Photography News Issue 54

Camera test 34

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

X-T2, for example, and there’s a very evident difference in shutter release sensitivity. One potential solution is to start using the AF-ON button for back button autofocusing. Those amongst you who like to focus this way will no doubt welcome this addition, but those who don’t have no alternative. Incidentally, using the AF-ON button does not disable AF from the shutter release button – the only way to do this is to switch to manual focusing on the body. Adding the handgrip does free up some more top-plate real estate and Fujifilm has seen fit to fill it with an LCD monitor that provides useful extra info. With the camera off, the LCD shows battery status, shots/ minutes remaining, dual card slot usage and exposure compensation status. Couple this with the two top- plate dials and it stays true to the Fujifilm idea of being able to check camera status without having to turn it on first. Once you have flicked the camera on, the LCD provides information of your choosing

Features Great credentials for stills and movie shooting Performance 24/25 Impressive image quality and AF is the best yet on a FujifilmX Series Handling 24/25 Its size is no detraction and IBIS is very good Value formoney 23/25 It is a top-of-the-range model and offers a great deal for the money Overall 95/100 Another winner fromFujifilm? Yes, very probably Pros Size (good for DSLR users), build quality, very good AF, IBIS shake reduction system Cons Size (big for a mirrorless), shutter release maybe too light weight, that shutter release is too light and I miss an analogue exposure compensation dial. But these are minor issues when put into context and there is no doubt in my mind that the Fujifilm X-H1 is a very fine and hugely capable image-making machine. Fujifilm has taken proven technology in the 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor and the X Pro Processor, added a robust video specification, innovated with an in-body shake reduction system and reworked its design into a camera that will have a very wide appeal. It’s not perfect, of course, so while I love the handgrip and am not put off by the extra size and in anticipation of the fact that the X-H1 is likely to be regularly coupled with longer lenses. There’s also a small matter of 94 weather-resistant seals dotted around the body and a scratch-resistant outer coating. The viewfinder and rear LCD are both new for an X Series model. The former now has 3.69 million dots; the latter is a three-way touchscreen affair with 1.04 million dots. Both are excellent and full of detail, but there is a minor issue. With a central viewfinder and a rear touchscreen, it can be easy to touch the rear LCD accidentally with your nose. The touchscreen functionality can be turned off, but thinking that may be a compromise too far, Fujifilm extended the rubber eyepiece to reduce the chance of nose-based issues. A fine solution. Until, that is, you come to shoot video from waist level with the rear LCD flipped out at 90°. In this shooting scenario, the top of the LCD is obscured by the eyepiece, so you can’t easily see if video has started recording or how much time has elapsed. Both still and video output from the camera are impressive. I always shoot Raw and JPEG, but straight- out-of-the-camera JPEGs are spectacular and made me wonder whether I was over-egging the pudding by shooting both. Exposure accuracy is impressive as well, and I like the touchscreen functionality for shooting candids. 24/25 Verdict

The overall grip is great, and it’s nice to have an assured hold on the camera, especially with the longer zooms in situ and the XF200mm f/2 on the horizon

(within certain parameters). It’s a nice feature to have and has been taken from the medium-format GFX, but for me it means that one of my most regularly used top-plate dials – exposure compensation – has been reduced to a small button on the right of the shutter release. I don’t see this as being a good thing. The overall grip is great, though, and it’s nice to have an assured hold on the camera, especially with the longer zooms in situ and the XF200mm f/2 on the horizon. Like the X-T2 there’s a Vertical Booster Grip option which can house – and quickly charge – two additional batteries, offer a boost switch to enhance aspects of camera

performance and ensure that the camerahandles the sameway inboth vertical and horizontal orientations. But as with the X-T2, the grip is the only means of getting a headphone jack; it’s a shame that the designers couldn’t have somehow worked that socket into the larger handgrip on the standard body. The grip isn’t the sole reason the camera has bulked up: the larger load on the processor has called for a bigger heat sink; the IBIS mechanism needs room to work; and the magnesium body shell is 25% thicker than that on the X-T2. The body also has a ribbed frame to increase internal strength and further toughen up the lens mount

Above If you prefer quiet cameras, the X-H1 could be right up your street. Of course, the electronic shutter is silent, but on this camera the mechanical shutter is very quiet too and barely audible in the hubbub of street scene.

Performance: ISO

ISO 100

ISO 800

Original image

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

The X-H1’s sensor and processor combination features in other X Series cameras so it is very much a known quantity. Of course, its ISO performance still needs to be tested, just tomake sure it delivers. Our night scene offered the X-H1 a severe test. The camera was tripod mounted and fitted with an 18-55mm f/2.8-4 standard zoom. The exposure at ISO 100 was 30secs at f/7.1. All in-camera noise reduction was set to zero and the Raws were processed in Lightroom Classic with no noise reduction applied. The camera’s native ISO range is 200 to 12,800 with expansion available down to ISO 100 and up to 25,600 and 51,200. Viewing images at 100% on screen showed the X-H1 is very

capable, with noise control at higher ISOs when in such low light levels. Some grain is noticeable at ISO800but it’s notmuch and even at ISO 1600 it is held in check, and detail remains looking good. From ISO 3200 upwards, noise is more evident and there was the inevitable impact on detail. Sympathetic processing has a significant benefit on the grainy look, though, and ISO 3200 is perfectly usable for critical work. Beyond that speed, noise levels are higher and picture performance suffers as a consequence, so use with care. All round, the Fujifilm X-H1 delivers a very creditable ISO performance and up to the standard I’d expect from a current Fujifilm X Series camera.

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

Above With the same sensor and image processor as existing X Series cameras, we expected a great ISO showing from the X-H1 and we weren’t disappointed. Image quality even at ISO 3200 was very clean.