Fujifilm X-S20 Camera Review

The Fujifilm X-S20 is similar in size to its predecessor but is a touch heavier and wider. Overall, it's still a fairly portable camera, and its relatively large handgrip may be worth the trade-off in portability for those who prefer more comfortable ergonomics.

The camera's build quality is great. It doesn't feel as premium as higher-end models like the Fujifilm X-T5 or the Fujifilm X-H2 / Fujifilm X-H2S, but it still feels sturdy overall. The top and bottom plates are made of magnesium alloy, while the rest of the body is made of hard plastic. Some buttons have been slightly redesigned from the Fujifilm X-S10, with a slightly clickier feel that provides good physical feedback. The grip also has a slightly grippier texture than the grip on the X-S10. The screen mechanism and flash mechanism feel solid, too. Unfortunately, there's no weather sealing on the camera. It's also worth noting that the shoulder strap attachment points aren't fixed like on a camera like the Sony ZV-E1. They're still sturdy, but they could rattle around and cause some noise if you plan on shooting video.

Even though the Fujifilm X-S20 doesn't have the vintage-style exposure dials that Fujifilm X-T series cameras are known for, its three customizable command dials still make it quite easy to adjust settings.

The X-S20 is also compatible with the FAN-001 cooling fan that Fujifilm sells for the Fujifilm X-H2S / Fujifilm X-H2. It screws into the mounts behind the screen. It's worth noting that while the camera's cooling fan connector cover can attach to the cooling fan for safekeeping, the fan connector cap on the cooling fan itself can easily be misplaced (see step 2 here for more info).

• Fujifilm X-S20 camera body
• Sensor cap
• Shoulder strap
• 1x Fujifilm NP-W235 battery
• AC adapter with Type A plug
• 3x international plug adapters
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• User manual and documentation

The camera is very comfortable to shoot with. The hand grip is a touch wider than the grip on the original Fujifilm X-S10, which was already very comfortable, to accommodate the larger battery. The thumb rest on the back is also more pronounced, so it feels great in hand, with plenty of room for hands of various sizes. On the other hand (no pun intended), some buttons might be harder to reach or awkwardly placed if you have small hands. That's especially true if you're vlogging and have the camera facing you since some back buttons are also flat and harder to press from that position. The viewfinder also isn't the most comfortable, with a hard plastic eyecup that doesn't protrude very far from the body.

Nothing new with the viewfinder, as it's pretty much identical to the one on the Fujifilm X-S10. It has a typical 2.36 million dot resolution, which isn't surprising at this price point. It isn't the highest-resolution EVF out there, but it's perfectly fine for the price. It's a little on the smaller side but isn't bad overall.

The screen is fully articulated, with a higher resolution than the display on the Fujifilm X-S10. You can use the touchscreen to select an autofocus point or focus area, as a touch shutter, or to adjust certain settings in video mode. The new dedicated 'Vlog' mode also lets you access and adjust settings relevant to vlogging, as seen here. That comes in handy when the screen flips around to face you. On top of that, the screen supports swipe gestures, which you can customize to access different settings whenever you swipe up, down, left, or right from the edge of the screen. However, you can't scroll through the menus with touch gestures.

The menu system is great overall, especially once you get used to it. For example, some of Fujifilm's terminology differs from other brands, like metering settings being labeled 'Photometry'. It's relatively easy to navigate, and there are plenty of customization options, including 'My Menu' pages to access your most frequently used settings, in addition to the quick menu that you can pull up while shooting.

You can also download Fujifilm's XApp (screenshot of the app interface here), which lets you control the camera remotely, back up your settings, get notified about firmware updates, and transfer files from your camera directly to your smartphone (excluding RAW files). Using the app for Live View works okay, but it can be very laggy.

The Fujifilm X-S20 has the same fourth-generation 26 MP X-Trans sensor as its predecessor—the same one found on many Fujifilm cameras since 2018, including the Fujifilm X-T4. However, it uses the new X-Processor 5, which Fujifilm claims is twice as fast as the previous generation.

The Fujifilm X-S20 has an excellent battery life thanks to its new, larger NP-W235 battery, which is the same battery found on higher-end models like the Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-H2S. The X-S20 is CIPA-rated for 750 shots in normal mode and 800 in its power-saving economy mode. That's a big improvement over the 325-shot CIPA rating of the Fujifilm X-S10. While your real-world battery performance will vary depending on how you use your camera, it's a fantastic rating for a mirrorless model.

The camera is also great regarding video. We tested a little over 110 minutes of continuous 4k video recording on a full charge, which is great for longer recording sessions. You can also power the camera externally with a USB power bank or adapter.

