The Fujifilm X-T5 is a Retro Appeal

The Fujifilm X-T5 is a Good APS-C Mirrorless Camera for Photojournalists: Is it Worth the Money?

It was once the flagship mirrorless camera in the X Series, but that role is now filled by the X-H2 ($1,999), which leaves the X-T5 free to become a great stills-oriented camera for photographers. It’s not perfect—the autofocus could be better—but if you love manual controls, the ergonomics of classic film cameras, and the distinctive color and character of Fujifilm’s X series cameras, this is the camera for you.

The X-T5’s fast continuous tracking felt sticky on some subjects, but this wasn’t a problem with the X-T5. I tried it with the XF 16–80mm f/4 kit lens and the excellent XF 56mm f/1.2 II portrait lens, and both optics nailed focus with relative ease. I have seen other systems struggle in similar situations when there was a busy background behind the distant subject, as the X-T5s eye- tracking is prone to getting mixed up. The X-T5 is a good choice if you want to change the focus of the X-H2 cameras, though be prepared for lots of menu fiddling.

The new sensor is the highlight. This is the first APS-C sensor to match the image quality of my Sony A7RII. When I was editing my images, I never thought about the fact that I wish I had taken that shot in full frame.

First, the technical chops. The 40-MIP sensor is quite detailed and does not fall victim to the higher noise issues that come with moreMIPs. Performance will be affected a bit by how and what you shoot. I rarely shoot over 1600 ISO and use fast lens in low-light situations. I found that once you got over it, noise became more of a problem. I wouldn’t go above that since it’s still usable.