Fuji X-H1. IBIS, Phase Detect 4K beast?

[webrunner5]

4 hours ago, Robert Collins said:

I still struggle with the concept of large (and quite expensive) cameras with small sensors then offering fairly expensive adapters (speedboosters) to emulate FF. Why not simply buy a FF camera in the first place. If a smaller sensor camera doesnt offer an advantage in terms of 'size' (actually being smaller) or 'price' what exactly is the point?

Admittedly it does make some sense for Panasonic in video as they offer 10bit, high bit rates and 4k 60p which the FF companies havent really shown is possible in FF but I do think it is only a matter of time. The industry, I think, is trending to FF.

The main reason I see using them is to make damn fast lenses even faster. You take the Sigma 1.8 lenses and put them on a Speedbooster, you are a happy camper.

And a ASPC camera as a whole are cheaper to buy, and the native lenses for them are a lot cheaper than their FF counterparts. Plus the overall package probably weighs less on average also. Win, Win.

[Attila Bakos]

Long but informative review:

 

[jonpais]

39 minutes ago, Attila Bakos said:

Long but informative review:

 

A really balanced review.

[jonpais]

6 hours ago, Robert Collins said:

I still struggle with the concept of large (and quite expensive) cameras with small sensors then offering fairly expensive adapters (speedboosters) to emulate FF. Why not simply buy a FF camera in the first place. If a smaller sensor camera doesnt offer an advantage in terms of 'size' (actually being smaller) or 'price' what exactly is the point?

Admittedly it does make some sense for Panasonic in video as they offer 10bit, high bit rates and 4k 60p which the FF companies havent really shown is possible in FF but I do think it is only a matter of time. The industry, I think, is trending to FF.

Fuji is excellent in this regard, in that the lenses won’t bankrupt you like Sony’s GM lenses, they are of outstanding build and optical quality and perfect size-wise for me. I stopped using speed boosters with my Panasonics a long time ago - it was just unpleasant carrying all that extra weight around, and there are many more fast primes available today than when I first got into micro 4/3. A friend has got the prized Sony zooms and an a7r III, but I think you’ve got to be in good shape to lug those around all day long! The Sigmas are much less expensive, but they’re pretty big and bulky as well. Perhaps the one thing that gives me pause about going with Sony’s FF.

It can take centuries trying to decide which lenses to buy for micro four thirds. With Fuji, it’s pretty much a no-brainer. 

[Trek of Joy]

6 hours ago, Robert Collins said:

The industry, I think, is trending to FF.

The biggest players - Canon, Nikon and Sony all sell many more APS-c cameras compared to FF. The volume is at the bottom of the market, not at the top. 

6 hours ago, Robert Collins said:

I still struggle with the concept of large (and quite expensive) cameras with small sensors then offering fairly expensive adapters (speedboosters) to emulate FF. Why not simply buy a FF camera in the first place. If a smaller sensor camera doesnt offer an advantage in terms of 'size' (actually being smaller) or 'price' what exactly is the point?

This comes down to personal tastes, I don't see the point of smaller bodies so cramped they're a pain to shoot. I had to shoot the a6300 with my pinky and ring fingers below the body - that's a major pain when shooting all day with anything more than the pancake PZ. Speedboosters open up more lens options, but Fuji and m43 have plenty of fast options. If the XH1 is too big, the XT2 is smaller and the XT20 is smaller still. Personally the XT2's size is as small as I want to go body-wise. As far as the point of larger bodies? A camera is far more than just a sensor, and more importantly you're buying to a system, so you have to look at the entire range you want in terms of lenses and such, not just a body.

