▷ Fujifilm X-T5 Hands-on Review: Maximum Photographic Enjoyment

Fujifilm has long been a haven for traditional photographers, and the Fujifilm X-T5 could be its biggest gift yet to this shrinking but still important demographic.

In a world leaning more and more toward video and full-frame sensors, the company has doubled down on its strengths (retro charm, touch controls, compact bodies) to create a photo-focused camera that could be the sweet spot. on all of your Series Xs, unless you're into 8K video and fully articulating screens.

The XT series (with the 'T' for 'traditional') has always been most popular with avid amateur or professional photographers who want a fun weekend ride that looks like a movie camera. The Fujifilm X-T5 carries on the same spirit, adopting the classic dials that Fujifilm's more modern XH series lacks. But it also packs an impressive amount of modern mirrorless technology, including the same 40,2MP APS-C sensor and X-Processor 5 found in the Fujifilm X-H2.

(Image credit: future)

With Fujifilm's new XH flagships taking on the burden of being hybrid stills and video beasts, the Fujifilm X-T5 has been unleashed to give fans of the series a more purely photographic experience. On the back is the Fujifilm X-T3's three-way tilting screen. And on the inside, there's an in-body image stabilization system that promises to provide up to seven stops of compensation.

Fujifilm X-T5 at Best Buy for €1,699.99 (opens in a new tab)

So has Fujifilm delivered the perfect camera for enthusiasts in the X-T5? Or is he too stuck in the past for his own good? We spent a few hours with the X-T5 at the Fujifilm Camera in London to find out…

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Fujifilm X-T5 price and release date

The Fujifilm X-T5 is available for pre-order today in black or silver finishes ahead of its November 17 on-sale date. lens packs

The cheapest package includes the XF18-55mm and costs €2099 / €2049 / AU€3949. Alternatively, you can get the X-T5 with the more versatile XF16-80mm lens for $2,199 / £2,149 / AU$4,099.

Surprisingly, that price is (in the US at least) exactly the same as the Fujifilm X-T4, which launched in early 2020. And if you live in the UK or Australia, the price increase won't it is certainly unreasonable, given current inflation.

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How does the price of the Fujifilm X-T5 compare to its closest rivals? The Canon EOS R7, which also has an APS-C sensor, is slightly cheaper at $1499 / £1349 / AU$2349 (body only). But this camera has a smaller selection of native lenses, a lower resolution viewfinder, and its sensor is 32,5MP compared to the X-T40,2's 5MP.

A more complicated decision for many photographers may be whether to opt for Fujifilm's flagship X-T5 or X-H2 ($1999 / £1899 / AU$3399, body only). Both cameras share the same sensor and processor, and the X-H2 differs in its more DSLR-like controls, top viewfinder, vari-angle screen, 8K video, and CFexpress card slot (which extends shooting time to 15 fps for ).

Fujifilm X-T5: Design

Slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor
Has traditional control dials, rather than a PASM setup
Same 3,69 million dot EVF as the X-T4

The design of the Fujifilm X-T5 definitely sets it apart as more of a hobbyist camera than a professional workhorse. If you like deep bindings, you'll want to look elsewhere (in the XH series, for example). But it also offers a completely evolved control system that has been refined in places.

The X-T5 is slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor X-T4, at over 5mm wide and weighing around 50g (557g with battery and memory card). It's still just as weatherproof as the X-T4, but size-wise, it's like a throwback to the X-T1, and the throwbacks don't stop there.

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For photographers, the X-T5 is like a collection of the greatest hits of the XT series. You get the X-T2 and X-T3's three-way tilting screen and dual memory card slots, plus the same 3,69 million-dot EVF (at 0,8x magnification) as the X-T4. T7,5. Inside, there's also an improved version of the image stabilization system built into this latest camera, promising XNUMX steps of compensation.

It's like Fujifilm asking its die-hard fans to vote on which features it should include in the X-T5. The rear screen, for example, is an oddly divisive choice, with some traditionalists deriding the X-T4's vari-angle screen for being too video-focused. We think the three-way tilting screen is better for photography, as you can shoot from high or low angles without flipping it sideways, so we're glad to see it return to the X-T5.

