Focus Check podcast ep72: What are your ULTIMATE mirrorless camera features? - WATCH or LISTEN now!
Focus Check podcast ep72:The ULTIMATE mirrorless camera?
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It’s time to look at all the candidates of our camera of the year 2022 in a Gear Guide, and of course the winner – the FUJIFILM X-H2.
2022 is slowly coming to an end; a year in which manufacturers tried hard to recover from the implications of the pandemic, just to deal with setbacks: the shortage of components, skyrocketing freight transportation fees, and growing inflation rates. Top that with the ongoing and tough competition, and there you have it – a challenging year that is ending with hope the next one will be better (isn’t that always the case… :).
Filmmaking equipment continues to be relatively affordable and the quality these mirrorless cameras produce does not cease to amaze us. There is one clear direction the camera industry took this year: including ProRes, a high-quality recording codec for internal camera recording. While Nikon, Panasonic, and FUJIFILM are already doing so, Sony and Canon offer their own flavor of quality internal recording codecs.
These Japanese camera manufacturers all brought innovations to the market, which are great to use, but none of them came up with a real ground-breaking, must-have feature, that would have made users jump sides (of course, I am generalizing here).
If you ask us, there is still much room to improve and come up with new things in this field, and we hope to see such innovative features being explored during this upcoming year.
And this brings us to the FUJIFILM X-H2, our camera of the year 2022!
With up to 8K ProRes HQ internal recording and a 40.2MP sensor, this camera is aimed to satisfy the needs of serious content creators. This camera is extremely flexible when it comes to recording formats and resolutions, promising to assist you when negotiating with clients about their final output needs. When it comes to value for money, it is one of the best out there.
So to summarize: This FUJIFILM X-H2 has become an all-rounder for us at CineD. It’s like having a “Swiss Army Knife” at our disposal. Yes, there is much room for functionality improvements via firmware updates, but all in all, FUJIFILM have now positioned themselves at the frontline when it comes to making tools for filmmakers and the X-H2 in particular, deserves high praise, and our award.
Well done, FUJIFILM and congratulations!
You can read our dedicated article about the Cameras of the Year 2022 HERE.
The X-H2 is the best camera for video FUJIFILM has ever made! We're sure it will also cater well to those who need to produce video next to photo content as the 40.2MP sensor is sufficient for such a “dual…
The X-H2 is the best camera for video FUJIFILM has ever made! We're sure it will also cater well to those who need to produce video next to photo content as the 40.2MP sensor is sufficient for such a “dual task”. With so many resolution options (Full HD – 8K), next to a robust internal recording 4:2:2 10- bit codec (ProRes), good IBIS, and good autofocus performance, we predict that this camera will be a hit, especially considering its attractive price ($1999). Add good audio and lowlight capabilities and there you have it – a very versatile working tool! So the bottom line is, after filming with both, the X-H2S and X-H2, the latter is our preferred option. Not because we don’t appreciate Open Gate, High Frame-Rate recording, or fast sensor capability, but we can simply live with those shortcomings and in exchange earn greater recording flexibility and good IBIS performance.
We really like what Panasonic did with the LUMIX GH6. One noticeable improvement is the overall color “pipeline”. If in the past I highlighted the fact that images are hard to grade (too reddish) and “too smooth” (Extensive noise reduction), now…
We really like what Panasonic did with the LUMIX GH6. One noticeable improvement is the overall color “pipeline”. If in the past I highlighted the fact that images are hard to grade (too reddish) and “too smooth” (Extensive noise reduction), now it is a think of the past. So all in all, it is a great overall performer.
We think it is worth mentioning, that the Sony Cinema Line, especially when it comes to the “lower end” cameras like the FX3 and FX30 is a BRILLIANT marketing move. Not only that, but it helps professionals working with Sony…
We think it is worth mentioning, that the Sony Cinema Line, especially when it comes to the “lower end” cameras like the FX3 and FX30 is a BRILLIANT marketing move.
Not only that, but it helps professionals working with Sony cameras to use their mirrorless as B/C cameras, and also, give those who want to move away from mirrorless equipment the alternative to use more dedicated filming tools.
The FUJIFILM X-H2S is a great versatile performer. Can it get even better by having a future firmware update? Undoubtedly! Is the upgrade from X-T4 necessary? It really depends on your production needs. No filming device is perfect and the…
The FUJIFILM X-H2S is a great versatile performer. Can it get even better by having a future firmware update? Undoubtedly!
Is the upgrade from X-T4 necessary? It really depends on your production needs.
No filming device is perfect and the same goes for the X-H2S but we're truly impressed with how seriously FUJIFILM took the filmmaking aspect of this camera. It is certainly a tool that can serve well in a variety of situations for a very long time. The picture quality is very robust, and the rolling shutter is well controlled.
There is no single “deal-breaker” feature in this camera, although internal ProRes recording is very appealing. All in all, we really enjoyed working with the X-H2S. It is a very compact device and as such, it was enjoyable using it.
Leaving specs aside, the Canon colors and overall esthetics are simply gorgeous. Canon is proving again that the image coming out from a “low specs” camera (when compared to its own high-end mirrorless cameras and others from different manufacturers, too)…
Leaving specs aside, the Canon colors and overall esthetics are simply gorgeous. Canon is proving again that the image coming out from a “low specs” camera (when compared to its own high-end mirrorless cameras and others from different manufacturers, too) can still look excellent!
Top this with a really good internal audio recording quality and the possibility to connect an external XLR device and here you have a good camera for journalists and pro content creators. By the way, there is an “Auto All” video function in this camera for photographers, who are not familiar with the ins and outs of taking videos.
So here you have it, the new Canon backbone camera. The one that should serve as a “good enough” for anything, be it taking photos or videos. We’ll let others come up with their photo verdict, but as far as taking videos is concerned, Canon did a good job of balancing between functionality and ease of use.
The Canon EOS R5 C is a very versatile filming tool being limited by the absence of IBIS. As many have wondered, all what Canon had to do was leave the same IBIS system found in the original EOS R5…
The Canon EOS R5 C is a very versatile filming tool being limited by the absence of IBIS.
As many have wondered, all what Canon had to do was leave the same IBIS system found in the original EOS R5 and let users decide if to enable it or not. We love Canon’s picture quality and what this camera offers, we just hope that Canon will consider adding additional functions for the benefit of users for even greater flexibility.
This camera was CineD's Mirrorless Camera of the Year 2021 and has since be improved with firmware updates to include Internal N-RAW and ProRes RAW recording. The Nikon Z 9 is a very capable filming tool, one that will be remembered…
This camera was CineD's Mirrorless Camera of the Year 2021 and has since be improved with firmware updates to include Internal N-RAW and ProRes RAW recording.
The Nikon Z 9 is a very capable filming tool, one that will be remembered for being the first to include internal ProRes recording in a mirrorless camera. Indeed it is not for everyone, as its size might be an obstacle for some, but let’s hope that the technology found in this powerful filming tool can be scaled down in size to something more compact.