After 20 Years Shooting Full-Frame Flagships, He Took Fujifilm APS-C to Patagonia – And This is His Brutally Honest Review

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Mattia Campos is shooting top-tier flagship cameras and lenses from all possible brands for sports and wildlife photography for 20 years now.

But for this trip to Patagonia he decided to try something completely new: the Fujifilm APS-C system.

So he got himself a Fujifilm X-H2S and XF500mmF5.6 and started his journey.

He documented his experience in a lengthy and brutally honest article, in which he shares truths that Full-Frame fanboys might not want to hear, along with fair critiques that Fujifilm should take seriously.

Was it a good experience?

In short: he was blown away by the Fujifilm APS-C system.

The best JPEG files and colors he has ever seen on any system (clearly superior even to Canon), ultra-flexible RAW files that did not make him miss his flagship full frame cameras and all this is a compact and affordable package you can only dream of in the Full Frame world.

In fact, he goes so far to say that the Fujifilm APS-C system could become a serious threat for all the high-end full frame competitors… if only one last thing gets fixed: autofocus!

To be clear: the autofocus is really good, but not yet on par with the top tier models from competitors. And he’ll explain what exactly did not work super-well in his article (and we sum up below for you).

I invite you to read the full article (written in Italian) and see all the images at the Italian website/forum juzaphoto.

The Article in Short

Preparing for Patagonia: Why He Chose Fujifilm

While planning his wildlife-focused trip to Patagonia, he spent months debating which gear would best meet his needs. In the end, he chose a setup he had never used before: the Fujifilm X-H2S paired with the XF500mmF5.6. Coming from years of shooting with flagship bodies and high-end lenses, the X-H2S felt like the natural choice within the Fujifilm ecosystem.

The trip included long and demanding hikes, but carrying the Fujifilm combo was never an issue. Its light weight and compact size—especially compared to full-frame flagship alternatives—made travel far easier.

First Impressions

His experience with Fujifilm was, in a word, fun.
He adapted quickly to the new system, though he did spend time learning menus and fine-tuning settings for different situations.

The X-H2S feels solid, handles beautifully, and offers a superb EVF. The XF500mmF5.6 delivers excellent image quality.

After 20 years photographing wildlife and sports with top-tier gear from multiple brands, he came to a surprising conclusion: for advanced and demanding enthusiasts, a high-quality Fujifilm APS-C system is the best pick in terms of overall balance of performance, weight, size, and price.

Why Fujifilm APS-C Makes Sense

With Fujifilm, you can build a truly capable system for less cost, size, and weight than equivalent full-frame kits. In many real-world situations, the image quality difference is not noticeable. Full-frame often means heavier, bulkier, more expensive gear, without a proportional gain in results.

Recently he has moved more toward shooting JPEGs for practical reasons: less time editing and less storage needed. Fujifilm’s color science is probably best on the market, followed by Olympus/OM System.

Image Quality: His Biggest Surprise

Throughout his Patagonia trip, he was genuinely impressed by the image quality.
X-H2S files are true-to-life, natural, neutral, and free of color casts, with exceptional color and detail. High ISO performance exceeded expectations, dynamic range is excellent, and the files are very flexible in post.

He has used many APS-C cameras from other brands, but none match the X-H2S in build quality, image quality, and lens ecosystem.

Compared to the Canon EOS R7, he found the X-H2S clearly superior in JPEGs, RAW files, high ISO, shadow recovery, lens selection, build quality, and EVF performance.

The XF500mmF5.6 is extremely sharp even wide open, with very pleasant bokeh.

Going Deeper into the Fujifilm System

His excellent experience with the X-H2S convinced him to dive deeper into the Fuji system, so he bought an X-S20 with the XF90mmF2. The X-H2S offers better autofocus thanks to its stacked sensor, but the X-S20 is still a remarkably capable little camera. Its joystick and lack of D-Pad annoyed him, but image quality—including dynamic range and ISO—may actually be slightly better.

Both cameras perform very well in difficult lighting while maintaining impeccable color and high detail.

