Fujifilm X-S20 Review

[SECTION]INTRODUCTION[/SECTION]

The X-S20 is a perfect example of what Fujifilm do best – light, compact but well-made and sturdy cameras that handle superbly and produce the highest quality of results. All this is at a competitive price as well. There are some perennial features such as the film simulation modes that have always been an inspired choice and some new and innovative ideas such as the Vlog mode. There are many vlogging cameras around, and the X-S20 could be one to add to the list. It would without a doubt be one of the very best in terms of quality. Let’s look at it in more detail.

Fujifilm X-S20 Features

The X-S20 is light and compact, measuring up at just 127.7mm x 85.1mm x 65.4mm and weighing in at a modest 491g. The prominent grip on the right of the body is beautifully judged, offering a comfortable and secure hold on the camera.

The style of the camera is very much hands-on, having enough dials and switches to give full control to most functions, without having to delve too much into the menu system.

The top plate offers a few useful surprises. On the left, the top dial accesses all the film simulation modes and the small lever integral to it releases a small built-in flash unit. It may be low-powered, but there might be situations when a small flash of light can save an image. The classic-looking “pentaprism hump” houses not only the flash but also of course the EVF. This is excellent, being easy on the eyes and giving a detailed 2.36M dot image. On the right, the main mode dial has the usual selections, plus the new Vlog setting. The filter setting dials in whichever digital filter has been selected in the menus. To the right of this, a command dial is used to change parameters of a selected function. There is a useful ISO button, plus the usual Q button giving access to the Q menu, a collection of frequently used features. The red video start/stop button is well-placed to avoid shaky starts. The on/off switch surrounds the shutter release button, the perfect place for it. This switch proved to be a bit stiff to operate on this sample of the camera.

The camera back is quite plain and devoid of clutter. There is an excellent Vari-angle monitor, a small joystick and the menu and display buttons, plus a few small buttons at the top of the back plate.

The baseplate has a battery compartment and the sizeable NP-W235 battery delivers a reasonable 750 frames in standard mode or 800 frames in economy mode. In terms of videography, the maximum recording time is 85 minutes in 6.2K and 95 minutes in FHD. The SD card is also found within the battery compartment and there is just one slot.

The left side of the camera has a small door that reveals the HDMI and USB-C connections. in-camera charging is supported. There is also a small cover that protects the mike socket. The right side of the camera houses the headphone socket.

Fujifilm X-S20 Key Features

• 26.1MP CMOS APS-C sensor
• X Processor 5
• Electronic shutter 20fps, 30s – 1/32000s
• Mechanical shutter 8fps, 30s – 1/4000s
• 5-axis IBIS 7 stops
• One SD card slot, SD/SDHC/SDXC/UHS-I/UHS-II/V90
• JPEG/10-bit HEIF/RAW/TIFF (in-camera RAW conversion)
• NP-W235 battery – 800 frames (economy) 750 frames (standard)
• Video 85 minutes continuous recording in 6.2K
• Video 95 minutes continuous recording in Full HD
• Vlog mode
• Movies 6.2K with no crop
• Movies 4K/60p; 1080/60p; 1080/240p
• Output ProRes and Black Magic RAW via HDMI
• EVF 0.39” OLED 2,360,000 dots, 100% coverage, 0.62x magnification
• Monitor 7.5cm (3”) LCD Touch Sensitive 1,840,000 dots, Vari-angle
• ISO 160-12800 ( 80-51200 extended)
• AF range -7 EV with XF 50mm f/1 lens (Phase detection)
• AF range -4 EV with XF 50mm f/1 lens (Contrast)
• AI-driven Face/eye detection
• Subject detection: Animal, Bird, Automobile, Motorcycle and bike, Airplane, Train
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Fujifilm X-App
• 19 film simulation modes
• Digital Filters
• 491g
• 127.7mm x 85.1mm x 65.4mm

Fujifilm X-S20 Handling

Handling is of course a very personal thing, and the Fujifilm X-S20 is likely to appeal to anyone who is familiar with the layout of a conventional small DSLR. There are plenty of hands-on switches and dials and yet these are laid out in an efficient and unobtrusive way. The on/off switch is in the perfect position for those who like to carry the camera one-handed without a strap, and one flick of the finger will switch it on as it is raised to the eye. This is efficient and swift. Direct access to the film simulation modes will encourage their use, and it is really quite a powerful notion to be able to select the type of “film” used on a shot-by-shot basis if that is what the photographer wants.

The placement of the video on/off switch is also well thought out, and shaky start/stop actions can be avoided. Filming is very smooth indeed.

There are many advances in camera design that have enhanced what we can do, and IBIS is definitely one of the most useful. That 7-stop advantage is a real benefit, in every scenario from shooting images in museums to using longer lenses at ridiculously slow shutter speeds.

