The Wonderful Fujifilm XH2s Is Even Better!

February 17, 2023

Everyone on the Phoblographer staff looks forward to photographing with Fujifilm cameras. The Fujifilm XH2s quickly became a favorite of our Reviews Editor, Hillary. She gave it our Editor’s Choice Award.

Below is an excerpt from her review:

While the XH2 is Fujifilm’s high-resolution flagship, the XH2s has the better autofocus system with the lower pixel count that typically appeals to low light photographers. Besides reviving a flagship, the X-H2s brings a number of much-needed features to Fujifilm’s lineup. The camera is Fujifilm’s first to offer intelligent object recognition for birds as well as a number of different vehicles. That’s paired with an impressive 40 fps electronic shutter burst or a 15 fps mechanical burst, both with autofocus. What’s more, the viewfinder stays active the whole burst, without blackouts.

-Reviews Editor Hillary

As capable as this camera is, Fujifilm thought it could be even better and issued firmware update 3.00. Subject detection has been improved upon with AI enhancement. Dynamic tracking performance has a revamped algorithm, and new autofocus subject categories have been added. It’s now possible to track insects and drones.

Additional Updates Include:

  • Tripod grip, “TG-BT1” has been available
  • File Transmitter (FT-XH) performance enhancement
  • Menu Title Change
  • “Bluetooth DEVICE LIST” addition
  • Bug fixes

I wasn’t able to test the TG-BT1 tripod grip as it wasn’t available for testing.

Fujifilm XH2s Review Update

I added the following to our Fujifilm XH2s Review:

Fujifilm continues to improve upon its autofocus and tracking capabilities. The newest firmware update has better subject detection thanks to AI enhancement. It now produces better results when your subject is backlit, looking sideways, or is incredibly small. 

New autofocus subjects have been added, making it possible to track insects and drones. Select the Airplane setting to track drones and the Bird setting to detect insects. Dynamic tracking is better with the revamped autofocus algorithm. The autofocus now begins to focus quicker and achieves focus faster in continuous mode. 

Image Transfer Order has been replaced with Communication Status. Additional improvements include TG-BT1 Tripod grip support and enhanced file transmitter performance. Issues with freezing and other minor bugs have also been addressed.  

Better Subject Detection

Fujifilm states they have improved detection when the subject is quaint in stature, backlit, or turned to the side. I tested this feature with the Fujifilm XF 18-120mm f4 lens from Lensrentals

I put it to the test with my friends Karissa and Gisela as well as my two cats. The lens had difficulty achieving initial focus when Karissa was heavily backlit. Once autofocus had been achieved, it tracked her relatively well, only missing a few frames. The camera did an excellent job when she turned to the side. I missed focus on a profile portrait and the eyelashes were still pretty sharp.

The Fujifilm XH2s also did an excellent job detecting small subjects like my perfume bottle, ornaments, and other trinkets.

New Autofocus Subjects

I had a lot of fun testing out the autofocus subjects. Sadly, there aren’t a lot of insects in the dead of winter. I did enjoy pointing the camera to the sky and watching it keep up with departing airplanes. It tracked my dad’s drone swiftly and could keep up when it moved slowly. I enjoyed testing the capabilities at a local park packed with ducks. It also did a great job identifying pigeons and keeping up with them as they flew by and settled on a nearby rooftop.

Minor Bug Fixes

I took the Fujifilm XH2s out in frigid -20 degree weather and blowing snow. It performed flawlessly and never froze with continuous mode or longer shutter speeds.




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