REVIEW - A Full Week With The Fujifilm X-H2S - in-depth review

[@amateurvisser]

Thought I'd seen all the X-H2S reviews on KZbin, but this one still brings some new information! Really appreciated. Thanks for putting in the work.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you so much! Thanks for watching and glad that you found it useful!

[@stefanoa6310]

As someone already pointed out, you d need to turn the white balance /exposure preview ON in the settings if you want to see the "real" scene. You usually turn it off when using speedlight in manual mode (no ttl), so you can still see and focus while the cam doesn't know your speedlight power.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi, thanks for this! I'm sure I tried this... but clearly not! When I can get my hands on it again I'm going to try this and see if it solves the problem. Thanks again :)

[@j.sauer.photo_]

This.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

@@T0m03at That's what I thought - it seems to do this when this is selected and I'm using manual, but not in A/S priorties. I have asked Fujifilm for some clarification, but I'm waiting to hear back. I'll update if I find a solution. Thanks for confirming that I'm not going mad! Alex - Wilkinson Cameras.

[@cb9831]

What a brill review - thank you for taking the time to make it ! Easily one of the best I have seen for 'any' camera - so comprehensive & so 'obviously' knowledge based !

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you so much! That's really kind - thanks for watching and commenting. We have a review of the XF 150-600mm lens coming this week too, which may be of interest! Thanks again :)

[@XantMann]

7:48 As an old Fujifilm user; main reason for this is that Fuji's display factory setting usually corrects the image for better visualization. You can change that to wysiwyg in the menu. It works like a charm.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you! I couldn't seem to find the setting for it, but a few people have said this so I'm going to get my hands on one ASAP and see what I was doing wrong :)

[@jonathanestesbrand]

II😢

[@mortenthorpe]

have both the X-H1 and H2S - the H1 is one of my all time favorite cameras!

[@nasserbrn]

Thank you for what I think is the best imo review of the camera that I can find on YT. This is the first time I see your channel and wanted to say well done! As for the viewfinder showing you a perfectly exposed photo. I found it happen on the GFX and I didn’t know why. So thanks for brining it up and I found the answer in the comments.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thanks so much, that’s really kind - glad you liked the video and glad me not knowing how to solve it has helped you to! 😊

[@deemaxful]

Which one is batter for family photography canon r7 vs fuji xh2 plz suggest

[@QUINPANO]

The issue at 8:00 actually happened to me as a Sony a9 shooter. I found the fix in the settings after watching someone's KZbin video. This sounds like exactly the same setting issue that I was experiencing.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Great to know that it wasn’t just me!

[@donbararslistingvideos4512]

Thank you for video. At 19:00 there is scene shot in FHD 240P. Was there any noise reduction applied in this scene?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi, thanks! No, this is just straight out of the camera :) We've just added a review of the X-H2 as well, which is capable of 8k video - but only Full HD for 240p for some reason. The 8K footage is amazing though! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXbWnIJ4Zt-kd80

[@donbararslistingvideos4512]

@@WilkinsonCameras Thanks Alex. For all the complaints I am reading about the X-H2S noise at 240P this looked terrific.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

@@donbararslistingvideos4512 we’ve got some dedicated 8k video samples from the X-H2 to share in a separate video (hopefully up tomorrow - KZbin is being very cantankerous today!) and I’ll see if we can put a feel of the 240 (Full HD) footage we took as well, alongside the slo-mo we took on the X-H2S as well and then you can compare!

[@donaldbarar9476]

@@WilkinsonCameras Thanks Alex. I look forward to seeing this comparison.

[@hyperhoo1736]

regarding the overexposed result while shown perfectly in EVF, sometimes it happens when you set the camera to S mode or A mode, while one of the spec tuned AUTO is at its limit appears as a RED number on the screen.

[@curlsbynat9763]

I am planning on buying 1 in March. I love your video very detailed.😻

[@Yakfisher1000]

Great review thanks. I am looking seriously towards upgrading to this camera. Are you coming to NZ in December for the Ironman Worlds? It's in my home town of Taupo.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you! Sadly NZ might be a little bit too far for us to travel! But what an amazing opportunity for you to photograph on your doorstep. The atmosphere will be incredible - hope you get some great shots 😊

[@Yakfisher1000]

@@WilkinsonCameras Cheers got mad healthy friends coming from Majorca/UK to do the event! I'm trying to source a second hand XH2S with the 150-600 and 80-120mm lenses hopefully before they get here in November so I can get some practice in!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

@@Yakfisher1000 Aside from getting your camera settings right, make the most of being a local to scope out the best places to be on race day and work out how you'll get there, etc. with the road closures. This was a full distance, so we had much longer at each location and longer to get from each location. As yours is a 70.3, you'll need to know your plan and locations/routes even more so you don't miss anything. Being a local to the UK one, I already knew some of the good spots and knew that a bike was the best form of transport for the day. If you own or can borrow an e-bike... then even better! Load it up and away you go!

