Full Review Fujifilm X-T5 – Photography first

De Fujifilm X-T5 is meer op fotografen gericht dan de X-H2.

Introducing Fujifilm X-T5

The Fujifilm X-T5 completes Fujifilm’s new generation of high-end models. Having previously released the X-H2S with the 26 megapixel stacked sensor and the X-H2 with 40 megapixel sensor, there is now the X-T5. Whereas the X-T3 and the X-T4 were considered Fujifilm’s top models, superior to the (older) X-H1 in quite a few ways, Fujifilm is now again positioning the X-H2 series very clearly above the X-T series. At least, if you want maximum performance and especially if you want to work hybrid. If you do a lot of shooting as well as filming, that is. The X-T5 is a camera with which you can also shoot very well, but which will appeal mainly to photographers. Especially if you like a camera with a traditional, more analog way of operating with separate dials for shutter speed and sensitivity and where you prefer to operate the aperture on the lens. Despite having the same sensor and processors as the X-H2, the X-T5 offers slightly less video capabilities, and you can’t vlog with it. In fact, the screen can tilt both horizontally and vertically, but not rotate. The slightly less extensive video capabilities are partly due to the choice of two SD cards instead of one SD and one CFexpress card. As a result, the camera cannot write very large 8K files. On the other hand, you don’t have to buy expensive CFexpress cards if you want to work with two cards simultaneously. And the video capabilities that the X-T5 does have are still very extensive.

Construction and operation

The Fujifilm X-T5 is not an X-T4 with a newer sensor and processor, but a completely new camera. It is both lighter and smaller, which is a break from previous X-T models that actually got heavier and heavier. The X-T5 is back to a weight just below that of the X-T3. Fujifilm didn’t achieve that by using more plastic. The body is as robust as ever. Differences include an aluminum heatsink instead of one made of copper, a new, lighter design for the image stabilization and better, thinner, and therefore more expensive but lighter glass elements in the viewfinder. Other than that, fortunately, very little else has changed about the X-T5. Although Fujifilm is moving more toward programmable buttons in the -H and -S models, the X-T5 is still very traditional, with separate dials for exposure times, setting sensitivity and exposure compensation. This gives you good control of the camera and also allows you to quickly see what your camera is set to, even without looking at a screen.

The viewfinder has 3.69 million pixels and the screen 1.8 million. The battery now lasts 740 shots in Economy mode, but there is no longer an option to attach a grip with extra battery. However, there will be an additional grip with Arca-Swiss connection for people who want just a little more to grip. The X-T5 is has two card slots for UHS-II SD cards. So, you don’t have to buy CFexpress cards and a CFexpress card reader to work with the X-T5 with two cards, and for many photographers that will be an advantage. In any case, it is more economical. On the other side we find the usual connectors for USB and HDMI. The X-T5 now has USB-C with PD (Power Delivery), but only a micro-HDMI port instead of the full-size HDMI that the X-H2 has. There is also a microphone jack, but no direct headphone jack. It is possible to use headphones via USB-C, but then, of course, you can’t use that port to power the camera at the same time.

Image quality

The image quality of the X-T5 is exactly the same as that of the X-H2. Both have the same sensor and the same processor. That means that at the lowest sensitivities you can expect the highest image quality you can get with an APS-C camera, at least if you use the lenses Fujifilm recommends for these high-resolution cameras. The camera does get some noise at ISO 6400, but it is all but acceptable. If you expect to shoot often in low light, the X-H2S does have a slight edge with its lower pixel count. Like the X-H2, the X-T5 can take high res shots by shooting 20 frames with small shifts of the sensor. This does require the camera to be on a tripod and there is no recognition of moving subjects in the image. Also, the images are not processed in the camera and especially the latter is unfortunate because it does not give you the opportunity to check, for example, in landscape shots whether everything went well.

Video

The Fujifilm X-T5 is more of a camera for photographers, mainly because of the screen that does not swivel, unless you are filming but not vlogging. Because the X-T5 certainly has more than enough video capabilities for high-end video work. The camera does not have the 8K capability that the X-H2 does. This is mainly due to the lack of a CFexpress card slot. It also does not allow you to film internally in ProRes. However, the X-T5 does allow you to shoot in 6.2K at up to 30 frames per second and in 4K at up to 50 and 60 frames per second in 10 bit 4:2:2. That 6.2K is nice because it still allows you to crop or pan the image in post-processing if your end goal is 4K. Via HDMI, the 6.2K can even be sent out as a raw file to an Atomos Ninja V+ and then you can film in ProRes Raw. 4K filming comes in two flavors. In HQ 4k you get a file that is oversampled from 6.2K and thus very detailed. Both 6.2K and 4K HQ do have a crop of 1.2x. 4K HQ, like 6K, is available up to 30 bps. Regular 4K is not oversampled but does use the full width of the sensor. The X-T5 can shoot in slow motion at up to 240 frames per second. Of course, the usual options like F-log, F-log2 and HLG are present, and you can shoot in Fujifilm styles, including Eterna, for example. The X-T5 has a microphone input and using headphones is possible, but only through the USB port using an adapter. You then lose the ability to simultaneously power the camera via a power bank.

Autofocus

The autofocus of the X-T5 is similar to that of the X-H2, which is a fine system. It is fast thanks to the additional processor and applied Ai and can recognize subjects better than the X-T4’s autofocus. This is true both in terms of identifying subjects and in terms of their size. In fact, the X-T5 is better at focusing on smaller subjects.

Special features

Perhaps the most striking feature of the X-T5 is the screen that can tilt both horizontally and vertically. This allows you to take both portrait and landscape shots from high and low angles without having to rotate the screen outside the camera. For photography, this works easier and it’s also nice and robust. Vlogging is not possible with this screen, but you can of course use an external monitor for that.

Another special feature is the fastest (electronic) shutter speed of 1/180,000th of a second. There’s not a 0 too many in there. The X-H2 also has that capability, but the competition doesn’t get beyond 1/32,000th and we think that’s also very fast. You probably won’t need it very often, but you can achieve very special effects with it.

Relative to the competition

The Fujifilm X-T5, of course, has competition domestically from both X-H2 models. Those are a bit larger, heavier and more expensive, but also offer more features. When it comes to image quality for photographers, the X-T5 does not fall short of any camera. Those who like the more traditional, analog way of working will prefer the X-T5 to the X-H2, and the noticeably lower weight and more compact body may also be a good reason. The Canon EOS R7 is another competitor. It may have 7 fewer megapixels, but with 33 megapixels, the EOS R7 is also a high-resolution camera. The R7 is faster than the X-T5, but the viewfinder is again a bit less. The main reason to choose the Canon or the Fujifilm is the system. With the EOS R7 you get access to the extensive Canon system, but it has very few RF lenses made specifically for APS-C. Fujifilm, on the other hand, has the largest selection of lenses for APS-C, including bright and weatherproof versions.

Conclusion test Fujifilm X-T5