Sony a9

Fujifilm X-H1

Editor Rating: Excellent (4.5)
Fujifilm X-H1 - Sony a9
US Street Price$1899.00
  • Pros

    • Super-fast focus with 14fps tracking.
    • 5-axis sensor stabilization.
    • 24MP APS-C imaging.
    • Tilting rear LCD.
    • Dual card slots.
    • Monochrome information LCD.
    • Weather-sealed body.
    • High bit rate 4K video.
    • Log video profile.
  • Cons

    • Expensive.
    • Not a true vari-angle LCD.
    • No EV dial.
    • Add-on grip required for top performance.
    • No built-in flash.
    • Omits headphone jack.
  • Bottom Line


We've recommended the Fujifilm X-T2 as our Editors' Choice in the high-end APS-C mirrorless camera category since it was introduced. Now it has a more premium sibling, the X-H1 ($1,899, body only), which uses the same sensor, but adds in-body stabilization and more serious video features. There are some ergonomic changes, as well including a deeper handgrip and the omission of an EV control dial. The X-H1 carries a $300 premium over the X-T2, and is close in price to the $1,999 full-frame Sony a7 III, which is just as capable in many ways. But if you've decided that the APS-C sensor size is a better fit for you, the X-H1 is the best option in its price bracket, and our Editors' Choice.


The X-H1 doesn't look much different from the X-T2 at first glance. It's finished in black (we'll have to wait and see if it receives the Graphite Silver special edition treatment that Fujifilm has given to other marquee models), and is just slightly bigger all around, with a noticeably larger handgrip. The camera measures 3.8 by 5.5 by 3.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.5 pounds. Compare that with the X-T2, which is 3.6 by 5.2 by 1.9 inches and weighs 1.1 pounds.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The extra weight is due to the camera's internal construction. Its magnesium alloy chassis is 25 percent thicker than the X-T2's, and there's extensive sealing to protect its internals from dust and moisture. It's rated to operate in extreme temperatures as well—as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. I shot with the X-H1 during a snowy nor'easter and it worked just fine.

The larger size allows for a deeper handgrip, a big plus if you're pairing the camera with a long lens like the XF 100-400mm. I like the design change, but photographers with smaller hands may feel that the grip is a bit too deep.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The shutter release is angled atop the grip, and has a responsive, spring-like feel in action—another improvement in ergonomics. The X-T2's shutter is flat atop its top plate, which is fine for its more modest frame, but for shooting with a big lens I tend to prefer a deeper handgrip with an angled shutter release.

There are a number of on-body controls, as you'd expect from a pro-grade camera. On the top plate, to the left of the hot shoe, is a dedicated control dial. It's a nested design, with ISO on top and drive control at the base. Drive modes include single, three speeds of continuous shooting, automated bracketing, a panorama setting, and a video mode. The ISO control is useful, but I don't like one aspect of its design. It can be adjusted from ISO 200 through 12800 in third-stop incremements, and also has an A (automatic) position, which can vary the ISO across that same range. There's an L setting, for ISO 100, and an H setting, which needs to be programmed for either ISO 25600 or ISO 51200. The camera is actually capable of producing useable images at both settings (in Raw format), and it's a pain to have to dive into the software to adjust the H value. I'd love to see the A position be able to use 25600 and 51200, which would take a simple firmware fix.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

Just next to the dial, at an angle on the EVF hump, is a diopter control for the viewfinder. The hot shoe is centered at the top behind the lens, and supports external flashes and accessories. The shutter speed dial is just to the right of the EVF and is also dual-level; the base adjusts the metering pattern. There are four options—Spot, Center Weighted, Multi, and Average. You'll want to use Multi for most shots, as it uses scene recognition to intelligently evaluate the frame to determine the best exposure settings. Spot and Center Weighted are good choices for shots with greatly mixed lighting, including those with a strong backlight. I didn't find much use for the Average setting, though it can help the camera better nail exposure for portraits of subjects dressed in black or white. Pay attention to the position of the metering lever; I found that it was prone to slipping out of place when moving in and out of a camera bag. It's not as tight as the similar Drive dial, which didn't move during our review.

