What Has The New Fuji XH1 Camera To Offer

The New Fuji XH1 Has To Offer • IBIS • New Shutter Button • Secondary LCD Monitor • Touch Screen • Larger Buttons…

The opportunity came up to test the new Fuji XH1 camera here in South Africa. The new mirrorless camera had quite a few new “add ons” compared to the FujiFilm X-T2. For sure I was curious, I had the FujiFilm X-H1 camera in my hands and tried it a bit, as far I was able to, in a shop environment! I love the new shutter button. Its sensitivity is superb, as well the new exposure compensation button placed right beside the shutter button is welcome, with changing the settings with a wheel. Very similar to my old Canon gear. The new secondary LCD monitor on top of the camera is quite handy, I should not forget the new IBIS – integrated body image stabilization of 5 stops. I was curious to test this new camera.

The question came up, where to go to test the new FujiFilm X-H1 mirrorless camera in the real world as a wildlife photographer. Well, due to some help from a lodge guide I have met at a workshop of mine the search was very short. She mentioned the Zimanga Lodge here in South Africa. I gave them a call, a few emails forward-backward, all was set. The beautiful Zimanga Lodge provided terrific accommodations and guide services during my stay. The guides are outstanding I have to say, not to mention the wildlife and hides you will experience.

What I Like – What I Dislike About The New FujiFilm X-H1 Camera

In this post, I will write what I like, as well as what can be improved and what I dislike. I was able to test the new FujiFilm X-H1 camera with a few Fuji lenses. FujiFilm neither paid me nor gave me a camera to keep as my own. This post is written on my own to clear up many questions I receive about the Fuji XH1 camera. The camera I had to test was a loan from FujiFilm for a few days. The Fuji lenses I used are mine. I did end up purchasing the FujiFilm X-H1 camera for the full market price as everybody else out there! That said… then we start.

FujiFilm X-H1 Camera Top View of full body seen from top. Fuji XH1 dials and display

Fujifilm XH-1 mirrorless camera seen from the top with its new dials, buttons, and display.

Fuji XH1 Key External Features

Body Style and Size

There are many digital cameras for professional photographers on the market. I consider the new Fuji XH1 camera to be a great mirrorless camera! It has a more substantial, tougher body built for durability with magnesium alloy, perfect for sports, wildlife and landscape photographers. The larger body of the FujiFilm X-H1 camera provides better balance when using longer lenses. It’s weather-sealed to protect it from the elements of nature.

Some points I find good/great and some which I miss or dislike on this camera:

  • New Shutter Button – Sensitivity is just superb
  • Secondary LCD Monitor on top of the camera – inbuilt light for at night, helpful here and there
  • Exposure compensation button beside the shutter button, turn the back wheel to change these settings.
  • This EC-button should be a tad larger or a bubble on top to feel it better with your fingers!
  • Most of the button sizes have increased, including the back focus button.
  • Just not all! The buttons on the battery grip are still too small – this is missing! The grip is bigger, why not the buttons as well? I would love to know the reason/s that FujiFilm kept these buttons still the same size as on the X-T2 camera. See the photographs below.
  • Robuster Magnesium Body, better weather sealed. Looking forward to my next rock crabs session at the ocean! Then I will see if it can stand the wave splashes as the X-T2 did.
  • The body of the Fuji XH1 is slightly larger than the X-T2 camera, weight increased slightly, not a big deal actually. That the body is larger is a welcome for many out there I was talking to. For me as well.
  • The Eye Cup is bigger and much better as on the X-T2, I say it is much comfier for your eye, or when you use glasses!
Backside FujiFilm X-H1 camera booster grip or also battery grip showing the small buttons and wheels on the back of the camera

The Battery Grip / Booster Grip of the new Fuji XH1 with the same size of buttons as on the X-T2 below

Backside FujiFilm X-T2 Camera Booster Grip showing the back buttons and wheels of the camera

The Battery Grip / Booster Grip of the FujiFilm X-T2 – small buttons to compare with the Fuji XH1 camera.