The Weak Point: Autofocus

The only real downside he found is autofocus.
Switching from near to far subjects (or vice versa) can be slow, costing him a few shots every now and then—especially when photographing unpredictable wildlife. Continuous AF feels a bit rigid and less responsive in low light. Subject and eye detection work, but the menu system is unnecessarily complex.

Overall, the AF is actually good, but not at the same level of the top flagship systems he is used to.

If Fujifilm can overhaul autofocus responsiveness in the Fujifilm X-H2S II, it would spell serious trouble for all the competitors.

Why Fujifilm Could Become the First Choice

Given that Fujifilm APS-C gear costs significantly less, weighs significantly less, and still delivers image fantastic image quality, combined with industry-leading JPEGs, the Fujifilm system has all the potential to become a top choice for both amateurs and professionals alike, if they also catch up in terms of autofocus.

X Cameras

X Lenses

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Viltrox WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI for Fujifilm X100 Cameras Available at BHphoto

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The new Viltrox WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI for the X100 system are now available at BHphoto.

The Viltrox conversion lenses won’t be the first third party alternatives to the original Fujifilm WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II.

Below you can see all the already available alternatives:

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Godox AD300Pro II Launched

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The Godox AD300Pro II has just been launched.

Key Features

  • One-Tap Sync with Optional X3 Trigger
  • Compatible with Most TTL Systems
  • 300Ws, 1/512 to 1/1 Power Output
  • Up to 350 Full-Power Flashes
  • Freeze Mode: 1/2310 to 1/24,390 sec
  • 1/8000 sec High-Speed Sync
  • 0.01-1.5 sec Recycling Time
  • 16 Color Groups & Color Screen
  • 12W Bi-Color LED Modeling Lamp
  • Includes Battery, Charging Cable & Bag

Additional Details

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RUMOR: Fujifilm is Working on a THIS Camera

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The Rumor

So, we have received a rather intriguing rumor.

According to trusted information, Fujifilm is working on a new compact camera with a 1″ sensor.

I personally had lost hope to see a new 1″ compact camera, even though after the release of the – currently substantially rebated – Fujifilm X half I saw an opportunity for one. So I am happy hear from trusted sources that Fujifilm is working on one.

** Please Get it Right **

But here is where I have to be clear… and you should read carefully.

Our sources only told us that Fujifilm is working on a compact camera with 1″ sensor.

They did not tell us if it will be the successor of a known line, or a new camera, or something super-experimental like the Fujifilm X half.

So all we can do for now is to make random speculations.

So let’s do just that, because it’s fun :).

I guess the most obvious speculation is that Fujifilm could revive any of its 2/3rd sensor cameras with a 1″ sensor. So we are talking about a successor to the Fujifilm X30, Fujifilm XQ2 or even the forgotten Netflix star, the Fujifilm XF1.

I mean, Fujifilm already took the leap to 1-inch with the Fujifilm X half, and in a previous article I wondered whether, now that Fujifilm has this sensor “in the house,” they might seize the opportunity to revive some of their beloved discontinued 2/3-inch sensor cameras, but this time with a 1-inch sensor.

In fact, I even ran a survey asking which camera you’d most like to see come back:

In the survey, the Fujifilm X30 successor came out on top.

But again: everything I know so far is about a “compact camera with 1″sensor“.

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Fujifilm Holiday Savings: What Deals Expire December 28 vs. What Lasts Until January 18

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Some of you have asked when the current Fujifilm X and GFX holiday savings will expire. Here’s the quick overview.

Most of the Fujifilm deals are running well into the new year and will officially end on January 18.

However, there is one exception you should be aware of: the $200 price drop on the Fujifilm X half is only available until December 28.

Fujifilm went super-aggressive with the GFX deals thanks to an up to $1,000 rebate which is even made better by the addition of a free CFexpress Type B and camera bag only at BHphoto.

The Top Deal – save $1,000 + Free CFexpress Type B card and Camera Bag

X Cameras

X Lenses

GFX Gear

* freebies at BHphoto include a free CFexpress Type B Card and a camera bag

Instax Gear

Fujifilm X half – save $200
BHphoto / Amazon US (black – charcoal – silver) / Adorama / Moment / Nuzira/ BestBuy / Paul’s Photo

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