Fujifilm X-T5 is the best camera the company has ever produced. For the right photographer, it might even be the best camera to buy right now.
It was once the flagship mirrorless camera in the X Series, but that role has now been taken by X-H2 ($1,999), giving the X-T5 the freedom to be a great stills-oriented camera for photographers. It’s not perfect—the autofocus could be better—but if you love manual control, the ergonomics of a classic film camera, as well as the distinctive colors and characteristics of an X-series camera by Fujifilm, then this is the camera for you.
still life
The X-T5 represents a return to the form of the XT series. It’s smaller and lighter than its predecessor and doesn’t have many new video features. Instead, it primarily uses the still-image-oriented features from the flagship X-H2, including the new 40-megapixel, fifth-generation X-Trans sensor; better autofocus; and in-body image stabilization.
The new sensor is the highlight. This is the first APS-C sensor that matches my image quality Sony A7RII. It’s not as large or as high-resolution as newer full-frame cameras, like Sony 7R DRAWbut it’s good enough that when I’m editing an image, I never think “I wish I could take it full-frame”.
Photo: Fujifilm
The X-T5 captures surprisingly good quality footage but lacks some of the premium features—such as ProRes support (available via HDMI)—that you’ll find on the X-H2. Likewise, it lacks a vari-angle rear screen that’s handy for video recording (again, it’s been dropped from the XH series cameras). The clear message is that if you want a high-end combined stills and video camera, the X-H2 is the one for you. The new X-T5 is very much geared towards still photographers, and it manages to strike a near-perfect balance between technique and what photographers call “character”.
First, the technical ribs. As noted, the 40-megapixel sensor has excellent detail and doesn’t fall victim to the higher noise issues that sometimes come with more megapixels. That said, performance will depend somewhat on how and what you shoot. I tend to use fast lenses in low light situations and I rarely shoot above 1600 ISO. During testing, I noticed that once you get past this, noise becomes a bigger issue. While the 3200 is still usable, I wouldn’t go beyond that.
There’s also a new processor, which Fuji claims is four times faster than the previous model. This is part of a new autofocus system that, while great in Fuji X-series cameras, isn’t great compared to what you get with Nikon or Canon systems. If you need ultra-fast, perfectly accurate autofocus, you’re better off using it Nikon, Canon or Sony. However, for most people’s purposes, the X-T5’s system is good enough. What worries me more than speed is that the autofocus sometimes slips, especially when eye tracking is on. I’ve read that other reviewers have had similar experiences, which leads me to hope this is something Fujifilm will address in a future firmware update.
