31.05.2022

X-H2S: "X-H2S Meets FPV Drone" by Double Vision

As young, ambitious and eager creatives, somewhere along the line there’s always an underlying need to continuously one-up our own creative output. In the wake of excitement and fulfillment after each project passes, our desire to go bigger and do more continues to go on. Following this same pattern of expansion, we find ourselves applying these urges towards uncharted grounds or new subjects. It’s the ultimate way to put our acquired skills and knowledge to the test – to keep our creativity alive. For us to move forward like this, naturally, there are major variables that exist and need to be properly addressed. One of those variables is the seemingly never ending gear. Whether you’re a filmmaker, photographer or perhaps both, there will always be a project where all you can possibly carry is just one compact system that covers it all. Our time spent working with Fujifilm’s X-H2s couldn’t have been more relevant. On top of this, the two projects we produced for its release were actually our first time ever working with Fujifilm’s X series. A totally unbiased approach towards the X-H2s and its performance.

X-H2S & XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR

Fujifilm’s X-H2s truly is a beast of a hybrid system that holds an incredibly competitive stance with its features. Our initial interests leaned more towards the video features, specifically all the internal capabilities such as internal ProRes codes, 4K 10bit 4:2:2 up to 120fps (with no cropping) and video resolution up to 6K 30fps. The internal ProRes codecs are a massive feature. Being able to record ProRes without an external monitor makes this camera that much more versatile on its own. More importantly it makes editing an absolute breeze when post-production is on a tight leash. Our post-production projects had no trouble at all dealing with the ProRes codecs – An amazing feature to have when wanting to cut down on editing time.

X-H2S & XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

Our first project with the X-H2s and photographer Craig Turner-Bullock and Aspiring Avalanche Rescue dogs was an outstanding show of how the camera worked at speed. If there’s one thing we couldn’t put anymore emphasis on, it would be that shooting that project was the absolute definition of run and gun. With an entire list of scenes to cover and the weather totally pinning us against the clock, we had absolutely zero time to be fumbling over gear and missing shots. We had one option, and that was to just shoot as fast as we possibly could. Believe it or not, for what was probably the most pressured shoot we’ve ever had, we couldn’t have been more stoked with how our footage from the X-H2s turned out. The speed at which we were able to operate this camera was outstanding.

The ultimate underlying experience that we believe should be expected from a hybrid camera system like the X-H2s, is the confidence and trust that the camera you’re working with will be able to perform against almost anything you set it up against. Going into our second project with downhill mountain bike racer Reece Potter, we set out to test exactly that –

Three days of consistent carnage, shooting sunrise to sunset. Our goal was to move through a variety of locations seeing if the camera would keep with us and our subject. Having never shot a mountain bike film before, let alone putting the camera on a FPV drone, we thought this would be the perfect way to test how well this camera operates.

X-H2S & XF10-24mmF4 R OIS

To us personally, the greatest experience we had working with the XH2-S was implementing the camera into our FPV drone production. We honestly couldn’t believe how well it performed in the air mounted onto such an aggressive aircraft. The sensor was solid. Even in the early stages of tuning our drone, the X-H2s sensor had no vibrations or jello. Best of all, pairing the X-H2s with the Fuji 10-24mm makes for an amazing wide angle, lightweight setup for FPV drone production. An absolute dream for FPV pilots in video production and something we honestly did not expect from the camera whatsoever.

X-H2S & XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR

All round, there is one way you can tell you’ve got a great camera in your hands, and that’s by the amount of fun you have using it. Shooting Reece with the X-H2s was a real blast. The absolute last thing you need while shooting is not enjoying your time because the equipment at hand is a burden. If you’re working with fast paced subjects or environments, you need a great amount of trust that your gear will be the last thing to stress the experience. Fujifilm’s X-H2s was everything we expected from a hybrid system. The fact that both subjects, mountain biking and alpine search & rescue dogs, were a first for us, proved the versatility and strength of Fujifilm’s X-H2s. We’re looking forward to seeing how Fujifilm moves forward with this new release and can’t wait to see how it impacts the hybrid camera market.

BTS footage