Sergey P. – shared here
X-H1 + 35/1.4
ISO 1600
F 1.8, 1/25s
Fujifilm X-H1
We didn’t make a dedicated Fujifilm X-H1 roundup for quite a while, but despite the buzz coming down a bit lately, our huge Fujifilm X-H User Group is extremely active and shares tons of great images and videos taken with it. And if all you want is just the plain X-H1 news, then simply follow our Fujifilm X-H Page.
Witht that said, there is enough new content up now to dedicate the to the Fujifilm X-H1 a roundup here on FujiRumors.
Yesterday we shared a more technical Fujifilm X-H1 roundup: pixel peeping, comparisons etc.
Today I’d like to focus on actual work produced with Fujifilm’s latest flagship APS-C camera. And it might be a bit of a surprise, but it’s true: investing in your creativity and your vision, will improve your video – and photography more than any new gear you can buy ;) . Regarding this topic, I’ll share a video of Ming Cai down below, who investigates the question, if gear really does matter.
“I had been toying around with the idea of a #DoubleExposure music video for while and thought this would be the perfect project to try it out on. […] Lots of trial and error doing Double Exposures in post. Was all done in After Effects“
The video is titled “Fuji surprises“, but I guess this is more to calm the spirits after his last video (linked below), where he says the Fujifilm X-H1 “gets destroyed” by the Sony A7III in low light (1 stop difference in terms of noise).
Also in his newest video, he seems to love the Sony A7III overall more.
Video AF: Better face detection on the Sony A7III (recognizes faces more distant)
Both fantastic video AF with face detection disabled. Sony a bit smoother.
IBIS: Fujifilm X-H1 mostly much smoother. Sometimes it “jumps” to reset position. Sony A7III generally more shaky, but no “jumps”.
Fujifilm AF video adjustments can be faster, which is great for photography, but in video you want a smooth transition. Fujifilm X-H1 is sometimes smooth focussing, but sometimes it focusses as fast as possible to the new subject.
The latest Max Yuryev Sony A7III Vs. Fujifilm X-H1 comparisons links:
Max Yuryev Youtube – X-H1 vs A7III Autofocus & IBIS comparison – Fuji Surprises!
Max Yuryev Youtube – X-H1 vs A7III Lowlight Comparison – Fuji Gets Destroyed?
Speaking of controversial statements, Tony Northrup said here, that the Sony A7III has “crushed the hopes of the Fujifilm X-H1“. I know it’s a controversal video, due to his statement “twice as good image quality for the Sony A7III“, so make sure to check out also Tony’s follow-up video here, where he clarifies “twice” refers technically to “1 stop“, and that with “image quality” he was analyzing “noise and dynamic range“.
The Last X-Trans III camera?
Gordon from cameralabs has published a very comprehensive Fujifilm X-H1 review. Gordon has very good contacts within the photo industry, and if he says that the Fujifilm X-H1 will “possibly be the last to use the X-Trans III sensor“, then I guess he knows what he talks about.
But no big surprise for regular FujiRumors readers. We already told you that the Fujifilm X-T3 will be announced around photokina 2018, have a new X-Trans sensor with less than 30MP and a new processor, and also lack of IBIS.
Greetz to all Fuji Lovers from Rome – X-E3 with 18-55 and Sirui T-025X
Fantastic Feedback… How is it Possible?
We have reported several X-H1 bugs (which will be fixed soon via Firmware update) and some more negative X-H1 feedback. And yet, there are some, who simply have a fantastic camera. A good battery life, an incredible autofocus and more.
Reading the manual helps a lot (so you can stop panic’ing when your EVF/LCD suddenly stutters… you will discover it’s a power saving mode you can turn off ;) ).
But the manual does not tell the whole story.
There are a lot of tips and tricks to make the camera work best for your needs, that I highly recommend to read books like the ones of Rico Pfirstinger, who shares plenty of useful tips and tricks about the X100F, X-T20, X-T2, X-Pro2 as well as older cameras like the X-E2, X-T1, X-T10, X-E1 and X-Pro1.
Since the Fujifilm X-H1 shares many similar features, and carries all the X-DNA inside, it might be useful for you to maybe grab the X-T2 book, which will in large part also applicable to the Fujifilm X-H1.
With that said… let’s share today’s Fujifilm X-H1 roundup :)
Great Battery Life?
Some Fujifilm X-H1 users over at our Fujifilm X-H facebook group report surprisingly good battery life for the X-H1. For example, Miklos wirtes:
Many people complain about the battery performance of the x-h1. I use it mostly for sports. Here is my experience. With battery grip after shooting one soccer game in close to zero degrees centigrade the first battery in the grip at 64%. The other two still at 100%. 1300 shots taken. The camera and the grip are both in high performance or boost mode. Also, I do not review photos while I shoot sports. Do we need better battery performance than this??? In case someone is interested also to see the photos at miklosphoto
Shot my first 2018 wedding. Initial Thoughts on X-H1:
No bugs or issues. At all. Thankfully!
Highly Responsive.
Focus was very accurate in low light. Low light simply isn’t an issue.
ISO performance is amazing (I use 1.4 and 1.2 lenses so that helps a lot).
QUIET. I don’t think the bridal party knew I was taking any pictures lol
With the Godox trigger system and flashes, it tends to have a millisecond or so delay when clicking the shutter. Wasn’t too thrilled about that but it’s not a dealbreaker.
Shot close to 1000 raw photos until the battery was at 23% and I switched it then. Definitely can blow through a 32GB card at compressed raw file settings with one battery.
Noticed in broad daylight that the back LCD screen really needs to be brighter.
That’s all for now! I’m absolutely wiped! Lol
X-H1 Reviews
But the X-H1 review flood does not end here.
X-H1 Review + Laowa 9mm F2.8
roycruz – Whatever the Weather – Fujfiilm X-H1 and Laowa 9mm Zero-D Test and Review
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.
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
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.
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.