Battery and Vision

The battery life of this camera is sufficient. The power booster grip is great for extended battery life as well as an excellent handhold. Just its buttons are still too tiny. The grip is now larger, but the buttons not, compared to the X-T2! I was able to take photos throughout the 3-4 hour excursions at Zimanga. Since I was focusing more on wild animal photos, I’m not sure how well the batteries will perform when I am out in the bush for a full day or taking long exposure landscape photos. I also did not try the video, which also affects battery life quite a lot.

At this point, I am pleased with how long they lasted on this trip! I do know, when out in the bush for a day tour if the battery power goes low, I always can charge them via my USB plugs in my jeep. Just hook up the FujiFilm X-H1 body with a USB cable. It charges the battery in the camera body, but not in the battery grip! Keep that in mind.

Giraffe pictures, displays how two giraffes create a beautiful archway for a zebra foal. (copyright Anette Mossbacher)

African Animal Photography

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Beautiful Baobab tree between waterfalls, fine art landscape photograph. Anette Mossbacher

African Landscape Photos

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Wildlife Photographers

Wildlife photographers will appreciate the low volume of the shutter release, making it less likely that your subject will take off. The shutter button itself is touch-sensitive and placed at the front of the handgrip for easy access. The back focus button has been increased in size and is located in a better position than even the X-T2. For me, this was quite a welcome in handling this camera with the two elephants play fighting in the water.

The bigger viewfinder allows for better clarity when looking through it to your subject, and the photographer can see how the photograph will look. The eyecup is further away from the body of the camera so those nature photographers with glasses will have an easier time using it!

Meanwhile, if you have now a tad more insight into this X-H1 camera, you might like to know more about what this camera features insight. Explore the reasons why I switched from Canon to FujiFilm cameras. This post gives you even more insights about the menu and much more.

African elephant bull. I took this picture by holding the camera as deep as I could, back display flipped out, and using it for composition and touch screen to focus. Works great, not to forget the electronic level!

FujiFilm X-H1 Internal Features

Settings and IBIS

The body of the camera passes the durability, comfort, and rugged tests, but how do the internal features stack up? Overall, they are great! The menu is user-friendly, and most of the settings are easy to access and customize. The touch display takes some getting used to, but the camera does have a handy tilting display for better viewing.

The menu of the X-H1 is more or less the same as in the X-T2. Easy to understand.
The camera boasts a 24.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS III image sensor and 325-point autofocus. It has a new X-Processor Pro image-processing engine, and is mirrorless, of course. Well, the details in the photographs are really noticeable better as in the X-T2. The image quality and dynamic range as well.
The new auto-focus algorithm got faster as in the X-T2, which I recognized right away.

Now the famous 5 Axis IBIS – the built-in shift stabilization sensor, or integrated body photograph stabilization of 5 stops. Sounds great, is great WHEN you find the right menu options to access the IBIS! It’s not apparent, well not quite for me understandable. Where is it and where can I switch it on and off? Instructions are in the manual on page 129. I read it a few times to understand it. My mother tongue is not English, but my manual is. For me, it is just not quite clearly written for the Fuji XH1. Maybe for you!

The IBIS Switch ON/OFF Should Be Added To The Quick Menu!

Additional Features

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities come as standard. No extra buying gadgets on the market. Get the free app for your mobile, connect via wifi with your camera, that’s all. The FujiFilm X-H1 camera also boasts a customizable back display for all capturing situations, and I could see the histogram while capturing wild animal photographs! This feature is one of my favorites, and I love it. The camera is capable of up to 14 frames per second of continuous taking pictures and offers both DCI 4K recording at 24 fps and 4K UHD video at 30 fps.

Overall, I enjoy using the new FujiFilm X-H1 camera. The camera produces great photo prints at 24.5 Megapixels, has great details and I love the results of my wildlife imaging. I’m looking forward to seeing its capabilities or not on my next trip to photograph landscapes. For sure I will see how the batteries will do with long exposure photography.

You might be interested in how the FujiFilm X-T1 with Greenland Icebergs performed.
Buy stock photographs for website use, editorial, and more. Information about print material of my nature photography prints for sale. All my photographs you are able to find in my nature galleries.
Check out my category camera gear, where you find more useful information, including, why I use a RAID.

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