday, and though I carried my spare body all day with a prime, I basically just used the zoom for everything.

[@professionalpotato4764]

I too experienced the lens disconnection issue. Mine was with the XF 18mm f/1.4 which had a loose ribbon cable causing the AF motors to disengage. It was almost brand new, used at most once a month over a period of 10 months. A real pity the build quality on their premium line just isn't quite there.

[@robert_may]

What's weird for me is that I bought the 16-55mm f/2.8 used and that lens has no trouble at all (and is a really nicely built lens) despite surely having a more worn mount 🤔 The only brand I've had consistently good build quality from over recent years has been Sigma, curiously.

[@janwedek]

When I got the EM1iii, I slipped on wet pavement on of the first outings, camera in hand on the wrist strap. Amazingly it survived, but the baseplate was in rough shape and had to be replaced. The point being: shit happens and at least your’s is under warranty 😅

[@robert_may]

Oh man I fell on my 7D MkII on ice a year or so ago in a similar fashion. Lens first right into the ground 🙈 Thankfully the Sigma was built of stern stuff and was remarkably undamaged. My usual pain point is a new watch. Every time I get a new watch I scratch it immediately. Caught my Apple Watch on my own letterbox 🥲

[@janwedek]

@@robert_may Watch scratches are an instant classic :). Hope you get the Fuji back soon. Love the OM-1s but I am always curious to see what else is out there and what the trade-offs are.

[@alansparrow6396]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@juliette-mansour]

Hello Robert. First of all, I would encourage you to dismiss any of these notions of luck. Be it bad or good luck. I think sometimes we meet circumstances that allow us to serve the greater good, which you have by posting your experience here on KZbin. Regarding the error, I had this exact same issue happen on a Nikon several years ago, and I feel your disappointment. I think it can happen with any camera company especially when the camera is relatively new. Firmware updates give us perhaps a false sense of security but as someone said, taking two bodies with you is always advisable. I used to carry three actually, two film bodies and one digital. I trust that you will get everything repaired, but this certainly dissuades me from purchasing the lens. My gut tells me it’s the lens and not the camera - but who knows and please keep us posted. I can certainly understand why Fuji is now a sour taste in your mouth but let’s see what happens and if you can find out the exact culprit. That might help a little bit. Again, so sorry this happened to you.

[@robert_may]

I’ll let you know what they come back with, as I sent both the lens and body off for repair as I’m not sure which it really is! I’ve had issues with most cameras I’ve owned unfortunately so I usually judge companies more on their customer service these days 😀

[@juliette-mansour]

and I just fixed my Siri errors/misspellings! Technology!!! 🙄

[@juliette-mansour]

@@robert_may I agree. I have never had to deal with Fuji directly so you'll be helping me evaluate my XH2s. See? You're serving the greater good!

[@BYCWELL]

lovely response!

[@stephenedmunds207]

Olympus cameras are very tough and very effective ,i now own a OM-1 which is a brilliant performer for bird photography despite your negative views on it. But you wanted a panasonic S 5 and then a fuji camera both known to be average to poor performers in terms of bird photography. Maybe try a hasselblad medium format camera next as they are also useless with birds?

[@robert_may]

Ooh now there’s a thought 🤔

[@borderlands6606]

Imagine shooting a professional job, with a similar occurrence. Seeing the images reviewed one would naturally assume they had been written to the card. You would hope systemic failures manifest themselves in a more obvious way. I lose confidence in any camera that requires switching on/off or removing batteries to restore normal functionality, and I read about plenty of this online. Re. the lens mount issue, I've been squeamish about long telephotos on lightweight bodies since film days, but would hope the manufacturer makes the chassis and lens throat beefy enough to cope nowadays. Hoping this is just a confluence of gremlins that occur in various makes at some time.

[@robert_may]

I did find some info online that Fuji reinforced the lens mount on the X-H1 to handle the 200mm f/2 that they released around the same time, which kinda indicates that it needed reinforcing. It definitely doesn't feel as solid as, say, my 7D MkII did, although that was still a full-sized EF mount. And yeah I'm mostly just really frustrated about how the camera behaved when failing. I can deal with a faulty card! It's a shame they don't do something like checksumming to verify that data has been written correctly.