GEAR
FUJIFILM X-H2S
THE VERDICT It’s easy to see we’re very impressed with the Fujifilm X-H2S, as it brings all the latest features from flagship full-frame rivals and fits them in a more affordable APS-C body. That brings more compact lenses to the table, too. It’s a bit like a scaled-down Canon EOS R3, Nikon Z 9 or Sony A1 at half the price or less. And none of these can match its 40fps stills performance with full AE and AF. Of course, it does have a smaller sensor, which has advantages – but also some negatives, such as when creating a shallow depth-of-field at wide apertures. But in terms of image quality, you would be very hard pushed to notice any shortcomings – even at high ISO settings. Great-quality, high-bit-rate internal 10-bit 4:2:2 All-Intra codecs, at a massive range of frame rates, more than make up for theoretical drawbacks – and colours are wonderfully natural. The X-H2S might go down in history as one of the best value and most capable mirrorless cameras for shooting data-intensive video.
“ProRes 422 HQ footage is excellent and will mix well with cinema cams”
More information
fujifilm.com
HOW IT RATES
Features: 9 Includes 10-bit codecs and a stacked sensor, but no internal Raw Performance: 9 Footage is sharp, detailed, easy to grade and noise-free Handling: 9 Compact and lightweight, with a real-time viewfinder Value for money: 10 Such a high-end set of specs for an affordable price PRO MOVIEMAKER OVERALL RATING: 9/10 Highly recommended camera that does so much Pros: Stacked sensor transforms performance potential Cons: No internal Raw, waveforms or false colour
straight out of camera, taking up a lot of memory space at the same time. ProRes 422 HQ footage is excellent and will mix well with high-end cinema cameras. Fujifilm loves its Film Simulation colours and these are included here. Options include vivid Velvia, a softer Astia, some mono choices, Bleach Bypass and an Eterna Cinema look. We particularly liked Eterna Cinema, since it bakes in soft colours and rich shadow tones. All of these provide an easy, straight-out-of-camera option with no extra processing. You could pick internal ProRes, or go the whole hog and opt for externally recorded ProRes Raw or BRAW, grading to your heart’s content. It’s one of the reasons the X-H2S is such a powerful, flexible filmmaking tool. Use with AF lenses for strong, AI-controlled focus, or bolt on an all-manual vintage PL lens for a unique look. Employ it for 40fps stills shooting sport, or rig it up with a monitor/recorder for more considered narrative film. The X-H2S does it all, at a great price.
DRESS DOWN Stick a dead cat on the mic and you’re ready for some run-and-gun shooting (above left)
NATURAL HUES The AF system is excellent and colours are typical of Fujifilm cameras: hyper-accurate
58
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook