So I'm finally switching from A7r IV to H2s

Unfortunately my Sony gear got stolen and I'm getting some money back from the insurance. I would've went back to Sony but I need speed and A1 is too expensive, while A9 I and II feel outdated (no CFExpress, etc).

What I've ordered is:
H2s
50-140mm f2.8
1.4x TC
512gb CFExpress card

I used mainly A7r IV + 135mm F1.8 GM and while the quality is stellar, the camera is slow for motorsport and the buffering with 62mpix is pretty bad.
I shoot motorsport during the day and my expectation with this gear is rather high
I'm hoping to be able to go even slower shutter speed for a better speed effect with about 20 fps (compared to 8 fps with A7r IV) and a buffer that will clear fast.

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

Nebell wrote:

Unfortunately my Sony gear got stolen and I'm getting some money back from the insurance. I would've went back to Sony but I need speed and A1 is too expensive, while A9 I and II feel outdated (no CFExpress, etc).

What I've ordered is:
H2s
50-140mm f2.8
1.4x TC
512gb CFExpress card

I used mainly A7r IV + 135mm F1.8 GM and while the quality is stellar, the camera is slow for motorsport and the buffering with 62mpix is pretty bad.
I shoot motorsport during the day and my expectation with this gear is rather high
I'm hoping to be able to go even slower shutter speed for a better speed effect with about 20 fps (compared to 8 fps with A7r IV) and a buffer that will clear fast.

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

I was in the Fuji store only last week, looking at this camera and the X-H2/X-T5. They had a lens called the XF-90, which was 135mm equivalent, f2. That is the lens you need to replicate the 135 on Sony! The salesman said that its the fastest af lens Fuji does, but I don't know if this is true/false.

My interest was an option to the A7IV, but I have decided on the A7IV. What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

I’d say take a look at the xf90 f2 lens . That should compare quite nicely.

You will love the S version. The 90 F2 will work well to replace the 135.  It’s a great lens, the zoom is nice but it’s not a sharp as the 90. I have both and each has its place in my camera bag.

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

Nebell wrote:

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

There should be a few prime Sigmas, Nikkors, Canons or Tamrons for Canon EF or Nikon F that could do the job. They should be some primes out there with 85-90mm and F1.4.

Fringer offers some fully working AF Adapter with a compatibility list, they may even add support for unsupported lenses.. They should be even better with the H2S.

You could also try the Sigma 50-100 1.8. I was choosing between this lens and the Fuji 90 f2. And decided that the Sigma would be a better option. But keep in Mind the Fuji 90 is one of the fastest AF wise lens that Fuji offer currently.

I used the Sigma 50-100 for Soccer and got some great pictures. The AF is not as consistent as the 50-140. But i guess that it would work a lot better as with my XT4. I'm not really satisfied what Fuji offers even with their better lenses. The Sigma however does not have the best autofocus, but can be very good.

Nebell wrote:

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

OK, makes sense, I think the 10fps on the A7IV can really rattle, 33mp too, there's also the excellent object tracking on it which is similar to the A1 in accuracy. Overall, image quality is very impressive, particularly ooc on the A7IV. I'm only using uhs-ii it seems excellent performance. There's a lot of unique lenses for Sony now, the Samyang 135 1.8 is similar performance to the Sony GM and very competitive pricing.

I would think that you'd love that camera/lens combo for what you want to use it for. Try using the electronic shutter for a blackout-free experience.

Please post some feedback once you've had the chance to put it through its paces. I'd love to hear how you like it.

Nebell wrote:

Unfortunately my Sony gear got stolen and I'm getting some money back from the insurance. I would've went back to Sony but I need speed and A1 is too expensive, while A9 I and II feel outdated (no CFExpress, etc).

What I've ordered is:
H2s
50-140mm f2.8
1.4x TC
512gb CFExpress card

I used mainly A7r IV + 135mm F1.8 GM and while the quality is stellar, the camera is slow for motorsport and the buffering with 62mpix is pretty bad.
I shoot motorsport during the day and my expectation with this gear is rather high
I'm hoping to be able to go even slower shutter speed for a better speed effect with about 20 fps (compared to 8 fps with A7r IV) and a buffer that will clear fast.

