Django

Any specific reason (other than price) why you picked XH2 over XH2S? Personally I'd rather go with XH2S's stacked sensor and benefit from all its advantages (better DR, AF, significant less RS, 6.2K Open Gate, 4K12Op) over 8K resolution. That said sensor aside both are pretty similar. From what I've noticed the recommended settings are to go -4 on sharpness and NR to get the most organic image. What I am really curious about is if ProRes diminishes the heavy chroma NR fuji applies to all its jpg & h26x footage, issue first discussed here: https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/60753-color-detail-issues-in-fujifilm-video-files/ Then there's also ProRes RAW & BRAW external for what should be ultimate IQ.

Say what you will I give him props for even attempting that.. its not like if it was an Ingmar Bergman film.. the flick was so over the top it just added another level of surreal.

yup saw that one in my feed this morning.. as he says at the very end though "we haven't tested out mixed lighting where a lot of the time the camera will break apart". especially true with Sony footage in my experience. but its encouraging, Sony definitely seem to improve CS, WB, skin tones etc on each generation. certainly true for broadcast and any production house that favours Sony. I know I bought my FS7 for that type of work even though it was technically an "old" camera, its still an industry standard. and the FX30 is shaping up to be the perfect b-cam (or even a-cam). I'm warming up to it. that said, let's not forget all the freelancers, content creators & web delivery production teams that don't need to bend to a specific manufacturer. that's a huge chunk of the market actually and where we start getting into spec wars. R6/R7, FX30, A7IV, XH2S, GH6, A7SIII, FX3, R5/R5C, Z9, FX6, C70 etc all start to compete with one another.

FX30 has a number of improvements over FX3 (oversampled 4K, double LCD resolution, focus breathing comp) but also some cons mostly on the stills side (no mechanical shutter, no drive mode). So as a hybrid FX30 isn't interesting. The best thing is the price, half that of FX3 while in the same exact body. FX3/FX30 vs A7S3: The FX line have TC, LUT support (allowing you to bake in a custom LUT), cine EI and of course the body with mount holes, tally lights, top handle with XLRs. And active cooling so less overheating. The only tradeoff is the EVF loss. Another option is the XH2S. You get your EVF and full photo specs. And on the video side a stacked sensor giving you great DR, low RS as well as 6.2K open gate, DCI 4K, ProRes, Film simulations etc.

maybe you need to put reading glasses on. he explained his work is mainly on FX6 & FX9 which are both FF cameras. he'd use FX30 as a b-cam so a speed booster makes sense to keep the same FoV and use the same FF lenses. plenty of FF cine lenses out now as well as large sensor cine cams from RED/ARRI. Sony's entire cine line from Venice down to FX3 is FF. SMH. You must be new to lenses, my FF Leica M & Nikkor AIS glass are more compact than any modern APS-C lenses. The extra glass from the speed booster can actually help reduce over sharpening from cameras like XH2S that have no OLPF. And the stop of light that you gain helps with S35 sensors poor lowlight performances. He said he also plans to use S35 glass and so FX30 allows him to use both FF & S35 lenses, unlike the FX3. I love shooting wide open at f1.4 or even f1.2. obviously for specific shots requiring isolation or a dreamy feel but you have entire films like Army of the Dead that were shot FF on a Red Monstro wide open at 0.95 on Canon Dream lens rehoused in Leica M mount: Rules are meant to be broken. And just to prove this isn't just a one off Hollywood phenomenon, here is 6.2K open gate footage from XH2S using a speedbooster with some shots done at f0.95 (lowlight footage from scene 4): I think the image looks fantastic personally, FF aesthetic/bokeh yet still very detailed but without the over sharpness usually associated with Fujis.

