The Truth About Fuji's new X-H2 Camera

My goal is to be useful, educational and maybe entertaining on my channel. This video is not one I enjoyed making because Fuji is my brand of choice for personal and professional work. However, the Fuji X-H2 is not up to my expectations for a modern mirrorless camera in terms of autofocus. I paired it with the Fuji 56mm F/1.2 lens to shoot a local 5k race, not the action shots which I used the Fuji X-H2s for, but just portraits and candid shots. I tried very hard to stay in that narrow lane of portraits and non-moving subjects, but over and over again, when I reached for the camera in a scenario where there was a moving subject, the subject detect and the eye autofocus would work properly about half of the time. This is a problem for me, and though I still much prefer the portraits I got over the Canon EOS R shots I took last year at the same event, and which I review in this video, I'm conflicted about this camera
If you like this video, please like it and leave a comment. And, be sure to subscribe: bit.ly/subtowes.... I made this video because I appreciate you! If you appreciate me and this video, you can let me know by buying me a coffee at: paypal.me/wesk....
Help support the channel by purchasing the items below (the ones I talk about in this video) through these Amazon links:
The Fuji X-H2: amzn.to/3tbPXw0
Fuji 56mm 1.2 lens: amzn.to/3Th4gty
The Fuji X-H2s: amzn.to/3sXyvuS
Fujinon 16-55mm F/2.8 lens: amzn.to/3NFjHun
The Fuji 10-24mm Wide Angle Lens: amzn.to/2VENGbV
The Fujifilm X-T4: amzn.to/2U4z8kU
Fuji 23mm F/2 lens: amzn.to/2JJRQfD
Fotodiox EF to X-mount (Smart Fusion with ND Filter) adapter: amzn.to/3nXHnMy
Fotodiox EF to X-mount adapter: amzn.to/3k9Hbaz
Godox V860iic Speedlight: amzn.to/37XE6Xf
Godox XPro Trigger for Fuji: amzn.to/34aODgx
Rogue Flashbender: amzn.to/349RIxt
Magmod Starter Kit: amzn.to/3a4KaQo
The Movo VXR10 microphone: amzn.to/3fLYMDz
My favorite camera, the Canon EOS R: amzn.to/2sYn4av
My favorite lens for the EOS R: amzn.to/2YA6vh3
The RF 15-35mm lens: amzn.to/2rqfyVJ
My favorite audio gear, the Rode Go wireless mics: amzn.to/36sq3GR
LowePro Photo Classic Backpack: amzn.to/36h4cT2
Westcott umbrella: amzn.to/2rNbJtR
Polaroid OneStep+ Instant Camera: amzn.to/2MLS9Fy
A great shotgun microphone, the Rode VideoMic Pro+: amzn.to/3488hab
Lights I use for key light: amzn.to/2RASyhk
Another key light: amzn.to/2PAvnB0
Colored DJ light for background: amzn.to/35cx2Dt
#fujifilm #fujixh2 #fuji
#canoneosr #canon

[@WesKriesel]

What questions do you have about the Fuji X-H2? If you like this video, please like it and leave a comment. And, be sure to subscribe: bit.ly/subtoweskrieselphoto.

[@M.Redsky]

I want to know how the noise of the X-H2 is compared to the 26MP sensors, given there's a lot more pixels on the same surface area. Can you shine some light on this? Is it noisier at lower ISO values than you would have expected?

[@kirklins8411]

Hi Wes, love your real world testing of the camera. I'm not sure if you do birds in flight, but often I may catch a bird but I'm not fully zoomed in with my XF100-400 because sometimes you need to be zoomed out a bit to follow the bird. Then after I get the shot I may only be at say 275mm so I end up cropping. I would love to see some cropped pictures of birds even if they are not flying to see what the detail of the feathers look like and whether or not noise shows up making the crop not worth doing. I'm sure cropping a nice studio setup or clearly lit person outside may look great but birds usually have a challenging background or lighting conditions. How does the 40M sensor do with these type of crops?

[@aurimaspovilionis3304]

For some reason I think that was 56/1.2 fault.. I had a chance to play with new 56 on h2s. Even on that camera it hunts. So I’m not surprised that you experienced that kind of behaviour with this lens. I would suggest to try H2 with some LM autofocus lenses.. for some reason I think you will change your mind.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I haven’t had any noticeable hunting with any lens on the X-H2s, but I definitely now realize that while I bought the 56 F/1.2 to take advantage of the 40MP sensor with a “compatible” lens, I also picked a lens that wasn’t noted for speed. Live and learn!