Using the mechanical shutter, The camera can shoot at a fairly quick max burst rate. Switching into electronic shutter mode gets you much quicker 20 fps burst shooting, though, of course, the electronic shutter can cause distorted vertical lines, so it's less suitable for tracking fast-moving subjects. You also have the option to shoot at 10, 20, or 30 fps in the electronic shutter mode with a 1.25x crop.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have the largest buffer when shooting uncompressed RAW files, though it's still an improvement over the Fujifilm X-S10. That said, if you shoot JPEG or compressed RAW files, it can capture over 1,000 frames when using the mechanical shutter, which is capped at 8 fps. If you switch over to electronic shutter mode, on the other hand, the buffer fills up after about 185 JPEGs at 20 fps (with a 21s empty time) or about 412 JPEGs when using the cropped 30 fps speed (with a 35s empty time).

The Fujifilm X-S10 has the improved AF algorithm of newer Fujifilm models like the Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-H2S. So, unlike the Fujifilm X-S10, it now has expanded subject detection modes for animals, birds, trains, automobiles, and motorcycles, in addition to human face and eye detection. However, just like those models, the subject detection modes are organized as separate from the human face/eye detection setting, which can be a bit of a hassle if you want to quickly go from shooting planes to people, for example. There's an auto subject detection feature that automatically detects what subject you're shooting, whether it's a person or a plane, and tracks them accordingly. Unfortunately, it's only available when the camera's in 'Auto' shooting mode. Still, the AF tracking is a big improvement over its predecessor's. Overall, it does a great job of keeping moving human subjects in focus, and you're likely to get a solid hit rate, even with faster or more erratic subjects.

Unfortunately, the camera's autofocus is inconsistent when you turn off tracking. Sticking to a center focus point, it'll sometimes miss focus and jump to the background or foreground, even when you keep the focus point on the intended subject. We tested the AF with both the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R OIS and XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR lenses, and the AF performed similarly with each. That said, the autofocus performs much better if you use center point focusing but keep face detection enabled. Ultimately, as far as AF-C goes, letting the camera detect and choose a subject for you leads to more reliable results than simply choosing your own focus point.

The camera has a five-axis in-body image stabilization system, which Fujifilm rates for up to 7 stops of stabilization. That's an improvement over the advertised 6 stops on the Fujifilm X-S10. We managed to get clear images at very slow shutter speeds when shooting handheld, so it's very effective overall. We tested stabilization with the optically stabilized XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R OIS lens. It's worth noting that stabilization can vary depending on many factors, including the lens you use, the focal length you shoot at, and how steady your hands are.

The sensor has great dynamic range, capturing a wide array of highlight and shadow detail. It's roughly on par with APS-C competition like the Sony α6600 and slightly outperforms the higher-resolution Canon EOS R7.

The camera captures a good amount of fine detail, but it isn't remarkable. You have some leeway to crop in your photos without losing too much resolution, but images aren't as sharp or detailed as they are on higher-resolution models like the Fujifilm X-T5.

The camera has decent RAW noise handling. It's better suited to low-light shooting at high ISO settings than a competitor like the Sony α6600, for example.

The Fujifilm X-S20 supports video recording in 6.2k resolution at up to 30 fps and 4k or FHD at up to 60 fps. You also have the option to shoot DCI 4k in a slightly wider, more cinematic 17:9 aspect ratio. With a compatible Atomos or Blackmagic recorder, the camera can output 12-bit RAW video over HDMI in ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW, respectively. On top of that, the X-S20 also supports the new F-Log 2 format, in addition to standard F-Log, to capture an even wider dynamic range and give you more flexibility when color grading. Ultimately, it's a big step up from the Fujifilm X-S10 when it comes to video features, inheriting some high-end video specs from its flagship siblings, the Fujifilm X-H2 and Fujifilm X-H2S.

Another new feature on the X-S20 is the dedicated 'Vlog' mode, which replaces the 'SP' or Scene Position setting on the mode dial, which tracks with the broader market trend of appealing to content creators and vloggers. The different creative scenes from the old 'SP' mode are now incorporated into the 'Auto' mode.

The Vlog mode differs from the regular Movie mode in several ways. For one, it adds a 'vlog' settings quick menu to the touchscreen, so you can easily adjust settings while the screen is facing forward. It also gives you access to two additional features: 'Background Defocus Mode' and 'Priority Products Mode'. If those sound familiar, it's because they follow in the footsteps of the 'Background Defocus' and 'Product Showcase' features that Sony has been implementing in its ZV vlogging cameras since the Sony ZV-1. In any case, the Background Defocus Mode sets the aperture to the widest available on your chosen lens. The amount of background blur you get will depend on several factors, not just the max aperture but also your distance to the lens and focal length. The Priority Products Mode disables face/eye detection to allow the camera to pick up any objects you hold up in front of the lens, which can be helpful for product vloggers.

