User Experience: Alex Shapiro on the Fujifilm X-S20

The Fujifilm X-S20 brings a host of strong videography features to a decently priced device. We sent it to videographer Alex Shapiro (featured on Take Ten) for a test drive. Here are his thoughts.

What were your first thoughts when unboxing the Fujifilm X-S20?

My first thought was, now don’t laugh, this thing is heavy for its size – the build quality holds true to Fujifilm, it’s really good.

After that, I loved the way it fits in my hand. The longer I spend in this industry the more I seek smaller cameras. Especially when you need to create content solo.

Under what conditions did you use the X-S20 and did you shoot mainly stills or video?

Sadly, I never got to test the camera under many conditions. I did try it out a sneaky little vlog with my wife in the Limpopo mountains and on a wedding as my C cam which in hindsight should have been my A cam.

What did you like most about the X-S20 and why?

The custom dials. What an absolute blessing to not only have the Fujifilm look but be able to snap to each setting as I like them with a turn of the dial.

Was there anything that surprised you about the camera the longer you shot with it?

Image quality was by far my biggest surprise, it really stands out for the price point.

Did you play around with the vlogging mode?

I did – coupled with all the other custom dials it makes for an effortless workflow and creation process.

What are your thoughts on the autofocus capabilities?

Fujifilm’s new autofocus is absolutely incredible. The X-S20’s was no exception.

Who would you recommend the X-S20 to?

Everyone, ha ha. Though if I had to recommend it, I would say it is a great B cam for established shooters and an incredible A cam for those starting to go pro. For this day and age, it is perfect for content creators, TikTok, reels, etc. Yes, it only has one SD card slot but with the ability to record out at high colour bit rates it gives any creator the ability to progress further with less.

To bullet point it:

Wildlife creators
Content Creators
New photographers and videographers
Hobbiest.

Any of your projects you want to punt?

As of late I’ve been on a lot of projects in the bush so if you keen on seeing me deny that I’m a wildlife filmmaker you can follow the journey ha ha.

Find more of Alex’s content here: www.someshap.com and www.instagram.com/someshap.

Alex noted the video was filmed in 6k Open Gate with a clip at 1080p 200fps.
It was graded to have a natural, outdoor commercial style.