Yes this is what I was saying above. The FX30 is actually better than the FX3 in couple areas, namely the oversampled 4K and the sensor size that can reveal to be more useful than the FX3 that has no S35 crop mode in 4K. But the biggest competitor to the FX30 is imo A7IV. Only couple hundred dollars more extra and you get a FF camera that has a S35 crop mode with less rolling shutter and much better low light sensitivity. Plus an EVF and full photo capability. Same 10-bit codec. Same log profiles. And that is what pisses me off, Sony could have given FX3/FX30 DCI, shutter angle and WFM/false color and it would have been a clear winner for video. But they're afraid of losing FX6 sales which is ridiculous. If you're exclusive to video though I can understand the FX30 form factor and maybe LUT support and cine EI being a better option and better match if you're using it as an FX6/FX9 B cam. As an FS7 owner, the FX30 seems like the logical choice but it just feels so underwhelming to me. I hope to be able to test one this coming weekend, maybe I'll come around once I see what I can get out of it. So far the demo footage on YT is horrible but that doesn't mean that much doesn't it. As for the 6K Pro. Different category. It has NDs, it shoots RAW, that big LCD. It's a lot closer to a proper cine cam. That said I agree the EF mount limits it so much, it was the deal breaker for me. Well that and no AF or IBIS. Plus a so so sensor in regards to rolling shutter and low-light. At a time where the competition is fierce and cameras are now shooting RAW, 10-bit, ProRes. 10-bit 4:2:2 on a nice chunky codec is good enough for me though. My editors hate RAW too so yeah not viable on commercial work either. It's a nice thing to have though for those special shoots. I'll try and not be too hard on FX30 until I try it. Specs are a little disappointing to me but who knows I might be pleasantly surprised by it.

The FX3 is overpriced imo. It has the exact same downfalls as the FX30: Still no DCI 4K or shutter angle or WFM/False color. No S35 crop mode. No EVF. No internal RAW. No oversampled 4K. Actually the FX30 has oversampled 4K so in one important IQ aspect it is actually superior to the FX3! And it can do both S35 & FF with speed booster. I'm not really worked up, I just find the Sony cripple hammer very annoying and disappointing. Canon caught a whole lot of flack when it was up to those shenanigans but Sony gets a pass from you? double standards. See I do want a b-cam to my FS7 just like I'm sure FX6 & FX9 owners do too, but Sony doesn't give it to you. Not in FX3, not in FX30. At least Canon have C70 & R5C will full cine line features including internal RAW.. more expensive sure but no severe compromises like with Sony. All that said I will probably go with Fuji lol.

I'm a prime shooter personally, even on the few weddings I've shot (both as photographer & videographer). Swapping lenses is definitely a hassle in such fast paced environment which is why multiple bodies feels essential. A wide angle, medium & tele on 3 bodies and you're good for any situation. But I've also managed with a single body and a 35mm and even once on a single 50mm (kinda crazy when I think back at it!). Never done both photography and videography at once, that sounds like madness! Today if I were doing weddings I'd probably use 2 FF Canon bodies (R6+R5C) and have the 16mm 2.8 STM on one and 85mm on the other. Or two Sonys (A7IV+A7S3) with Zeiss 25mm F2 & 85mm F1.8. Those are currently my favourite lens combos for run & gun. I do have two destination weddings coming up next summer, I'm only a guest but have been asked to take candid shots, I will probably just bring my Leica M9 with the 28mm summicron. However if I pick up an XH2S that could change everything as it would be my ideal travel hybrid cam. I'm not sure yet about using Fuji for run & gun. I have in the past with mixed results. XH2S is the first camera that really peaks my interest over FF thanks to the stacked sensor but AF is still a big question mark. And I rely on AF heavily for run & gun and can't stand missed shots due to OOF. I've been looking at what lenses I'd get for the Fuji and my favourite back in XT2 days was 23mm F.14 (35mm equivalent), 35mm F1.4 (50mm) & 56 F1.2 (85mm). All very slow AF lenses but they do all have new versions out now. Viltrox also has what looks like a great inexpensive prime lens with AF for X mount lineup. The rendering looks like a sweet spot in between vintage & modern which is right up my alley aesthetic wise so I'd look heavily into those. I'd also pick up the Metabones EF speed booster with locking system to get FF aesthetic and use all my EF glass. Again the Fuji would really be my creative, family/friends, travel cam. The 6.2K open gate would also be very interesting to me for client work that requires multi aspect ratio deliveries. I could see the super sharp high resolution optical filter less image quality being useful for certain applications like product shots, fashion accessories etc. I have serious GAS for XH2S, and was waiting for the FX30 announcement and its a bit hard because I'm already invested in superb Sony glass and the FX30 would be a good B-cam to my FS7 but the specs are just too low vs XH2S.

