We already reported yesterday about the AUTO ISO bug and about the occasional lock-ups. And we also recommended you to use only Fujifilm approved SD-cards to avoid your camera to freeze, as well as using the NP-W126S batteries.
So, if you want to read more, and see the full list of Fujifilm recommended SD-card, read yesterday’s article here.
Now a new video showed up, showing how the camera locks up when using E-Front curtain shutter. We do not know if the tester has a “Fuji approved” SD-card. But I thought to share it anyway, so that you guys can try to duplicate it. You’ll find the video down below, but first feedback is that issue can NOT be duplicated by others.
My personal opinion is that the E-front fail is due to a faulty sample.
Also in this roundup, some IBIS tests, comparisons to Panasonic and more.
I will give you the link down below, and all the youtube videos will be also embedded in the article after the links.
This is a controlled lab test, and as imaging resource writes:
“Controlled lab images are not the real world, but they are the very best way to compare one camera’s image quality to another, in order to ensure you are giving yourself the best chance out in whatever world you do happen to shoot“.
So how does the Fujifilm X-H1 compare against the rest of the world?
I will do a more in-depth pixel peeping by myself later on (I have to go back to the hills now, where I probably lost my XF27mm lens cap yesterday while shooting, before it gets dark).
But for the start, though, I compared it to the Fujifilm X-T2. I was expecting the same results (same sensor and processor), and yet, the higher you crank up the ISO, the better the X-H1 looks. At ISO 51,200 the difference is noticeably in favor of the X-H1.
However, you have to keep in mind, that imaging resource now switched from the XF60mmF2.4 to the XF90mmF2 for their lab test, and the 90mm is in part responsible for the sharpness improvement. But overall the lab test shows less grain over the X-T2 at high ISO. Fujifilm might have improved image processing on the Fujifilm X-H1.
Mostly the X-H1 comes out as the winner when compared to other Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras. There are some parts, where the X-T20 & Co show more details than the X-H1, like in the wool thread, shared at the very bottom of this post. The EXIF says the X-T20 was shot with the 60mm at F11 and 1/2500, whereas the X-H1 with the 90mm at F8 and 1/4000.
The Fujifilm X-H1 also beats the Nikon D500 at ISO 51,200, as you can see below.
“In my general experience analyzing images at Imaging Resource for more than five years, I’ve found ISO 3200 to be about as comfortable as I get with APS-C sensors. Of course, that is just a generalization, and there are exceptions to every rule. The Fujifilm X-H1 seems to be more than just an exception to the rule, more like a complete rule breaker.
The image above [admin note: below in this aritcle] has plenty of fine detail where it counts, such as in the mosaic tile pattern, and yet doesn’t introduce a great deal of noise in areas like the shadows behind the bottles. As most of you know, that is the real trick, getting the detail without introducing the noise inherent at higher gain settings. The shadow areas in our target are traditionally prone to plenty of noise depending on the camera and the chosen compression algorithm, and the above combination is a very good one for this sensor size.”
ISO 6400 comparison (The two white specs in the mosiac tile on the X-H1 image are a new lab reflection artifact. It is not a product of the X-H1, as we found through a deeper dive into the phenomenon with another test camera.. We’re still working to resolve the issue.)
Here on FR, I can just share 3% of the huge amount of content shared there.
This time we would like to show, that IBIS can make the difference not only in video, but also for stills.
In his quick test, X-H member Bob shows here, that thanks to IBIS, the X-H1 allows you to get tack sharp images where the X-T2 with the same lens and settings will give you motion blur.
Bob writes:
Totally non scientific comparison between my X-T2 and X-H1 taken today with the same lens (Fuji 16-55 2.8) set to same ISO / aperture / focal length. IBIS (IMHO) made a hell of a difference. Taken in a low light space from the same spot with no post processing.. both are JPG’s. [IMAGE at top of this article]
BTW – The wight and size issues have been very overblown. If this camera is too heavy, stick with your iPhone
1) bigger than it looks in pictures 2) however feels much lighter and smaller in your hands 3) way more comfortable to grip than the xt2 and xpro2 4) IBIS rocks. Way better than Sony A7II IBIS 5) autofocus is blazing fast 6) wifi connect and image transfer speeds to your phone are about 60% faster. 7) does anyone sell a screen protector for the eink and lcd display? 8 ) evf is a dream.
So glad i picked this up. Is it worth replacing your xt2? In a heartbeat. And i dont shoot much video either.
I got the camera thinking I would send it back if I wasn’t impressed… then I attached my 90mm f2 and turned on IBIS. Sold.
These are just three tidbits… the X-H1 group will be happy to discuss everything you want to know… feel free to join.
We remind you, that the Fujifilm X-T3 will not have IBIS, so if you shoot a lot in low light with non stabilized lenses, the X-H1 might be the better camera for you.
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.
The Panasonic GH5 has arguably industies best in body image stabilization technology. So how does Fujifilm first IBIS generation compare against the very best?
That’s the question MDR Foto tries to anwer in this video above.
Keep in mind the Panasonic GH5 has been used with dual IS (body + lens) and the X-H1 with in body IBIS only. And it’s more a test “out of the box”, which does not guarantee 100% fair conditions, but it’s the first time the X-H1 gets compared to the very top IBIS on the market.
The Result:
Panasonic GH5 has better stabilization
Fujifilm X-H1 has “much better” autofocus
Fujifilm X-H1 has autofucs even at 120 fps, which the Panasonic GH5 has not
