Marcio Kabke Pinheiro

Quick update - the guy from Hybrid Shooter is testing the X-S20, and just replied to me that the 4k30 had no crop, and probably is a mistake from Fujifilm. Let's see.

And...there is one caveat in the X-S20 that nobody is talking much. If you record 6.2k open gate, 10-bit 4:2:2, both ALL-I or Long Gop (H265), there is no crop on the image. But if you record DCI ou 4k with 10-bit 4:2:2, both ALL-I or H.265, there is a 1.1x crop with digital stabilization enabled, and (this is REALLY unlogical) a 1.18x crop WITHOUT digital stabilization. This crop is applied in all framerates and all bitrates (in the X-S20 case, 360, 200, 100 and 50 mbps). If you go 8-bit, same 1.1 or 1.18x crop in 60p (as expected), but no crop in 30 or 24p (only 1.1x with digital stabilization). It is kind of worse than X-T4, where you can record 30p / 24p DCI or 4k h.265 ou ALL-I 400mbps without a crop, albeit in 10-bit 4:2:0 (don´t know if it is much worse than 4:2:2). Since open gate in the X-S20 is recorded without a crop, the problem is the oversampling in 4k and DCI; but the sensor is the same, and the X-S20 processor is supposed to be faster. But 4:2:2 is so much processor intensive than 4:2:0, even in a lower bitrate (360mbps in the X-S20, 400Mbps in the X-T4), to justify a 1.18x crop? Since one of my interests is 10-bit video, this concerns me a lot. Will have to shoot always open gate to have 10-bit uncropped? But how is the open gate quality, since it is not oversampled?

Chris and Jordan said in a PetaPixel podcast that they did not reviewed the X-S20 because...no unit was sent to them, as I suspected. Looks like Fuji really prioritized Europe - in the last days lots of reviews popped on Youtube from European people, and looks like there was a paid Malta trip to try the camera. Don't know if there was really few units available and Fujifilm in USA and Canada had no units available, but there it is. Unfortunately, most of the reviews are 80% talking about the features and very few movie tests. In fact, the most useful review was from a Australian fashion photographer, Julia Trotti, which plugged a HDMI recorder on camera and went to a photo shoot, and made some test videos. She had zero intention to be technical, but was the only one that showed the new AF system in action. I've brought my X-S10 to a playground and made still and video from my daughter, using the Sigma 18-50 and boy, did not remembered that the AF was SO bad. Specially shots when eye / face detection af target is green, but looking in the computer after the shot was out of focus. And was with only her in the frame - if my wife was in the frame too, the af target goes nuts and jumps constantly between them (albeit looks like that it is not a Fuji exclusive behaviour - saw reports that it happens with other brands too). Video was a tad better, but using single area af and movinf the box with the joystick. If Fuji had object tracking in vídeo, probably would be "perfect" (not pin sharp, but it is not critical as it is in stills). Comparing to the footage of the camera interface in the Julia's videos with my experience in the weekend, looks like (comapred to the X-S10): - The eye / face detection works better and with the subject farther, in stills. - Better in movies too, but saw some points losing the af. - But it looks like that Fuji AF still is behind the competition - worse for sure than Sony and Canon, probably than Nikon, and a little behind from Panasonic in the S5II. I will probably upgrade, because of the battery (the playground shot was around 70 stills and 5 minutes of 4k video, and the battery already dropped more than half the charge), 10-bit video (never used any log mode beacuse of the 8-bit in the X-S10) and the better-ish AF - and since Kaizen is dead, any more improvements on Fujifilm will the in the cameras with the newer processor. But I think will no be a very big improvement.

