Fujifilm launches X-H2 flagship camera with XF 56mm and GF 20-35mm lenses

After the recently introduced fast X-H2s, the Fuji X-H2 now follows as a high-resolution flagship model of the X series, whose APS-C cameras combine the highest image quality and compact design.

Fuji X-H2

Fujifilm X-H2

Like its sister model, the X-H2S, the Fuji X-H2 represents the latest camera technology. It is powerful and is designed in every respect to meet even the highest professional demands. While the X-H2S is characterized above all by its high speed, which is reflected in the lightning-fast data processing and the precise AF tracking of moving objects, the advantages of the X-H2 lie in its high sensor resolution and outstanding detail reproduction.

The heart of the Fuji X-H2 is the new 40.2-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, which is optimally matched to the fast X-Processor 5. The camera offers the highest resolution of the X Series to date, both for photos and videos. It is the world’s first APS-C camera that can record 8K/30p Apple ProRes quality videos directly to the memory card.

The Fuji X-H2 offers many advanced features, such as ISO 125 as the lowest standard sensitivity, a maximum shutter speed of 1/180,000 sec with an electronic shutter, and the “Pixel Shift Multi-Shot” function. It also has numerous functions and interfaces that make professional-quality photography easier than ever.

These include the subject recognition autofocus based on deep learning technology, which identifies and tracks different subjects (e.g. animals or vehicles), and the integrated five-axis image stabilizer, which provides a shutter speed advantage of up to seven f-stops (EV). There is also an electronic viewfinder with 5.76 million pixels, 0.8x magnification, and a memory card slot for CFexpress Type B cards.

Fuji X-H2

The 40.2 megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor with rear exposure has an improved image processing algorithm that enables a very high resolution without annoying image noise and thus overall outstanding image quality.

An evolved pixel structure results in a greater amount of light on the sensor, so ISO 125 is now available as a standard sensitivity and no longer needs to be selected via the expanded ISO range. The new sensor can also be controlled with extreme precision, which allows ultra-short exposure times. The fastest shutter speed of the electronic shutter has been increased by 2.5 EV steps from 1/32,000 seconds to 1/180,000 seconds.

The new sensor opens up new creative possibilities, especially when shooting in bright surroundings. With this, you can now achieve the attractive bokeh effect with an open aperture even on sunny summer days or on the ski slopes, and freeze fast movements with ultra-fast shutter speeds in maximum sharpness.

With the “Pixel Shift Multi-Shot” function, the camera takes 20 high-resolution RGB images in raw data format one after the other, with the image sensor being slightly shifted after each exposure. The resulting individual photos can be combined into a single image file with a resolution of 160 megapixels using the free “Pixel Shift Combiner” software. The function is particularly interesting for photographic documentation and digitization in the fields of art and culture as well as for high-quality still life and product shots.

The Fuji X-H2 supports the HEIF image format, which delivers 10-bit image files that are up to 30 percent smaller than standard JPEG files. With the integration of these two functions, Fujifilm underscores its reputation for delivering the highest quality images straight from the camera.

With the X-H2, ultra-high-resolution moving image recordings become the professional standard: The new sensor allows videos to be recorded in the future-oriented 8K/30p 4:2:2 10-bit format. The X-H2’s camera body is designed to quickly dissipate the heat generated by the sensor and processor. It allows up to 160 minutes*6 to be recorded in 8K quality without interruption.

The 8K sensor also offers many advantages in 4K workflows. The camera uses the depth of detail of the 8K data for internal oversampling to generate a 4K image of outstanding quality.

Fuji X-H2

The digital zoom function of the X-H2 also takes advantage of the high resolution of the 40.2-megapixel sensor. In 4K recordings, for example, you can zoom into the image with up to 2x magnification. When paired with the XF18-120mmF4 LM PZ WR, once the camera has reached its maximum optical focal length, it seamlessly switches to digital zoom to effectively double the focal length.

