ePhotoZine just published their full Fujifilm X-H1 review, and they confirm what we already noticed, when we pixel peeped in the imaging-resource X-H1 lab test: image quality is improved over the Fujifilm X-T2, due to “slightly better noise performance at high ISO speeds“.
Another reason for the “improved” IQ is IBIS. Over at our X-H facebook group, there are really many people very happy about the new life their OIS-less lenses like the XF90mmF2 got thanks to IBIS. They shoot at 1/4 shutters speeds with the XF 90mm, where in the normally they would use 1/100 or even higher. Overall they now have a lot more keepers than before.
They end up highly recommending the Fujifilm X-H1, because “if you want to be able to create high-quality looking video as well as shoot impressive still photos, then the Fujifilm X-H1 provides the best of both worlds.”
Here are the Pros and Cons… read the full review at ePhotoZine here.
Some of you wonder why the Fujifilm X-H1 has a 30 minutes video record limit. Where does this limit come from?
The answer is….
…. Legislation!
In 2007, the European Union decided to make European importers pay different import taxes on still digital cameras and camcorders, with the latter one having a higher import tax. Of course higher taxes translate into a higher price for customers.
The workaround for companies is to set the video record limit to 30 minutes, so that the device will be classified as “still camera”, and there are lower taxes to pay. Reuters wrote 11 years ago here:
“The EU trade experts decided last Friday that to be classified as a digital camera, equipment must not be able to record at least 30 minutes of a single sequence of video […].”
So no, there is absolutely no “overheating” issue behind the 30 minutes limit, as Palle Schultz also told us in our fantastic X-H facebook group here. Do you want longer record time? Then the Fujifilm X-H1 will get more expensive.
Now you can stop to struggle and puzzle… always happy to help ;)
Full Review of the Fujifilm X-H1 at photographyblog. The X-H1 is “highly recommended“. From the conclusions:
You’d probably think that adding an effective optical image stabilisation system, better AF system, more advanced video, tougher build quality, a higher-resolution EVF, welcome touchscreen functionality, a top plate LCD panel and Bluetooth connectivity would be more than enough to make the X-H1 the de facto choice amongst Fujifilm fans, and mostly I’d agree.
But there’s a small part of me that recognises that it’s also the biggest, heaviest and most expensive X-series camera to date, it suffers from the need to have the VPB-XH1 vertical battery grip fitted to take full advantage of the video capabilities, and the removal of the dedicated exposure compensation dial is at best mildly irritating.
So what Fujifilm have mostly added, they’ve perhaps also taken a little away, with the addition of IBIS, bigger handgrip and top LCD screen making the X-H1 the largest X-series APS-C camera to date. Whether size matters or not does very much depend on your viewpoint – we’ve seen some people expressing both disdain at the increased size of the X-H1, and some expressing delight.
Perhaps more worrying than the growth in size of the X-H1 is the growth in the price-tag – £1699 / $1899 body-only or £1949 / $2199 with the near-essential VPB-XH1 vertical battery grip puts it almost on a par with the fashionable new elephant in the room, the very recently announced 35mm full-frame Sony A7 III.
Fujifilm X-H1 Owners Feedback
It feels like that whoever owns the Fujifilm X-H1, is also part of our fantastic X-H1 facebook group. It’s impossible to sum it all up here on FujiRumors, so I’ll pick one feedback for you. If you are interested, feel free to join… you will see LOTS of stills and video samples, too :)
John R.
Made this super short vid testing out the IBIS AND 120p SLO MO (it’s fantastic) and Eterna film simulation. And here’s some random thoughts on Day 1 of shooting.
+ Eterna is incredible. Easy to get good results quickly in post. + IBIS is great but it’s not a gimbal that floats on clouds. Secure the camera and it’s incredible. + I’m shooting the video at high isos and for me the Fuji’s grain always at character. + Video does have a slight microjitters if you don’t dial in your settings. (Be interesting in seeing how Full Auto for video fares. + AF and shooting speed is snappier. + That shutter button, very responsive, very quiet, + Displays are brighter / clearer and it shows. + LED Display was a good choice. The EV is easy enough to find though I shoot on full manual. + A lot of new options inside the menus which are much needed.