There is just one area where Fujifilm have, in this reviewer’s opinion, slightly lost an opportunity and that is the lack of dust and moisture resistance, or weather resistance, whatever we decide to call it. That may or may not be a deal breaker, but the offering is such a powerful one that the advantages may outweigh that one disadvantage.

[SECTION]PERFORMANCE[/SECTION]

Fujifilm X-S20 Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

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Fujifilm X-S20 Sample Photos

Lens Performance – The X-S20 was supplied with the well-established XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens, previously reviewed. The lens was Recommended, with four stars being awarded, and the summary of its performance was as follows: “At 18mm and maximum aperture, sharpness in the centre of the image area already approaches excellent levels, with clarity towards the edges of the frame approaching very good levels. Stopping down a little results in a dramatic increase in clarity in the centre of the frame down to f/5.6, where sharpness is outstanding in the centre of the frame, and approaches excellent levels of clarity towards the edges of the frame.

Zooming to 35mm results in sharpness reaching excellent levels in the centre at maximum aperture, but clarity only just reaches good levels towards the edges of the frame. Stopping down at this focal length does little to improve sharpness in the centre with clarity towards the edges improving to very good levels by f/8 at the expense of a reduction in clarity in the centre of the frame.

Finally, at 55mm, Sharpness in the centre of the frame falls just short of excellent at maximum aperture again, although the clarity towards the edges of the frame has fallen to fairly good levels here. Stopping down improves sharpness across the frame with peak clarity in the centre of the frame being achieved at f/5.6 and at f/11 toward the edges of the frame for this focal length.

Chromatic aberrations are well enough controlled for a zoom lens with fringing only just exceeding three-quarters of a pixel width towards the edges of the frame at f/4 and 35mm. This level of fringing is just getting to the level where you may notice it, so care may need to be taken when shooting scenes containing high contrast.

Falloff of illumination towards the corners of the frame is pretty well controlled. At 18mm the corners are 1.6 stops darker than the image centre at maximum aperture, and at 55mm the corners are 1.8 stops darker. Visually uniform illumination is achieved with the aperture stopped down by two stops from maximum throughout the zoom range.

Just over 0.2% barrel distortion is present throughout the zoom range. Not only is this remarkably consistent performance for a zoom lens, but the level is so low that it will be very difficult to spot.
Flare isn’t an issue with this lens and contrast is retained well when shooting into the light, with or without the supplied petal-shaped hood.”

Some images and videos were shot using the XF 8mm f/3.5 lens, newly reviewed using this camera.

Fujifilm X-S20 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance – ISO performance is now so good that it can almost be freely used without fear of noise spoiling the shot, up to a point at least. Up to ISO 400 images are totally clean. ISO 800 and 1600 see the very slightest amount of noise starting to appear, but these settings are still fully usable. ISO 3200 and 6400 see an increasing amount of noise, but the separation of the boxes in the test card is still good and images still look sharp. ISO 12800 sees the first real signs of image softening and also fairly high noise levels. ISO 25600 shows quite a bit of noise plus definite softening and smearing effects. ISO 51200 is remarkably good, but very noisy and shows a fair amount of softening. The two highest settings are really for emergency use only, where some image is preferable to no image. Overall, a very impressive set of results.

Fujifilm X-S20 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance – We are offered an excellent range of white balance presets. Auto has the options of white priority, auto or ambience priority. There are three custom settings, plus a colour temperature option where a value can be input directly. There are also options for daylight, shade, three fluorescent settings, incandescent and underwater. All the presets can also be fine-tuned. The one omission is a cloudy setting, which is a shame.

Fujifilm X-S20 Digital filters

Digital Filters – The classic Fujifilm film simulation modes are all here, and what a great idea it is. Options are PROVIA/Standard; Velvia/vivid; ASTIA/soft; Classic Chrome; PRO Neg. Hi; PRO Neg Std; Classic Neg; Nostalgic Neg; Eterna/Cinema; Eterna Bleach Bypass; ACROS; Monochrome and Sepia. The ACROS and Monochrome selections have added sub-sections to dial in Yellow, Red or Green filter effects, a nice touch for the black and white options. There is also a Filter setting on the mode dial on the top plate and dialling this in enables a menu setting to select what that filter will be. Choices are Toy Camera; Miniature; Pop Colour; High-Key; Low-Key; Dynamic Tone; Soft Focus; Partial Colour (Red); Partial Colour (Orange); Partial Colour (Yellow); Partial Colour (Green); Partial Colour (Blue); Partial Colour (Purple).

All of these options are interesting and add to the creative possibilities available. 

Source: Photography News
Fujifilm X-S20 Review
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