The Fujifilm X-T5 in 2024 - Is It Actually That Good?
The Fujifilm X-T5 has been a camera I’ve been wanting to try for a long time now.
Following the wildly popular X-T3, and a slightly disappointing but still decent X-T4 (which I still use), the X-T5 seems to have answered a lot of photographers’ prayers.
Today, we’re going to test it out and see if it’s as good as I’ve been hearing it to be.
I’ll also be doing a comparison video between this camera and the X-T4 in the future, so stay tuned for that.
Lets get started.
General Impressions
At a glance, the X-T5 is a familiar experience if you’re used to the X-T series cameras.
It has more or less the same shape, same still/movie mode switch, and same manual controls as previous versions.
One difference I noticed however was a slightly larger padding for the viewfinder cushion.
It also has a nicer door hinge for the ports on the side.
The X-T4 has these flappy easy to break hinges, while the X-T5 has stronger pop out doors.
I forgot to get pictures of these so you’ll have to take my word on this one.
But those are neat aspects about this upgrade - keeping the same base with slight improvements every iteration.
The biggest change however, besides the mp, video specs, and all the other standard upgrades was the screen.
I know some of you may be tired about how much time I spend talking about screens, but I feel like they matter a lot.
Screens affect user experience, functionality, and overall appeal of a camera.
One of the reasons why I like the x100v and vi so much is their flush tilting screens.
It fits the low profile casual point and shoot style.
One of the reasons I was most interested in the X-Pro3 was it’s unique screen.
It’s interesting, different, and encourages viewfinder shooting, but is debatable whether it’s functionally better or worse - more on this in a future video.
And with the X-T4, you have a fully articulating screen which is suitable for many videographers.
Meaning the screen itself changes the purpose of the camera.
Finally with the X-T5, they seem to have created the ultimate screen for photographers.
It’s able to pull down for waist level shooting, pull up for top down shooting, and even pull out for lower vertical photography.
Which the last one, I didn’t even know was possible.
To use this screen, you’d push in on the side button, and then pull out.
Which is great because now you’ve got a screen that can do it all.
And at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the X-T6 was also able to pull out the other way, and allow the screen to face forwards.
That could be the ultimate screen for hybrid work.
So overall, I was quite pleased with the body, shape, and build of this camera.
All of that combined with the same battery as the X-T4 has me feeling like the X-T5 is the final form of a good workhorse photography camera.
But…we still have to test it out.
Thoughts On Photography
Photography with this camera was a interesting experience.
I brought the X-T5 with me in my daily walks and a couple of street sessions and it seemed to perform quite well.
With it, I was also testing lenses like the 14mm f2.8 and the 27mm f2.8, so those were the main lenses I used.
And in the time that I had it, the camera performed great.
It’s about what you’d expect from a Fujifilm’s X-T series camera:
Reliable, sturdy, capable, and solid.
Those are all adjectives I feel like go well for a “workhorse” camera.
I’ve mentioned that a few times now.
What does that mean?
“Workhorse” means it’s a camera you want to have for taking the brunt of your photography work.
You can technically use it for anything from street photography to landscape photography.
But in my opinion, it’s larger profile makes it more suited for things like landscape and wedding photography.
A slimmer, sleeker, more casual design like in the x100vi feels more suited to street and everyday photography.
Now that doesn’t mean you can’t use the X-T5 for those purposes, it’s just those cameras feel more suited for that.
So I think the X-T5 is a great option for people needing something reliable for professional or “serious” photography.
And it might be a bit overkill if you’re just a casual shooter.
As for the screen itself, it was good, but not as useful as I expected.
In terms of waist level shooting, the screen was a bit stiff to pull out and move around.
Similarly, I didn’t use the vertical hinge as much as I thought I would.
I found myself most of the times using the screen as is - because it was quicker to do so than pull the screen out.
Again, this may be because my preferences are for more quicker and candid photography, where this camera seems to be more “heavy duty”.
Meaning the hinge is stronger probably so it wont break as easily and would make more sense if I’m out taking landscape photos with this mounted on a tripod.
Whereas the screen on the VI is lighter, looser, and easier to pull out to waist level.
So it’s interesting, but probably more user specific than a real deal breaker.
As for the upgrades in mp and other specs, I didn’t feel like I needed them.
Using cameras like the x100v and X-Pro3, I’ve found 24 mp to be more than enough, maybe even perfect.
I’ve yet to examine how deeply larger megapixels affects the aesthetic of an image, but as of right now, they’re not a necessity for me.
And as for video, I didn’t shoot much with this camera…
But I can sort of guess what kind of upgrades the X-T5 has: better resolution, better specs, better video.
So I took a few b-roll clips of myself, but nothing substantial to give you guys a full report on.
So that’s been my general experience with this camera.
Who is It For? / Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to buy a camera in 2024, the Fujifilm X-T5 could be a great option.
It’s robust, sturdy, works, well, and is reliable.
I do however, think it fits a certain type of photographer.
As I mentioned before, it’s design and functionality suits the landscape or wedding photographer.
Or maybe if you’re a professional photographer doing photo sessions, sports photography, gigs, etc.
This camera feels like it was built to be used often and used professionally.
Now this doesn’t mean that you can’t use the X-T5 for more casual purposes, but I think other cameras would be better suited for that.
Cameras like the x100 line, X-Pro series, and maybe even the smaller new X-T50.
The X-T5 however, feels like it was meant to be beat up, not slung around your waist for a casual cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.
Now at the time of writing it seems that you can get this camera for anywhere from $1800+ to as low as $1400.
The lower prices you have to be patient for and get lucky, but it is possible.
Which is a good thing.
This means it’s much easier to get the X-T5 as opposed to other cameras like the x100 series.
But if this still sounds above budget for you, I’d look into older X-T cameras like the X-T4 or X-T3.
They’re still great cameras and you might not need all the bells and whistles of the latest X-T5.
But anyways, that’s enough of me today.
I hope this helped - if it did, please share this with a friend.
Also check out my new photography zine “The Sinking Sun” (link is somewhere), and grab a free 4x6 print while you’re at it.
Thanks as always for reading, have a great day!