– Size/weight: you can tell the difference from an X-T2. (Add on a 50-140 and you have something similar to a Canon 7DmII AKA.) – Add on a boost, and this isn’t a small camera. -The dials seem cheaper. – Eterna isn’t a great photo film sim. – Eye piece protrudes out, sometimes getting in the way of the display depending on the angle. – The touch screen has a learning curve. Will take a minute to get it to be second nature
I would describe the X-H1 this way… the X-T2 was a workhorse and a piece of art. The X-H1 is more a tool than a design element. But the thing is the X-H1 is an improvement. Many of the nagging issues of the XT2 are fixed but the cost is a bit more weight and the design.
If you need video and shoot photos, this camera is a no brainer if you invested in Fuji gear.
BigHeadTaco (BHT) had a talk about the Fujifilm X-H1 with Fuji Guy Billy. Some experts.
BHT starts mentioning the great TCSTV live stream, we reported here and BHT links in the comments to his youtube video
Billy: ETERNA film simulation is Billy’s favorite new feature. A nice base for further grading
BHT: Fujifilm X-H1 first Fujifilm camera to be equally good for stills and video
BHT unveiles that a couple of years ago, Fujifilm asked photographers what features they want in Fujifilm cameras that they have in other brands, and almost all said IBIS. They also gave feedback about other things, and Fujifilm listened and implemented these features in the X-H1.
Billy: X-H1 is very customizable
You will see the MK Cine lenses mounted on X-H1 and X-T2
Billy: We still believe in dials, especially picking up the camera you feel a little bit more connected. The fact that you don’t have to dive deep into menu system is great, especially for the main exposure. On the X-H1, though, the exp. comp. dial is gone and makes space to a sub-monitor. Fujifilm finds that to be quite useful especially for video side of things. When you are in video mode, the sub-monitor displays video centric information.
Billy: SD-relay recording confirmed
Billy: AF improvements targeting action and wildlife photography
This LUT file is to edit the movie data below when the data is edited by a movie editor on your PC or Mac. *4K movie data of X-T2 recorded in external HDMI devices with the mode of the “HDMI F-Log” under the “4K MOVIE OUTPUT” in the “MOVIE SETTING” *4K and Full HD movie data of X-H1 recorded on SD cards or in external HDMI devices with the mode of the “F-Log RECORDING” in the “MOVIE SETTING”
It includes the ETERNA LUT, as reported also at cinema5D here.
Download
F-Log 3D-LUT file
F-Log_LUT_E_Ver.1.1zip(844KB)
*Decompress the “F-Log_LUT_E_Ver.1.1.zip” file and launch “.cubu” file from a movie editor.
The 7th epsiode of the Fujifilm X-H1 development story is a highly awaited one: the development of IBIS.
And right at the start they adress one of the big questions: how does it come that in 2016 Fujifilm managers said IBIS is not compatible with X-mount, and now we have the X-H1?
“We said in the past that there will not be an IBIS for the X Mount. We’ve said that because back then having IBIS meant compromises on the image quality. But now we need to correct the statement. The X-H1 has IBIS. We now have developed one that works without compromising on the image quality.”
As Billy told us, in order not to lose image quality and to be super precise, the whole IBIS mechanism has to be bigger compared to the one of other camera manufacturers. Billy (as well as other managers), also said that the current IBIS can’t fit into smaller bodies, but in future, with further development of their IBIS tech, they might be able to put IBIS into smaller bodies.
Disclaimer 1: Sony A7III is an amazing camera Disclaimer 2: I share this post, no to attack Sony, but because DPReview claims Fujifilm has the same issue, and gives a wrong explanation that I want to correct Disclaimer 3: I love DPReview Disclaimer 4: Keep in mind Sony A7III is still pre-production model
Sony A7III + Sony FE 70-200 F4 Vs. Fujifilm X-H1 + XF50-140 F2.8
Sony Vs. Fuji (once again :) )
So it happened again, Sony launched yet another A7 series camera, the brand new Sony A7III.