[@TheOneAboveAll_]

It seems like the same thing everyone was saying was improved is the same thing people have been complaining about again with fuji

[@NoahBershatsky]

I'm new to the X-H2, but I've owned the 56 f/1.2 in the past (a couple of times). It is a SLOW lens. I would not use it for any action. 50-140mm f/2.8 would be a better choice.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! Good insight on the 56mm lens

[@dantecorbett2221]

After all these months and the updates that have come to both cameras, Would you still suggest leaving EOS R to go towards Fujifilm? I'm deciding between Fuji & Panasonic S5II. I wanna believe that the Fuji can be fixed more via firmware... thoughts?

[@WesKriesel]

I would not hesitate to choose the Fuji X-H2s! I'm not sure if the X-H2 and X-T5 are a good fit for me personally but I definitely prefer Fuji colors and images over Canon. The X-H2s is perfect for me!

[@praetorian3571]

Fuji's colors are the king!! The people who wrote the jpeg algorithm at Fuji had advance knowledge of color, and they knew what they were doing. Watch a video tile "Fuji Rethink Raw" by Lee Varis, he goes into to technical details about Fuji jpeg files, his video sold me on Fuji and I never looked back since then. Just FYI - I am ex Canon and Sony shooter and now for the last 4-5 years in Fuji camp.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I will check out the video you recommended!

[@vinhsanity]

Wait… you put the 56mm f1.2, which is one of the slowest, if not the slowest focusing Fuji lens on a high resolution body, potentially shooting wide open, and you’re wondering why you missed motion photos? That lens (old and new) wasn’t designed for subjects in motion. Maybe walking or relatively stationary flow, but not jogging, running, dancing, etc. A number of Fuji lenses would’ve been a better choice, such as the red badges and newer because those have snappier motors. Even the 33mm f1.4 would’ve been a better choice and just crop in during post with all that resolution. Also, were you shooting wide open when razor thin DOF challenges focus algorithms the most? Were you using electronic or mechanical shutter? If it was ES or 1st Curtain ES and not mechanical then you already hindered the sensors readout speed. I also shoot with an R5 and I would never put the RF 85mm 1.2 on there for fast moving subjects. I won’t even attempt to capture a subject walking unless I’m walking in tandem because I know focus speed is a big weakness for that lens. Even if I stopped down for deeper DOF to be friendlier to the focus algorithm, the lens just moves slow like the Fuji 56mm. Getting a 50% hit rate would be a huge win on both the R5 and H2 with those lenses for action/motion photos. Also, I’m not being mean and all of this is for feedback in a positive manner. I just question the 56mm for motion shots, or maybe I heard the lens you used wrong? I used high ISO on the XH2 with the 50-140mm for an indoor volleyball game and it nailed focus 90% of the time - and that’s still quite a bit of lens to move. Most of the misses was poor anticipation on my part too. While the H2s did a near flawless job because of the stacked sensor and 90mm - I had a pretty high hit rate on the H2. It sounds like you just need to learn your setup better so you can maximize its strengths and know its limitations. Just some food for thought.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I appreciate the feedback. The 50-140 is one of my favorite lenses - I've rented it twice for event photography. It's on my list! The best or fastest lens I have, for AF, is the 16-55. It's quite good. Well stated - it definitely matters which lens you are using!

[@AsuquoTravelsProductions]

I don’t know if any of you have noticed but to get the best results from your XH2 you need to put it to Continuous Autofocus/eye tracking in Area mode. Also when recording you can tap the LCD to focus on whichever subject you have on screen and immediately the eye autofocus will move to that subject. 😅

[@WesKriesel]

I'll try that! Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@ryanhoviolin]

Hey Wes, nice video! About the XH2 autofocus, the XH2 should focus much much better with moving subjects than the XT4, which was my impression after about two weeks of use. It is a new AF algorithm in the XH2 and when using Continuous autofocus with eye detection turned on, I actually only use single point autofocus (where the camera gives you the focusing square box. In order for the camera to pick out a single person and their eyes among many moving people, you need to make sure that the square focusing box is always on the subject before the eye detecting can find the correct eye, it’s really counterintuitive but it works like that. Don’t use Wide Tracking when there’s a lot of people around, this only works when there is only one subject in the frame. Second method of focusing on moving subject in Continuous AF is to use Zone Focusing with eye detection turned off. The AF in the new Fujis do work very accurately, but it will depend if you can nail that settings for your own context. Now that there are 7 custom modes on the mode dial, I just set up 7 different AF scenarios so that i can pick and use the correct one on the fly. Good luck with finding the correct settings!