Yes Sony has a few small FE primes - outside of the 85/1.8 they all have major flaws. Plus you have big gaps in Sony's offerings being filled by the overpriced Batis', the upcoming supersize Sigma Arts, the so-so Samyang's and the Toking Firn's that look pretty good. There are more going, but most will be large to cover the larger sensor. The fast FE's are large and the zooms are all really big - they're pricey, and they all almost completely lack weather sealing. I have issues with the $2500 GM zoom having so little weather sealing - and its size. Combined with Sony's iffy QC (check Fred Miranda's Sony board and Lens Rentals optical bench tests, Sony's have some of the widest variances of all their tests) and its a non-starter for me. I paid $1600 total for my 16-55 and 50-140/2.8 - and they're both amazing lenses. Sony's 24-105 is $1300 by itself. If you're trying to build a system, Fuji will likely be smaller and cheaper. Same for m43 I don't buy new lenses and with Fuji's regular sales, the used market has lots of great deals.

Chris

[kidzrevil]

@Trek of Joy dude I had to attach a battery and thumb grip just to use my a6500 handheld. These cams are getting way too small

[webrunner5]

6 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

@Trek of Joy dude I had to attach a battery and thumb grip just to use my a6500 handheld. These cams are getting way too small

Yeah I am using a Sony battery grip on my A7s, and I also have one of those extension ones you can flip to 90 degrees on a tripod. My Pinky finger hangs over without them. But I do like the option to be able to use it either way. The A7xx cameras are an amazingly small package for FF. I love them.

I would love to have a Nikon D850 for an all arounder for travel, hobby. But man if you put any sort of Long native zoom on them they are just embarrassingly huge! Really m4/3 is sort of the only way to go if you are into long lenses. They are amazingly compact and pretty damn light.

 

6 hours ago, kidzrevil said:

@Trek of Joy dude I had to attach a battery and thumb grip just to use my a6500 handheld. These cams are getting way too small

Ehh in my case I am getting way too big LoL.

[webrunner5]

Well I don't know if this has been posted but.... The Sony is 2x better.

 

[Mattias Burling]

X2... thats going to be the quote of the year. Ive never seen a reviewer get som much hate before.

[Yurolov]

It was a flippant statement but he really is the most comprehensive reviewer on utube. He is a nice guy and should be cut some slack. I tend to believe him when he says he meant it as an extra stop difference. 

[brianwahl]

Another quick little clip using 60 and 120p footage and Eterna (graded in Resolve).

So far the Fuji continues to impress while the Sony's sit on the desk...

 

[Trek of Joy]

49 minutes ago, brianwahl said:

Another quick little clip using 60 and 120p footage and Eterna (graded in Resolve).

So far the Fuji continues to impress while the Sony's sit on the desk...

 

Looks great. I keep watching this one, makes my a7s2 shiver in anticipation of getting sold.

 

[Jonesy Jones]

7 minutes ago, Trek of Joy said:

Looks great. I keep watching this one, makes my a7s2 shiver in anticipation of getting sold.

 

The aliasing is absolutely horrid. 

[brianwahl]

21 minutes ago, Trek of Joy said:

Looks great. I keep watching this one, makes my a7s2 shiver in anticipation of getting sold.

 

Thanks! And that video is beautifully shot - wow.

I sold my old a7S ii months ago, and I don’t miss it at all  

[Trek of Joy]

31 minutes ago, Jonesy Jones said:

The aliasing is absolutely horrid. 

Not in 4k, which is where I'll be shooting.

Cheers

[kye]

1 hour ago, brianwahl said:

Another quick little clip using 60 and 120p footage and Eterna (graded in Resolve).

Nice footage.

If you get a chance it would be interesting to see the quality if you exported and uploaded this in 4K/UHD to YouTube.  I've done tests and found that YT compression is far less brutal on 4K.

I see lots of compression artefacts but it's hard to know what is the camera and what is YT.

If you don't have time then no worries - thanks for sharing!

[IronFilm]

On 3/19/2018 at 9:39 AM, Matthew Hartman said:

Were you doing tatical military training? ?

