Today at the X Summit in New York City, Fujifilm formally announced three new products, as well as gave updates on the XF and GFX systems.
First up at the summit was a brief marketing gloat about the X-H2S's success. But the big news was the announcement of the X-H2, the companion "pixels" camera to the X-H2S "speed" camera. Housed in the same body, the new X-H2 ups the APS-C sensor pixel count championship to 40mp (previously, Canon's 33mp APS-C sensor was the highest). 7680 x 4320 is the final pixel count, which means that the X-H2 also becomes the first crop sensor camera with 8K video as a result. As with the X-H2S, you get 10-bit ProRes capability, now at 8K/30P, but the X-H2 also supports 12-bit 8K raw, as well.
We also get pixel shift via the sensor-based stabilization. So if 40mp isn't enough, the camera can produce 160mp files via a 20-image shift sequence. Meanwhile, we get the first 1/180,000 second electronic shutter speed, obviating the need for some ND filters.
The biggest shock to many will be the US$1999 price of the body (US$2499 with the 16-80mm f/4 kit lens).
You might wonder if the XF lenses hold up under 40mp. Fujifilm claims that the 18mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4 II, 33mm f/1.4, and the redesign of the 56mm f/1.2 II are all up to the 40mp image sensor. But they also published a list of 20 lenses they say "get the maximum benefit from [the] X-H2's 40.2 megapixel sensor."
That's right, the 56mm f/1.2 lens for the XF mount got an update, with a new optical formula, better focus performance, and weather-resistant construction. This raises the size and weight a bit, but also brings the lens more in line with the other recent fast Fujifilm optics, and provides for the highest possible quality for the 40mp image sensor.
The GF mount wasn't forgotten, either, with a new 20-35mm f/4 lens becoming the widest of the medium format lens options. With the .79x crop factor, that's equivalent to a 16-28mm wide angle zoom (for full frame).
Meanwhile, the X Summit is also a place where future products get talked about by Fujifilm. Probably the most interesting ones are the 30mm f/5.6 and 110mm f/5.6 Tilt/Shift lenses coming for the GF (medium format) cameras.
