Dec 8, 2022
Here at Soundstripe, we love filmmaking. We love high end video producers, run-and-gun lifestyle vloggers, and everything in between. And as such, it really doesn’t matter to us what camera you use for your commercial shoot or your YouTube channel. We love cameras of all shapes and sizes — and certainly those from different brands.
And trust us, there are a lot of different camera brands and options out there right now doing great things to help creators of any skillset make great, and cinematic, videos. And while we’ve featured some of our favorite cameras from legacy brands like Canon and Sony recently, we haven’t been giving enough love to other amazing manufacturers like Fujifilm.
Well, that ends now as we want to spend an entire blog article (and entire YouTube video) talking about the new Fujifilm X-H2S. Here’s everything you need to know about this exciting new camera and insights into how its changing the game with its open gate recording.
Meet the incredible new Fujifilm X-H2S
As our host Dave Maze outlines in the video above, the Fujifilm X-H2S is indeed quite incredible and definitely one of the best hybrid film cameras for filmmakers currently on the market today. Now, there’s a lot to unpack in that bold claim, but if you look at the camera both from a specs perspective as well as real-world usability view, the argument holds up quite well.
The crux of Dave’s discussion really comes down to the open gate recording capability of the camera (more on that below) and its across-the-board functionality with different aspect ratio options, diverse mounting support, and an ever-improving built-in IBIS.
It’s also worth mentioning here at the top how well-designed and useful the Fuji X-H2S truly is, with an always popular 3” flippable vari-angle LCD touchscreen which doesn’t block any ports or cords, the X-H2S was crafted for a wide array of hybrid film and video needs — and not just a smattering of random features and specs.
The future of open gate recording
Now let’s talk a bit about the open gate recording capabilities of the Fujifilm X-H2S and what it means for the future of digital filmmaking and video production. With its 26.1MP APS-C sensor capable of 4K video at up to 120p (and a quite impressive 6.2K at 30p and FHD 240p 10-bit video), the X-H2S packs quite a punch off the shelf.
However, as Dave points out, Fuji has gone a step further and has basically unlocked the full potential of this sensor by giving users the entire 3:2 aspect ratio to record ProRes video. This means that you can choose to work with a “vibey” square shot, or — more importantly — you can use the X-H2S to really focus in on shooting vertical or horizontal video which makes the most out of the expanded coverage.
In the video above, you can see this in full effect as Dave and the rest of the Soundstripe YouTube team choose to make the most out of the this open gate approach by utilizing a speed booster to effectively turn this APS-C camera into a full frame camera capable of mounting higher-end lenses — basically turning this hybrid X-H2S camera into a full-blown cinema camera.
Specs and Features
There’s of course a lot of other great tools and features which come with the Fujifilm X-H2S which Dave goes over in the video above. And if you haven’t watched the video all the way through, we highly encourage you to check it out (and maybe give our channel a follow, of course).
However, if you are looking into doing your own research, we do need to highlight some of the key specs and features housed in this exciting new Fuji camera. From its newly developed X-Trans stacked sensor, its highly refined AF and subject detection, and its impressive 6.2K video recording, the Fuji X-H2S is truly an incredible option worth considering.
Here’s a full list of key specs and pricing:
- 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans Stacked BSI Sensor
- 4K 120p, 6.2K 30p, FHD 240p 10-Bit Video
- Internal ProRes 422 HQ and F-Log 2
- 7-Stop In-Body Image Stabilization
- 5.76m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
- 3" 1.62m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- 40 fps E. Shutter, 15 fps Mech. Shutter
- 425-Pt. Hybrid AF, AI Subject Detection
- ProRes & Blackmagic RAW via HDMI
- CFexpress Type B & SD UHS-II Card Slots
Price: $2,499.00
Wrapping up our Fujifilm X-H2S review
With a solid camera body, great electronic shutter, long battery life, and an admirable amount of dynamic range, and pristine image quality, this Fujifilm X-H2S hybrid camera is about as good of a video camera as we've seen a Fujifilm camera designed. Throw in some fun video modes and film simulation modes and different shutter speed options which previous Fujifilm cameras lacked and we might have a new flagship camera for this iconic brand.
But what do you think? Feel free to drop a comment on our YouTube community page — and be sure to give our channel a follow!