Fujifilm X-T5 Body Only - Black

Product Information

Swapping to either 6K30 or the high-quality 4K30 mode ups picture quality noticeably, but makes a couple of trade-offs. Angle of view is one, as these modes introduce a 1.23x crop, limiting the view of lenses. And the sensor readout speed is slower, enough where rolling shutter distortion is worrisome. XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro, f/2.8, 1/110-second, ISO 125, Nostalgic Negative

After 9 years of image making with this system, this is my favourite camera to date. I can honestly say there has never been a better time to be shooting with Fujifilm. From our limited experiences so far, the X-T5 feels like a worthy addition to a series that's staking a claim towards becoming a classic. For still photographers, the Fujifilm X-T5 is the most capable and one of the most enjoyable APS-C cameras in 2023 thanks to a class-leading high-resolution sensor, a time-tested and well-matured design, and a competent autofocus system that we hope has scope to get better with age (via firmware). So here’s a single 40 Megapixel frame on the left and the Pixel Shift version on the right, both taken moments apart using the same XF 23 1.4 lens. As seen on the X-H2 before it, Pixel Shift certainly has the potential to capture and reveal even finer details on some subjects, but equally suffers when anything on the frame is in motion, such as people walking on the pier and the waves on the sea. The X-T5 sees the welcome return of Fujifilm’s 3-way tilt screen, which is perfect for stills photography. Image credit: Andy Westlake

Sensor

The 40MP sensor gives a lot of scope for cropping. Fujifilm X-T5, XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR at 300mm, 1/1250sec at f/5.6, ISO 200. 2.2MP crop to 1900mm equivalent. Image credit: Andy Westlake

The X-TransTM CMOS 5 HR sensor has a greater number of phase detection pixels than the previous model, resulting in an improved ability to attain AF-S focus on a high-frequency subject, providing accurate autofocusing in situations where AF-S is typically used, such as landscape photography and portraiture. The use of an improved AF prediction algorithm offers stable focusing also in the AF-C mode.

Comments

The X-T5 sports the same 40MP BSI CMOS chip as its sibling, the X-H2, and is capable of the same outstanding class-leading APS-C image quality. Studio scene High-res mode works great for completely static subjects but is less useful for scenes with even a little bit of movement as there is no motion correction. In the example above, trees swaying in the wind, passing cars and moving people lead to noticeable artifacts (see the people at the base of the footbridge over the water). That said, for architectural, product, or art reproduction photography, this mode could be handy. Grumbles about video quality aside, the X-T5 offers very good in-body stabilization, making it easy to shoot steady handheld footage. And 'IS Boost' mode does a darn good job of replicating a tripod, allowing for long, handheld static shots. However, when we switched face/eye detection on – with the AF-C custom settings still dialed in – our hit rate incredibly improved to roughly 80%, with 10% of images deemed 'soft' and 10% flat-out misfocused. This is a major improvement. Just before moving on, here’s a burst taken with the mechanical shutter on the X-T5 while I’m panning, showing how the buildings are upright as you’d expect.

Sensor readout speeds are a bit faster in the X-T5's 4K/60p and 4K UHD modes but again, the camera is not using all available pixels in either of these, so this more usable speed comes at the cost of detail and noise performance. Video IS The XT5 offers a highest video quality rate of 6.2K/30p with a modest 1.23x crop recorded in 4:2:2 10-bit internally. The X-T5 may not match the X-H2’s 8K recording, but there’s more than enough on offer here for photographers who’d like to be able to shoot high quality video occasionally. The quality of its footage is very good, aided again by those lovely Fujifilm colours. Fujifilm’s IBIS provides a good degree of stabilisation, allowing you to shoot hand-held and pan smoothly across a scene without the footage becoming unwatchable. If the X-T5 still isn’t up to your needs, there’s always the X-H2 and X-H2S. High-res multi-shot mode An upgraded stabilisation algorithm improves IBIS which rises from 6.5-stops in the previous model to 7-stops of high image stabilisation performance. Video mode stabilisation offers improvements to panning through: For clips with movement, the X-T5 doesn't tend to fight against smooth pans, which its predecessor was somewhat prone to do. But a sudden jerk of the camera can certainly throw it off. Similarly, motions like walking or running with the camera are just a bit too much for the X-T5's IS system to handle. Video AF

There’s also the full selection of Advanced filter effects and the Panorama mode which stitches together images in-camera to deliver a particularly wide or tall image, albeit not with the same resolution as manually stitching photos yourself. In comparison, the X-T5 can only manage a relatively meager 119+ JPEGs or 19 RAW files before the continuous shooting rate starts to slow down. Body So while the burst speed on the X-T5 is the same as the X-H2, the actual burst depth becomes another differentiator. If you’re happy to shoot JPEG-only bursts, I don’t think you’ll find it an issue in practice, but RAW shooters will need to think about whether 20 frames at a time with pauses afterwards as they fully-flush will be sufficient.