ZedProMedia compared the old Fujifilm X-H1 fimrware ver.1.02 with the brand new firmware 1.10, also using a Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 lens with Fringer smart adapter
He notices that:
the AF improvement during video recording is massively improved with lenses like the XF56mmF1.2 and better also with XF10-24. Smooth and accurate AF.
“I was super close switching to Sony … I couldn’t use the X-H1 on a gimbal with AF. Had to use my X-T2s […] Now I can sell my X-T2s finally and buy a second X-H1 ?”
It does look blazing fast indeed… and if it’s too fast and not smooth enough, you can set the a different AF transition speed :) .
Here is some more firmware feedback, but it’s still from the previous firmware version (X-T2 ver. 4.00 and X-H1 ver. 1.02). The current versions are 4.10 for the X-T2 and 1.10 for the X-H1.
Over a month ago here, we already told you that the Fujifilm X-H1 will have an improved autofocus compared to any X-series camera currently available.
At that time, though, it was still “just” a rumor from a new source.
But now I can confirm from long time trusted sources that,
the autofocus of the Fujifilm X-H1 will be even more accurate and has better low light focusing than Fujifilm X-T2
I know some of you guys are still sceptic about the X-H1, and that’s a good thing, because once it will be announced on February 15, you will be all extremely positively surprised ;) .
Back in October, I told you that “currently” the OIS and IBIS on the Fujifilm X-H1 do not work together.
However, I also told you that this could be related only to the current firmware and that maybe Fujifilm might be able to implement this feature in future.
And here is today’s good rumor:
I hear that Fujifilm worked on it and that OIS and IBIS now work together. Just in time for the official Fujifilm X-H1 announcement on February 15.
Now, I have no idea about the detailed way it works and if there are still some limitations of some kind. For this, we will have to wait February 15, when the Fujifilm X-H1 will be announced and we will know everything in detail.
But it’s good to know that you will be able to use both, OIS and IBIS, together.
I have my live blogging kit ready… make sure to join us on FujiRumors for the big live blogging on February 15.
On this front I have not heard anything new, so I guess that at launch it won’t have this feature. But also in this case, maybe Fujifilm will figure it out right in time.
I allow myself to bother you today, because there is a new rumor to share, about the Fujifilm X-H1, which will be announced February 15.
According to our trusted sources, the Fujifilm X-H1 will have “electronic first curtain shutter” (EFCS).
robertotoole explains very good how electronic first curtain shutter (EFSC) works:
“When you press the shutter button to take a picture the electronic first curtain shutter uses a high-speed scanning system that mimics a mechanical first curtain shutter operation then synchronizes with a mechanical second curtain shutter to cover the sensor and end the exposure. Any vibration caused by the second curtain shutter happens after exposure has ended.
When you press the shutter button to take a picture with EFSC disabled or with a camera without EFSC a mechanical first curtain shutter uncovers the sensor and the second curtain follows along to form a slot to expose the sensor. The mechanical first curtain causes vibrations to occur throughout the exposure. This can lead to image blurring with high magnification macro or telephoto work.”
I know what you think… the X-H1 has the same sensor of X-T2, the same processor of X-T2… so will EFCS come to X-T2 via Kaizen firmware update? Let’s hope so :) .
just a quick rumor to inform you that the Fujifilm X-H1 will ship in March. At least that’s the plan. I mean, I love Fujifilm, but we have seen them too often in the past ship their gear later than expected. Let’s hope that this time they will get it right.
I thought to put some of the questions and speculations I could read in the comments and that I got via email in this article, and maybe add some thoughts to it.
The fact that Fujifilm decided to change name, and hence to create a new line of Fujifilm X series cameras, could be quite relevant.
It’s safe to assume that a new line of cameras means that this line will have some peculiarities that sets them apart from all other Fujifilm cameras.
No IBIS on Fujifilm X-T3?
What could be the features that set the Fujifilm X-H1 apart from any other Fujifilm X series camera, including the Fujifilm X-T3?
I am investigating this, but you guys already started to make speculations in the comments.
The most widly spread of your speculation in the comments is that IBIS will be a feature reserved for the Fujifilm X-H1, which means the Fujifilm X-T3 will not have IBIS.
If your speculations are right, then Fujifilm did well to change the name from X-T2S to X-H1. Two different camera lines, with some more or less significant differences, such as IBIS… but there are more of them.
Fujifilm X-H1 for Video and Fujifilm X-T3 for Stills
Let’s assume the speculations of many FR-readers are correct, and the Fujifilm X-T3 will not have IBIS.
In that case, unless you work on a rig/gimbal (where IBIS can actually become a problem, as we have shown here), the Fujifilm X-H1 will be the better video camera if you shoot handheld, not only because of IBIS, but also because the ergonomics, controls and features are more build around the needs of videographers.
The bigger camera and deeper grip of the Fujifilm X-H1 will definitely help overall stability and balance while filming, especially if you use the X-H1 with long Cine Lenses like the Fujinon MK 18-55 and MK 50-135.
