X-H2S, Don't hate it, because it is different.

I’ve had the camera since launch, and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to adapt to the control changes (Previously I only used X-T Bodies). Another thing, I find the X-T bodies a lot of fun to shoot with and I wasn’t sure I would find this quite as fun… So, I definitely had some concerns, but I bought it anyway.

My Use Case

I am not a professional sports shooter, I’m just an amateur enthusiast that enjoys taking pictures. My subjects range from animals, birds, kids, landscape, architecture, and abstract items. So, don’t think you have to be a sports shooter to get a lot out of this camera, because that’s simply not true.

The Controls

So, again the controls take some getting used to but they certainly have strengths as well.

The push button AF Mode means you don’t have to look at the front of the camera or flick it back and forth to make sure you’re in the correct position. On top of that, you can set the AF Mode completely in the cameras Custom Settings and just twist the PSAM dial to that setting.

Having 7 Custom Settings is great, and you can even rename the settings to something that is logical to you, but there’s no way to change the dial, so you’re still guessing as to which one you want to use. It might have been better to have one setting on the dial and a Q Menu option to cycle through the custom modes by the name you created for them.

As for the push button dials, I honestly don’t care that they left those out, as I almost never used that function unless it came set with something from manufacturer.

The shutter button is something I noted in previous comments and while I’ve gotten used to it, it is still a very sensitive and I often find myself looking at blurry shots of images that I had no idea I had taken, because I accidently brushed my finger across the shutter.

Overall, it is a very nice camera and I’ve really come to enjoy the new features, customization options and ease of use. If there’s one thing I would like for them to have retained, it would have been the dedicated EV Compensation Dial, but I’ve gotten used to using the rear wheel.

With the X-T4 I pretty much always shot in Aperture Priority and I can still adjust that by the lens ring, so I don’t really miss many of the other dials.

Build Quality

I have no real complaints here, it is a very solid build quality and it is about what I have come to expect from Fuji.

Is it improved over the X-T4? No, it is essentially the same build quality with a different control scheme.

Auto Focus

The AF is fast and extremely accurate. It is faster than the X-T4 and tracking is certainly more reliable overall. I still have a lot to learn about shooting with a camera that is this fast.

Stabilization

When it comes to stabilization, I find the OIS is capable of quite a bit, but honestly it is going to vary by lens. When shooting with the 300 F/4 PF ED VR, I was able to shoot at 1/30 and get a very sharp shot using VR and OIS. With the 80 Macro I could get down to about 1/8th for a sharp shot, but lower and blur started to tick up. So, I cannot say it is as good as Fuji claims, because honestly it appears to be about the same as the X-T4 IBIS, but that was good enough.

The image below is just me testing the IBIS with the 300mm lens.

Shutter

I pretty much just turn off the Mechanical Shutter and shoot silent. The lack of distortion using only the electronic shutter is impressive and has me thinking I will probably never go back to a camera that cannot match or exceed this performance.

EVF

I wanted to touch on this, because it is the best EVF I’ve ever used and while the Sony A1 is higher end, this is more than anyone would need. It is fast and detailed!

Image Quality

Honestly, I find the Image quality to be excellent when shooting HEIF and RAW, but I would say overall it is on par with the X-T4.

High ISO

ISO 6400

Video

For YouTube or some other simple video blog, the camera is about as good as anything out there.  I haven't used it for anything else as I do not have a Gimbal, so it wouldn't be the smoothest shooting experience.  
Sensor

For those not aware of this, Stacked Sensor technology is really only available in the flagship bodies of each camera manufacturer, so this very much is a flagship camera.  However, there are only two bodies that are under $5000 with this technology and that's the X-H2S and an Olympus OMD.

Overall

I like the camera quite a bit and I’ve been shooting with it every day, so the fun hasn’t been sapped by the lack of manual controls. The camera itself is built for speed all the way around! So, If you’re on the fence about the camera, I would say try it, because it is a fantastic tool for photography and you will be hard pressed to find many situations where it isn’t more than capable of doing the job.
Oh and one last note!  I have no idea why Fuji used the HIF designation, because I have to rename them to HEIF before Photoshop would open them.  Anyway, I wish either Fuji or Adobe would fix this issue.

Hi,

Thanks for posting.  I'm an XT user, and TBH probably plan to stay with an XT.  But one considers all options....  Can I ask why you gave the XH2S a lower rating for landscape usage?

Cheers, Rod

It's a fine camera; I've been an XT user since 2015 but did give the XH "style" a serious chance.

I twice bought and sold the XH-1.  Throughly disliked it both times.  Hated the layout was my honest impression.

Rod McD wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for posting. I'm an XT user, and TBH probably plan to stay with an XT. But one considers all options.... Can I ask why you gave the XH2S a lower rating for landscape usage?

Cheers, Rod

Because there are better options out there for landscape as far as resolution goes.  It's not horrible, but I wish Fuji learned from Panasonic and made a super resolution option that could account for moving items within the frame.

Craig268 wrote:

It's a fine camera; I've been an XT user since 2015 but did give the XH "style" a serious chance.

I twice bought and sold the XH-1. Throughly disliked it both times. Hated the layout was my honest impression.

This is different.  Back then the X-H1's big advantage was the IBIS, this thing is light years ahead of that and it is very well thought out.

I'm also an owner of the X-H2S since early July. A few thoughts from me so far...

• Ergonomics: I thought I'd hate the grip, but I love it.
• Flippy screen: I thought I'd hate the screen, but I love it. I've managed to get some photos low to the ground that I wouldn't have gotten with my X-T30.
• PASM dial: I thought I'd hate it, but so far I love it. 

I'm really loving this camera so far. I realize the image quality is no better than previous models, but I'm fine with that, as the IQ in older Fujifilm cameras is already stellar. I can't imagine it getting better with the X-H2R.

Oh and one last note! I have no idea why Fuji used the HIF designation, because I have to rename them to HEIF before Photoshop would open them. Anyway, I wish either Fuji or Adobe would fix this issue.

This seems to be a long running Adobe issue - there have also been complaints from Canon and Sony owners.

Perhaps there is a reason why camera manufacturers like to stick to three characters.

Greybeard2017 wrote:

Oh and one last note! I have no idea why Fuji used the HIF designation, because I have to rename them to HEIF before Photoshop would open them. Anyway, I wish either Fuji or Adobe would fix this issue.

This seems to be a long running Adobe issue - there have also been complaints from Canon and Sony owners.

Perhaps there is a reason why camera manufacturers like to stick to three characters.

Yeah but if they stick to 3 characters, it seems that Adobe could fix it by just accounting for that file extension.  It's dumb that I keep reading about different cameras that photoshop won't recognize the file, because there's 1 letter missing from the extension.

Great review!

I received my X-H2S two days ago and am truly impressed at just how good it is. In fact I am more than impressed at the speed and the focus aquisition.

If I compare it side by side with my X-H1 I believe that whilst it is a very well made and substantial body, it doesn't have the hewn from rock feel of the X-H1. But the grip, the EVF and the less sensitive shutter button are way better. IQ is exactly the same.

I love it and having bought the superb little X-S10, have no problem with the dial layout. In fact the C1-7 dial is just brilliant.

Again thanks for your very thoughtful and reassuring review.

Thanks for the review.  I'm enjoying my pair of XT-4 faster AF?...ready to upgrade and happy to see there is a low res option. (40mp) is just too much, I'm a full-time pro of 33 years. I once thought the Nikon D700 had all the resolution I'd need also the 16mp Dicomed on Hasselblad was pretty sweet.