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Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 battery grip and Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional zoom lens.
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Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR professional zoom lens
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“… How did you decide on what video features to include in the camera? Some expected features – like zebra – are missing.
Honestly, we couldn’t add zebra because of hardware constraints. The processor cannot support it. It requires too much processing power. At this time, we’ve achieved the best possible performance for the processor….
… Is 8-bit capture enough, for F-Log recording?
There are 10-bit cameras on the market, but we recommend using Eterna to short-cut the recording process. We think 8-bit is enough for good quality….”
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujifilm VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip
Commentary
With the X-H1 Fujifilm has successfully pulled off the in-body image stabilization that we were told was simply not possible, and what a success Fujifilm’s IBIS appears to be with a maximum of 5.5 stops for non-stabilized lenses like the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R.
With the X-H1 positioned as a hybrid for stills photographers and independent moviemakers, the camera’s other specifications are something of a compromise and that is also due to being equipped with the same X-Trans CMOS III APS-C sensor and X-Processor Pro used in its older Fujifilm siblings such as the X-Pro2 and X-T2.
Right now the Fujifilm X-Pro2 fills many of my documentary photography needs and I am looking forward to the next versions of Fujifilm’s X-Trans sensor and X-Processor Pro coming to the X-Pro3 as well as the X-T3 and X-H2. I have been hanging out for a companion for my X-Pro2 for wider lenses than 18mm and longer lenses than 56mm, but if the X-H2 comes with the essential features left out of the X-H1, then I may choose an X-H2 instead. Time will tell.
The rumor sites have reported, though, that the Fujifilm X-T3 DSLR-style camera will be announced later in the year at photokina and will have a new X-Trans sensor of between 24 and 30 megapixels, and a new X-Processor Pro, although no IBIS.
With a more powerful processing engine on the way, Fujifilm may be able to add three crucial features missing from the X-H1 – exposure zebras, 10-bit 4:2:2 4K video and 4K 60fps – to its successor, presumably to be named the X-H2.
I am hoping that this new sensor and processor will find its way into the successor to my beloved X-Pro2, probably to be named the X-Pro3, along with a much improved electronic viewfinder (EVF) to match the already high quality of the X-Pro2’s Advanced Hybrid optical viewfinder and monitor.
The X-Pro2 is the almost perfect, affordable documentary photography and photojournalism rangefinder camera and I am looking forward to adding wider and perhaps longer Fujinon X-Mount lenses to my kit for use with a brighter, clearer and more colour-accurate EVF on a zebra-equipped X-Pro3.
The X-H1 is a remarkable advance in Fujifilm’s DSLR-style offerings and will be snapped up by those of us still able to work commercially or with large enough budgets to acquire each new camera that appears.
Being a self-funded documentarian nowadays, I have to be more cautious with new gear and so am looking forward to the X-H2 and especially the X-Pro3.
Fujifilm has announced the Fujifilm X-H1 photography and video hybrid APS-C Super 35 DSLR-style camera, and it comes with a range of new features and features yet to arrive and that may appear in firmware updates later in the year or not at all.
Fujifilm also announced the long-awaited X-Mount versions of its first two affordable parfocal cinema zoom lenses for use with its X-Mount Super 35/APS-C cameras and especially the X-H1, the Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9,
Fujifilm X-H1 with the excellent Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens and Fujifilm VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip
Fujifilm X-H1
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R WR zoom lens
Fujifilm X-H1
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R WR zoom lens
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujifilm VPB-XH1 Vertical Power Booster Grip
Fuji Rumors – excellent ongoing in-depth coverage of the announcement of the Fujifilm X-H1 as well as pre-announcement rumours and post-announcement articles, reviews and videos.
Jessops – Jessops Academy getting hands on with the new Fujifilm X-H1
– “The latest camera from Fujifilm is here! Vicki took the X-H1 for a test drive around the Bristol to get her first impressions of this latest camera from the X-Series”
Kevin Mullins – We need to talk about the Fujifilm X-H1 – “In this video, I talk about what I personally see as the cameras strong features, and some of its weak spots too. “
TheCameraStoreTV – Wooden Niccolls: Using the Fuji X-H1 Shoot A Scene From ‘Collateral’ – “The new X-H1 is by far Fuji’s most serious attempt to make a solid photo/video hybrid. To test the video capabilities, we went and recreated a scene from Collateral with Nick Thomas, and an amazing crew!”
Vistek | Your Visual Imaging Experts – Fujifilm X-H1 Review – “Fashion photographer Nick Merzetti and Vistek video producer Dale Sood give us a full review of the video and photo features of the new Fujifilm X-H1.”
“In case you missed it, I have google translated to English the entire press release leaked in German as well as manually translated the full specs sheet (see below). You can also download the specs sheet in English here at my dropbox….”
Fujifilm X-H1 with battery grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom, image released by Nokishita and republished at Fuji Rumors.
Commentary
Fujifilm X-H1 with Fujinon MK 18-55mm T2.9 X-Mount Cinema Zoom
Fuji Rumors has outdone itself on the Fujifilm X-H1 with heavily detailed specifications lists, press releases, images and size comparisons between the X-H1 and other hybrid stills/video cameras whether mirrorless or DSLR, in advance of Fujifilm’s official X-H1 product announcement on February 15.
That announcement will no doubt also include the X-Mount versions of Fujifilm’s MK Series 18-55mm T2.9 and 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lenses, previously released in E-Mount versions for Sony cinema and Sony Alpha hybrid cameras in the α7 and α9 series.
I will be publishing official product photographs, specifications, and links to articles and videos by moviemakers and photographers who have been working with pre-production versions of the Fujifilm X-H1 and X-Mount versions of the Fujinon MK Series zoom lenses after Fujifilm’s announcement on the 15th and no doubt that article will be a lengthy one.
