X-H2s: Kraftwerk
“Kraftwerk (German: ˈkʁaftvɛɐ̯k, lit. “power station”) ”
I spot a recurring pattern when I read past reviews of Fujifilm cameras. In some of these, I write about instinct and an almost organic relationship; in others I describe…machines. Beautiful, but somehow more mineral—like monoliths. Usually, these are cameras I consider workhorses. Power stations, as opposed to…temples.
In 2012, I ended my X-Pro1 review by comparing it to the X100:
“But it’s a very different relationship, probably due to its size and the obvious modular nature of the system. The X100 is so… finite. For some reason this makes it a much more intimate, tactile object. The X-Pro1 on the other hand is a system. It follows the same philosophy, begs for the same deliberate, zen-like thoughtfulness but it holds a different soul. The soul of a warrior.”
Funny how time has a way of altering our views. A lot of water has flowed under that bridge. Still, I think there’s always been a duality within Fujifilm, an internal battle between, say, the “purity” of an X-Pro3 and the no-nonsense power of an X-T4. Two visions executed almost simultaneously, with profoundly different aims. The X-H2s, without question, is an expression of the machine.
But it’s one heck of an execution.
The Model
First impressions: it’s rugged. Nothing jiggles, all the buttons and dials feel sturdy and clicky (in a good way), even the doors are more rigid: more like actual doors than rubber flaps (except for HDMI, but it easily gets out of the way). The camera has a great grip—deep enough to feel safe in one hand. An optional battery grip is available as well (more than a convenience, it’s required to enable unlimited 40fps burst mode and 6K video).
The LCD is hidden, but fully articulated. This also means it has to be deployed to be used. I didn’t love this to be honest, as it creates a much wider footprint (especially on a tripod), but I did get accustomed to it. And there’s no question that it allows for much more versatile setups than its predecessors (the screen flips completely btw, for all selfie shooters out there).
Update (almost a year later): boy did I get the above paragraph wrong. The LCD flips…which means it can be reversed completely to un-hide it . It then looks like any other LCD.
Dual card slots: SD and a new CF Express option. Video bit rates up to 720Mbps and 120P available at 4K resolution. Shadow and Highlight tones are now adjustable in 0.5 increments. Tons of function buttons, of course; the usual front and rear command dials, an e-ink display (info).
And one top dial: PSAM.
Autobahn
I admit it, I’m a snob. I sneer (silently, I’m not rude) at PSAM dials. To me they’re like a big fat stain on the body of any camera, stealing valued real estate in the name of so-called simplicity. So when I unboxed the pre-production unit, I sighed, and my negative bias kicked in… until I realized there was a lot more to explore.
The X-H2s follows in the footsteps of the GFX 100s and GFX 50s II: the PSAM dial also houses C1-C7 custom settings. These are powerful. A C setting holds a complete configuration of the camera—providing hardware recall of every single parameter (as far as I know). Which means the camera can go from a simple street shooter, to a very specific and complex video rig—complete with frame rate, resolution, bit rate, shutter speed, film sim, custom display etc—with one turn of a dial. When configuring these presets, you choose either still or movie, and set all menus accordingly.
For people shooting stills and video? It’s like a morphing superpower. For Fujifilm users who mainly shoot video, it’s a game changer. While testing the X-H2s I had four C settings:
C1: 4K 29.98
C2: 4K 59.97
C3: 4K 120P
C4: stills
Each with a very different set of parameters. I prefer a dedicated shutter speed dial, but the upside to not having one is the ability to set this function in software, saved within these custom settings: which means no more fumbling for a 180º speed (or anything else) when going from 29.98 to 59.97—the switch is instantaneous. That’s really useful when you need to react quickly. Actually, even if you don’t: it’s just so much easier to go from one setup to another. The camera also provides a flicker-less mode that makes smaller fractions available (ex. 120.3 or 119.9 fps).
C settings can either be locked-in, or set to automatically update themselves when any changes are made, on the fly (through a menu option).
All of this to say that, in the context of this camera (and how I’d potentially use it), I quickly forgot about PSAM, or the lack of a dedicated shutter speed dial. The added capabilities more than made up for it.
Spacelab
I spent a lot of my time with the X-H2s testing its video capabilities and getting a feel for the camera. Not shooting any specific project, just trying things out: the new 4K slow-motion options, and IBIS which is now becoming standard (but not available on any of my current bodies). One of my most used lenses for video work remains the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS, and the combination was impressive—despite this being an older lens with slower AF. Its Linear Motor provides smooth transitions, and in my limited tests the stabilizations (cam+lens) don’t fight each other, they add up.
In fact, while shooting the X-H2s I rediscovered this lens for stills as well: if you consider it an f/4 (with f/2.8 benefits), it really is one of the unsung heroes of the XF series. I remain a prime guy (that whole 1EYEthing, ya know), but there was something natural about this pairing that made it a joy to shoot with. I think there may be a lesson here too, about dogma and the walls behind which we sometimes trap ourselves…
The Man-Machine
The X-H2s is clearly taking over from the X-T line as Fujifilm’s flagship hybrid camera. Actually, it’s taking that title back, possibly allowing the X-Ts to return to the smaller, stealthier days of the X-T1.
The camera’s features, design, performance, even the battery grip and how it’s positioned as an almost essential accessory, all are squarely aimed at photographers and filmmakers looking for power, without compromise. It is a machine—more programmatic and less traditional. The company has done this before so it’s not a complete departure, but it’s definitely a statement.
We are the robots…and all is fine.
