X Series · 2022

Fujifilm X-T5

Name: FUJIFILM X-T5
Brand: Fujifilm
Availability: InStock

Dials on top, 40 megapixels inside, nothing wasted.

Short answer

The X-T5 is Fujifilm’s photography-first flagship: 40.2MP APS-C, seven stops of stabilisation, dual UHS-II slots and mechanical dials for shutter speed and ISO. It has 19 film simulations, everything except REALA ACE.

After the video-heavy X-T4, the X-T5 went back to being a stills camera. It is smaller, lighter, has a three-way tilting screen instead of a vari-angle one, and puts a 40-megapixel sensor behind the traditional dial layout that made the X-T line popular.

Key specs

Sensor: 40.2 MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR
Processor: X-Processor 5
In-body stabilisation: Yes · 7 EV
Viewfinder: 3.69M-dot OLED, 0.80× magnification
Video: 6.2K/30p, 4K/60p, 10-bit 4:2:2
Weight: 557 g
Battery life: 580 shots
Launch price: $1,699

Specifications

Released: November 2022
Sensor: APS-C · 23.5 × 15.7 mm
ISO range: ISO 125–12800 (64–51200 extended)
Burst: 20 fps electronic (1.29× crop), 15 fps mechanical
Screen: 3.0-inch three-way tilting touchscreen, 1.84M dots
Lens mount: Fujifilm X
Card slots: 2× SD UHS-II
Dimensions: 129.5 × 91.0 × 63.8 mm

Dimensions

129.5 mm wide
91 mm tall
63.8 mm deep

Body drawn to scale from the dimensions Fujifilm publishes. Depth is listed, not drawn.

What 40 megapixels actually gives you

More cropping room, and that is the honest answer. At normal viewing sizes you will not see the difference between 26 and 40 megapixels. What you will see is that a half-frame crop still prints large.

The cost is file size and lens demand. Older or cheaper X-mount lenses that looked fine on 26MP show their limits here, and RAW files are noticeably heavier on card and disk.

The dials, and why they matter

Shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation each have their own dial. You can see your settings with the camera switched off, which no mode-dial camera can do.

The three-way tilting screen is a deliberate choice over the flip-out design of the X-T4. It is better for waist-level stills and worse for filming yourself, which tells you exactly who the X-T5 is for.

X-T5 or X-H2?

Same sensor, same processor, same 19 simulations. The X-H2 has a bigger grip, a vari-angle screen, a top LCD, CFexpress and 8K video. The X-T5 is lighter, cheaper and has the dials.

If you shoot mostly stills, the X-T5 is the better camera and the better value. If video is half your work, the X-H2 handles heat and long recording far better.

What is good

Mechanical dials you can read with the camera off
Seven stops of IBIS in a 557g body
Dual UHS-II slots at this price
Weather sealed and genuinely compact

What is not

No REALA ACE, and firmware will not add it
Three-way tilt screen is poor for filming yourself
40MP is unforgiving of older lenses

Verdict

The X-T5 is the most complete stills camera Fujifilm sells under two thousand dollars. It gives up video features to be lighter, smaller and more direct to use, and for photographers that is a trade worth making.

Film simulations on this camera

19 film simulations

PROVIA / Standard The honest baseline every other look is measured against.

Velvia / VIVID Deep greens, hot reds and no apologies.

ASTIA / Soft Colour that stays rich while skin stays kind.

Classic Chrome Muted colour, hard shadows, magazine mood.

Classic Negative Drugstore film with a chip on its shoulder.

Nostalgic Neg. Amber highlights, deep blues, family album warmth.

PRO Neg. Std The flattest colour profile Fujifilm makes.

PRO Neg. Hi Kind to skin, firm enough for real light.

ETERNA / Cinema Low contrast, low saturation, room to grade.

ETERNA Bleach Bypass Silver, steel and almost no colour.

ACROS Black and white with grain that behaves like film.

ACROS+Ye A little more sky, no cost to skin.

ACROS+R Black skies, white clouds, high drama.

ACROS+G The portrait filter, and the one for gardens.

Monochrome Plain black and white, harder and more graphic than ACROS.

Monochrome+Ye The everyday filter on the harder black and white.

Monochrome+R The hardest black and white Fujifilm will give you.

Monochrome+G Foliage that stays readable in a hard black and white.

Sepia The one almost nobody uses, and the reason it exists.

Recipes that work on this camera

classic-chrome X-Trans V Everyday Classic Chrome Straight Classic Chrome is beautiful and slightly miserable: dense shadows, cool colour, dark corners. This…

classic-chrome X-Trans V · X-Trans IV Grey City Grey weather defeats most recipes because there is nothing for them to work with. This one does not try to…

classic-negative X-Trans V Sunday Superia Superia was the film you bought at the airport because you forgot to pack any. It had too much contrast and…

classic-negative X-Trans V Night Market Most night recipes fail because they try to make a night scene look correctly exposed. A street at night is…

nostalgic-neg X-Trans V Golden Hour Amber Nostalgic Neg already puts amber in the highlights. This recipe leans into that and takes away every hard…

reala-ace X-Trans V · GFX Reala Ace Daily Most recipes have an opinion. This one does not, and that is the point. On a day where you will shoot a…

Common questions

Does the X-T5 have REALA ACE?

No. It has 19 film simulations. REALA ACE arrived after the X-T5 launched and has not been added by firmware.

Is 40MP too much for APS-C?

Not in good light. In very low light the smaller pixels show slightly more noise than the 26MP sensors, but the difference is smaller than most people expect.

X-T5 or X-T50?

Same sensor. The X-T5 adds weather sealing, dual card slots, a bigger viewfinder and a much longer battery life. The X-T50 is smaller, cheaper and has the film simulation dial.