The “battle” between Sony and Fujifilm is definitely an exciting one in the industry.
Not only because they both keep release great products, but also because their different philosophies.
As we have written here, Sony acts “fast and furious“, and never hesitates to put as quickly as possible the latest and greatest specs into their cameras.
So it can happen that, within a few months, they announce the Sony A6300 and shortly after the A6500 with IBIS. And not to talk of the infinite variations of Sony A7 (and now also A9) cameras.
Fujifilm on the other hand, is definitely not in a hurry when it comes to release new iterations of their cameras and they focus to support their customers with frequent firmware updates for their cameras.
But also the Fujifilm world sees major “specs-jumps” in their line-up, just not as rapidly as in the Sony world.
A good example is the Fujifilm X-H1, which now has IBIS. Fujifilm worked very long on their IBIS system, because they say they wanted their IBIS system to work perfectly without affecting image quality. Hence, it took them more time to come with an ideal IBIS solution for their cameras.
I am not here to judge which philosophy is better. At the end it will be the market to decide who’s the winner.
However, I have personal preferences, and in my case, I prefer to buy a camera that I know Fujifilm will take care of over next few years, giving me nice firmware updates.
Also, a potential downside of acting “fast and furious“, is that, maybe, sometimes, certain features will look great on the specs sheet, but not work as that good as intended in real life use.
But in any case, it is undeniable that Sony is pushing the industry and continuously raising the “specs-bar“. This is a huge merit we acknowledge also here on FujiRumors.
The 6th epsiode of the Fujifilm X-H1 development story is now online.
This time they explain us how the AF team at the R&D department was able to improve the autofocus even further and the secrets behind the new AF algorithm.
“The focus point is divided into 5 blocks: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right, and center. Some parts of the central block are overlapped with other 4 areas. The focus point is usually at the center, but not always. This division of focus points prevents the undesired font or rear focus and increases the AF accuracy.
The 5 blocks are then split into 4 lines. Each area are now split into even smaller pieces to further improve the AF accuracy. With this split, the algorithm, it can detect focus point on the subjects with flat texture.
Now, let’s count the number of phase detection pixels in the area. The area is divided into 5 block and then split into 4 lines. The total number of phase detection pixels is 20,000. 20,000÷5÷4=1,000. There are total of 1,000 phase detection pixels within the AF frame. 1,000 pixels provides enough information, but how is it used?
The information of the 1,000 pixels are measured in horizontal comparison, vertical comparison, and square comparison.
There are two types of phase detection pixels, A and B. With the horizontal comparison, the focus point is detected by measuring the difference between A and B pixels horizontally. The difference can also be measured vertically with the on sensor phase detection of X-H1. This is called the vertical comparison. And then the camera is capable of measuring the difference between all of pixels A and B in the given area. This is called the square comparison.
The three types of comparison are processed simultaneously for X-H1. Previously, it was in the order of square, vertical and then horizontal. “We discovered that simultaneous processing provides information with higher accuracy,” the AF team commented.
[…] Previously, autofocus with the phase detection was only possible up to +0.5EV, but it can now work at -1EV. The phase detection AF is supported up to the aperture of F11. Previously, it was only up to F8. This means that the autofocus is more robust to the high frequency subject.
The good thing is, that it is all software based, so we can hope for the new autofocus system also on the X-T2 and other X-Trans III cameras.
And keep in mind, the top speed of the AF remains the same.
Many X-Photographers who have tested the X-H1 commented that “the AF is faster”. But the fastest AF speed has not changed [as reported here]. What’s been changed is the area that Phase detection AF can cover. The new algorithm helped the photographers to accurately capture the scene that they wanted to capture.
Back in 2016, we launched a poll to see which flagship camera between the Fujifilm X-T2 and Fujifilm X-Pro2 you guys consider better for a certain photography style.