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

I feel you are making great choices.  The X-H2s with it's 40 FPS will let you have many options to pick from when the unfortunate things happen.  I agree with the others, the 90mm f2 is a sharp fast focusing lens yet the 50-140mm f2.8 is as well so depending on distances, you may find the zoom is all you need.  One advantage of the 90mm is it's bokeh is magical.  The 40 FPS frame rate helped me get this nice smooth pan shot, a different genre yet one of the things you want to do.

Enjoy your new camera,

Morris

Morris0 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

Unfortunately my Sony gear got stolen and I'm getting some money back from the insurance. I would've went back to Sony but I need speed and A1 is too expensive, while A9 I and II feel outdated (no CFExpress, etc).

What I've ordered is:
H2s
50-140mm f2.8
1.4x TC
512gb CFExpress card

I used mainly A7r IV + 135mm F1.8 GM and while the quality is stellar, the camera is slow for motorsport and the buffering with 62mpix is pretty bad.
I shoot motorsport during the day and my expectation with this gear is rather high
I'm hoping to be able to go even slower shutter speed for a better speed effect with about 20 fps (compared to 8 fps with A7r IV) and a buffer that will clear fast.

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

I feel you are making great choices. The X-H2s with it's 40 FPS will let you have many options to pick from when the unfortunate things happen. I agree with the others, the 90mm f2 is a sharp fast focusing lens yet the 50-140mm f2.8 is as well so depending on distances, you may find the zoom is all you need. One advantage of the 90mm is it's bokeh is magical. The 40 FPS frame rate helped me get this nice smooth pan shot, a different genre yet one of the things you want to do.

Enjoy your new camera,

Morris

Wow, beautiful photo!

Samuraidog wrote:

Please post some feedback once you've had the chance to put it through its paces. I'd love to hear how you like it.

Will do
I'll try to avoid trying it out on personal cars though as last time I tested a camera, I got into a conflict with the police because someone reported me for being a "weird bald guy pointing a black gun-looking thing at passing cars".

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

OK, makes sense, I think the 10fps on the A7IV can really rattle, 33mp too, there's also the excellent object tracking on it which is similar to the A1 in accuracy. Overall, image quality is very impressive, particularly ooc on the A7IV. I'm only using uhs-ii it seems excellent performance. There's a lot of unique lenses for Sony now, the Samyang 135 1.8 is similar performance to the Sony GM and very competitive pricing.

Unfortunately going to A7 IV from A7r IV would be a downgrade, and I'm already not happy with A7r IV performance in motorsport photography (besides image quality, but pretty much no one pixel peeps in motorsport).
The only relevant upgrade for motorsport photography would be A1, which is too expensive.

Nebell wrote:

Samuraidog wrote:

Please post some feedback once you've had the chance to put it through its paces. I'd love to hear how you like it.

Will do
I'll try to avoid trying it out on personal cars though as last time I tested a camera, I got into a conflict with the police because someone reported me for being a "weird bald guy pointing a black gun-looking thing at passing cars".

Wow. Really? That is a stretch for someone to report you with a gun. Everyone today knows what a camera looks like. I think someone just wanted to be a jerk and try to get you into trouble for taking photos of them.

There seems to be this misconception out there that people cannot take pictures of them in public without their consent.

If I remember correctly, there is a video somewhere on youtube where a pro photographer reviews the X-H2S for motorsports. I'll try to see if I can find it. In the meantime, if anyone else knows where to find it, please post it here.

Samuraidog wrote:

If I remember correctly, there is a video somewhere on youtube where a pro photographer reviews the X-H2S for motorsports. I'll try to see if I can find it. In the meantime, if anyone else knows where to find it, please post it here.

I believe that I've seen that one and the guy praised the camera. It's about 40 minutes long and the video that made me seriously consider H2s.

Samuraidog wrote:

Nebell wrote:

Samuraidog wrote:

Please post some feedback once you've had the chance to put it through its paces. I'd love to hear how you like it.

Will do
I'll try to avoid trying it out on personal cars though as last time I tested a camera, I got into a conflict with the police because someone reported me for being a "weird bald guy pointing a black gun-looking thing at passing cars".