[@WesKriesel]

Thanks, Ryan! I actually think you named the key issue: wide tracking. I reviewed the settings left from the 5k and it looks like I had wide tracking, which somehow escaped my notice. I typically use single point and probably overlooked this somehow or maybe set it to a specific custom setting then shot in manual movie.

[@ryanhoviolin]

@@WesKriesel that’s probably it. I hope Fujifilm is reading this because their software / algorithms are so finicky and requires the users to painstakingly trial and error different settings in order to get it to work when it should work right out of the box! They certainly have all the best hardware on the camera body and lenses, so they need to work on their algorithm…. But luckily for me, I’ve found my best settings and AF tracking works well.

[@WesKriesel]

That's great. I am looking forward to adjusting my settings and trying again.

[@dustinjenkins8215]

@@WesKriesel Make sure you're in boost mode too. That affects the AF ability.

[@BB-ft6nd]

I’m just going to use a X-H2S. The difference between 26 & 40 percent is negligible. The difference in AF is massive. Plus, that sensor will end up in the cheaper X-T5 anyways.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! I appreciate the insight and I'm pretty sure I agree with you, though I have more testing to do since I now own the camera!

[@ianwebster1143]

Fuji XH2 all day long, I have one and it’s fantastic 👍

[@WesKriesel]

Awesome! What type of photography do you enjoy?

[@ianwebster1143]

@@WesKriesel I enjoy taking photos of everything but my real passion is nature and wildlife, I rarely take images in RAW format as all the Fuji cameras I have owned always produce fantastic images straight out of the camera in jpeg. Have you tried the pixel shift mode for the 160mp images, it works well but in practice isn’t something you use due to the massive file size 😂

[@sachinsathe5688]

This is what happen when you don't know which camera is suitable for particular event/s and keep dumping KZbin videos with bad reviews for the cameras used in situation where it should not be used. This is where all viewers gets confused. As per Fuji, X-H2s is to be used to capture sport events and not X-H2. However, X-H2 certainly better auto focus than X-T4 but may not as close as X-H2s. This is every where in Fujifilm marketing brochure, videos and launch events if you have watched it properly.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment.

[@martinruiz398]

The 56mm F1.2 R is not great with moving subjects. If you were using a Linear Motor lens it would have been much better.

[@canyonblue737-8]

these issues are showing up with the X-H2 and X-T5 using AF-C and eye tracking even with modern LM lenses like the 18 1.4 and 33 1.4 ... the AF logic is just not good at all, hoping firmware can improve this, but right now it it is a real problem.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I appreciate the feedback and realize I could have chosen a “faster” lens to test. I did purchase the 56mm F/1.2 so I’d have a “compatible” lens to test the Fuji X-H2 40MP sensor. Great lens but not optimal for moving subjects, I guess.

[@WesKriesel]

I have faith that Fuji will fix all with a firmware update!

[@JET-Photo]

I’ve found I have to use single point for AF to get moving subjects. I’ve actually been able to shoot college basketball and motorsports with my XH2 but you can’t use tracking or eye/face AF and expect a lot of good shots. That’s just sad. Fuji wants to compete with Sony and Canon they are gonna have to figure something out quick. The XH2s is better for sure but there’s no reason to get soft images or out of focus images these days, especially with “flagship” cameras.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@JohnBreedyJr]

Good video

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. Are you in the market for the X-H2, already own it or other?

[@JohnBreedyJr]

@@WesKriesel just picked it up yesterday. I really enjoy the digital teleconverter option. I will be testing it out on a HS Football game. I've been shooting XT-3/XT-1. I do portraiture as well. The camera feels a lot more sturdy than I expected and I don't mind missing the ISO dials as much. I've got a bit of glass with no IS, 16-55mm f2.8/50mm f1/90mm f2/Viltrox 23 f1.4, so I have been testing that feature out heavily.

