A controversial matter that usually comes up with regard to deciding on the fitting digicam in your manufacturing is, “Why will we nonetheless shoot on greater cameras when the iPhone footage appears to be like so, so good now?”
For one factor, greater cinematic cameras combine into our total manufacturing system significantly better. Comparable to timecode and audio alerts to make synching simpler, or having exterior monitor help for consumer evaluate, for instance. They’re usually constructed higher for strong group manufacturing.
Fujifilm is cracking the walled backyard with the X-H2S platform. It is a digicam at a shopper value level that feels totally at dwelling in professionally built-in productions.
First Issues First
Why precisely is Fujifilm related once they don’t have a full-frame digicam?
Effectively, it’s as a result of the X-H2S is simply that good. It capabilities nice and not using a full-frame sensor.
The colour copy is astoundingly pleasing, correct however flattering, with none notoriously “difficult colours” that some rivals could endure from. To make it even higher, it has built-in inner movie simulation modes which are fairly darn good. You do not use them a lot, however they’re helpful each infrequently on a decent turnaround challenge.
Fujifilm X-H2s
Fujifilm
To proceed, the X-H2S has autofocus to compete with just about everyone else. It is even adequate to make Fujifilm’s “video-focused” lenses really feel virtually parfocal once you zoom.
For those who’re taking pictures a doc challenge, or actually something the place you might be transferring quick, the additional depth of area you get out of the smaller sensor will repay in spades. And, frankly, the low mild and advantageous element arise nicely versus its full body competitors. Watching the little eye tracker pop up and preserve your topics sharp as they bounce round feels “magical” (to borrow a advertising blurb from Apple).
Fujifilm makes a transparent dedication to this sensor measurement, in addition to medium format with the GFX line, and it really works.
As well as, the physique and lenses are a bit of smaller than most different cameras that may make pictures this good, which is nice for solo shooters and run-and-gun tasks.
Exterior RAW
Exterior RAW was a boon for smaller cameras over the previous few years, and the Fujifilm X-H2S actually shines with this mixture.
The primary exterior RAW recorder to deal with is the Blackmagic Video Assists. The Video Help 12G HDR enables you to get 6.2k uncooked from the digicam through HDMI. You simply set it up in-camera, push it out to the Video Help, and hit document.
The advantages of this have been superb. First off, it dramatically will increase the pliability you’ve gotten in publish. The X-H2S can shoot straight to ProRes, which is all you want in case your white steadiness and ISO are good in-camera.
However when your white steadiness, ISO, or tint is off barely (which just about by no means occurs however typically does), the pliability of RAW is a major perk. The additional push and pull you get when coloration grading can be a boon.
The X-H2s used with an exterior RAW recorder/monitor
Fujifilm
However it’s greater than that. Blackmagic RAW information are a great bit smaller than ProRes information. Over 5 days of taking pictures, we shot greater than 30 separate multi-camera interviews, taking pictures hours and hours of footage. This all match inside a single 4TB Samsung T7 drive that we plugged straight into the Blackmagic Video Help.
We use Blackmagic RAW as a result of it is suitable regardless of the place we edit (Premiere, FCPX, or Avid). However in the long run, we’re nonetheless going to paint in Resolve. Additional nonetheless, Blackmagic RAW and DaVinci Resolve are built-in so tightly collectively that, for now, it makes essentially the most sense to make use of Resolve in your complete pipeline. The variable compression choices alone make it a beautiful RAW competitor.
If Blackmagic RAW is not part of your workflow, you would all the time go for an Atomos recorder and get ProRes RAW as a substitute.
Media is reasonably priced (the costs on T7 drives are ridiculous lately), the information are small, and but we acquired the advantages of publish flexibility, superb coloration science, and very good autofocus.
RAW footage is only a entire totally different beast in publish.
Bitrate and Timecode
One of many nicest options of Blackmagic RAW is that you would be able to select fixed bitrate or fixed high quality. We caught with fixed bitrate since we had the exhausting drive house, however we did some testing in interview setups of fixed high quality, and also you get astounding pictures with smaller file sizes there.
If you end up working low on disk house or attempting to maintain prices down, it’s a usable possibility for static digicam interviews, the place a lot of the shot (besides a head or mouth) stays the identical body to border. In fact, in case you are transferring the digicam in any respect, you need to follow fixed bitrate. Even at a comparatively excessive bit charge, the information had been an inexpensive measurement in comparison with taking pictures ProRes.