Wow. Really? That is a stretch for someone to report you with a gun. Everyone today knows what a camera looks like. I think someone just wanted to be a jerk and try to get you into trouble for taking photos of them.

There seems to be this misconception out there that people cannot take pictures of them in public without their consent.

Yeah, but while it's legal in Sweden, people here are very introvert and love using the system to screw someone up.

Nebell wrote:

Morris0 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

Unfortunately my Sony gear got stolen and I'm getting some money back from the insurance. I would've went back to Sony but I need speed and A1 is too expensive, while A9 I and II feel outdated (no CFExpress, etc).

What I've ordered is:
H2s
50-140mm f2.8
1.4x TC
512gb CFExpress card

I used mainly A7r IV + 135mm F1.8 GM and while the quality is stellar, the camera is slow for motorsport and the buffering with 62mpix is pretty bad.
I shoot motorsport during the day and my expectation with this gear is rather high
I'm hoping to be able to go even slower shutter speed for a better speed effect with about 20 fps (compared to 8 fps with A7r IV) and a buffer that will clear fast.

One thing is for sure, 135mm F1.8 will be missed. Does Fuji have something comparable that is not €4000 (200mm F2 )?

I feel you are making great choices. The X-H2s with it's 40 FPS will let you have many options to pick from when the unfortunate things happen. I agree with the others, the 90mm f2 is a sharp fast focusing lens yet the 50-140mm f2.8 is as well so depending on distances, you may find the zoom is all you need. One advantage of the 90mm is it's bokeh is magical. The 40 FPS frame rate helped me get this nice smooth pan shot, a different genre yet one of the things you want to do.

Enjoy your new camera,

Morris

Wow, beautiful photo!

Thank you,

Morris

Nebell wrote:

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

OK, makes sense, I think the 10fps on the A7IV can really rattle, 33mp too, there's also the excellent object tracking on it which is similar to the A1 in accuracy. Overall, image quality is very impressive, particularly ooc on the A7IV. I'm only using uhs-ii it seems excellent performance. There's a lot of unique lenses for Sony now, the Samyang 135 1.8 is similar performance to the Sony GM and very competitive pricing.

Unfortunately going to A7 IV from A7r IV would be a downgrade, and I'm already not happy with A7r IV performance in motorsport photography (besides image quality, but pretty much no one pixel peeps in motorsport).
The only relevant upgrade for motorsport photography would be A1, which is too expensive.

This is really interesting, how do you perceive the A7IV a downgrade to the A7RIV? On the one hand you are downgrading to 26mp from 60mp but then you say the 33mp is a downgrade? That doesn't make any sense to me? If you go here;

https://mirrorlesscomparison.com/best/mirrorless-cameras-for-birds-in-flight/

you'll see the X-H2s is still some distance from the best mirrorless for af and the A7IV is the highest ranking mirrorless without a stacked sensor, that performs close to stacked, albeit with 10fps, yes. But do you want 20fps with 4-5 maybe more oof images or 9 out of every 10 in focus? You are also panning a stacked sensor that is fast but not the fastest, will it hold up without bending-distorting things at a busy track? Obviously the plan is to blur everything but can you do that with the X-H2s, will you need to use its mechanical shutter in the end, will light pulsing be a thing around the track as the lights dim a bit and you are getting weird strobing effects with e-shutter, I don't know, do you?

One of things I do like about having the A1 is if all else fails you can revert to mechanical shutter, with the Z9 that is not an option. You can also revert to the X-H2s mechanical shutter too, but even at its fastest rate if you were to get 11 or 12 shots in focus/second are you really performing that much better than the A7IV? I think these huge fps are a little overplayed myself and I do own the A1 but rarely do I want to shoot 30fps, its a nightmare working through them all...

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

OK, makes sense, I think the 10fps on the A7IV can really rattle, 33mp too, there's also the excellent object tracking on it which is similar to the A1 in accuracy. Overall, image quality is very impressive, particularly ooc on the A7IV. I'm only using uhs-ii it seems excellent performance. There's a lot of unique lenses for Sony now, the Samyang 135 1.8 is similar performance to the Sony GM and very competitive pricing.