I also doubt any videographer would really use the exposure compensation dial to adjust brightness while filming, since it would introduce lots of camera shakes. This is why Fujifilm got rid of it on the X-H1. You will control exposure compensation via command dial and check your value on a top LCD panel.
The bigger body might also allow better heat dissipation, allowing maybe longer (or even unlimited?) 4K video recording time.
The Fujifilm X-T line would remain mainly a stills camera, with a smaller body and more analog controls (exposure compensation dial).
And if the Fujifilm X-T3 really has no IBIS as you guys speculated, then, from a mere image quality point of view, this might have some advantages, too, since IBIS can introduce more vignetting and it can create issues with heat dissipation that lead to worst high ISO performance, as Panasonic ambassador and GH5S beta tester told us here. On the other hand, I can think of many other situations where IBIS is useful also for stills.
But I have written a detailed IBIS Pros and Cons article (also compared to OIS). Feel free to check it out.
Should Fujifilm Have Merged X-T3 and X-H1 into One Camera?
Should Fujifilm have merged the X-T3 and X-H1 into one camera?
And what’s the advantage of creating a new X-H Line?
I don’t know… but I’ll throw in some thoughts…
Making the X-T3 more “video friendly” would have ment changing the classic X-T controls and design by adding, for example, a deeper grip and overall size to the camera. And given how much loved the current design is amongst Fujifilm X-T shooters, I am not sure if such changes would have been appreciated.
By creating a new line with the Fujifilm X-H1, Fujifilm has much more freedom to make more radical ergonomic changes oriented towards the needs of videographers. And as you can see in our leaked X-H1 sketches, the X-H1 has some significant differences compared to the X-T2.
But the big question remains: will IBIS really be reserved to the X-H line? I will try to answer this question as soon as possible.
In the meantime, make sure to follow us on Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter, and to click on the little bell icon on the bottom right of your browser, to get instant notification, as soon as I can answer this question.
Every time I inform you about the date of Fujifilm announcements, there are a few out there confused, because it turns out that the gear has been announced 1 day earlier or later than I rumored.
But hey, the world is a big space, with many different time zones, and that’s also the reason for the confusion.
So let me clarify it quickly for all of you.
I confirm what I shared here, that for a several hundreds of million of people on this planet, the announcement of the Fujifilm X-H1 will be on February 14. However, for other billions of people, it will happen on February 15.
And yes, I know some sites are copying this and all the other rumors, but getting copied is just a form of flattery for me ;).
Back it us… I don’t have the exact time for now, but as we can see from past announcements, Fujifilm traditionally announces new gear in the early afternoon Toyko time, mostly at around 2 PM (1 hour less or one hour more).
If Fujifilm keeps this time also for the Fujifilm X-H1 announcement, this means that the announcement will happen at:
TOKYO: February 15 at around 2 PM
PARIS: Februar 15 at around 6 AM
SAN FRANCISO: February 14 around 9PM
NEW YORK: February 14/15 around midnight
I’m sorry, dear FR-readers located on the American continent, or those of you living on one of the fantastic island of the Pacific Ocean, but for you the announcement will fall on St. Valentin’s day.
Feel free to give the community some tips on how to follow the FujiRumors X-H1 Live Blogging here on FujiRumors.com during a romantic dinner with your better half ;) .
Panasonic has always been on the forefront, when it comes to the IBIS technology. Along with Olympus, they offer the best IBIS on the market, superior to the one of Sony.
But all that glitters is not gold.
IBIS has its downsides too, and at the recent launch of the Panasonic GH5S, they explained us why they decided to leave out IBIS from their new low light video monster.
Let’s start with an interview given by a Panasonic manager to Cinema 5D here:
“The Panasonic GH5s is a high-sensitivity camera, and such a camera is used more with a tripod rather than handheld. This is one of the reasons for there being no dual IS.
However, when shooting without a tripod, since our lenses are internally stabilised, we think it will be enough. When used handheld under low light conditions, a gimbal will be used by many customers. So we think there is no problem if no body IS is provided.”
Also, cameralabs explains here that the sensor of the GH5S is actually a bit bigger than conventional M43 sensors [because of multi aspect ration] so that the IBIS mechanism does not really fit into the GH5S.
Another important downside is mentioned by official Panasonic ambassador Tyler, who said at the TCSTV GH5S live stream here:
“Where in the cinema world do you see in body image stabilization? It’s just not a thing.
The reason is heat dissipation. […]
Panasonic did a poll with the shooters they have designed the GH5S for, and they said “look, we are going to put this on a rig, we are going to put this on a stabilizer, we don’t need IBIS. It’s going to affect our image.”
Having internal IBIS is going to increase the noise because of the heat. It’s just one more way to reduce noise in this camera.”