The monochrome information LCD takes up the rest of the space on top. It's backlit, with a button right next to it to activate the light, and shows exposure settings and other information. The aforementioned shutter release sits ahead of it, along with a button for EV compensation control. The display shows exposure, the active film simulation mode, and other sundry information. It's also backlit, so you can see it when working in dim conditions, but none of the other controls are. We haven't seen backlit control buttons on a mirrorless camera as of yet, but the Nikon D500 SLR, which is a direct competitor to the X-H1 in terms of function and price, includes them. They're a big plus for working in a dim studio and for astrophotography—control buttons are hard to use if it's too dark to read them.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The top LCD takes the place of the X-T2's dedicated EV compensation dial. I'm a fan of the dial approach, but not everyone is. I prefer the quick, instant control you get from a single dial, as well as the big visual reference. Some other cameras without a dedicated EV dial, like the Nikon D500, allow you to use the rear command dial for dedicated EV adjustment. The X-H1 doesn't—you'll need to press the top EV button while turning the rear dial to adjust the setting.

The Delete and Play buttons are on the rear, near the top, to the left of the eyecup. To their right are AE-L and AF ON buttons, along with the rear control dial. There's a small focus joystick—for quick changes of the active focus point or points—just to the right of the rear LCD, accessible using your right thumb. Below it is a four-way control pad, with the Menu/OK button at its center, and the Display/Back button.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

Rounding out the physical controls is the Q button. It's located on the rear panel, on a bump on the far right side that doubles as a thumb rest. It launches an on-screen control menu for direct adjustment of a number of other settings, including the film simulation mode for JPGs, the file format, noise reduction, LCD brightness, face detection, and others. It can be navigated using rear controls or via the touch LCD.

The 3-inch rear display is mounted on the same type of hinge as the X-T2 and has a 1,040k-dot resolution. It can tilt up and down as normal, and has an additional hinge to face toward the right. It's good to have this amount of adjustment, but I would have liked to have seen Fuji use a true vari-angle display, one that can swing out to the side and face all the way forward, for a camera with as robust video options as the X-H1.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

There's also an EVF, a given on a pro mirrorless body. It's a 0.5-inch OLED design with a very crisp 3.69-million dot resolution (an upgrade from the 2.63-million dot finder used by the X-T2). The magnification is 0.75x, a little less than the 0.77x X-T2 finder, but the difference is negligible. It refreshes quickly, 100 times per second, so you can effectively track fast-moving action.

Features, Power, and Connectivity

Fujifilm cameras have long included Film Simulation modes—basically custom JPG settings that are tuned to emulate film stocks of yesteryear. The X-H1 includes all the ones we've grown used to, ranging from the muted colors of Classic Chrome (Fujifilm's take on former rival Kodak's Kodachrome) to the intense hues of Velvia and the monochrome tones of Acros, with many options in between. For fans of grain, each film has a customizable amount, with Low or High settings, or you can opt for no additional grain if you prefer a cleaner image.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The X-H1 has a new option, Eterna, which is modeled after Fujifilm's motion picture stock. It's a bit muted in color tone, and lifts up the blacks to show better detail in shadows. It's intended for use in video, but you can apply the look to still images as well.

The camera also sports an intervalometer function for time-lapse photography. Images are saved indivudally, rather than in a video file, so you'll have to put them together using software if a video is what you're after. You can set intervals as short as one second and as long as 24 hours, for a set number of frames up to 999 or as long as the camera is powered. It's a feature we've come to expect in premium cameras and it is good to see it here—with the 24MP still resolution you can render out time lapses at 6K resolution.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

There's also an add-on grip available, the Vertical Power Booster Grip ($329), which can be bought in a bundle along with the camera for $2,199, a modest savings. The grip does a few things—it holds two additional batteries, extends the maximum video clip length from 15 to 30 minutes, adds a 3.5mm headphone jack, and ups the top shooting rate with the mechanical shutter from 8 to 11fps. It is also a charger, so you can recharge all three batteries at once.

Adding the grip makes the X-H1 a bulkier camera. It adds 1.9 inches to the height and 12.3 ounces of mass. I typically prefer a smaller camera—shooting with a Nikon D5 or Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with their big, integrated vertical shooting grips is not my favorite thing to do. But the grip is available if you prefer a beefier body, or simply want to extend the shooting life and boost the X-H1's speed.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The grip includes a toggle switch to enable Boost shooting, which draws power from multiple batteries simultaneously to improve the speed of the already reponsive X-H1. It also has a focus joystick, just like the one on the body, dual control dials, a shutter release with surrounding Lock button, and an EV compensation button. These are all in pretty much the same place as they are on X-H1 body, so you'll mostly feel as comfortable using it in portrait orientation as you do in landscape.

