Fujifilm’s Hotly Anticipated X-H2 Camera, What to Expect

Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras are widely considered to be masterpieces of design and functionality in today’s market, so when an upcoming new release is hinted at, it creates buzz.

This is definitely the case with the new Fujifilm X-H2 40MP APS-C model that the brand has admitted to having under development. What makes the speculation particularly strong at this time is the imminent Fujifilm X-Summit that’s happening on September 8^th, in which Fujifilm will finally reveal all the details.

The rumors about the new 40MP camera first kicked into gear this year when the iconic brand launched its Fujifilm X-H2S camera model at the X-Summit in May. The X-H2S was favorably received by reviewers and professional photographers with some even calling it the best X-Series camera made so far by Fujifilm.

Given this appreciation, the anticipation around a more robust sister camera with a 40MP sensor instead of the 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor on the X-H2S is hardly a surprise. Now that an official reveal date is just around the corner, we’ll soon know exactly what to expect.

Fujifilm has been very quiet about details around the X-H2, but there are a few fairly decent speculative guesses that we can make, based on what seems logical and on what the Fuji rumor mill has already supplied.

For starters, the 40-megapixel sensor is definitely not a rumor. This massive new resolution for a camera with an APS-C sensor has been confirmed by Fujifilm itself and surpasses the 32.5MP sensor sizes of newer Canon EOS 90D, M6 II and R7 cameras by a wide margin.

The outsized sensor alone obviously means exceptional image resolution and might also deliver a superior level of light sensitivity. One key question however is whether it will negatively impact the camera’s speed as a result.

Part of the rumor around the X-H2 even suggests that Fujifilm will stuff a high-resolution pixel shift mode into the upcoming camera for the first time ever on an X-mount model. If it does do this, then we might be able to expect a merged shot resolution output of a whopping 160MP.

In case you don’t know what pixel shift mode does, a camera with the technology takes a rapid sequence of multiple shots in which the sensor shifts by a pixel for each. The sequence is then merged into a larger “super-resolution” image with finer detail and color reproduction.

This would definitely be cool in the X-H2.

The confirmed sensor size of the X-H2 means that the camera probably won’t offer the same 14+ stops of dynamic range for video that the X-H2S delivers, but it will be close enough to be great at a rumored 13 stops. As for 8K video at 30fps, it’s possible. Given the camera’s exceptionally high-resolution sensor, it’s definitely capable, even though anything above 30fps doesn’t seem likely.

Moving back to light sensitivity, there’s the ISO on the new camera. Fujifilm’s models are known for their excellent low light capabilities and the X-H2 will no doubt do so too. With 40MP, it might not quite match the abilities of some rival models, but you can expect strong low-light capture even at high ISO levels. With that said, the only thing Fujifilm has confirmed is a base ISO of 125.

You can probably expect the upcoming camera to physically look much like the existing X-H2S does. This is a good thing too since the ergonomics and functional design of the already-released model are solid all-around. The X-H2S comes with a wonderfully large grip, an easy-to-watch status panel along its top plate, and though fairly bulky for a mirrorless camera, it doesn’t take body size to absurd levels.

Whatever the formal unveiling reveals, we’ll know in just a few days and report immediately.

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