Less heat means less noise, and I’m sure many of us have already experienced this, when we shoot astrophotography out on a cold night, that ISO performance improves, due to the cold temperatures.
Just Turn IBIS Off?
If you don’t like the IBIS side effects, just turn it off, right?
It’s still not an optimal solution.
DPreivew writes in their GH5S first impressions here:
“From a photographic perspective it may seem odd to remove image stabilization from the camera but for high-end video shooting, it makes sense.
Sensor-shift IS systems operate by ‘floating’ the sensor using a series of electromagnets. Even when they’re ‘off’ they’re not locked in place, they’re simply set so that the electromagnets aren’t attempting to correct for movement. This has the side-effect that, which mounted on a professional stabilization rig, there’s a risk of the sensor being shaken around.
For high-end video work, Panasonic says its users would prefer to use dedicated gimbals and dollies, rather than internal stabilization, and that means physically locking the sensor in place to avoid unwanted interactions between these systems and a floating sensor.”
And indeed, if you watch the Swedish video I linked above at minute 3:15 (youtube link here), you will see here how the Panasonic GH5, even with IBIS switched off, keeps up moving mounted on a car, while the GH5S is perfectly stable.
What is Better, OIS Vs. IBIS
Canon & Nikonsay that OISis better than IBIS, because:
With OIS, each lens is optimally tuned to achieve reliable correction.
OIS allows faster and more accurate AF & exposure metering, because the image comes already stabilized to the camera sensor (an advantage you’ll notice especially in low light).
OIS is more effective with long telephoto lenses
And now we can also add two more Cons to IBIS
4. depending on the lens used, IBIS can introduce more or less vignetting
5. heat generated by IBIS introduces more grain to the images
But also IBIS has some strong PROs
if you often use slower non-stabilized lenses, IBIS is a very useful feature. I’m thinking especially at old glass users, like the X-shooters from the “old lenses for dummies” thread. They would suddenly have all their lenses stabilized.
You pay for IBIS just one time, while you have to pay the OIS for each lens you get
Allows you to use features like sensor shift to create high-resolution images (only if your subject is perfectly static)
Can be used in combination with OIS (if your camera manufacturer has the proper firmware to make them run together, which should not be the case of the X-H1… at least for the start)
Some say that IBIS also adds size, weight and costs to the camera body… but well, OIS adds this size, weight and costs to the lens.
These are just some Pros and Cons. A more in-depth comparison can be read at photographylife.
But if You want the Ultimate Image Quality…
At the end, OIS or IBIS, if you really want the ultimate and very best image quality possible, then any form of in camera or lens stabilisation has to be avoided whenever possible.
Personally, I have OIS switched off most of the time on my lenses, and only when I see it’s too dark and I don’t work on a tripod, and my lens is not fast enough, then I turn it on. But for as much as possible, I try to avoid it.
But don’t get me wrong… when I switch on OIS, I consider it a very useful feature, especially Fujifilm’s top notch OIS system.
Oh, and Remember…
And always keep in mind: both, OIS and IBIS, will only compensate the shakiness of your camera and NOT for the movements of your subject (leaves in the wind, persons, animals, cars etc).
To compensate for the “shakiness of the outside world“, in bad light, you simply need fast lenses, and luckily Fuji has many F1.4 and F1.2 lenses to offer
Do I want IBIS?
I confirm what I said back in 2015 here: Yes! Fujifilm should offer a camera with IBIS. And I’m glad Fujifilm will offer IBIS in the upcoming Fujifilm X-H1.
And I don’t care if CaNikon say OIS is superior, and I don’t even care if Panasonic says today that IBIS has some more downsides than the ones highlighted by CaNikon.
What I know is that it is still a useful feature in certain circumstances.
And last but not least, the market demands IBIS.
And if Fujifilm wants to survive in a market that is shrinking and where you fight for every single customer, then Fujifilm has to give photographers at least the option to get an IBIS camera… and luckily this option comes very soon with the Fujifilm X-H1.
First off: I have been told this by a new source a few weeks ago, and I say huge thanks to this source.
However, it’s my habit to try to double/triple check rumors from new/anonmyous sources, in order to keep the rumor hit rate over 90% (where it currently is).
So far I still can’t confirm this specific rumor, but after the recent rumor, that the X-H1 will have a basically black-out free EVF (despite sharing the same sensor and processor of the X-T2), I was debating if sharing or not… and now I decided to share, for the reason I’ll mention below.
Fujifilm is very likely doing some major coding work on the software, in order to take the most out of the camera’s potential.
The bigger body could also allow far better heat dissipation, and as a consequence Fujifilm can really squeeze the last drop of power out of the X Processor Pro, without having to worry about overheating issues.
Almost black out free EVF… even better Autofocus than the X-T2… the Fujifilm X-H1 is not only be Fuji’s best video camera (IBIS, internal F-log and 4K), but probably also an ideal camera for sports photography… especially in combination with the XF200mF2 (mock up here), which will also be released in 2018.
