I was with my Fujifilm X-T5 and the XF18-135mm because I wanted to take landscape images, but also images of the marmots who just came out from their hibernation (as you can also see in this video).
The X-S20 Would Have Done Better (than X-T5)
So I set my X-T5 to animal tracking because of the marmots.
But then I notice an alpine chough on a rock nearby ready to jump into flight.
I wanted to track the “take-off”, but first I had to press an FN button, then scroll down to bird detection, press to confirm, go back in live view and then… the bird had already taken off.
My first thought?
“If only I’d have had the smartness of the (more affordable) Fujifilm X-S20, I would not have missed this shot“
Why?
Because the Fujifilm X-S20 recognizes and tracks all sorts of subjects automatically, without any need to press a single button and go into the menu and tell the camera what it has to track.
That’s a level of smartness my X-T5, but not even the X-H2 or X-H2S has.
I can hear some say: “but it’s just a few presses on the buttons to change subject“. And that’s true. In most cases, you will have enough time to change the settings. But in my case, it all happened quickly, faster than I could react.
It Works So Great, but with One Big Missed Opportunity
If you couldn’t care less about this feature, that’s great.
We are all different, and you are probably just seeing and reacting to things faster than I do.
But the point is that Fujifilm has this technology available. It’s there on the X-S20 and it works very well according to those who tested it such as Gordon from Cameralabs, who says:
Auto Subject Detection does a great job to automatically recognize subjects. You don’t need to manually select the type of subject anymore.
Although there is a limitation, which would be completely avoidable if Fujifilm would provide a firmware update for it. In fact, Gordon rightfully remarks*: *the full review of Gordon can be found down below
Sadly Auto subject detect does not work, unless you are in the full AUTO mode, which is a missed opportunity. Workaround: switch quickly to AUTO if you want the camera to track automatically (but then you’ll also get Auto Dynamic Range, which can work well but sometimes give a too HDR like look.
This is a limitation that Fujifilm could fix with a quick firmware update by not linking auto detection to the full Auto mode.
Also, I do hope that Fujifilm will bring this feature (not the full AUTO feature, but the automatic subject tracking feature) also to the more expensive 5th generation Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2 and X-H2s.
Well, it looks like producing 15,000 Fujifilm X-S20 cameras a month is not enough, as Fujifilm has now released a notice that due to high demand, there might be delays with the shipping of the Fujifilm X-S20 camera.
The compatibility of tethered shooting with FUJIFILM X-S20 is added.
The additional function below can be used.
Backup/restore of camera setting for tethered shooting.
Tethered shooting via USB or Wi-Fi.
Other minor bugs have been fixed [only for the Windows version]
I agree with Johnnie from CineD, when he says that the X-S20 is the best camera you can get at this price. Fujifilm did pack lots of stuff in it, and even some stuff we don’t find on higher end Fujifilm cameras.
For example, the X-S20 can shoot 6K/30p 3:2 open gate (X-T5 and X-H2 can not). It has a headphone jack (my X-T5 has not). It has fully automatic subject detection mode (not even the high end X-H2S has that). It can be used as a webcam without the need of the Fujifilm X Webcam software and more.
There is lots to love about the X-S20.
And there is lots to love also about the Fujinon XF8mmF3.5, a wonderful little lens capable of resolving all the 40MP of the X-Trans V HR sensor.
Also the XApp is a nice fresh start for Fujifilm, it comes with some lovely new features like activity and timeline, which are kind of a diary of your photographic activity and I think this App is a great new start and I hope in that it will extended with new features in future (RAW transfer anyone)?
But all this goodness could not help me to get rid of that feeling of disappointment. And here are 3 reasons why.