[@Yakfisher1000]

@@WilkinsonCameras Cheers for that. Have followed a relative in the IM comp here before and viewed other photographers view points. Will definitely be taking my e-bike I'm not as fit as those taking part-Lol

[@vagabondmatt5152]

Thank you for actually demonstrating the af in multiple high demand/difficulty situations. Ive avoided Fuji in the past because of slow af, I think I’ll be picking one of these up for a travel kit.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thanks for watching ☺The AF is very impressive on this and also the X-H2 - not quite as fast on the X-H2, but coupled with that high resolution sensor, you may wish to consider that as travel option - depends on the subjects you're shooting of course! Here's our X-H2 review 🙂 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXbWnIJ4Zt-kd80

[@harrypallenberg9764]

Wondering about the IBIS for video - around 18:13 - if you try and pan to follow some action (biker) the camera sticks a bit too much then jumps to catch up. Did you find this true?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

We were at 600mm (full frame equivalent approx. 900mm) at that point, shooting hand-held, so it's probably a little sticky purely due to the distance and then the close-up of the cyclist. This footage isn't adjusted in any way in Premiere, it's as it came from the camera. I'd not have any concerns if I was standing closer using a shorter lens or if zoomed out a touch or using a long lens on a video tripod. But any hand movement at such a focal length is exaggerated a lot, which is why it will end up looking a little "sticky" as the IBIS kicks in alongside the tracking. Thanks for watching!

[@francissosing]

Mine will be arriving tomorrow.. I can't wait! 😍😍

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Awesome! What's the first thing you'll be heading out to photograph?

[@francissosing]

@@WilkinsonCameras a big race this weekend! They are remote controlled

[@iamdonfm]

great review. I've had mine for a while, but can't seem to get the 40fps to work without a lot of misfires. Using AFC- wide, max sensitivity etc.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi Jordan, thank you! That's interesting - I found it just worked brilliantly every time. If you let me know exactly what's happening (what are you photographing, what's the light like, any other useful info) I can certainly have a think and see if I can help :)

[@DeepteshLovesTECH]

The Autofocus in video with the zoom lens seems to be crazy good! The bike riding towards the camera and perfect AF lock!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

The AF on this camera is really very good! I was actually quite surpised to be honest. IBIS on the camera and OIS in the lens, plus the amazing AF - just a really great combination. Thanks so much for watching! :)

[@mortenthorpe]

it is! the new AF algorithms and processor power really delivers!

[@eliaspap8708]

Your exposure meter on the left is always a better guide then using your EVF or LCD. I always use the meter as a reference first depending on my subject also. But keep in mind Aperture and shutter priority are Auto settings anyway so your exposure should always be in the ball park unless you have drastically set your exposure compensation.

[@TICEplay]

The Setting where it shows you a perfectly exposed image in the EVF but the image turns out underexposed is totally normal for most cameras to have - it is indeed crucial if you take photos with flash. As the flash obviously is not on for the entire time you compose the image, the camera compensates for it. But once you press the shutter the flash illuminates the picutres - thus it has to be exposed darker :)

[@VulcanAussie]

Great review, balanced and subjective. Nice breakdown of camera features, lenses used and additional kit. 👍🏼

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Really appreciate that, thank you! And thanks for watching 😊

[@JacovanRensburg]

I am stuck between ordering the XH2s and XH2... the latter just gives so much more detail in images but since I have not had a chance to test it yet, I don't know how good or bad the video AF is with moving subjects.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi Jaco, we have done a video autofocus test on the XH2, which I'll link here if you want to check that out. Fujifilm X-H2 Review: kzbin.infoUgkxWlJ_68ebCDjgbl1b2N5YMaKPTG8X-pnl Fujifilm X-H2 - 8K Sample Footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH6lXp6Oit2qqpY As for the X-H2S we didn't get a chance to thoroughly test out the video autofocus capabilities, but from personal experience I found the tracking remarkable when filming the cyclist in this video. Both the X-H2S and the X-H2 have the same autofocus system, however, the only thing that would make the X-H2S slightly faster to autofocus is the X-Trans5 Stacked BSI Imaging Sensor, which makes sense given the X-H2's slower readout sensor. One thing to note is that the X-H2 has many more AF elements and a 40MP sensor, so if you would prefer something that's going to give you incredibly sharp and beautiful images then personally I would go for the X-H2. Check this video out, it might help you a little more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5Tcl5umptmqmrc