Video Help 7″ and 5″
Blackmagic Design
The opposite large perk with the Video Help is Timecode enter. One main frustration with the X-H2S is that you simply don’t get actual Timecode enter. Fujifilm is conscious people actually need this, and whereas we don’t know if we’ll get it in an replace, this can be a workable resolution in the event you’re taking pictures to a Video Help. Blackmagic is sweet with Timecode, and you may enter it over mini-XLR to maintain your multi-camera setups in good sync.
Nonetheless, our testing discovered that the Timecode was three frames out of sync when taking pictures 6.2k RAW to a T7 SSD with Video Help. Your setup may differ, so it is best to check as nicely, both taking pictures a timecode slate or, in need of that, not less than grabbing a shot of the Timecode show on the field. Throughout enhancing, Resolve makes it very simple to shift the Timecode just a few frames to create the proper sync. The necessary factor is that timecode does not drift.
Timecode feeds into that mini XLR at high. It is a barely much less widespread Timecode cable however a really reasonably priced buy.
Blackmagic Design
Community Grip
The network-attached grip on the X-H2S is an exterior battery grip that comes with each an Ethernet port and a WiFi antenna to connect with a community.
A standard false impression is you want this unit for community entry, however you don’t. There is a WiFi antenna within the regular physique. However it’s a lot, significantly better with the exterior grip because it has a extra strong WiFi antenna that gives a extra secure connection. In fact, essentially the most stability comes from the Ethernet connection, however that tethers you to a cable.
Ethernet port on the X-H2s Community Grip
Fujifilm
As of proper now, the digicam solely means that you can log in to a WiFi system that has a single password, and it isn’t arrange for a company login/password state of affairs. This implies you in all probability can’t log in to your lodge’s WiFi by way of the unit.
The workaround for this can be a devoted WiFi router that you would be able to arrange with only a single password. Then, you should use this in occasion areas in bridge mode to share the WiFi from the occasion or conference corridor, utilizing the router to log in. Whether or not you prefer it or not, figuring out some fundamental networking is a part of filmmaking lately.
The Community Grip additionally consists of further batteries.
Fujifilm
Native Digital camera to Cloud (C2C)
One of the best a part of this community system is that with its launch accomplice Body.io, the Fujifilm X-H2S is likely one of the first cameras to get devoted Digital camera to Cloud, or C2C.
Setup may be very simple, and as soon as you might be up and working, it simply works.
The NFS protection of NAB 2023 was recorded with this technique, and after just a few first-day jitters, our group in LA was actively enhancing footage that our digicam operator had simply shot in Las Vegas.
Body.io has a helpful tutorial to stroll you thru it. You pair your digicam with a challenge, and as you shoot, your footage uploads just about.
It is a characteristic the place Fujifilm is clearly forward of the curve in comparison with the competitors. RED can be pushing exhausting on C2C, however RED does not have something practically as reasonably priced because the X-H2s. The imagery coming from Fujifilm is very aggressive at an reasonably priced value level.
To be trustworthy, the most important hurdle proper now’s that manufacturing is not preserving tempo.
During the last two years, I’ve used some type of C2C on numerous jobs, both utilizing exterior items from Teradek and Hollyland. A significant advantage of the Fujifilm X-H2S is that it is constructed in-camera, which you should use it with out the community grip (though it is stronger with the community grip).
Digital camera to Cloud has fully modified our workflow, nevertheless it has but to catch on with smaller price range productions. Body.io
I’ve but to work on a manufacturing that makes use of C2C correctly. The being mentioned, the shift of RAW supply to publish appears imminent and might be large for faster ship and ingest for publish manufacturing.
Conclusion
We had been already followers of the Fujifilm X-H2S, and the persevering with help for exterior workflows strengthens our attachment to this platform. Fujifilm can declare a variety of delight for creating the primary digicam to have C2C totally built-in in a “native” style, and it really works nicely. Getting your manufacturing able to benefit from the advantages is one other matter.
We want you would ship Timecode straight into the physique by way of the microphone port, however the Blackmagic Video Help setup works nicely. Our hope is that we’ll see extra C2C integrations (Blackmagic Cloud?) within the close to time period. However even in need of these options dropping, it is nonetheless essentially the most aggressive digicam in its house proper now, and was a go-to staple for autofocus wants this previous yr. Which, to be trustworthy, it increasingly more usually is.
