Fujifilm, makers of fine cameras and printers, have done it again. What exactly is that; you ask? Well, it has added a new entry-level camera to its X-series of APS-C mirrorless cameras, the X-S20. It’s supposedly better suited to travellers and, particularly, vloggers due to its lightweight design, autofocus features, and ‘Vlog mode’ that makes fiddling with the front-facing video settings that much simpler (and better).
Better yet, it’s hitting South African shores (and shelves) in June, with a starting price of R24,900. Best of all, that price is somehow lower than the starting price in the US — $1,300 which in today’s market equates to roughly R25,400. Alongside the X-S20 is the company’s widest lens yet – the XF 8mm f/3.5R WR super-wide lens and the launch of the (hopefully improved) XApp… app. Both will join the X-S20 once it launches in mid-June.
Smoke and mirrorless
Just like the X-S10 before it, the X-S20 features the same X-Trans sensor, meaning that the 26MP resolution spec hasn’t changed in the slightest. That’s ok because it does feature the X-Processor 5 that’s usually found in the clutches of the company’s far more expensive (and qualified) cameras like the X-H2S.
While overall megapixel count is the same as its older brother, the X-S20 has a lot more room to work with in regard to in-camera features. It allowed for the addition of Fuji’s deep-learning AI autofocus tech, which comes with a speed boost and allows for the automatic detection of birds, cars, bicycles, trains, drones, and insects.
Video, in particular, is where the new processor’s benefits are most notable. Now, you can shoot up to 6.2K and 60fps 4:2:2 10-bit video that can be cropped in both vertical and horizontal formats to your heart’s content. It shoots at 240fps, though you’ll be condemned to capturing footage in 1080p. Unfortunately, that extra quality translates to larger files – and the lack of a second UHS-2 SD card slot might deter some buyers.
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What with this being “a dream camera for any content creator looking to take their photos and videos creation to the next level, but especially for the ones that are documenting their lives, travelling the world, or streaming their stories online,” according to Fuji’s Lisa Baxt, it’s possible that the X-S20’s stature just didn’t allow room for a second SD slot. That’s what we’re telling ourselves, anyway.
To really drive home the vlogging aspects of the X-S20, Fuji has included a Vlog mode, which has its own spot on the dial. Flick over to Vlog mode, and users to have access to a new menu that offers functions like a product priority focus mode, face and eye detection, and high-speed recording. Product priority mode, for example, disables face and eye tracking, focusing instead on the ‘product’ placed right in front of it and blurring the background.
You can check out the entire spec sheet for the X-S20 on Fujifilm’s website right here.
A camera for all (that have the moola)
You won’t find much difference where the X-S20’s body is concerned, with Fujifilm opting to keep much of the same design that the X-S10 featured, though with a larger grip and buttons and a slightly heavier weight (491g). Covering the (still rather light) body are the headphone/microphone and micro-HDMI ports, with the pop-up flash making a return.
There’s also a new NP-W235 battery that’s capable of capturing 800 frames – more than double its predecessor — on a charge. Display-wise, the X-S20 is sporting a fully-articulating (take the hint, Canon) 3in display.
As for when we’ll get our hands on the X-S20, we aren’t quite sure. Until Fujifilm decides on a firm date, that is. We know it’s on shelves sometime in June, and will cost R24,900 for the base model. Expect to pay R R29,500 if you want an accompanying 18-55mm lens. And if the Fujinon XF8mmF3.5 R WR sounds like something you must have, it’ll launch alongside the X-S20 with a suggested retail price of R16,500.