[@philbarnes7122]

Thank you for a very entertaining and informative video. Re. the apparent problem you had with the EVF seemingly not showing the correct exposure: the camera has two viewing modes. The first shows the correct exposure and is used for normal photography. It seems you had this switched off. However, the second viewing setting would be used in, for example a studio using flash where the ambient light is often extremely low. This second setting is not affected by the very low ambient light but appears at normal brightness so you can frame & focus easily. In this mode the EVF or screen does not show the exposure and it seems that you were inadvertently using this setting. The setting to look for is 'preview exp’, which can be set to ‘on’ or ‘off’. It might be useful if you could correct this small part of your video as it is misleading, although you did say several times it was probably due to your unfamiliarity with the system. Again, many thanks. I really enjoyed the enthusiasm and slightly informal presentation which made the video easy to watch - unlike many others which one wades through painfully!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi Phil, thanks for the feedback - so glad you liked the video and how it was presented... that's just me being me! 😅 You raise such a good point about the studio as an ideal useage scenario for the "problem" I described, I'd not considered that. Thanks also for solving the problem for me, even Fujifilm didn't come back to me with an answer when I queried them on it. Unfortunately we can't edit in such a change now that the video is live, but that's why I was very careful to make sure people knew that it was most likley me in a classic case of "user error" and hopefully it will mean that when other people come across the same issue, they'll be able to see all these really helpful replies and have the problem solved! Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment - Alex | Wilkinson Cameras

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi Phil, so I've got my hands on an X-H2S and the problem is still there. "Preview exp" is only an option for manual mode (on this model anyway). In Shutter or Aperture priority, you get the issue I describe in the video. It seems there is no way to preview the true exposure in S or A modes - I've asked Fujifilm for more info. I'm still prepared to be wrong and I hope I am, because it's a major drawback as far as I'm concerned!

[@waipahutube]

what is the real reach of 150-600. on h2s?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Fujifilm X series has a crop factor of 1.5, so in 35mm equivalent terms the 150-600mm becomes 225-900mm. Take a look at our lens review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5zJXnmpnrSYbKM

[@waipahutube]

@@WilkinsonCameras thank you

[@pierrelaviolette670]

Great review

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@bunmeng007]

The autofocus is no joke! Well done fuji

[@craigmorris8322]

Had a test on sat and I am jumping from canon crop birds in flight was very impressive. I’ve used r5 and this is great aswell

[@WilkinsonCameras]

I wished I'd had chance to test it on birds properly for the video, but they just weren't coming out to play. The AF everywhere else has just been so impressive though. Hope you will love using it - thanks for watching! :)

[@AjiNMoto]

check Mike Rileys video on XH2S for wild life. He seems to love it

[@naturealbums]

I'm considering this option fed up waiting for the pre-ordered Canon R7 (25thMay) The lens seems good a bit dim at F8 though If I get this camera I think might go for the 100-400mm and it's a bit more compact at almost half the price.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi, thanks for watching! The XF 150-600mm is £1899, the XF 100-400mm is £1699 (both prices correct at the time of writing!) So not a *huge* price difference between them. But yes, The XF 100-400mm is a bit more of an every day option in terms of size and has a faster aperture range. It would certainly be a good shout. A seriously versatile lens regardless of which brand you're using. We were testing the XF 150-600mm at the same time though, so made perfect sense for us! Have you pre-ordered the EOS R7 with us? Stock is coming through steadily - we've already supplied a number of happy customers and we are expecting to fulfil the initial launch orders within the next couple of weeks. So, it could well be worth just holding on a touch longer. The R7 is also great - incredible AF and also very high continuous shooting. It won't perform as well as the X-H2S in electronic shutter mode so you will need to decide if 40fps and silent shooting is essential to you. You may have the advantage of more lenses to choose from / broader range of lenses for Canon. Both great crop-sensor options for wildlife though :)

[@naturealbums]

@@WilkinsonCameras I ordered the R7 through my local SRS Watford on the 25th May they keep saying they have had no deliveries yet. I do wish I had chosen a bigger distributor getting the feeling Canon are neglecting them. They've even said to me I'm welcomed to go elsewhere but after waiting so long and I would lose the offer of the free converter. I'm just stuck in this long wait but since the wait I've seen some nice alternatives like the OM-1 and XH2s. I do already have a 7DMKII so not desperate.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