Very interested in the camera, probably will upgrade, but...it was a VERY strange launch. First, all the usual suspects that do reviews for video (the now Petapixel couple, Gerald Undone, Toneh, Kai, etc) did not got units, as they usually do. From the more traditional reviewers, only Gordon Laing and Cine-D got one. And...almost no one showed the new AF system in full action, or described it in detail. Most of them said (and could be true) that they got units with no final firmware. Other, like Chris from Pal2Tech (the great surprise in the review batch - he is a very good Fuji reviewer, but never got an unit) showed a little, said that was way better than all the Fuji that he used, even better than X-T5 post firmware update. He had a excuse - only got the unit for 2 days, and was sent by a Fuji representative, no Fuji itself. Another reviewers also mentioned very short time with the camera. Also in this regard - most of the reviewers are european, specially british ones. But most of them, never heard before. My two cents: - There were not a lot of ready units available, hence people have to test it breifly and return the camera to be sent to another reviewer; - About AF tests: or (the "I hope" answer) the firmware as not totally final and will got more tweaks before release, hence it was not allowed deep tests, or (the "damn..." answer) the AF still not good enough and Fuji hope to move some units in preorder before the not so good news becomes spread.

Probably Amazon kept online to try to find a buyer. Same as Imaging Resource, which is back online but without new content. Hard to sell a product that don't "exist".

(sorry for the 3 reply, the browser went nuts here)

Yep, the main reason for me to keep the Sigma is the constant aperture - most for the hassle to readjust exposure / ND filter after changing the focal lenght. About OIS, yes, is a necessity for non-IBIS bodies (and the OIS of the 18-55 Fuji is kinda good for video, for OIS standarts), but with OIS, it performed better than the Fuji - because Fuji tune their IBIS for photos, not for video. With the Fuji, small movements becomes "jumpy", because you start the move the camera, and suddenly IBIS realizes it and tries to catch up; with the 18-55 OIS, this behaviour is amplified. With the Sigma, it is less apparent. To Fuji becomes perfect, they need to hire an AF guy from Sony and a IBIS guy from OM Digital or Panasonic...

Yep, the main reason for me to keep the Sigma is the constant aperture - most for the hassle to readjust exposure / ND filter after changing the focal lenght. About OIS, yes, is a necessity for non-IBIS bodies (and the OIS of the 18-55 Fuji is kinda good for video, for OIS standarts), but with OIS, it performed better than the Fuji - because Fuji tune their IBIS for photos, not for video. With the Fuji, small movements becomes "jumpy", because you start the move the camera, and suddenly IBIS realizes it and tries to catch up; with the 18-55 OIS, this behaviour is amplified. With the Sigma, it is less apparent. To Fuji becomes perfect, they need to hire an AF guy from Sony and a IBIS guy from OM Digital or Panasonic...

Yep, the main reason for me to keep the Sigma is the constant aperture - most for the hassle to readjust exposure / ND filter after changing the focal lenght. About OIS, yes, is a necessity for non-IBIS bodies (and the OIS of the 18-55 Fuji is kinda good for video, for OIS standarts), but with OIS, it performed better than the Fuji - because Fuji tune their IBIS for photos, not for video. With the Fuji, small movements becomes "jumpy", because you start the move the camera, and suddenly IBIS realizes it and tries to catch up; with the 18-55 OIS, this behaviour is amplified. With the Sigma, it is less apparent. To Fuji becomes perfect, they need to hire an AF guy from Sony and a IBIS guy from OM Digital or Panasonic...

Good question, will take a look of the 1080p in my X-S10, I think that I never used it (except for some 240fps test, which are - and, AFAIK, stays - an utterly crap). A lot of the midrange Panasonics (GX9 for sure, the GX85 too I think) had bad 1080p too.

