Fujifilm X-H2S First Impressions
First Impressions of the Fujifilm X-H2S, XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR, and XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR
Beau Photo in Vancouver invited to a first look event of the Fujifilm X-H2S, XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR, and XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR. I signed up right away anxious to get hands-on time with these new products.
Ramin from Fujifilm Canada took the lead and gave us a quick spiel about the X-H2S and mentioned we were not able to use our memory cards and take files home. The products at hand were pre-production and hence final changes inevitably will be made to firmware.
The following first-look impressions are based on limited time with the X-H2S and the new lenses.
Fujifilm X-H2S First Impressions
It is always interesting when you have a first encounter with new photography gear. It may either draw you in right away and there is no going back or it may take some time to warm up to new button placements and layout scenarios.
It is also rather strange how some cameras look ugly in photos but great in real life or vice versa. Fujifilm did not rush this release and from the get-go, it appears to be a well-thought-out layout. Some may snicker at the PASM dial while others will love it.
I think the camera looks great in photos but perhaps not overly enthusiastic about the real-life appearance. While it resembles a mini GFX 100S or GFX 50S II the overall feel and finishes perhaps are not quite up to the level of the GFX models.
Ergonomically it surprised me how clunky the X-H2S felt and not well molded to my hands. The grip is deep but the body itself does not feel that tall.
Perhaps I should not have been surprised but adding the grip helped make the overall feel better while maintaining a fairly light setup. Without checking the weight it felt lighter than the X-H1 and grip that I had in the past.
With very limited time with the camera I fiddled around with a few settings and being a long-time Fujifilm user I felt familiar with the camera right away. Another surprise; You cannot center the focus point by double-tapping the joystick.
Fujifilm did not have this feature on the X-E4 either. I am not sure why as this is a crucial way to quickly center your AF point. We can hope for a firmware fix.
The 5.76m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder is a wonderful addition and Fujifilm has surely upped the game here. The extra pixels make for a lifelike experience on par with the best I have seen.
For lack of a better word, the mechanical shutter sound sounds very mechanical or machine-like if you will. It is not that pleasing and yet I am sure it is something I would get used to after a while.
You cannot toggle switch the front and rear command dials on the X-H2S. I do not mind this and I enjoyed the rear command dial and would set this for my exposure compensation. This dial is well-positioned and a joy to work with.
I tried the eye-track focusing and it is the best I have seen from Fujifilm to date. Unfortunately, there was no way to test tracking in the environment we were in.
Fujifilm X-H2S Specs
26.1-megapixel, APS-C, X-Trans CMOS 5 HS backside-illuminated stacked sensor
7-stop in-body image stabilization, IBIS
PASM mode dial
Up to 40 fps. using the electronic shutter, and up to 15 fps. using the mechanical shutter
Video: 4K 120p, 6.2K 30p, FHD 240p 10-Bit Video, internal ProRes 422 HQ, and F-Log 2. ProRes and Blackmagic RAW via HDMI
CFexpress type B and SD UHS-II card slots
NP-235 battery - Same at the Fujifilm X-T4
5.76m-Dot OLED electronic viewfinder
1.3 lb / 579 g (body only)
1.5 lb / 660 g (body with battery and memory)Price: $2,499.00
Check price and availability at B&H Photo:
Update:
I have now had a chance to review the X-H2S. You can catch my review here:
The manual for the Fujifilm X-H2S is now available via the following links
Fujifilm XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR First Look
Geared toward stills and video shooters alike the XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR is in a new category of lenses from Fujifilm for the X Series. Fujifilm especially has filmmakers in mind for this lens. Note the lens does not have an aperture ring. Instead, it features a power-zoom function.
Admittedly I had a flashback to my camcorder days when I tried the power-zoom function. Weird in a way but I can see how the feature is handy for videographers or if you want to smoothly zoom during a long exposure for still photography. Ramin showed us how you can access the zoom function via the touchscreen display. Pretty cool.