 

Sometimes I'm surprised the a7S isn't banned from being exported because it has military technology in it :-P

On 3/19/2018 at 10:34 AM, brianwahl said:

Ha! Well I'm the guy without the huge beard

What huge beard? I didn't see one in the video

On 3/20/2018 at 5:00 AM, BTM_Pix said:

Well, the debate can end, the master has spoken.

 

If the price is a "bit high", maybe he has one he can sell us cheaper? 

On 3/20/2018 at 5:40 AM, kidzrevil said:

@BTM_Pix lmaaaaao if anyone is still listening to that scam artist they need to go drink bleach 

 

Why don't people on dpreview rip into him every time he posts?!
 

[Kisaha]

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

 

Sometimes I'm surprised the a7S isn't banned from being exported because it has military technology in it :-P

What huge beard? I didn't see one in the video

If the price is a "bit high", maybe he has one he can sell us cheaper? 

Why don't people on dpreview rip into him every time he posts?!
 

DPR is a massive forum (for the masses), it doesn't really have the sense of a community.

[Andrew Reid]

I just bought the X-H1 in Barcelona whilst I'm taking a break, and I am more impressed with it so far than I thought I would be.

I'd say it is a genuine alternative to the GH5 and A7 III, given the similar prices of all 3.

It does things the Panasonic and Sony don't do as well, or differently enough to make you have a strong personal preference for one or the other.

First of all, the small things... You can assign 1/48 shutter for 180 deg to "T" on the shutter mode dial. Instantly go from auto to 1/48 in the blink of an eye. Very useful.

The e-ink top-display is very useful and something the GH5 and Sonys lack!

One of the bigger things is the quality of the stabilisation.

It's insane. I actually think it might even be better than Oly/Pana. Steady handheld shots are almost completely locked-down as if on a tripod. Even walking glides are perfectly doable. Slider-style moves with your arm come out well.

This is one area where it is FAR superior to the Sony cameras, and it has a larger sensor than GH5 yet possibly even better 5 axis.... THAT is unique.

F-LOG and Eterna seem superb... I am not missing 10bit. Skintones, codec, all very good especially at 200Mbit which is insanely high for an IPB codec. Would be nice to have an ALL-I option but I have a feeling Fuji will do a BIG firmware update in future.

The EVF I think is superior to the Panasonic and Sony side.

I dare say the AF is better than the GH5 too, though not as good as A7 III / A7R III.

The tiny Fuji primes are wonderful, esp. 23mm F2 WR and the 35mm F1.4.

It is very responsive... recording start / stop doesn't have any lag or weirdness.

I still dislike that movie-mode is on the drive mode lever, it should be a single button press to toggle between movie and stills mode. Firmware?

Stills side is stronger than GH5. The mechanical shutter is the best I have ever had in anything. So quiet and dampened. Mega satisfying! Of course, larger sensor than GH5 and better JPEG colours (Fuji film simulations).

I wish the further X-T2 style crop in 4K was not a thing... but it's no biggie, and there's Speed Booster for X-Mount.

I wish the quality of the 1080/120fps was a little better... but it's a very nice creative tool. Plus you can access it instantly through a func. button.

On paper, A7 III and GH5 are better.

In reality.... it's game on.

[BTM_Pix]

5 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

I still dislike that movie-mode is on the drive mode lever, it should be a single button press to toggle between movie and stills mode. Firmware?

My theory is that its stills and video modes are so distinct code wise that it is effectively almost like a reboot when you switch, hence why it has to be a physical control.

This, to me, is why it can't record more than 720p while you are using the app as when you are using the app it is in "stills mode" and 720p is the limit to what it can do without being in full on  video mode.

I can think of no other reason why you would cripple it in this way otherwise, both from the point of view of not being able to do video recording in stills mode by a programmable key (of which there are many) or not allowing the user to record such reduced resolution while operating it remotely.

Now that they have a camera that they are targeting to video production then this business with the 720p restriction will become more and more relevant and will require a bit of an elaborate workaround. 

Anyway......did you get the battery grip?