Well its a dumb move imo because the FX3/FX30 would be perfect B/C cams to FX6/FX9 or even Venice. Think drones, gimbals, action shots. Also the FX30 web page talks about cinema and filmmaking all throughout: Sony's acclaimed Cinema Line cameras sets the standard for filmmaking, with beautiful cinematic imagery, high performance and highly efficient workflow. Film industry experience allied with state-of-the-art imaging technology. The outstanding Cinema Line series of cinema cameras is built on decades of experience in the film industry and supported by Sony's sophisticated new technologies on the cutting edge of digital imaging. And even if you're not aiming for cinema release 4K DCI is great simply for getting closer to full sensor readout instead of the UHD crop. Again every mirrorless brand offers this in their flagships / video oriented models.. except Sony. It's a deliberate cripple to continue and segment the now "affordable" FX line from the more expensive "real" cine line. Same for shutter angle, it's probably 2 lines of code to copy/paste but no dice. Its rather infuriating. I'll be at the Sony booth at a trade show next weekend and rest assured I will grill them about this. Not true: Canon R5C has shutter angle, Panasonic GH series also. FX3/FX30 are half-ass attempts and not 100% worthy of the FX line imo. R5C remains the benchmark with full cinema line OS. FX30 is really hyped because of its price point and sleak FX3 body but in reality you're not getting that much with NDs, DCI & shutter angle missing, no EVF, no mechanical shutter and a sensor that pales in comparison to what the XH2S offers you (14-bit readout, 6.2K Open gate, DCI4K, 9.7ms RS, 13.4 stops of DR, ProRes).

I shoot on both Canon & Sony systems. It's a tough call and does come down to personal preference. I favour Canon for camera ergonomics, UI, AF (both in stills & video), colours (especially skin tones). Lens wise, I find EF glass has more mojo (I just love my 35mm F1.4 L & 50mm F1.2 L). But I also love my Zeiss Batis primes that are more compact. RF has some amazing glass also, and even the affordable STM line is really good (I think I'll go for the 24mm & 85mm STM next). Lenses is really what ties you to a system so don't underestimate that aspect! Now specifically when comparing A7S3 to R5, well R5 does have 45MP stills, 8K, oversampled 4K & internal RAW. A7S3 has non oversampled 4K, only 12MP stills & a lot of NR at high ISO.. but better DR & less RS. The lowlight used to be where A7S series killed it but that's not the case with A7S3 since it is in fact a 48MP quad bayer sensor. Also the 1:1 4K doesn't allow super35 crop or focus breathing compensation. Bummer. 4K120p I dunno, it looks great on the R5 but haven't A/B it with A7S3. I think with 1.6 R5 wins on overall specs but if you really need that extra DR, super low RS & better 4K120p then it might tilt you over. Both I think are mirrorless workhorses. Sony colours have become much much better than in previous generations but I still find myself spending way more time in Resolve adjusting footage than with Canon where I pretty much can just slap a custom LUT and it looks simply amazing. Especially skin tones. To me this is a MAJOR advantage for Canon.

No DCI 4K though means matching with my preferred aspect ratio would be compromised. Such a weak cripple hammer decision. Sony is the only company today that won't allow DCI 4K on their mirrorless bodies. That alone is sort of a deal breaker to me.

Congrats on the new purchase. Yeah I always used the battery grip in my XT2 days. Keep in mind that on Fuji the grip allows 2 batteries + the internal one for a whopping X3 battery life! That should keep you going all day & night during those long wedding gigs. The grip is expensive but well worth it as it also offers a boost mode. There are two versions for XH2S, one has a transmitter. Looks pretty beefy on XH2S but very professional :

The XH2/XH2S obliterate the FX30 when it comes to specs. Fuji don't have a cine line to protect and it shows. As a hybrid the FX30 plain sucks: no EVF, no mechanical shutter, no drive mode, no stills/video switch. The one aspect where FX30 out-beats Fuji will be AF. And custom LUT support. I guess the FX30 form factor with mount holes, active cooling and the included top handle with XLRs can't be neglected either. I'm really torn as the XH2S is so much more exciting to me but as an FS7 user already invested in Sony glass, the FX30 makes much more sense as a B-cam. But god is it boring, dare I say uninspiring.

