Fujifilm X-H1 was announced in February, and we had the first look at this camera at The Photography Show in March. And now, Chris and Jordan of DPReview (formerly known from The Camera Store TV) bring you a more detailed hands-on review of Fujifilm’s X-H1. As usual, they test it both for photography and videography, and they’ll show you some upsides and downsides of Fujifilm’s latest camera.
Photography
Chris tests Fujifilm X-H1 at a zoo paired with Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. To start with the build: this is a large, more DSLR-like camera than the previous models. It has a larger grip, which, works well with large lenses like the one Chris uses. However, he points out that it’s pointless to switch to this camera if you want a transition from DSLR to mirrorless because of a smaller size. Although, while it’s not that smaller than an average DSLR, it is still lighter.
The X-H1 has an EVS similar to Panasonic G9, which is Chris’ favorite EVF to date. He used the camera with Fujifilm 80mm f/2.8 Macro to take some close-up shots, and this new generation EVF proved to be useful and helpful.
One of the disadvantages of the X-H1 is that the battery life is not great. However, the grip lets you put two extra batteries. The larger body of the camera houses the in-body stabilization, which is useful for both photographers and videographers. Chris claims it works great, sometimes even better with lenses that don’t have built-in stabilization.
When it comes to AF, the X-H1 has touch-screen AF. It can be a useful feature, but as you can see in the video, it’s kinda laggy. When shooting in difficult situations (bad lighting and a lot of movement), Chris finds that it’s doable but not perfect to nail focus. He managed to focus properly on 50% of the shots. As for the eye AF, it only works with single point AF, and the camera generally has a similar focusing system to the Fujifilm XT-2.
This camera has an excellent sensor, according to Chris. It’s similar to Fujifilm’s older cameras, and it even gives good JPEGs (nice colors and skin tones).
Video
When it comes to the video, Jordan also praises the in-body stabilization. Still, he claims that the X-H1 is not necessarily a perfect choice for a video camera. Regardless of this, the camera has some good features: you can shoot 4K at 24fps and 1080p at 120fps. In the video, you can see some sample footage: graded and ungraded footage shot in F-Log, as well Eterna profile, which looks great straight from the camera.
Jordan points to one annoying feature: you have to use the battery grip if you want to use the headphones and monitor the audio. You can use the Movie Silent Control which disables the aperture ring, shutter speed dial, and ISO dial. The control is passed to a touchscreen, joystick and four-way controller-based interface.
A great improvement Jordan mentions is linear focusing, and while it’s not perfect, he still sees it as a great leap forward.
The Fujifilm X-H1 gives you 15 minutes recording limit. You need a battery grip to record for 30 minutes, and there was no overheating in Chris and Jordan’s test.
Finally, Jordan demonstrates the AF while shooting handheld and moving, and it does a good job. On the minus side, there are no waveforms or zebras to monitor the exposure, and the transition between dark and bright lighting conditions is too harsh.
Make sure to watch the full video and see the sample images and footage. If you’re still having second thoughts about the upgrade, perhaps this review can help you make the final decision.
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