PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: FUJIFILM X-T5

Rangefinder-like, retro styled mirrorless compact boasts an anything but old-fashioned 40.2MP resolution to do battle with latest rivals from Canon, Nikon and Sony

We were big fans at BPI News Towers of the X-T5’s predecessor in the X-T4, thinking it was, at the time, pretty much the only interchangeable lens mirrorless compact that most amateur enthusiast photographers would ever need – and indeed recommended it as such to friends. While we thought the X-T4’s 26.1 megapixel resolution was plenty given its intended audience, its manufacturer in Fuji obviously disagreed, as the X-T5 has arrived with a whopping 40.2 megapixels crammed onto its APS-C CMOS sensor. Resolution has crept up among rival manufacturers too of late, with the Canon EOS R5 and the Nikon Z 9 boasting 45 megapixels a-piece and Sony’s A7R V trumping both at 61 megapixels, so it does seem that we have slipped back as an industry to playing the numbers game. All those cameras however feature

X marks the spot: Retro styling, yet a huge future-proofed resolution with it, should ensure the X-T5 doesn’t go out of fashion physically larger sensors – so is there be the possibility that Fuji has overegged the pudding here, or at the very least gilded the lily?

In terms of the outer body design we have an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, with the X-T5’s design positively festooned with raised rangefinder style dials and cogs for those who want to get operationally hands on in an analoguetype manner. We prefer the look of the silver body with black detailing personally, although were sent the more modernist in appearance all-black alternative. Add a lens – photo specialists will be aware there are a couple of bundle deals currently available that twin the body with either a 18-55mm standard zoom or 16-80mm alternative – and the camera feels well-built and solid when gripped in the palm. The appeal remains that the combined set up is more portable and lightweight however than a DSLR and equivalent lens would be.

Tilted At Traditionalists

Features worth having aside from the huge resolution on offer include the angle adjustable LCD monitor that can be tilted so we are looking down at the screen in a medium format camera fashion, plus camera shake cancelling five-axis in-body image stabilisation. It should be noted, though, that while the screen can’t be flipped around completely to face whoever is standing in front of the lens, it is conveniently a touch screen, meaning that a finger tap on particular point in our frame will direct the camera’s focus and prompt it to automatically capture the image without us having to half squeeze and then fully squeeze the shutter release button. The traditionalists amongst us who want to take photographs with the camera held up to our eye are gifted an electronic viewfinder of 0.5-inches in size that bestows us with an impressively life-like 3.69 million dot resolution.

Battery life is good for a generous 700 shots, which is a distinct improvement on the average 300 images that earlier mirrorless cameras could manage, and again nudges the Fuji X-T5 towards photographer customers who are looking to replace their old DSLR with something a bit more light on its feet. The inclusion of up to 6.2K video resolution at a cinematic frame rate of up to 29.97fps will further broaden this camera’s appeal, while providing a degree of future proofing. Image wise, given the 40MP top resolution we were expecting shedloads of detail in every frame, and when downloaded and viewed on a desk top, imagery certainly looks very life-like and three dimensional in terms of depth, colours erring on the side of naturalistic unless the ‘Velvia’ Film Simulation mode is selected for an extra vivid treatment and added visual punch. Though we wonder whether the high 40 megapixel stills resolution coupled with 6K-video is strictly necessary at this level, it does set the Fuji X-T5 up as a camera your customers should feel confident investing in for the long term.

For more see www.fujifilm.co.uk