The focal length is a 27-180mm full-frame equivalent to 6.7 x zoom. Focus breathing is kept to a minimum which is an important feature for videographers.
I think the lens looks very sharp. Sharp as in looks as I cannot comment on images produced by the lens yet.
Note the XF 18-120mm does not have OIS, which is important to know if your camera does not have IBIS, in-body-image-stabilization.
Overall the lens feels pretty good and the focal lengths cover a very useful range from semi-wide to a decent telephoto.
The Fujifilm XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/4 LM PZ WR Specs
15 elements in 12 groups,
Minimum focusing distance: 2' / 60 cm
Filter size: 72mm
Size: 3 x 4.9" / 77.3 x 123.5 mm
1 lb / 460 g
Price: $899.00
Check price and availability at B&H Photo:
Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR First Look
My reference point for telephoto lenses will always be the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS that I had the pleasure of using for several years until I finally sold it when I found I did not shoot sports or wildlife any longer.
While the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR from a distance has the appearance of some of the super-telephoto lenses, including Fujifilm’s own XF 200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR, the build quality is not quite the same same. It is also not in the same price category and is more affordable.
It still feels like a nice lens but do not let the looks of it fool you into thinking that this is a top-tier lens. I shouldn’t question the durability as only time will tell how it may stack up.
I only had a few brief moments with the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR using it on an X-T4 and focusing was not overly confident. But please take this with a grain of salt as we are talking about a pre-production lens.
The weight of the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, however, is an impressively low 3.5 lb, 1605 g, and carrying the camera holding onto the removable tripod collar would be a breeze.
There was some worry in the room about the max. f-stop on the long end at 600mm only being f/8. More testing, however, would need to be done to see how this lens would work in the field.
Depending on the light source the XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR may appear white like the great big white super telephoto lenses we all have seen at sporting events but it is a light silver color. I asked Ramin from Fujifilm Canada; why? and he said studies have shown the silver color will disperse heat better than white.
Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR - Specs
24 elements in 17 groups, (4 super ED, 3 ED)
Minimum focusing distance: 7.9' / 2.4 m
Filter size: 82mm
Aperture blades: 9, rounded
Size: 3.9 x 12.4" / 99 x 314.5 mm
3.5 lb / 1605 g
Price: $1,999.00
Check price and availability at B&H Photo:
Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR - B&H Photo
I have now had a chance to take the XF 150-600mm for a spin. You can read my review here:
On a Personal Note
There is obviously so much more to relay about the Fujifilm X-H2S and the new lenses that can be done with just a first look. I hope to be able to test more in-depth before too long and more importantly grab a few sample images and check out how the new products work in the field.
Of the three products I saw today at Beau Photo, I was mostly interested in seeing how I liked the handling of X-H2S as I am contemplating the X-H2 slated for release later this fall.
Fujifilm has already announced that the X-H2 will come with a 40-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor and this is interesting to me purely as it will offer an alternative look to my images compared to my Fujifilm X-Pro3.
Photos from the X-H2S will not appear radically different from what I can produce with my X-Pro3 with the two cameras having the same megapixel count.
I know I have not mentioned the many other features of the X-H2S such as the stacked sensor with fast read-out speeds, the ability to shoot 40 fps, and the impressive video specs.
Some of these features will without a doubt bring more photographers to the Fuji camp but most of these specs I do not need for my daily shooting.
Personally, I am at a crossroads if want to expand on my Fujifilm kit. Do I wait for the X-H2 in the fall or perhaps it is time to take a closer look at the GFX 50S II again?
One of the other photographers at the event, Albert Tsai @anltsai, let me try his GFX 100S for a moment and I prefer the ergonomics of this camera over the X-H2S. I know the GFX cameras are different beasts altogether and only time will tell which route I take.
Thanks also to Julian Fok @julianfok for helping me out with some of the product photos in this article and nice also to meet fellow photographers, Tom Vandas @tomvandas, Francis Karl dla Peña @mactuscraig, and Rémy Lebeau @timwarp.remy.