Unlike older models, the X-S20 now supports the UVC/UAC standard, so you can stream and use it as a webcam by simply plugging it into a PC without additional software.

The camera can record 4k video at up to 60 fps, though recording at the max 60 fps incurs a slight crop. Still, cropped 4k 60 fps is better than the Fujifilm X-S10, which was limited to 4k at up to 30 fps.

The camera has impressive internal recording specs, especially for a mid-range camera. It can capture 10-bit 4:2:2 4k video internally—a notable improvement over the 8-bit 4:2:0 recording of the Fujifilm X-S10. 10-bit means you'll have much more flexibility with your footage when recording in Log. Accordingly, the X-S20 now adds F-Log 2 on top of the standard F-Log to capture an even wider dynamic and tonal range. On the flip side, the X-S20 is prone to overheating. The 'Auto Power Off Temp' setting, similar to the 'Auto Power OFF Temp' setting on Sony cameras, lets you raise the camera's temperature threshold before it shuts down. However, Fujifilm only recommends using the 'High' setting when not shooting handheld. When set to 'Standard', the camera shut down after about 26 minutes of continuous video recording in 4k at 30 fps. You can also buy the optional FAN-001 cooling fan, which attaches to the body while the screen is extended and can help prevent overheating.

The autofocus performs inconsistently in 4k. Even after playing around with the sensitivity and speed settings and trying a different lens, we experienced a fair amount of chasing and pulsing when tracking a moving human subject, particularly whenever the subject leaves the frame and returns. Overall, it's underwhelming, especially considering the other Fujifilm cameras with this new AI-powered autofocus, like the Fujifilm X-T5 or the Fujifilm X-H2S, perform much more reliably. The X-S20 has the same quirks in implementation as those cameras, with human face/eye detection separate from the other subject detection modes. However, it does have an auto subject detection feature that bypasses that by automatically detecting if a human or other subject is in the frame. Unfortunately, it's only available in the camera's Auto shooting mode.

The camera's 4k video quality is excellent. It's quite crisp and detailed, though shooting at 60 fps in 4k incurs a bit of a crop, as you can see here. For even more detailed footage, you can record in open gate 6.2k with a 3:2 aspect ratio. You can see a test scene extract of that here. 4k video looks pretty good in low light, but some noise and loss of detail is inevitable.

Unfortunately, the rolling shutter effect is pretty bad on the Fujifilm X-S20. If you pan the camera or move it around quickly, you'll see some noticeable skewing with vertical lines.

The Fujifilm X-S20 can record regular full-speed 1080p video at up to 60 fps without a crop. Like other cameras from this brand, it has a high-speed recording mode that can record slow-motion footage at up to 240 fps, with playback options for 2x, 4x, or 8x slow motion. This mode doesn't record any sound and imposes a notable crop.

As with 4k, the Fujifilm X-S20 has impressive 1080p internal recording specs. There's no recording time limit, which is great for longer recording sessions or streaming. It also supports 10-bit 4:2:2 capture internally, giving you more leeway in post. That said, bit rates fall short of the advertised 360 Mbps.

We experienced much better AF performance in 1080p than in 4k, with more reliable human subject tracking and less hunting. However, outside of the subject detection modes, it's less consistent. For example, if you want to maintain focus on an object that's coming towards you or away from you, it can be sluggish to keep up.

Video quality in 1080p is great in more controlled lighting, but noise is more present in low light, with muddier details. The video quality also degrades significantly in the high-speed recording mode, especially at 240 fps, as you can see here.

Thankfully, rolling shutter is better in 1080p. You'll still get some skewing, but it's notably better than in 4k and most noticeable when panning the camera very quickly.

You're still only getting a single SD card slot, but unlike the Fujifilm X-S10, it's rated for faster UHS-II cards. It's on the bottom of the camera, next to the battery slot. A locking, hinged door covers the compartment.

The Fujifilm X-S20 has a full suite of inputs and outputs, including both a microphone input and, unlike the original Fujifilm X-S10, also includes a headphone jack, which is on other side of the camera. It uses a modern USB-C port for charging, power supply, streaming, and file transfer. There's also a Micro HDMI port to connect an external display or recorder, though you'll likely need an adapter for full-sized HDMI cables.