By Yadira B. Arnold 
Four years after the release of the X-H1, Fujifilm has finally unveiled not one, but two models. One of them is the highest resolution APS-C camera to date, the 40 megapixel X-H2. The other is what we are looking at today, the high-speed x-H2S designed for Sports, wildlife striking, etc.
The biggest feature of the X-H2S is a new 26.2 megapixel backlit stacked sensor. Its high speed allows continuous striking at up to 40 frames per second, faster autofocus and a reduced rolling shutter. It also promises improved image quality and has in-body stabilization, a high-resolution viewfinder, two card slots and much more.
However, these improvements and features do not come inexpensive. At 2,500, the X-H2S is now one of the most expensive APS-C cameras on the market, with the same price as comparable full-frame models such as the Canon EOS R6 and the Sony A7 IV.
The X-H2S is not your typical Fujifilm camera. At 660 grams, it is bigger and heavier than the X-T4, although it is a little lighter than the X-H1. It also has a much larger grip that gives a feeling of stability, ideal if you set large objectives for sports or wildlife striking.
As mentioned earlier, the layout is more similar to competing mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony than to other Fuji models. Instead of dials that display shutter speed, exposure compensation and ISO, like the X-T4, it has traditional front and rear dials. The only one at the top is a mode selector, and on the back you have a Joystick and a D-pad control. It has no less than 12 catch’s, most of which can be reprogrammed for different functions. Like the X-H1, it has a top LCD screen that displays the main parameters.
Because it was designed for sports and wildlife strikes, where the parameters have to be changed on the fly while keeping an eye on the subject, the layout makes sense. However, I know that many Fujifilm Fans prefer traditional dials-although you can at least see the settings on the upper LCD screen when striking from the hip. The only control I didn’t care about was the record catch, because it’s tiny and awkwardly positioned. The X-H2S uses the same logical menu system as the X-T4, which makes the settings relatively easy to find.
Fujifilm X-H2S Review
The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is also good for action photographers, which offers continuous striking without obscuration and a higher resolution (5.76 thousand points) than the Sony A7 IV or the Canon EOS R6 (3.68 thousand points each). It also has a fully articulated high-resolution touch screen that allows you to control the focus, the quick menu and other functions.
For I/O, you get a powered high-speed USB-C port, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for camera commands or transmissions. Unfortunately, Fujifilm’s Camera application is relatively primitive for live striking or importing images (the low Play Store Rating of 1.7 is an indication) because it does not display elements such as exposure and audio levels for video or does not allow continuous striking.
Video users benefit from both microphone and headphone jacks, as well as a nice full-size HDMI jack for external recorders. To manage the additional speed and video capabilities, it has two card slots, both UHS – II and high-speed CFexpress. And finally, the battery (the same type as the X-T4, but upgraded) allows up to 720 recordings on a single power and well over two hours of 4K 30P video recording.
Performance
With a continuous striking speed of up to 40 fps at full resolution, the X-H2S is faster than any other APS-C camera, but there are a few caveats. It will only reach these maximum speeds in sharing, rather than the focus priority mode (which means that it will take the photo even if it is not sharp). This means that many of your photos are blurry, so this is not a realistic mode for action striking. However, when I go down to 30 fps, I get a lot more strikes in focus and the success rate was almost perfect at 20 fps
When striking with the mechanical shutter, I saw burst speeds of 15 fps, very respectable and a correspondence with the Canon EOS R7. In addition, the mechanical shutter is very quiet (and sounds soft), especially compared to the rickety shutter of the EOS R7. In this mode, or the silent mode at 20 fps, I was able to capture more than 300 photos at once on a fast cfexpress card-more than 10 Seconds of recording. This is exactly what is needed for sports-centric cameras like the Canon EOS R3.
The X-H2S is Fujifilm’s first camera with bird and animal tracking and can also track cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes and trains. For a first iteration, it worked pretty well, although it would lose tracking depending on the striking angle and other factors.
However, the face and eye tracking is the best I’ve seen on a Fujifilm camera. It follows smoothly and tenaciously, giving you more photos to the point. He also did a good job of focusing on a subject’s eye rather than their eyelashes or nose. Overall, the autofocus of the X-H2S is much improved compared to what it was before, but it is not quite up to the standards of Sony and Canon.
However, he smacks all his rivals when it comes to striking discreetly. The fast speed of the stacked sensor means that it has a minimal roller shutter in silent mode, so you can safely use it for photos of birds, wild animals, sports and other fast-moving subjects.
With a 26.2 megapixel sensor similar to the X-T4 (with Stacked Technology added), the X-H2S is one of the best APS-C cameras for color reproduction. Everything seems natural, whether you are photographing landscapes, animals or people. Jpegs look great directly from the camera, with a slightly superior balance in the middle noise and sharpness than before thanks to optimized color science.