X Series · 2023

Fujifilm X-S20

Name: FUJIFILM X-S20
Brand: Fujifilm
Availability: InStock

The one with the grip, the battery and no learning curve.

Short answer

The X-S20 pairs a 26.1MP sensor with seven-stop IBIS, a deep grip, a vari-angle screen and 750 shots per charge. It uses a conventional mode dial rather than Fujifilm’s traditional dials, and has 19 film simulations.

The X-S20 is the Fujifilm for people who do not want a Fujifilm lesson. There is a PSAM mode dial, a proper grip and a big battery, and the camera gets out of your way. It is the most practical body in the range and the least romantic.

Key specs

Sensor: 26.1 MP X-Trans CMOS 4
Processor: X-Processor 5
In-body stabilisation: Yes · 7 EV
Viewfinder: 2.36M-dot OLED, 0.62× magnification
Video: 6.2K/30p, 4K/60p, 10-bit 4:2:2
Weight: 491 g
Battery life: 750 shots
Launch price: $1,299

Specifications

Released: June 2023
Sensor: APS-C · 23.5 × 15.6 mm
ISO range: ISO 160–12800 (80–51200 extended)
Burst: 30 fps electronic (1.25× crop), 8 fps mechanical
Screen: 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.84M dots
Lens mount: Fujifilm X
Card slots: 1× SD UHS-II
Dimensions: 127.7 × 85.1 × 65.4 mm

Dimensions

127.7 mm wide
85.1 mm tall
65.4 mm deep

Body drawn to scale from the dimensions Fujifilm publishes. Depth is listed, not drawn.

The battery changes what you can do

750 frames per charge is more than double the X-T50 and considerably more than the X-T5. It uses the larger NP-W235 pack, which is the same one in the X-H2 and X-T4.

For travel, weddings and long days that is not a specification, it is a workflow. You stop carrying spares and stop rationing the screen.

The grip and the mode dial

The grip is the deepest on any small Fujifilm, which makes longer zooms comfortable in a way the X-T50 and X-E5 never are.

The mode dial will divide people. If you came from Canon or Nikon it is instantly familiar. If you came to Fujifilm for shutter speed and ISO dials, this is the body that does not have them.

Video

6.2K/30p, 4K/60p, 10-bit internal and a vari-angle screen. Combined with IBIS and the big battery, the X-S20 is the most capable video camera in Fujifilm’s mid-range, and it has a dedicated Vlog mode for it.

What is good

750 shots per charge, best in class
Deep grip that handles zooms
Seven stops of IBIS at $1,299
Strong video with a vari-angle screen

What is not

Mode dial instead of Fujifilm dials
No REALA ACE or weather sealing
Viewfinder is only 2.36M dots

Verdict

The X-S20 is the most sensible camera Fujifilm sells. It is not the one you fall in love with, but if you want IBIS, all-day battery and a grip that works with a zoom, nothing else in the range does the job as well for the money.