A couple of buttons do change size and position. The AE-L and AF-ON buttons are on the grip, but they're smaller than their on-body counterparts and not as comfortable to press. The Q button has been moved— it's closer to the shutter release on the grip, but I'm a bit surprised that it's included at all. The on-screen Q menu doesn't rotate, so you'll be looking at it sideways if you want to adjust settings when shooting in portrait orientation.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The X-H1 has the normal array of wireless communication tech, both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. They work with the Fuji Camera Remote app, for Android and iOS, so you can transfer photos to your smartphone for social sharing.

Physical connections include micro HDMI, micro USB 3.0, a 3.5mm microphone jack, a 2.5mm remote control connection, and a PC sync flash terminal. There are dual SD card slots, both supporting the latest formats and UHS-II speeds.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The battery charges outside the camera. It's rated for 310 shots per charge, but only 35 minutes of video recording. This is something I found to be limiting in real-world use. I was shooting a mix of images and video for this review, and even in shorter photo walks I found myself using the Booster Grip to extend shooting time. The amount of power used by the video recording system played a big part. It's a shame that Fujifilm didn't manage to squeeze a larger battery into the body, as Sony did with the a7 III.

Performance and Autofocus

Start-up time, the duration between flicking the power switch to the On position and capturing an in-focus image, is about 0.8-second on average. That's a solid result for a mirrorless camera, especially when you consider that the in-body stabilization system has to ready itself before shooting. Autofocus locks on fairly quickly, about 0.1-second in bright light and in very dim conditions. The latter makes the X-H1 a strong option for event photography, as it doesn't lose a step when shooting in difficult light. The autofocus system is essentially the same as you get with the X-T2, but the low-light focus figure is improved due to better sensitivity—the X-T2 requires about 0.3-second to lock focus in dim conditions.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

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The X-H1 is built for speed. On its own it can shoot at 14fps with its electronic shutter or 8fps with the mechanical focal plane shutter. Adding the Booster Grip ups the mechanical shutter capture rate to 11fps. The shooting rate varies a bit; the X-H1 incorporates flicker reduction for burst shooting. If you're working under fluorescent or mercury lights the camera will adjust its firing rate in order to keep brightness consistent from shot to shot. And if you're working in AF-C mode the camera can slow its rate to ensure a high percentage of in-focus images—you can tune it to prioritize focus accuracy or speed. We left it at the default setting, which emphasizes speed, for testing, and were happy with the results.

You can also adjust how quickly the camera's focus system works. There are several presets available. A multi-purpose option is the default, but you can change the autofocus system to prioritize subject tracking while ignoring obstacles, to better keep focus on subjects that change speed, for subjects that suddenly pop into the frame, or for subjects that both change speed and direction eratically. Each is illustrated in the menu with a typical use case—track and field, nature photography, auto facing, ski jumping, and tennis, respectively. And each can be fine-tuned, or you can make your own custom setting with adjustable subject tracking sensitivity, speed tracking sensitivity, and focus area switching.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

But also keep in mind that you'll get the most responsive focus performance from the area of the X-H1 sensor covered with phase detection points. Phase detection covers the central third or so, lengthwide, with smaller strips at the top and bottom that aren't covered by the focus area at all. The central square is flanked on both sides by contrast points, which are effective for locking on to targets, but not as good when tracking moving subjects. It's one of the best systems you'll see in an APS-C mirrorless camera, but if still photography is your main concern and tracking moving subjects is key—that is to say, if you live for sports, wildlife, and action photography—you'll get wider phase detection coverage with the APS-C Nikon D500 SLR or the full-frame Sony a7 III mirrorless. Of course, if you opt for an SLR, you'll lose quick focus for video—the D500 only has phase detection when using the optical viewfinder to shoot stills. That doesn't mean that the X-H1 focus is useless when you move away from the center of the frame; it's more than adequate for most subjects, but not as quick to react to changes at the center points.