A7IV overheats in 4K60p though. Also has a whopping 26.8ms RS vs 15ms on FX30. FX3/FX30 are entry cine line cameras. Now with Cine EI & LUT import they do feel a little bit more worthy of FX range. As an FS7 user, this would be the perfect B-cam for me. That said, yeah strictly nothing exciting about it. Another utilitarian Sony camera.

where did you get this info? FX3 has the same heavy NR as A7S3. so I'd assume FX30 will have it also.

Canon has a rumoured R7C on the way: The Canon EOS R7 C will record 7K60P in Cinema RAW Light and will reportedly have the same codec options as other Cinema EOS cameras, including the Canon EOS R5 C. There was also talk of a C50 ages ago but that rumour didn't seem to pan out..yet.

Not necessarily. Sony was sneaky and removed the mechanical shutter on FX30. So if you're a hybrid shooter and invested in FF lenses, chances are the FX3 is still going to appeal to you. 4K120p on FX30 also has a big crop. FX3 sensor has better lowlight, DR & a third less RS. That said, I am surprised by the low entry point. Pretty aggressive move. Then again anything higher and it was competing with XH2S which has much better specs and is a true hybrid. The only thing FX30 really has over it is AF, which is not negligible. LUT support. And the active cooling. Lack of shutter angle and DCI 4K remains rather baffling but I guess the camera is more oriented towards videographers than filmmakers. This one isn't going to replace my good old FS7. Solid B-cam though perhaps. Its kinda hard to get really excited about this camera as it doesn't really bring much new but a more affordable option.

nah very good thermal ratings under normal conditions. non issue. if you're shooting in very hot environments though the fan exists..

speaking of multiple camera systems, I'm strongly considering pulling trigger on a Fuji XH2S and the open gate mode would tempt me to check out anamorphic lenses. I was set on the EF to X mount metabones cine speed booster with lock (not just for anamorphic but for most of my EF lens compatibility): but I guess purely for anamorphics, the PL version would be better?

In case you haven't been following rumour mill there is one more video oriented APS-C camera coming: FX30. So far all we know is: 26MP 4k120p Same FX3 body Almost the same FX3 video specs Announcement in late September $2500 It basically sounds like an XH2S (Sony) sensor in FX3 body. But no way will Sony give us 6.2K Open Gate. Cine EI, LUT support, Sony AF and active cooling might still win me over as it would be the perfect B-cam to my FS7.

Not even close to being similar price points though. R5C is twice as expensive, has 50% more rolling shutter, 2 stops less DR, no open gate, no ProRes and no IBIS compared to XH2S. XH2/XH2S pack a lot of bang for your buck imo.

We all have different requirements so it seems Fuji was smart to make these 2 camera versions. XH2S stands for speed, both in stills and video with the stacked sensor allowing super fast 14-bit readout. XH2 stands for resolution, also both in stills (45MP) & video (8K). So they are both aimed at hybrid shooters imo, XH2S more towards action/sport/wildlife photographers where AF & burst is critical and videographers that want solid AF, low rolling shutter, high frame rate, extra DR and open-gate. And XH2 for hybrid shooters that value high resolution for print, cropping, stab in post, extra detail & 8K stills extraction.

Yeah there is a crop mode which is something most FF mirrorless have. They call it digital zoom so maybe something similar to Sony's clear zoom. According to Vistek, 4K60p has indeed a 1.14x crop: https://youtu.be/XLq1Ib3IPgw (5:45) That's quite negligible to me but hey if its a deal breaker to you then that's that. Much more of a deal breaker to me is no 4K12Op, the very average XT4 AF & rolling shutter. No 14-bit readout meaning less DR and no open-gate mode.

I also heard there was a very slight crop in the 4K60p mode. I think 1.15x or something rather negligible but I can't find the exact info in text. It would be of course an additional crop to the APS-C sensor size.

Wow that was some of the best footage I've seen yet from this camera. Props to the filmmaker. 6.2K Open gate + Speedbooster for FF + vintage glass at 24fps is really a look that I covet/desire! It's getting harder and harder for me to resist going in on the system. By the way the XH2 was announced couple days ago in relative silence. It comes in cheaper at $2100 has 45MP stills and has 8K + oversampled 4K with ProRes. The sensor isn't stacked which means XT4 type rolling shutter & AF. And no open-gate either. Still quite interesting for hybrid shooters and an entry price for 8K if that's your thing. For me XH2S remains the target.