[@WesKriesel]

@@JohnBreedyJr very interesting! How is the Viltrox 23mm?

[@JohnBreedyJr]

@@WesKriesel fantastic little lens with great color. It focused lightning quick on the XT3. Viltrox makes some high quality prime lenses optically! The bodies are decent, but not weather sealed. My son knocked mine of a 4 foot table and the 1st one came apart. Lenstip has it getting close to the record for center sharpness. Only like a $300 lens. There is allegedly a 75mm f1.2 that Viltrox is announcing this year and a very good chance they get my money.

[@FotosyMas.]

I think the Canon portraits look better. Can’t pin point what it is, maybe is that infamous “full frame look”. I got the XH2 the day it came out, along with the XF 150-600mm. I’ve been using it for wildlife photography, mainly birds. I’m struggling with the autofocus in bird detection mode. It puts the box around the subject but the focus is almost always off. I wanted this camera to replace my Canon R7 as wildlife and also double as family/portrait stuff. So far I’m still conflicted and I haven’t sold the R7.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I appreciate the input. I'd love to see samples images with that combo - do you have any place online where you share your images?

[@tomheim9516]

@@FotosyMas. Great photos! If focus is off, it is not apparent in the samples you posted. Thanks for sharing.

[@TimucinYonsel]

The XH2 model has more AF, while the xh2s model is much faster. Because of the stacked sensor.

[@WesKriesel]

Interesting. I've found that the stacked sensor is faster and better autofocus.

[@ertugrul8459]

What I don't like is that objects bend and warp when I move them while shooting videos with the product.is this normal ? I don't know if the same is happening on FF machines or not. I bought it for product shots. Nice video, congratulations, we are waiting for the next.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment!

[@Eyeofkamau]

Think you may be talking about rolling shutter

[@eliaspap8708]

Thanks for sharing, the 56 f1.4 is not a great focusing lens for moving subjects. I found u need to be in zone focus or wide tracking, obviously Continous AF and then u might get 70% if ur lucky.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! Good insights!

[@msturi2002]

Was this used with the older 56mm lens?

[@WesKriesel]

This is the new 56mm lens! I just got it Friday!

[@martinreport]

I mean, obviously, the 56mm f1.2 doesn't have linear motors and is much slower at focusing than the 50mm-140mm f2.8 from Fuji. I'm not sure the slow focusing you are picking up on is the camera body as much as the lens. You could almost certainly lock focus on the runners in a distance race with the XH-2, as well. The video out of the XH2s should be objectively superior, though in some ways -- less rolling shutter and oversampling at 4k settings, etc.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. It's true - the lens is not the fastest! Due to be part of the issue for sure.

[@EdwardMartinsPhotography]

One of the reviews I have seen said the AF is much better with the 56mm Mark II. Might have been your issue? It's also a pretty complicated AF system which is going to take a while to figure out and get used to. It's also probable that Fuji will tweak things with FW as we go. I got an XH2s two days ago and have an XH2 coming tomorrow so I'm really curious as to what's what. The H2s is a lot better than the XT4 for sure.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. The lens I was using was the new version of the 56mm. And I got it exactly for the reason you mentioned - it's new and updated for better performance with the newest Fuji's.

[@EdwardMartinsPhotography]

@@WesKriesel Fair enough. I would have expected much better performance than 50%. I just got an XH2s and the focus does seem fast and erratic for my first impressions. But as always with Fuji I very much expect them to fix things in firmware as we go. Kaizen is just Japanese for "were not quite done yet but we'll fix it soon..." Interestingly the video eye tracking AF seems MUCH improved over the XT4 so far. I'll be comparing it to my A7iv which is just magic, so it's really got to shine to impress. We'll see. All I really need is for it to be good enough, though.

[@ShutterFanatic]

Are you seeing worse iso noise on the XH2 vs the XH2s? I was hoping for and increase on the new sensor and would settle for the same but would be disappointing if less. Seen mixed things on this with some that I trust saying low light took a small step back. I am an XT shooter and bummed about this new sensor so far. I think 30ish would have been the sweet spot

[@WesKriesel]

I have noticed that but I haven't done enough testing to get a definite answer for this issue. Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! I'm hoping that adding extra megapixels was not just hype!