In our tests, the X-H1 fell behind its rated top rated speed by a fraction of a second, notching 13.9fps with the electronic shutter, but did hit 8fps when using the mechanical one. The electronic shutter has the advantage of being silent, but can introduce motion distortion in images when shooting fast-moving subjects. The mechanical shutter is very quiet, likely a result of the camera's extensive weather sealing, so even though it fires very quickly, it doesn't add a lot of noise to the environment.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

Adding the booster ups the mechanical shutter speed to 11fps; we actually saw better numbers, about 11.7fps, in our speed tests. You will have to take the time to dive into the camera menu to enable this—even with the grip attached and set to its Boost mode, the default top speed stays at 8fps.

But how long can you keep up a brisk pace? It depends on the file format you use—the X-H1 shoots uncompressed Raw, compressed Raw, and JPG images—and the speed of your memory card. We tested the X-H1 with a Sony SDXC card rated for 299MBps write speed. When shooting at 8fps the camera manages 26 uncompressed Raw+JPG, 29 compressed Raw+JPG, 28 uncompressed Raw, or 42 compressed Raw before slowing down. Buffer clear times are about 9 seconds for Raw+JPG and 7 seconds for Raw. You can keep shooting JPGs at 8fps for as long as you want when using a fast memory card.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

Switching to 14fps lessens the amount of images you can capture at a time. For all types of Raw photography you get about 21 shots before it slows down, and just 32 JPGs. The results at 11fps are, predictably, somewhere in-between. Expect about 22 Raw+JPG shots and 67 JPGs before the camera slows down, with similar times to clear the buffer for Raw photography and about 3.3 seconds required to write all JPGs to the card.

Shooting fast is important, but it doesn't mean anything if your images are out of focus. The X-H1 does well on our standard AF-C test, in which the camera photographs a target that moves toward and away from the lens. Continuous focus is slower, but quite accurate, with the vast majority of shots crisply in focus. Expect 9.3fps with the electronic shutter, 7.7fps without the Booster, and 9.7fps with the grip in Boost mode.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The autofocus system is similar to the excellent one from the X-T2, but tweaks have improved its performance. One of those is the ability to focus with lenses with a dim f/11 maximum aperture—the X-T2 was rated for f/8. While you won't find any on the market that close down to f/11 on their own, adding a teleconverter cuts the effective f-stop. The X-H1 works with the 100-400mm paired with a 2x teleconverter, the equivalent of a 1200mm f/11 full-frame lens when zoomed all the way in. I used the combination quite a bit in the field and was happy with the focus results. Even in burst mode the X-H1 effectively acquired focus and tracked moving subjects. I'd love to see Fujifilm release something like a 400mm f/4 to better pair with a teleconverter in the future, but for right now, photographers who utilize extreme telephoto angles in their work will appreciate what the system has to offer.

Image Quality

The image sensor is a 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III design in the same APS-C size that Fujifilm uses for the X mirrorless system. It's the same sensor we've seen in recent Fujifilm cameras, including the X-T2 and X-Pro2, but the X-H1 adds in-body stabilization. Fujifilm rates its effectiveness to up to 5.5 stops, depending on which lens you pair it with.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

I tested the stabilization system with the XF 50mm F2, a moderate telephoto lens without its own stabilization system. When sitting I got consistently sharp results at 1/15-second, just a two-stop advantage. At 1/8-second, which requires three stops of compensation, about half my test shots were crisp and half were slightly blurred. At 1/4-second things were consistently blurry. Results with the XF 23mm F2 were similar—crisp images at 1/15-second, with blur creeping in at 1/8-second.

Lenses with built-in stabilization utilize both their own systems and the sensor to steady shots. The XF 80mm Macro also adhered to the 1/15-second rule, although one of my five test images at 1/4-second was tack sharp. A longer lens, the XF 100-400mm set to the 200mm position, started showing blur a bit earlier, at 1/30-second.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

So take the 5.5-stop rating with a grain of salt. The stabilization is effective, but not to the level that Fujifilm claims based on our tests. I did find it to be much more effective for video. Handheld footage with the XF 23mm showed no sign of jitter. And, while I wasn't expecting to get anything useable from it, handheld footage with the 100-400mm at 400mm with a 2x teleconverter attached actually netted some decent results, as you can see in one clip from our test footage below. (I recommend using that combination with a tripod for any sort of serious work, however.)

