0:00
Every couple of years we get a new entry in the Fuji X-T series and I'm here today to
0:14
look at the newest one, the Fujifilm X-T5. The headline feature here is a new 40.2 megapixel X-Trans sensor shared with the X-H2 that delivers
0:24
detailed 7,728 by 5,052 pixel images, along with some other new features and improvement
0:33
The X-T5 remains one of the more expensive APS-C cameras at roughly $1,700, so that raises
0:39
the question of whether or not this newest Fuji X-T body is worth the buy or the upgrade
0:45
I'm Dustin Abbott, and I'll attempt to answer that question in today's quick review. But first, a word from our sponsor
0:51
Today's episode is brought to you by Phantom Wallet, the minimalist, modern wallet that is now even better with the new Phantom X that is crafted from aluminum right here in Canada
1:01
It is 22% smaller and 35% lighter, while still making it easy to access your cards and money when you need them, thanks to their unique fanning mechanism
1:10
You could even customize your wallet due to its modular design with accessories like a money clip, cash holder, ID display, and even Chipolo and AirTag tracking integration
1:21
Visit store.phantomwallet.com to check out their unique sizes, styles, and finishes that span from aluminum to wood to carbon fiber
1:30
And use code DUSTIN15 for 15% off when you're ready to check out
1:35
The Fujifilm X-T5 feels immediately familiar, as it is nearly a carbon copy of the X-T4
1:43
in terms of the controls, dials, and handling of the camera. The only real change is that Fuji has actually reduced the size and weight a bit from the X-T4
1:53
The X-T5 is 130 by 91 by 64 millimeters. That's 5.1 by 3.6 by 2.5 inches
2:01
and it weighs 557 grams or 16.8 ounces. The X-T series has always had a bit of a retro vibe
2:09
in both the look of the camera and in the control scheme which relies more on dials and levers than other modern cameras We have three top dials that cover ISO shutter speed and exposure compensation with two of those dials having a second layer where you can choose drive functions on one
2:26
and switch between two separate configurations for still and video on the other
2:31
A small front-mounted lever allows you to switch between single-shot, continuous autofocus
2:36
and manual focus. There are also two control wheels front and back that can be clicked like a button for yet more functionality
2:43
A miniature joystick joins a directional pad and a variety of programmable buttons on the back, top, and front of the camera to complete the control scheme
2:52
There are two notable changes from the X-T4, however, and not everyone will be pleased by them
2:57
The articulating screen of the X-T4 has reverted back to a tilting screen on the X-T5, though resolution has been slightly increased to 1.84 million dots
3:06
While the X-T5 manages to squeeze even more battery life out of the NP-W235 battery, now up to 740 rated shots, there is no battery grip offered with the X-T5 due to low sales of the grip for the X-T4
3:21
If you want a vertical grip, you'll need to go for the X-H2 instead. Fuji's excellent in-body image stabilization has further improved on the X-T5 and is now rated for up to 7 stops of assistance
3:33
I noticed excellent stability when shooting stills and was even more impressed by the performance when grabbing run and gun video
3:41
I continue to find Fuji's touch functionality somewhat frustrating. It is limited to the Q or Quick menu in terms of navigation, and Fuji's Q menu navigation remains very puzzling compared to other brands
3:53
The primary menu looks very familiar, but cannot be navigated by touch at all
3:58
As before, we have two UHS-II rated SD card slots available, but no newer or faster technologies, which continues to be a limiting factor for buffers during action sequences
4:10
If you want to shoot sports, you'll want to spend the extra money for the X-H2, which will give you deep buffers allowing for hundreds and even a thousand or more images
4:19
The X-T5 at its worst will fill the buffer with only 19 uncompressed RAW images and 39 compressed RAW images
4:26
The mechanical shutter will give you up to 15 frames per second and you can get as many as 20 frames per second with the electronic shutter though with a slight crop but you have a very brief period to capture the action before the buffer fills
4:39
The autofocus system is largely carried over with a hybrid phase detect autofocus system with 425 selectable autofocus points supported by a contrast AF system
4:51
The main improvements here come via improved algorithms, a faster processor, and new deep machine learning AI that can predictively track movement
5:00
In addition to human subjects, this now includes animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, and trains
5:07
I can see a greater confidence in eye AF tracking and general performance, though I will note that I continue to prefer both Sony and Canon in this metric
5:17
Action tracking is excellent on the X-T5 if you use Fuji's better lenses
5:22
I definitely see improvements in video focus pools with the X-T5 and Fuji's newer lenses that have linear motors, as focus pools are smooth and confident and without visible steps, unlike what I used to see on these cameras
5:35
I saw good results also with the transition from my hand to my eye
5:40
No pulsing or settling. Everything is smooth. The highlight here is the upgraded 40 megapixel sensor
5:46
which offers greater resolution and the ability to crop significantly and still have equal resolution to previous X-T cameras
5:54
This will give flexibility to photographers of all types, and Fuji has managed to achieve this with minimal additional noise penalties
6:01
and the lossless compressed RAW file option keeps file size to roughly 40MB each
6:08
I was impressed by the detail available on this new sensor, along with a very solid ISO and dynamic range performance
6:15
The base ISO is now 125 rather than ISO 160, and that increased sensitivity pays dividends in a number of ways
6:23
Images up to ISO 3200 are perfectly usable, and in many situations, images at ISO 6400, like this
6:30
and even 12,800 like this will also be usable. I found that I was able to recover four stops of crushed shadows without issue
6:40
and even five was possible, though with a little extra bit of noise
6:44
I could recover two stops of highlights cleanly though some hot spots emerged at three stops of recovery If you want more dynamic range consider using Fuji DR200 available now at ISO 250 or DR400
6:57
available at ISO 500, which takes the shadow information from the current ISO setting
7:02
but samples the highlights from the base ISO, which is either one or two stops less. This allowed
7:08
me to get a perfectly clean three-stop highlight recovery with four stops possible as well. On the
7:13
video front we now have access to F-Log2 recording profile which gives over 13 stops of dynamic range
7:21
for editing. Fuji's color science remains excellent and there are a total of 19 different
7:26
film simulations available in camera along with the ability to tweak each one in camera to deliver
7:31
your perfect JPEG or HEIF image. Raw images can of course be tweaked to taste in post-processing
7:39
One of my favorite profiles is classic Chrome, and here's what a JPEG in Chrome looks like
7:44
On the video front, we now have recording capabilities of up to 6.2K at 30 frames per second, or at 4K with 60 frames per second options
7:54
High speed recording up to 200 frames per second is available at full HD, and you can output ProRes or Blackmagic RAW over HDMI
8:02
I found video footage to be highly detailed and stable due to the excellent in-body image stabilization
8:09
I'm more upbeat about the Fuji platform due to them finally opening up to third-party development
8:13
and 2022 saw a flurry of lenses from Tamron Sigma, Samyang, and Viltrox, among others, in Fuji X-Mount
8:21
This, along with new updated Mark II versions of some of their aging lenses
8:26
makes for a very intriguing APS-C space that is well worth your consideration
8:30
The greatest challenger to the X-T5 may be Fuji's own X-H2, which offers even more upscale features at just $300 more
8:39
Decisions, decisions. If you want more information, stay tuned for my definitive video review
8:44
or you can read my detailed text review that is linked in the description below
8:48
There are also buying links there, along with a link to my image gallery
8:52
Thanks for watching, have a great day, and let the light in. Thank you