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

Hmmm...For PHOTOS, I haven't had the chance to shoot moving subjects yet with my X-H2 other than leaves or something like that for nature shots and it does very well (leaf moving in the wind for example). That's with the 16-80mm lens. I use the focus tracking mode with AF-C. It's nearly flawless so far. For shooting VIDEO with face/eve detect on, tracking me as I move around in the frame while I talk has been outstanding also with almost no failures. That's with me in a busy outdoor scene (nature) and only one person in the frame (me), in and out (I leave the frame, come back in, move from side to side, go father back, come forward...all good). I'll have to try some photos of people now to see how it does (in photo mode, again using AF-C with face/eye detect but I could also try AF-C with face/eye off and single point AF.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. It sounds like everything is going well for you!

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

@@WesKriesel yes. So far I’m really happy with the XH2.

[@the-additional-f-stop]

I'm in the same boat as you, Wes. I shoot events. I got the XH2 on a good deal with the 16-80 kit lens. I have been shooting Fuji ASP-C cameras for years so thought the menu system and my lenses made this camera the perfect fit. However, I'm now doubting my decision, but not because of the autofocus. (As info, I used the wrong SD card (UHS-I by mistake) when I tested. Despite this, continuous AF is to with Zone Focusing with eye detection turned off worked great. No problem there. I use the ALL option on AF mode so I can use the front dial to quickly change focus modes). It's a beast of a camera but might be overkill for me. I shoot no video, first of all. Most of my event photos are passed along to the people who hired me to do this work so they can share them on social media. So I don't need massive file sizes to add to my already massive collection of photos across the years. I also have to now invest in CFexpress cards just so the XH2 can do its job properly and now my f/2 lenses and f/4 lenses seem gimpy. Lastly, in low light, it's way noisier than my Nikon D750 DSLR! I pushed it to the max too. Add the Lightroom worms and my nighttime shots were unusable. Very sad! My question for you is what other systems have you considered? I have three days to decide if I'm going to keep this kit. I'm 50% there in my decision. All I want is solid autofocus for my work and as a bonus and for some wildlife shooting I do on the side. What other kind of shooting do you do and have you considered also the xh2s?

[@WesKriesel]

Hi Juliette! First of all, thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! I bought the X-H2s first and love it. I'm doing tests with it and the X-H2 to compare resolution and detail, and it takes a very determined eye to spot the difference. I can see the difference but for most shots, most people would never be able to tell. I'm so happy with the X-H2s that I can't even express it. After about three events, I put my Canon R5 up for sale and haven't looked back. If it's helpful, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGWYmmqKbcx1p5Y I'd love to know what you end up deciding!

[@the-additional-f-stop]

@@WesKriesel hi! Thanks for the reply. I did wonder if I should get the xh2s instead given the way I shoot. I’m so confused though still! I’m going to shoot some more tonight and see. Please also consider testing low light? That was of some concern. I didn’t like the low light shots I got.

[@kirklins8411]

This makes me plan on sticking with my X-T3 and wait to see if they iron out the details on auto focus speed/reliability.

[@WesKriesel]

That makes sense. What type of photography do you primarily do? What's your go to lens for the X-T3?

[@kirklins8411]

@@WesKriesel Goto lens would be XF100-400. Lately I have been more interested in birds in flight. Osprey, Eagles, Blue Heron, geese and seagulls. I started out doing landscape and still do but I feel gravitated to wanting to get those Osprey hitting the water pulling out the fish. I use the XF100-400 for bif and the XF16-80 for landscape/waterfalls. I have the XF14 for unique wider shots but thats rare and really the 16 on the 16-80 is great. XF60 for macro ocasionally. My challenge for birds in flight is the reliability of the continuous autofocus much like your shots of moving people starting at 5:10 in your video. When it hits I absolutely love my FUJI!!!! But so many misses that clearly should have been no problem to have focus. I gave up on continuous AF and now shoot in Single AF mode and just hit the shutter when I see the moment I want, I get less shots but they are in focus. I'm hopefull to have great fast bird eye af with one of the new cameras maybe the X-H2S but being able to crop the X-H2 or X-T5 40M sensor might be nice if it's af can keep up to bif. Hopefully there will be some great firmware updates that iron out the AF.