@@naturealbums Lovely to see support for your local independent (a shame you're not local to us!) Canon are trying to allocate stock fairly, but there is a chance (we couldn't know this information for sure) that they'll supply their direct accounts first and then distributors, who usually deal with smaller stores or smaller businesses, second. The demand for the R7 has just been overwhelming. I'd say stick it out for now... you've waited this long - and you'd end up waiting a lot longer if you were to pre-order elsewhere now. With the R7 you'll have the benefit of already having lenses and "speaking" Canon already :)

[@dougmacmillan1712]

Thanks for a very informative and well done review. I have the H1 and its abilities have enticed me to try video and bird photography. The H2s and 150-600 is really calling to me. From this and other reviews it seems Fuji made a quantum leap from the H1, which is still a find camera. We also want to return to England and Scotland. I'll have to drop by if we get the chance!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

It certainly is a big leap! Oh yes please call into one of the stores if you’re over here 😊

[@Dylan-C]

Thanks for this video ! I ordered it a few days ago, I can't wait to try it out ! I come from an X-T3, for professionnal photography & videos. I think this is a good price but the most important thing for me is the autofocus in videos and the durability of the body (since I had severals problems with the XT3....)

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thanks for watching! :) I think coming from the X-T3 you'll really appreciate the upgrades and features in the X-H2S. AF is brilliant in both stills and video - leaps and bounds ahead of the X-T3. The body felt good quality and is built to a high standard with weather sealing, etc. I wouldn't have any concerns about this personally. What issues did you find with the X-T3?

[@XantMann]

You and problems with an X-T3!? Did you throw it in the trash compactor?

[@icogicog8287]

Agreed. Surprised to hear about issues with the XT3. Used a bunch of different X series cameras over the years and in quite challenging conditions without issue

[@Dylan-C]

@@WilkinsonCameras Thanks a lot for the feedback on everything ! I have 2 issues with my X-T3 : 1) Nearly since I bought it new, when I shoot in burst mode or I film in 4K60, sometimes (happens once every 7 shoots approx.) the body just shutdown and restart in factory mode and you lost all of your settings, even the langage / date ... 2) And since 2 weeks my screen isn't working when I tilt it. Very strange since I'm very meticulous with it. (but I use it nearly everyday since 2 years)

[@Dylan-C]

@@icogicog8287 Glad to hear that since it's my first Fuji camera and I would love to stick to this brand ! I never used it in the rain or very bad conditions. The body as maybe just 2 little scratches XD so IDK. I'll send it to Fuji when the XH2s arrive, next week.

[@karlbratby4349]

shooting with an Sony A9II for 2 years and sort of liking it but hate the colors compared to my Canon days and the XT2 I had a while ago. I was really excited I might get those great colors in a camera to almost match the specs of the A9II, sadly when I had a trial the 1st thing I missed was the ISO dial, where and in which world is it acceptable to not have the exposure triangle available for, surely for pro users its a must! I didnt like the old dial on the XT2 for ISO but could program a dial to be pressed and change its use on a press, not anymore, and strikes me as very very odd and a huge oversight for a supposed camera that was designed or had a lot of design input by many fuji pro ambassador level photographers...SAY no more

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Sorry for the slow reply! At first I missed either an ISO dial or just an easier way to change ISO, but actually with use I found that I quite liked simply setting my custom ISO limits and working within my pre-defined tolerances. I do wish that when you do change ISO you can see the change on the top display though, without having to look at the LCD screen... that just doesn't fit with most people's workflows. I'm not sure if I'd swap from Sony A9 II to X-H2S personally, but I totally get the colour. I much prefer both Canon and Fujifilm colours to Sony.

[@karlbratby4349]

@@WilkinsonCameras thanks for the reply, honestly I don't think i could get used to relying on an auto iso setting as also seems the xh2s has NO exp compensation dial to + - as needed as no meter gets it right all the time and its a royal pain in the ass to have to press a button before a dial to get to ISO adjustment with manual settings. Fuji IMHO has made a balls up of epic proportions with this camera, it may shoot quick but not so good to adjust settings quickly. and it seems I'm one of many voices saying the same thing. Thanks for the great review though but for now will stick with my sonys

[@WilkinsonCameras]

@@karlbratby4349 It will certainly be interesting to see what the X-T5 brings (and no, we don't have any info on that! But common sense says it will be Fujifilm's next major release) and what elements of the X-H2 it shares, but with the more traditional handing people are asking for.