As for image quality, I tested the standard JPG output using Imatest. It shows that the X-H1 keeps noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 6400. We've seen cameras that put up better numbers than that, but they typically use agressive noise reduction to get there. Fujifilm takes a lighter approach. You can shoot through ISO 1600 without any visible loss of image quality. But you're able to push the camera to ISO 12800 and see only a slight blurring of detail. There's a little more blur at ISO 25600, but image JPG quality is still strong. It's not until you get to the top ISO 51200 setting that details are washed away.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

Shooting in Raw nets crisper, but grainier, results at high ISOs. Details are strong, without overwhelming noise, through ISO 12800. You can still see fine lines at ISO 25600, but grain gives photos a noticeably rough texture. At ISO 51200 there's no blurring to speak of, but there is a heavy, rough grain, which does wipe away fine details. As we've seen with other Fujifilm cameras that use this image sensor, this is among the best you can currently get in the APS-C format.


Fujifilm's cameras have not been a top choice for video production in the past. A lack of in-body stabilization and a stills-first attitude, coupled with slow adoption of 4K, have pushed videographers to mirrorless models from Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony. The company hopes to change that with the X-H1. Not only is it the first body we've seen from Fuji with in-body stabilization, the company is also announcing two cinema zoom lenses, the MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and 50-135mm T2.9, both with geared focus, zoom, and aperture rings, suppressed focus breathing, and support for Hollywood-level accessories, including matte boxes.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The camera itself can shoot at 4K quality, in both DCI and UHD formats. It supports 23.98 and 24fps at DCI (4,096 by 2,160) and your choice of 23.98, 24, 25, and 29.97fps when working in UHD (3,840 by 2,160). You can also shoot at 1080p or 720p at all of those frame rates, plus 50 and 59.94fps. There's also in-camera slow-motion at 1080p 120fps.

Video recording is limited to 15 minutes per clip, but adding the Booster Grip extends the clip length to 30 minutes. The grip also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is missing from the body and a must-have for monitoring audio on set or in the field.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

There are a number of color profiles available—Fuji calls some of them Film Simulation modes, so you can record footage with the same Classic Chrome, Acros, Provia, or Velvia looks you can use for JPG images. The X-H1 has a new film mode, Eterna, that mimics the look of cinema film. You also shoot with a flat profile, F-log, which lowers contrast to deliver 12 stops of dynamic range, giving you freedom to grade footage to your liking.

I stuck to Eterna when recording video with the X-H1—properly grading log footage is outside my comfort zone, and Eterna is what Fujifilm is pushing for cinema projects where out-of-the-box color is desired. To my eye, the footage looks great, with crisp detail and pleasant colors. The 200Mbps bit rate certainly comes into play here, even if it results in huge file sizes.

I was also happy to see how well the autofocus performs when recording video. Even with an extreme lens like the 100-400mm, the X-H1 is able to track subjects as they move toward or away from the frame, with only occasional hunting for focus. The first clip in our reel was shot handheld with that combination, coupled with a teleconverter, at an absurd 1,200mm-equivalent angle of view, and while there's judder when panning to follow a subject, the handheld footage is actually quite smooth when you consider the lens.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

You'll also see the occasional shake in tripod-mounted shots. But that's because the camera and tripod were themselves on an unstable platform, floating boardwalks along a wetland nature trail, and for our daytime beach scenes wind was strong enough to jostle my tripod. Audio is recorded in the field, with the X-H1's internal microphone, and you can certainly hear the wind blow in those shots.

There are other examples of handheld footage in our test reel. The snow scene and the dripping icicle were both shot sans tripod with the XF 80mm Macro. And you can see some can see some examples of skew, caused by the rolling shutter effect, in scenes of trucks passing by on the highway. It's not extreme, but it's noticeable. Overall, the X-H1 is the best video camera that Fujifilm has made to date, but if you are all about video, a more specialized mirrorless camera like the Panasonic GH5S or Sony a7S II is likely a better fit.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

As for video controls, there are a couple of ways to go. In order to shoot video you need to change the Drive dial to the video setting—a departure from the Record button you get with most cameras, but typical ergonomics for Fuji. Out of the box, the X-H1 will use the same settings you use for stills when switching to video. That's not ideal, as you typically want a different shutter speed for recording video than you do for capturing still images.