[@Tbonyandsteak]

Not an expert on XH2. But I get that the focus setting in Fuji are something you got to learn. In order to work proberly and the lenses have a great deal on its performances. I mostly do landscapes, though. I hardly does those fast apertures. So I have no focus issues at all, offcourse if you do video with a high framerate and narrow focus area. Focusing will a difficult challange. So you got to help your camera to get the right focus. like limit its focus area, choose the best area vs point focus, chose the right setting to the behaviour of your target. Etc. Those settings would be a MUST to learn. According to Fuji XH2 have a more exact focus than the XH2s due to it have more pixels to work with.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! I appreciate the insight on focus (from what Fuji has said). I'd love to do a, livestream looking at X-H2 images. Would you contribute a landscape image or two that I could share on the stream?

[@Tbonyandsteak]

@@WesKriesel contribute? what do you mean? I dont have an Xh2 yet, Live in EU so I want to see what the prize range is to compared to the Xt5 first. It is confusing when you are in EU. I dont earn anything from my photos, purely target to my own wall. Not that I have a problem with sharing.

[@mylife7six]

Thanks Wes! I would love to see X-H2 tested using single point focus continuous with moving subjects (even runners) - 15 frames per second. No face or eye detection on. My X-T3 even does decent with this. Also a side note to any fuji user. I made the mistake of turning pre focus on and forgetting about it the other day. That was a terrible idea. During a senior photoshoot when I would focus and recompose, the camera would loose focus. It drove me crazy. I rolled with it having to retake the same shot multiple times and finally moving my focus point instead of recomposing to get it. Got home after the shoot and figured out what had happened. Lesson learned.

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for the input - I believe I figured out what went wrong on Saturday! Ryan Ho pointed out with groups of people I should avoid wide tracking and I believe that's what I had. Your suggestion of single point continuous would have solved the problem! So frustrating and embarrassing! Good thing we can share our struggles! Thanks again for the helpful input!

[@parmanduke]

That's the reason why I chose the X H2s over the X H2. The AF is so much better. I got rid of the X T4 because of the continuous mediocre af and overall no comparison to Canon R6. The X H2s however is on par with the R6 for AF. Have you tried the 50 140 for continuous af on the X H2?

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment! I have not paired the X-H2 with the 50-140 to test AF. Next time I rent that lens I definitely will!

[@YanFries]

Xh2 has more phase detect points than xh2s actually.

[@Eyeofkamau]

@@YanFries that doesn’t mean it performs better, it just has more AF points. AF performance overall is still better on the H2s.

[@germanshepherdmom5411]

What was your AF-C custom settings set to? Just like Canon, the cases matter. I would have been set to 4 or 5.

[@WesKriesel]

Great question! I actually just watched Pal2Tech's X-H2 setup video so had those settings. But now I'm reviewing the settings and I might have discovered the issue. I'll be doing some testing very soon!

[@wildlifeandnaturebydtb2460]

@@WesKriesel what do you think the issue was. I tried my friend's X-H2s for bird photography and found it was slightly off for some of the shots, but perhaps it wasn't setup optimally

[@kmwong1786]

What focus did you use? AF-C with eye tracking?

[@WesKriesel]

Yes. I will do more tests with the different modes

[@kmwong1786]

@@WesKriesel Is your power management set to boost to get better autofocus?

[@WesKriesel]

@@kmwong1786 yes, it is set to boost. I followed Pal2Tech's setup steps for the X-H2, which included that setting.

[@codescholar7345]

Thanks for the video! I have the S but am debating on getting the non S version too. Can you post some RAF files shooting the same subject with both cameras? I’m wondering if the 40mp will really be noticeably different than the 26mp and I want to print 60” x 40”. I think the S has amazing auto focus and seems to have more dynamic range even in photos over the XT3 and I’m wondering if the S has more dynamic range in photos over the non S. Thanks!

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment. I added raw files to the blog post beautifulfuji.com/2022/10/28/the-showdown-fuji-x-h2-fuji-x-h2s/

[@codescholar7345]

@@WesKriesel Good blog post. I picked up both cameras and can see more detail in the XH@ but noticed issues with the auto focus immediately. The times it nailed the focus the shots were amazing but I was not very confident in it's ability to auto focus. The XH2S on the other hand I am confident in it's abilities to auto focus and noticed how well it focuses immediately. I do a lot of portraits in studio and on the street and I'd rather have the camera that can get sharp pictures reliability.

[@WesKriesel]

I'm sorry you had the same AF trouble I did but I'm also secretly relieved that I'm not crazy on that issue!