Thing is: we're a bunch of old people that not understand what the newer generations like, specially because it looks like crap for us. Exactly what our parents thought when saw us listening to Nirvana. 🙂 It amazes me how people now just use their smartphones for EVERYTHING. I do a good amount of stock trading to manage my saved money, and I could not imagine a worst use case than trying to use a real time trading platform on a phone - but more than a half of the people that I saw in the support channels are unding a phone. Specially because a lot (and I mean a lot) of young people does not even have a computer more, desktop or notebook. Only a phone. Bad or not, it is the reality. And for a vídeo that the main subject is a person, when the background does not have so much importance, vertical video is much better to see in a phone - the person appears bigger. Only realized it after being a father and filming my daughter - she is the focus, and in most for the filming is capturing her movements, her interactions. To see and share it to my parents, 3000 kms far from here, which will see on their phones, is a much better orientation. If your target group uses prominently one tipe of media consumption device, is good advice to optimize for it. Second: I am in a Telegram group of a channel from a couple that makes reviews and do filmmaking courses (kinda good, but focused in content creation), that mostly talk about gear. The majority of people there are starters in content creation, from filming product showcases to weddings. Young people, very tight budget. A lot of them do the filming for influencers - static things like the influencer making product showcases or moving takes for lifestyle. For these guys, even when their primary deliver is horizontal content for Youtube, vertical shooting is a VERY considered asset - almost all of them have a gimbal, and one of the top 3 topics considered is how easy and good is a gimbal to make vertical shooting. Because, for almost all the Youtube videos that they do, a vertical short cut is needed to go to social media. And for this bunch, the most coveted camera is the Sony ZV-E10, with Viltrox and Sigma primes - cheap and with good enough results, much better than a smartphone. No IBIS - but they already have a gimbal. No need for EVFs, they grown looking a phone screen. The most advanced ones liked the FX30 - the great Sony AF for video is key fo them. The availablity of good lenses as the Viltroxes too - each day more I think that the Canon decision to block 3rd party lenses is a shot oh the foot, the previous preferred camera for this crowd was the Canon SL3... And none have "artistic whishes" about their filming - they want a result good enough to compete on market. And I think is a driving force now on market - all this "vlog" cameras appearing shows that. In this Telegram group almost 150 people bought ZV-E10s. But none do that "vlog" style that erroneously people use for reviews, camera on hand, walking. Almost all are tripod or gimbal shots, no walking, a determined subject, background depending on case. Is a very different world that we are accustomed. No better, no worse, just is it.

As an X-S10 user, and since Fuji will never release my dream camera (an X-E4 with dual dials and more buttons, IBIS and 10-bit video, even with 30 min limit), this one looks like the one for an amateur like me. In theory, solve all my biggest gripes with the X-S10: - Battery life: with Boost mode enabled (the "full" boost mode, not the IBIS one), is the greatest battery eater camera that I had (never had a OG BMPCC). Other day, brought it to a birthday party to film my daugther, and the first battery was dead after around 100 frames and 10 minutes of 4k video. Is abysmal. - Autofocus: Fuji still lags behind other brands, but the newest models looks better - and this one have revamped algos (which are now available to X-T5 and X-H2 as firmware updates); from the first impressions, looks like a lot better. I have troubles with X-S10 AF even with stills - and I hope that eye af in video with more than one person is frame becomes usable. - IBIS: one more stop, which don't matter too much - for stills Fuji IBIS is good enough from a long time, but in video it keeps "fighting" with the beginning of a movement. Looks better now too - albeit still far from Olympus. 10-bit is very welcome, F-Log becomes usable now. 4k60 welcome too. Another great revamp is that the four C positions on mode dial now could store video and stills settings (in X-S10, only stills). 6,2k open gate 10-bit 4:2:2 is a surprise in a camera of this size, as the possibility of external raw recording. In fact, is really a baby X-H2S without a stacked sensor and shorter record times - already know people that were planning to buy a 2nd X-H2S and now will use X-S20 as B-cams. The bad: - No weather sealing; - Since the body was slightly revamped for the bigger battery, and cabling for the fan and headphone jack, Fuji lost the opportunity make some more modifications: since there is no weather sealing, the front dial should be clickable. And the camera should have the front button of the X-H line to change focus modes (or other function). This would bring 2 more custom buttons without taking any other space. - Would like a 3,6 mp EVF, but even the R7 have the same panel, is par for the course; - STILL NO GENERAL OBJECT TRACKING in movie mode, Fuji? My god, even the Olympus, who had an atrocious one, now have it. My decision will be determined by the final price here in Brazil. We have a 60% import tax for everything, and a lot of cameras are the double of the US price. Fujifilm here sometimes lauch with a "better" difference, when I got the X-S10, it was "only" 22% up to US price. And...some reasoning. It solves a lot of my gripes, and is even overkill for an amateur like my me. In fact, with a revamped AF algorithm and a smoother IBIS, the X-S10 could be enough for me. The X-S20 could be my "final" camera (since it have all that I need and more), but with the added costs (camera, a new extra battery, new license for C1 or DxO, new UHS-II cards) will not be a cheap one. About lenses - just got the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8, beauty little thing. Compared to the 18-55 f/2.8-4, is not so much sharper in stills (don't know if it is my copy), but liked it a lot for video - better AF, MUCH less noisy, and, surprisingly, IBIS does a better job the the "Dual IS" of the older one.