Samsung NX1 with Samsung Premium S 50-150mm f/2.8 ED OIS zoom lens, still the benchmark for up-to-date Super 35mm hybrid video cameras, though it missed out on a fully-articulated monitor and 10-bit 4:2:2.
With the leaks by DigiCame-Info, Fuji Rumors and Nokishita, there has been much discussion and speculation at online moviemaking fora, much of it comparing the X-H1’s video specifications to Panasonic’s Lumix DC-GH5 and DC-GH5S Super 16/Micro Four Thirds cameras, and Samsung’s discontinued but still revolutionary Super 35/APS-C NX1.
All three cameras raised the bar for mirrorless video very high indeed.
This is the set of video-centric features I have been hoping to see appear in the X-H1:
4K UHD and 4K DCI 200 Mbit
4K 60p
5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) that works in conjunction with optical image stabilization (OIS)
10-bit 4:2:2
Battery grip with full controls for vertical/portrait orientation
Decent battery sizes
Decent body grip
Decent set of of well-spaced colour-matched native X-Mount prime and zoom lenses with manual clutch focus or at least linear focus-by-wire
Dual memory card slots
Exposure zebras with ability to set percentages/IRE levels
External recording via HDMI 2.0+
Full 10-bit internal F-Log
Fully-articulated monitor
Fully-customizable picture profiles
In-body audio-monitoring aka headphone port
Unlimited recording duration
Viable eye and face autofocus
Is this the camera that inspired Fujifilm’s X-H1 designers? The Contax N1 autofocus analog SLR, last in a long line of Kyocera-made Contax cameras licensing the Contax brand from Zeiss, released in 2000. Kyocera also made Yashica brand cameras.
How many of these boxes, as it were, will the DSLR-style Fujifilm X-H1 tick and how much will any non-inclusion of essential features mitigate against the X-H1 in being a viable, up-to-date video camera for the sorts of productions that warrant Super 35 image quality?
Or, will that good old Australian saying, “close enough is good enough”, be applicable enough in the case of the Fujifilm X-H1?
Fujifilm’s support for Super 35 video in the X-T2 flagship DSLR-style mirrorless camera appears partially complete. Looks like we may need to wait for the Fujifilm X-H1 for the arrival of a full set of top-end professional video features some time in 2018.
Of the three Fujifilm cameras in question, I am most familiar with the X-T2 having been lucky enough to have borrowed a review loaner, so will confine my comments here to that but readers interested in the X-T20 and GFX 50S may wish to read up on their firmware updates in my list of links below.
I am currently the proud owner of an X-Pro2 rangefinder camera and am looking forward to late December’s release of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 Version 4.00 firmware for 4K video mode, tethered shooting, new autofocus algorithm and support for Fujifilm Raw Studio and Fujifilm X Acquire.
How to access RGB histograms and overexposed areas blinkies, from page 1 of the X-T2 New Features Guide Version 3.00. But is this the whole story?
Version 3.00 of the X-T2’s firmware does not include the much-requested exposure zebras persistent in shooting mode, one of the two most essential firmware features needed for professional-quality work, along with focus peaking which previous firmware did have.
Instead, Fujifilm has included “overexposed areas blink” aka “blinkies” which is activated by pressing “the function button to which Histogram has been assigned” as per Fujifilm’s X-T2 New Features Guide Version 3.00.
The Guide does not specify whether the RGB histogram and overexposure blinkies can be viewed and remain persistent while shooting photographs or video thus allowing exposure adjustment as the light changes.
Having both the blinkies and the RGB histogram on-screen while shooting as illustrated in the Guide would be distracting to say the least, and blinkies alone while shooting would have been preferable.
Fujifilm’s blindness to zebras persists
Percentage-adjustable exposure zebras as featured on numerous contemporary and recent digital cameras and camcorders would have been even better again, but Fujifilm seems to have a persistent blindness to zebras as I have mentioned in many articles on this website, most recently Fujifilm… I’m Cross Over Your Aversion to Zebras.
This zebra blindness is surprising given Fujifilm’s legendary willingness to listen to its user base as well as its famous Kaizen – “improvement” or “change for the better” – philosophy.
Is there something Fujifilm knows that thousands of professional and enthusiast moviemakers do not?
Is Fujifilm really serious about fully supporting professional-quality video functionality in its cameras?
Will exposure zebras and other essential pro video features like internal F-Log recording, on-camera headphone ports and many more hardware and firmware functions eventually find their way into a future, more video-worthy version of the X-T2 or one of its descendants?
Or is Fujifilm having a cunning laugh at video functionality while continuing to aim its cameras more at photographers than videographers?
I would love Fujifilm to take some hints out of Panasonic’s and Samsung’s books, and their cameras’ many cutting-edge video achievements, to produce a truly remarkable, market-leading Super 35/APS-C hybrid video/stills camera.
For immersive fly-on-the-wall documentary stills photography on the other hand, nothing beats a real digital rangefinder camera and Fujifilm’s X-Pro2 hits the spot in combination with Fujifilm’s Fujinon aperture-ring-equipped manual clutch focus prime lenses like the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R, my current favourite documentary photography lens.
More power to Fujifilm’s advanced hybrid rangefinder and fast manual clutch focus prime lens arm, as it were, and I am looking forward to December’s firmware update for the X-Pro2.
I am relishing being able to shoot great 4K video on this wonderful rangefinder camera at long last.
Postscript
FujiRumors has shared a video showing how focus peaking and overexposure blinkies flash when both are switched on.
I hope there is an option to at least turn the flashing off as I would find this irritating when shooting, just as I did when viewing this video.