[@hasenmyer]

What camera/lens did you use to shoot this video? sorry if you listed it somewhere, I didn't see it. Thanks

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for the question. This was filmed with the DJI Action 2.

[@hasenmyer]

@@WesKriesel thanks for the info I’ve enjoyed your videos on the new Fuji cameras

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you! What are you shooting with?

[@hasenmyer]

@@WesKriesel mostly Sony, but have the XS-10 to a Fuji with good AF has definitely peaked my interest.

[@WesKriesel]

@@hasenmyer I really enjoyed the X-S10 when I borrowed it from Fuji for a test! What lens do you use with it? What type of photo/video do you primarily do?

[@markjsc]

Hi Wes - thanks for the great video! I'm trying to decide between the X-H2s and the X-H2. I'm strongly leaning toward the X-H2s but looking for any reason that I should reconsider the X-H2. Your experiences in this video are exactly what's making me think the "S" is right for me. I'm a serious hobbyist. I have occasionally found opportunity to shoot portraits, sports, airshows, wildlife, or landscape, but I keep coming back to capturing my family's travel and special life events as my primary subjects. I recently parted with my Canon 5D IV and L glass after 6 years, so I'm looking for a high-end experience (flagship body, great glass). I think the X-H2 would be more than fast enough (it seems to be WAY faster than the Canon 5D IV), but the better autofocus performance of the X-H2s seems like a better fit for my style of shooting on the run. And despite the higher resolution of the X-H2 I think the 26MP of the "S" will be more than adequate for my needs (I rarely print anything - nearly all of my output is for web or screen viewing). Can you think of any reason I should consider the X-H2 over the X-H2s? (Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can share!)

[@markjsc]

I'm reading more of the comments below, I see that the autofocus issues you showed with the X-H2 are likely due to configuration choices and not a limitation of the camera. I'm still thinking the theoretical speed advantages of the X-H2s autofocus give it an edge. Plus, I would favor the camera that has (even slightly) better high ISO performance - thinking that the lower resolution of the X-H2s would give it an advantage there as well. (First world problems, right?)

[@WesKriesel]

Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment/question. I'll respond on your second comment!

[@WesKriesel]

Hey Mark! Though I haven't done the tests yet that I need to, I think the comments have offered enough helpful feedback that I'm 90% certain the issues were due to AF configuration. I think I had wide tracking on and that was the main problem. There's not a difference in terms of ergonomics so if I'd choose one camera - as a hobbyist or semi-professional - it would be the X-H2s. I know the X-H2 has more to offer but I just haven't tapped it yet. And, while that's true, I've hit enough shots with the X-H2 to see there's not a lot more there from the photo resolution. The multi shot pixel shift is a very specific use case - almost reserved for studio or archival work (though some landscape images would work). And the 8k video is appealing too - but that's not a reason for a photographer to choose it. On sensor size, I've blown up photos I've taken with the x100v to 24" x 36" and they are incredible. So no doubt either sensor would work for fairly large prints. And my last thought is that the 40MP might be overreaching in terms of actual benefit for photo. I do think the 40MP does add to the video quality from what I've seen. Would love to know what you decide!

[@markjsc]

​@@WesKriesel Thanks so much for taking time to reply and answer my question. I'm pretty much decided on the X-H2s at this point, and your comment just helped to validate my thinking. (I guess I'm playing for confirmation bias here.) I don't have any particular hard timeline for purchasing - besides getting ahead of the holiday rush. I'll be sure to post back once I've placed the order. I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to seeing more of your videos in the future. Thanks again!!

[@markjsc]

@@WesKriesel - Just a quick follow-up. I ended up buying the X-H2S with the 18-120mm and 33mm f/1.4 lenses. I've had the kit less than a week, but so far, my impressions are very positive! I looked closely at the specs and reviews of the X-H2, but ultimately decided that I preferred lower resolution (c'mon - 26MP is enough for my needs) and faster speed, even if I don't typically shoot in situations where I need crazy fast framerates. I know it's going to take some time to become proficient with the Fuji system (after shooting Canon for 8 years), but I feel pretty good about it so far. Also, I'm very pleased that my primary goal of down-sizing is decisively accomplished - APS-C lenses are SO MUCH smaller/lighter than their FF counterparts! Thanks again for your helpful video and your contributions to the community!