[@karlbratby4349]

@@WilkinsonCameras update … bought the xh2s, not perfect but have found workarounds until maybe firmware can give a little more customisation, will run alongside the A9ll for a while. Great new lens lineup was what convinced me to give Fuji another go…😊

[@daveangeline]

was this video filmed on the xh2s ?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi David, no - we could only borrow one! The sample footage you see throughout and at the end is all shot on the X-H2S. The pieces to camera, B-roll, product shots, etc. are filmed on a Sony A7 C.

[@pierrelaviolette670]

It’s a good idea to factory reset cameras before doing a review unless new out of the box, my H2S always shows actual light and this was the default

[@WilkinsonCameras]

I always do full resets when picking up cameras that aren’t mine - too many people have their own unique settings!☺️

[@bishfrie]

Is this in northwich?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

No, we were only in Northwich when we went to the falconry there! This is filmed in Bolton (we get to go to all the glamorous locations 😅)

[@LaMakinaFotonika]

great video!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thank you so much :) Glad you enjyoyed it!

[@MelvinGarcia]

Correction: Native ISO for F-log is 640 and F-log 2 is 1250.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

They're the base ISOs for F-Log and F-Log2, but we found that the native (optimal) ISO for cleanest performance (lowest signal to noise ration, delivering the cleanest results) was actually higher than the base ISO values for each. You'll find a few other reviews that mention this and the video we reference and link to also shows this really well on screen. Thanks for watching!

[@uncleanAlibertine1]

thnx for really unbiased review. however I think is great price but the same here in Europe than uin usa. and its down to bad value of euro. I think I will wait for xh2 without video feature and h265 4.2.2 only :)!

[@skepsys]

no mention of video af, as i remember, and probably because its still lackluster compared to sony/canon. this makes me think the review was actually biased and sponsored by fujifilm. they didnt touch, as i remember, on the things that people complained about xh2s, and af in video is a big thing a reviewer has to touch on nowadays (considering competition).

[@uncleanAlibertine1]

@@skepsys actually in this they didn't. but as far as I see it/s really no big lag behind the best

[@ytr8989]

Auto WB should be ok, as you can always tweak it later. There’s been more than a few complaints about muddy images, jerky IBIS, AF issues, poor build quality, and so forth. Why can’t camera makers release a good working camera these days? I sure wouldn’t like spending a lot of money on a camera, only to find out that it has some real issues. I don’t want to wait weeks or months for firmware updates. I want a decent camera right from the gecko, especially when paying a lot of money for it. It’s not just Fujifilm, but all the brands have released some really bad expensive cameras. They’re not testing these cameras or what could be the problem? But with cheaper cameras there doesn’t seem to be as many issues and most cheaper cameras seem to work as they should right out of the box.

[@bakbulut71]

thank you.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Welcome!

[@marklondon8793]

The amount of mansplaining on this (excellent) review is hilarious. I've now subscribed!

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Thanks Mark ☺️ We’ve got an XF 150-600mm lens review coming out soon so something to look forward to soon!

[@stephenmckay6762]

I agree. Perhaps matched only by the number of comments from people who seem not to have watched the video! Also subscribed.

[@skepsys]

was this sponsored by fujifilm? no time did you spend, as far as i remember, on video autofocus. that, and the lack (?) of video af tracking, are weak points of xh2s (and very compelling advantages on sony/canon), and very important things to cover, and you didnt. you say this is an in-depth review and that you thoroughly tested both photo and video. how was it possible then to not cover the subject of video af? its not like its some negligeable thing with cameras nowadays. in fact, its one of the very reason it makes it hard for some to decide between a7iv and xh2s. and you just left it out. was this sponsored by fuji?

[@WilkinsonCameras]

Hi, thanks for watching! The X-H2S has tracking and subject detection AF for video which you’ll see in the samples we’ve included. Unfortunately we don’t have time to include comparisons or alternative cameras in review videos like this (it’s already 23 mins long 😅) as it’s an overview and review of a new camera rather than a comparison or help to choose video. If you are looking for a new camera and would like help choosing between models then please get in touch with our Customer Service team (www.wilkinson.co.uk/w/contact-us/) or if you’re in the north west then you can visit one of our stores (www.wilkinson.co.uk/w/stores ). We’d be more than happy to help you to find a camera to suit your needs and budget and answer any more questions you have 😊 We requested to borrow the equipment from Fujifilm (most journalists, retailers and even a lot of independent KZbinrs get their demo equipment directly from the manufacturer in this way), but we are not sponsored or paid to create content with or for them and as such our reviews are unbiased and independent.

[@bakbulut71]

thank you.

[@WilkinsonCameras]

You're welcome!