Unfortunately going to A7 IV from A7r IV would be a downgrade, and I'm already not happy with A7r IV performance in motorsport photography (besides image quality, but pretty much no one pixel peeps in motorsport).
The only relevant upgrade for motorsport photography would be A1, which is too expensive.

This is really interesting, how do you perceive the A7IV a downgrade to the A7RIV? On the one hand you are downgrading to 26mp from 60mp but then you say the 33mp is a downgrade? That doesn't make any sense to me? If you go here;

https://mirrorlesscomparison.com/best/mirrorless-cameras-for-birds-in-flight/

you'll see the X-H2s is still some distance from the best mirrorless for af and the A7IV is the highest ranking mirrorless without a stacked sensor, that performs close to stacked, albeit with 10fps, yes. But do you want 20fps with 4-5 maybe more oof images or 9 out of every 10 in focus? You are also panning a stacked sensor that is fast but not the fastest, will it hold up without bending-distorting things at a busy track? Obviously the plan is to blur everything but can you do that with the X-H2s, will you need to use its mechanical shutter in the end, will light pulsing be a thing around the track as the lights dim a bit and you are getting weird strobing effects with e-shutter, I don't know, do you?

One of things I do like about having the A1 is if all else fails you can revert to mechanical shutter, with the Z9 that is not an option. You can also revert to the X-H2s mechanical shutter too, but even at its fastest rate if you were to get 11 or 12 shots in focus/second are you really performing that much better than the A7IV? I think these huge fps are a little overplayed myself and I do own the A1 but rarely do I want to shoot 30fps, its a nightmare working through them all...

Do you actually have any experience shooting motorsport?

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

Dylan10 wrote:

Nebell wrote:

What is your reasoning for the X-H2s over the A7IV, just curious?

Speed and buffer. A7r IV has 10 fps, but at 10 fps (Hi+) it's very laggy so I have to drop down to what I believe is 8 fps (Hi). I assume A7 IV is the same.

Also, A7r IV doesn't support CFExpress cards but UHS -II and fast UHS-II cards are very expensive, yet much slower than CFE.
A7 IV supports CFE but CFE-A, not CFE-B. A is also very expensive compared to B.

OK, makes sense, I think the 10fps on the A7IV can really rattle, 33mp too, there's also the excellent object tracking on it which is similar to the A1 in accuracy. Overall, image quality is very impressive, particularly ooc on the A7IV. I'm only using uhs-ii it seems excellent performance. There's a lot of unique lenses for Sony now, the Samyang 135 1.8 is similar performance to the Sony GM and very competitive pricing.

Unfortunately going to A7 IV from A7r IV would be a downgrade, and I'm already not happy with A7r IV performance in motorsport photography (besides image quality, but pretty much no one pixel peeps in motorsport).
The only relevant upgrade for motorsport photography would be A1, which is too expensive.

This is really interesting, how do you perceive the A7IV a downgrade to the A7RIV? On the one hand you are downgrading to 26mp from 60mp but then you say the 33mp is a downgrade? That doesn't make any sense to me? If you go here;

https://mirrorlesscomparison.com/best/mirrorless-cameras-for-birds-in-flight/

you'll see the X-H2s is still some distance from the best mirrorless for af and the A7IV is the highest ranking mirrorless without a stacked sensor, that performs close to stacked, albeit with 10fps, yes. But do you want 20fps with 4-5 maybe more oof images or 9 out of every 10 in focus? You are also panning a stacked sensor that is fast but not the fastest, will it hold up without bending-distorting things at a busy track? Obviously the plan is to blur everything but can you do that with the X-H2s, will you need to use its mechanical shutter in the end, will light pulsing be a thing around the track as the lights dim a bit and you are getting weird strobing effects with e-shutter, I don't know, do you?

One of things I do like about having the A1 is if all else fails you can revert to mechanical shutter, with the Z9 that is not an option. You can also revert to the X-H2s mechanical shutter too, but even at its fastest rate if you were to get 11 or 12 shots in focus/second are you really performing that much better than the A7IV? I think these huge fps are a little overplayed myself and I do own the A1 but rarely do I want to shoot 30fps, its a nightmare working through them all...

I think that for motorsports, the X-H2S narrows this gap quite considerably.