The smallest touches show that the X-T5 really is closer to the X-T3 than its immediate predecessor. Gone are the rubber shutters that covered the ports on the side of the X-T4, for example, with the X-T3's removable doors in place they provide a more convenient setup for those who like to attach L-brackets. There is also a switch on the front to move between the different focus modes.

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But the basics of this camera are very much in the spirit of the entire XT series. On the top plate you have separate dials for ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. This is one of the big differences from the XH series and most modern mirrorless cameras. Whether you prefer this setup or a more typical PASM setup is a matter of taste, but there's no question that the X-T5 setup works well with the aperture rings found on most Fujifilm X-mount lenses. .

We're pleased to see that the X-T5's "on/off" switch is now a bit more recessed, which means less chance of accidentally turning it on in your camera bag. But that's not all good news, especially if you're video inclined. There's a flimsier microHDMI port (instead of a full-size port found on the XH series) and no headphone jack either, though it's possible to use a USB-C adapter for sound monitoring.

However, the most controversial omission on the X-T5 is that there is no option to add a vertical battery grip. Some fans of the X-T4 find it a useful way to improve the strength and handling of their camera during demanding shoots, but Fujifilm said it wants the X-T5 to stay as small as possible.

Given that the camera's NP-W235 battery can now take 580 shots between charges (or 740 frames in 'Economy' mode), we doubt this will be much of a loss for most potential X.-T5 buyers, but it's worth it. worth keeping in mind. if you like to take epic shots without access to power or spare batteries.

Fujifilm X-T5: specifications and performance

Latest subject tracking autofocus for animals and birds
Always a maximum of 15 fps in continuous shooting (with limited buffer)
Built-in image stabilization offers seven stops of compensation

The XT series has always focused more on the photographic experience than cutting-edge technology, but the Fujifilm X-T5 is certainly not lacking in features.

Its new X-Processor 5 offers subject detection autofocus that enables the X-T5 to recognize and track animals and birds. We haven't tested this in parallel with a Canon EOS R7, but it's fair to say that Fujifilm's autofocus has lagged slightly behind rivals Canon and Sony in the past. However, the X-T5 has more phase-detection pixels than its predecessor, so we look forward to a more thorough real-world test.

When it comes to burst shooting, the X-T5 can still max out at 15fps when using the mechanical shutter or 20fps when using the electronic shutter. But the camera's 40.2MP resolution (and lack of a CFexpress card slot) affects how long it can sustain those speeds.

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For example, you can only shoot at 15fps for just over a second (or 19 frames) when shooting uncompressed, before the buffer fills up. It's a similar story when set to take 'raw + JPEG' simultaneously. Sure, you can shoot for close to eight seconds when you're just shooting JPEGs at this speed, but that's not something the most avid hobbyists want to do.

Unfortunately, even when you switch to 10fps or 7fps, that limit for raw uncompressed shots remains the same. For most people, 2-3 second bursts will be enough to get you through a moment, but if you're shooting a lot of action, keep in mind that CFexpress-compatible cameras like the Fujifilm X-H2 can record 400 raw files a 15 fps (enough for 26 seconds without stopping breathing).

The inclusion of two SD card slots keeps the X-T5's body small, but also limits its burst shooting compared to CFexpress cards. (Image credit: Future)

On the plus side for photographers, the X-T5 has a new fast maximum shutter speed of 1/180000 including the X-H2's 'Pixel Shift Multi-Shot' mode to produce 160MP photos. Like Sony's similar modes, it does this by using its IBIS mechanism to move the sensor one pixel at a time, allowing you to shoot 20 frames with a single shutter press. You should then combine these images using Fuji's "Pixel Shift Combiner" software (for Windows and Mac).

One of the traditional strengths of the X series has been its off-camera JPEG performance and that continues to be the case with the X-T5. You get the full suite of 19 Film Simulation modes, which look just like classic movies, and it's also HEIF compatible, giving you 10-bit image quality with significantly smaller file sizes than standard JPEG.

So overall, the X-T5 isn't a huge step up from the X-T4, but its subject-tracking autofocus, in-body image stabilization, and high-resolution stills will represent a more substantial leap over older XT bodies.