Dave Etchells just wrote an article on PetaPixel telling the story of the closure of Imaging Resource. https://petapixel.com/2023/05/10/imaging-resource-founder-shares-the-tale-of-his-sites-untimely-demise/

Yep. Their comparometer image test, together with DPReview one, was one of the best ways to compare cameras.

In fact, adding to the stacked sensor (and perhaps being even more important), the Z9 / Z8 have a dual dedicated image feed - one for the processor, and one exclusive for the EVF / LCD. Is a thing that I always thought that should be standard to mirrorless cameras, but since it is still so rare, should be costly to implement. I guessed that it could be done splitting the signal after it leaves the sensor, but looks like it should be implemented in the sensor itself.

Hope that they nails the ergos this time. Could be the camera that make me switch from Fuji. I think that Sonys are very uninspiring and souless, but the Fuji AF woes are starting to fed me. (Canon just implemented my dream - the option to choose which person to follow in a group, a situation that Fuji goes haywire)

Just adding to the discussion: in May 24th there will be a Fujji X Summit, and, according to rumour sites, the X-S20 will be announced. As a X-S10 user, really waiting for it (my dream Fuji camera would be a X-E5 with some controls back and IBIS, but Fuji will never put IBIS in their X-E ou X-Pro lines...)

Imaging Resource is gone (really), without announcement. https://petapixel.com/2023/05/08/imaging-resource-is-now-offline-as-the-camera-website-shuts-its-doors/ Was my preferred, above DPReview.

@IronFilm, completely noob audio question here: I know that 32bit float recorders allows you to recover clipped sounds. But the audio could not arrive at the recorder already clipped from the microphone, if the recorded sound is too high?

The RAW case was dismissed, and Nikon is free to keep it.

Same question as me. This week I was looking the lenses available for Sony and found the 1st Samyang zoom - and the B&H reviews are littered of people which had the mount ripped form the lens; it is a heavy lens, and the mount is screwed to a plastic shell. Let's hope that this newer one is better.

This one will be the ZV-E20. 🙂 And boy, would be much more interesting - specially if they could put a new sensor without atrocious rolling shutter.

About being overpriced, I think that a even better example is the S5 II, which have a (good) EVF, internal cooling, 24mp (better oversampling), waveforms, a mechanical shutter...for $2000. In the group that I am that people bought ZV-E10s in troves, everybody liked the camera, but...the only ones thinking of getting one are the FX3 users, as a second body. ZV-E10 is $700. With the $1300 difference, they could buy lenses (Viltrox is VERY popular in that group too). And to upgrade from the ZV-E10 to ZV-E1, the user will have probably to upgrade it's lenses too. ZV-E10 users are not the target of this one.

OOC, very good JPGs.

ZV-E10 sell in troves, at least here in Brazil - I am in a Telegram group that only, in there, more than 70 people bought it.