Sony a6700 vs Fuji X-S20
Dec 21, 2023In the world of APS-C, hybrid cameras, the Sony a6700 and Fuji-film XS20 appear to be two of the best options available. Both cameras are designed for hobbyists, vloggers, content creators, and even professional shooters. They are portable, all-in-one cameras with similar body types and weights, making them great for travel. Although they both only have one card slot, they pack a powerful punch and have a ton of professional features.
Released within three months of each other, the a6700 and XS20 are within $100 of each other in price and have a lot of the same functionality. The a6700 can shoot up to 4K120, while the Fuji XS20 can only shoot in 4K60. However, the micro HDMI on the Fuji XS20 can output 12-bit raw/ProRes raw and shoot in 6.2K open gate up to 30 fps using the entire sensor.
One downside of the small bodies of these cameras is that overheating can be an issue. However, there are ways to work around it and remedies available. Throughout the video, comparisons of the two cameras will be made, with the a6700 on the left and the XS20 on the right. Ultimately, the decision between the two will come down to personal preference and shooting needs.
Body & Design
The Sony a6700 and Fujifilm XS20 are two amazing APS-C, hybrid cameras that have plenty of similarities and differences. Both weigh 1.1 lbs, but the a6700 has a thicker body and beefier grip, while the XS20 has a deeper grip for better stability. The quarter mount thread on the XS20 is offset to the right, which helps with balance on a gimbal, whereas the a6700's quarter mount thread is directly under the lens.
Both cameras have a front and back dial for aperture and shutter speed, but the XS20 has an additional dial on the left side of the body that can be customized for ISO. The power button on the a6700 has better placement, while the XS20 has a flash toggle that can be used as a steady video light.
The a6700 has a mode dial for switching between video, stills, and S and Q modes, while the XS20 has an autofocus joystick that can be used for autofocus and menu selection. The XS20 also has more buttons and dials, making it more customizable for workflow efficiency.
The EVF on the XS20 is in the center, making it more comfortable for right-eyed shooters, while the a6700's EVF is off to the left. The a6700 has a higher magnification at 1.07x, while the XS20 has a magnification of .62x.
Both cameras have one card slot, which is not ideal for pro work. However, they both have USB-C, micro HDMI, headphone, and mic ports, with the XS20's mic port on the right side.
The XS20 has better handling with a better grip, joystick, and more dials, while the a6700 has a quick mode dial. The XS20 is also more customizable, allowing for more custom buttons. The XS20's display has more dots, making it easier to expose properly and see the frame while doing headshots.
Overall, both the Sony a6700 and Fujifilm XS20 are great options for hybrid cameras, and the differences between them come down to personal preferences and shooting needs. Each camera has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, and it's important to consider these when deciding which one to choose.
Image Quality
We will discuss a comparison between two cameras that can shoot both good quality video and stills. The author of this post tested both cameras by throwing them into program auto mode to see how they reacted to lighting and autofocus. According to the author, both cameras performed well, but he noticed that the XS20 had a tendency to blow the highlights out if not careful. To avoid this issue, the author set the exposure to -1 on the exposure comp.
When the author set both cameras to their highest quality settings and bitrate, he found that the a6700 had a higher dynamic range. In a shot of a boy by the lake, the author underexposed the shots and could see more detail in the shadows of the a6700.
To my eyes, the video samples of the XS20 looked more filmic, while the a6700 looked more digital.
When it comes to technical specifications, the a6700 can shoot in 120FPS in 4K and 240 FPS in 1080, while the Fuji can shoot in 60 FPS in 4K and 30 FPS in 6K. Both cameras can shoot in 4:2:2 10 bit All Intra, but the a6700 can shoot up to 600 MBPs, while the Fuji can shoot up to 360 MBPs.
The 6.2K on the Fuji is open gate, which uses all of the sensor's area, meaning that the camera doesn't crop the image to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is great for vertical content creators because they can shoot horizontally. The Fuji can also shoot in 4K DCI, which has a resolution of regularly 4096 x 2160 pixels.
When it comes to external recording, both cameras use micro HDMI for external output, and the Sony a6700 can do what it does internally, which is 10-bit 4:2:2 HDMI 4k 24/30fps. The X-S20, on the other hand, can shoot in 12 bit Raw/Pro-Res Raw, which is nice for potential pro shooters.
Both cameras have the ability to shoot in different profiles, and Fujis selection is better in the author's opinion. The author loves shooting in the Eterna profile because it has a really nice filmic look. Both cameras can shoot in Log, with the a6700 having its s-log profiles and the Fuji having F-log. These profiles help provide a super flat image that gives more room to grade it in post-production. The author found both cameras log profiles to be equal in their grading capabilities, but the a6700 has almost a baked-in magenta cast that the author always wrestles with.
If you want to shoot in log, the author's advice is to custom white balance. The a6700 does have an edge when it comes to log shooting, as you can upload LUTs, which you cannot do with the XS20.
Overall, both cameras have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them depends on individual preferences and shooting needs.
Conclusion
While testing the image transfer speed, I struggled with getting their computer to recognize the Fuji camera for file transfer. The author found themselves spending a lot of time googling and researching how to do certain things that should be simple.
In the external recording test with the Fuji, the author couldn't get the Ninja V to recognize the X-S20. While there may be easy fixes for these issues, I found that their Sony camera never gave them any trouble with these seemingly easy tasks. Perhaps updating the Fujis firmware could help.
Overall, if you want better autofocus systems and better stabilization straight out of the camera, go with the Sony a6700. If you want a more filmic look, better colors, 6K, or external recording in 12 bit, then go with the Fuji.