Fuji X-H2 price and release date

The Fujifilm X-H2 is already up for pre-order on Bhphotovideo.com and Amazon.com and should be available from the end of September 2022. The price for the camera body is $1,999.95, although the camera is also available in a kit with the standard XF 16-80mm zoom for $2.499.

Along with the X-H2 mirrorless camera, Fujifilm also introduced two new lenses: Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f4 R WR and Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR.

Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f4 R WR

Starting with the GF 20-35mm f4 R WR, it is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that expands the possible uses of the “Fujifilm GFX” series mirrorless camera system.

Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f4 R WR

The lens offers a zoom range of 20-35mm (equivalent to 16-28mm KB). Therefore, the lens is the ideal choice for demanding landscape and architectural photography to capture as much detail as possible.

The optical structure consists of 14 elements in ten groups. Three aspheric, one aspheric ED, and three ED lenses minimize distortion and color errors (chromatic aberrations). The high-quality Nano GI coating ensures brilliant detail and color reproduction at every focal length setting. Despite the high imaging performance and the constant aperture of F4, the Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f4 R WR is surprisingly light at only 725 grams for a medium-format ultra-wide-angle zoom lens.

The lens covers the focal length range from 20mm ultra wide angle to 35mm wide angle and corresponds to a focal length of 16-28mm converted to 35mm format. It thus offers the widest angle of view of all GF lenses and enables detailed shots of expansive landscapes and architecture. (So ​​far, the GF 23mm, introduced in 2017, was the strongest wide-angle.)

Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f4 R WR price and release date

The GF 20-35mm f4 R WR lens can be pre-ordered through Bhphotovideo.com and will be available from the end of September 2022. Its price is $2,499.

Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR

Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR, on the other hand, is a compact and fast portrait and reportage lens for the Fujifilm X series mirrorless cameras. It is a lightweight telephoto lens with a focal length of 56mm (equivalent to 85mm).

Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR

It is a fast telephoto lens with impressive bokeh, better close-up range, and higher resolution. While the previous model was primarily suitable for ambitious portrait photography, the new XF 56mm f1.2 R WR can also be used for other shooting situations, such as reportage, street, travel, landscape, or product photography.

The optical construction of the lens consists of 13 elements in 8 groups. Two aspherical lenses and an ED element minimize optical imaging errors such as chromatic and spherical aberrations (color and sharpness errors) and ensure high resolution right into the corners of the image. The aspherical elements are manufactured using metal molds in a high-precision process with a manufacturing tolerance of just 1/100,000 mm.

The new XF 56mm is the first Fujifilm lens to use eleven aperture blades to achieve an almost perfectly circular aperture. (as of September 8th, 2022). The new lens thus delivers particularly attractive bokeh circles not only when the aperture is open, but also when stopping down.

The new lens offers significantly improved resolution at close range, which enables the shortest focus distance of just 50 cm from the sensor surface (the minimum distance from the front lens of the lens to the object is approx. 41 cm). That expands creative uses beyond portrait photography. Still, life and product shots with a large reproduction scale are also possible. With the previous model, the close-up distance was still 70 cm.

The focus group and aperture unit are driven by a high-speed DC motor, which ensures high-precision automatic focusing at close and long ranges. Even with the widest possible aperture and the associated shallow depth of field, focusing is carried out precisely on the desired image area.

An advanced bearing mechanism ensures virtually frictionless movement of the focus group. The operating noise of the engine is reduced to a minimum. Despite being a high-quality prime lens with a very high aperture of F1.2, the XF 56mm f1.2 R WR weighs just 445 grams and is 76mm long.

The weatherproof lens barrel is sealed at nine points to prevent the ingress of moisture and dust and to ensure full operational readiness even in cold temperatures down to minus 10 degrees. The front lens element has a water-repellent and easy-to-clean fluorine coating.

Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR price and release date

The Fuji XF 56mm f1.2 R WR lens can be pre-ordered through Bhphotovideo.com and will be available from the end of September 2022. Its price is $999.

About Ankeet Solanki

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