You can switch to an on-screen control mode, Movie Silent Control. It's accessible by diving into the camera menu. Once you turn it on, it sticks—you need to go back into the menu to turn it off. The interface supports touch input, so you can make adjustments to the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and other settings without clicking dials or adding unwanted audio to your footage. But navigating via touch is a bit clumsy. You're better off using the rear focus joystick to scroll through the menu and change settings. You just have to remember to use the left and right directional presses to navigate in and out of settings when adjusting several parameters. If you hit OK instead, which is the natural instinct when making a menu selection, the overlay menu disappears and you'll need to tap the screen to bring the overlay menu back up.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

The best part about using Silent Control is that its settings are separated from still photography. I can leave my shutter dial set at 1/1,000-second for imaging and have a set 1/48-second shutter speed for 24fps video capture. If you opt not to use it, you'll have to remember to change shutter speed manually as you move between still image and video capture. And you won't have easy access to the shutter speeds used for cinema production.


The Fujifilm X-H1 delivers the same class-leading image quality as the X-T2, but betters its focus system, offering stronger peformance in dim light and when shooting video. You also get Fujifilm's excellent Film Simulation modes for shooting in JPG, and Raw support for photographers who prefer to process their own photos. And while we didn't find the in-body stabilization to be as effective for stills as Fujifilm promises, shooting crisp handheld images at 1/15-second with longer lenses is nothing to sneeze at, and the system is very effective for video use. It adds versatility to some excellent Fujinon lenses that omit in-lens stabilization, like the company's XF 16-55mm F2.8 pro standard zoom (which was not available for me to use at the time of this review), and betters what in-lens stabilization can deliver on its own for lenses that include the feature.

The deeper handgrip is welcome, especially when using larger lenses like the XF 100-400mm and 80mm Macro, but the camera still balances well with smaller, lighter lenses. Photographers who love the Fujifilm way of doing things will be happy about the ISO and shutter speed dials, but may miss the EV dial. As much as I like a top information display, I'd prefer to lose it in favor of quicker EV adjustment.

The X-H1 faces some strong competition as you near the $2,000 price point. Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus and Panasonic, the E-M1 Mark II and G9 specifically, have smaller sensors but also shoot quite fast and offer strong autofocus and 4K video. Sony has its a6500, which is a bit too small for my taste, but is also quite capable. All of these competitors include in-body stabilization.

Fujifilm X-H1 : Sample Image

And on the SLR front there's the Nikon D500, which lacks IBIS, and isn't nearly as capable when it comes to video (it shoots in 4K, but doesn't autofocus well when recording moving images), a typical concern with SLRs. Canon has its 7D Mark II, which focuses and tracks subjects well, but is getting older every day—it seems due for an update.

But the elephant in the room isn't another APS-C or Micro Four Thirds model. It's the Sony a7 III, which sports a full-frame sensor, a focus system that covers most of the image frame with phase detection, and is capable of shooting at 10fps without the need for an add-on grip. It's also a 24MP camera, and while we haven't performed lab tests on it yet, we expect it to do better at high ISOs thanks to its lower pixel density and BSI sensor design. And, like the X-H1, it records video at 4K quality and includes in-body stabilization. If your needs aren't specifically geared toward APS-C photography it's a compelling alternative. The downside is that its lenses are a bit larger and tend to cost more than those for the X system. On the other hand, portrait photographers will appreciate the shallower depth of field that you can get with a full-frame sensor. An 85mm f/1.4 will still blur out a background more than the closest equivalent lens for the Fuji system, the 56mm f/1.2.

But there are certainly reasons to stick with APS-C, with smaller, more affordable lenses and the greater effective telephoto reach offered by the sensor format chief among them. And, in the smaller-than-full-frame sensor format, the X-H1 is the best all-around camera I've seen. It may not be the best at tracking subjects—that goes to the Nikon D500—but it's still very capable. It may not have the same video chops as the Panasonic GH5 and GH5S, but it betters them in autofocus and delivers strong 4K footage in its own right. It may not be as small and light as the Sony a6500, but its body design lends itself better to use with the larger lenses. The X-H1 does everything these competing cameras do best with almost as much acumen, delivering a lot of versatility for your dollar.

It's not the perfect body for everyone—I especially miss the EV dial—but while it has some shortcomings here and there, its versatility more than makes up for them. The X-H1 is a hard sell for photographers who already own an X-T2—unless in-body stabilization is an absolute must-have. But if you're mulling an upgrade from a more entry-level model, or are still using the 16MP X-T1, it's the obvious pick, and our Editors' Choice among premium, crop-sensor mirrorless cameras.