I think it’s time to update it, since now we have (yet another) flagship camera, the Fujifilm X-H1.
True, only a few could test it until now, but if you regularly follow the huge Fujifilm X-H1 coverage on FujiRumors, then you probably already formed an opinion about it.
Before you vote…
think…
… not only at the big differences, such as the IBIS on the X-H1 or the hybrid viewfinder on the X-Pro2.
Think also at the little differences…
… such as for example the super silent shutter of the Fujifilm X-H1 (much more silent than on X-T2, as you can hear here), and that I think will be highly appreciated for example amongst wedding photographers.
Fujifilm has just published the fifth episode of its Fujifilm X-H1 development Story, and this time it’s again about the new ETERNA film simulation.
But while in part 4 time they described the characteristics of ETERNA, this time they investigate one questions: “Can ETERNA be used for still photos?”
“Can it be used for still photos?” We asked the image designing team who created ETERNA mode.
“It’s possible. It can work really well in some cases.” […]. We need to take ideology and the characteristics of ETERNA into account for a good result.
[…] The wide dynamic range and soft tonality will depict the subtle nuances of shadows created in the environment under controlled lights. It will also keep the subject from being oversaturated.
People often use Velvia for landscape photography, but it can be excessive if the subject”s saturation is high. Velvia is good when you need to enhance the saturation, but when the saturation is high enough, try ETERNA or Pro Neg. STD instead.
Another idea is to treat ETERNA in the same way as you would when you shoot cinema, to complement other elements of communication. In editorial, for example, the photographs are combined with texts to deliver a message. ETERNA is a good one to use in editorial as it would complement the text. The images with soft tonality and low saturation allow readers engage into the story seamlessly.
The soft tonality of ETERNA also looks great on matte paper. So when the editorial is printed on a matte paper, then it creates a further enhanced experience for the readers. When you think of the communication in a big picture, ETERNA has its use for sure.
Palle Schultz has published Part 2 of his Fujifilm X-H1 videos here on youtube.
While in his first X-H1 video, which we shared in our epic 48+ hours non stop live blogging here, Palle went over all the features in an interesting 20 minutes video, this second part will show you those features in action in Nepal.
Amongst the others, he shows
how the autofocus behaves when you set focus speed and tracking independently for natural looking focus (more manual focus-like)
lens flare
ETERNA
120fps FullHD slow motion upscaled to 4K
extreme shadow push
AF tracking of a group of funny and adorable kids
& more
Shooting Stills with ETERNA
Palle Schultz shows us some great video footage taken with the X-H1’s new ETERNA film simulation. And as also reported earlier today in the ETERNA development story, it is specifically designed for video use, where “time, the movement of performers, and the sounds and voices” have to create a “seamless flow” with the image itself.
So maybe ETERNA will, for most of us, not become our favorite film simulation for stills, but there are situation, where ETERNA can work well also in stills.
In his ETERNA dedicated article, with lot of ETERNA sample images, ivanjoshualoh writes:
“I must say initially I didn’t like Eterna. I find it’s a bit flat and the color are not its strongest feature. […] The more I shoot with it, I realize with all things; it has its weaknesses and strength. […] I feel not all pictures works beautifully with Eterna but a good number do. Its does give a beautiful mood to the feel. And I am beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
& More
Thoughts on the Fuji X-H1 after hands-on with it at Zed ProMedia Youtube. He says:
IBIS is really really good
Linear focus mode is awesome for video. Wherever you put the lens and bring it back, it is going to be the exact same distance every single time. It will sync up your focus exactly where you want it to be.
Fujifilm re-worked the camera. Has the same sensor/processor as X-T2, but it’s a completely different camera
More a professional body
It’s good that it’s bigger. There are tons of smaller options out there if you want a smaller camera
Back-button focussing button feels perfect and is in perfect position. Works great
F-Log_DataSheet_E_Ver.1.0.pdf(241KB)
