I am considering adding a Fuji XT-5, to replace my A6700 and A7CR, and would appreciate others thoughts/comments, as I haven't shot with Fuji before. Been shooting Sony since 2018 and have the A7RIV, besides the 2 Sony compacts, and the Fuji would specifically be for general photography around town, local events, and travel here and overseas.
After having the A6700 for a year and the A7CR for 8 months, while I love the results, there are numerous shortcomings in these compacts that bother me, listed below by importance to me:
~Limited 1/4000 Mechanical ss on the A6700 and NO mechanical shutter on the A7CR, though both have a 1/8000 ES shutter. I live in a desert area with mostly bright sunny days and really want a True MS at 1/8000ss. Why have f1.4 or f1.8-f2 fast primes if you have to put a ND filter on them to shoot outside? Or deal with the banding/funky bokeh issue of using a ES at certain shutter speeds?
~Flip out LCD, Just detest this, I don’t do selfie video and never use the screen tilted now, as having the screen to the side of the camera is unacceptable to me. The XT-5 3-axis tilt screen is perfect for a photographer like me or the limited video I would do.
~Too many unmarked dials to turn or buttons to push for basic settings. Miss having the marked ISO, SS and EC dials like the XT-5 has. My EC dial on the A6700 is marked, but Sony elimited the marking on the same dial for the A7CR…..
~1/160 Flash Sync speed. I use OCF a lot and would ideally like 1/400 FS, but am OK with 1/250 like my A7RIV and XT-5 has. My existing Godox flash work with just a new $50 Nano Fuji transmitter.
~Dual Card Slots. I get around this by carrying a 11” iPad Air with a USB-C port and at the end of most shoots backup in the field. Having Dual card slot would eliminate me having to carry the iPad and accessories in my camera bag.
The XT-5 solves my 5 biggest issues with the Sony compacts. While a bit bigger, the XT-5 is only 42g heavier than the A7CR. The 40MP sensor fits in between the 26 and 60MP sensors I now have and hopefully will be just fine. I had a 42MP A7RIII before the A7RIV and the sensor was great, very happy with those results. Plus I want to use the Fuji film simulations and shoot Jpegs more for quick transfers in the field.
As I see it, the biggest negative for me is the downgrade from the Superb Eye detect AF Sony has. But I can deal with that. Then there is new lenses. A couple of my Sigma APSC lenses for Sony (18-50 f2.8 and 56 f1.4) Sigma can switch mounts to Fuji for $130 each, so I don’t need a lot of new lenses, something around 22-24mm (FF) and a lightweight telezoom like my 70-200mm G or maybe a bit more reach, but IQ and weight savings are the goal here. (I have the 100-400 GM) Will sell 4 of the 5 Sigma I series FF lenses I use and the Sony 15mm f1.4G, so a positive of this switch is it will clean up my lens kit for the A7RIV and with both Sony compacts sold it should be a cash cow when done.
Looks like you did a fairly comprehensive analysis between the two systems. I've had the XT1 - XT4 and a myriad of XF lenses, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back if I were starting over again. Maybe even the XH2 to get better ergonomics. I just sold off all my Sony gear (A7R5 + several GM lenses) simply because I didn't like the ergo on their cameras, but I'm a big guy with big hands, so it was a personal thing for me vs performance, which was top notch.
Be prepared for a lot of input, but ultimately, you have to decide.
Been shooting Fuji since the X Pro 1. Came from Canon before that, starting with the AE-1. (Yes, I am old.) While I shot Fuji, I also had a fairly complete Sony system, which I slowly pared down to just an A9 and the brilliant 200-600 lens, which I used for the limited sports coverage that my job required.
Retired from that job and got rid of a lot of gear. Now I have a pair of X-T5 bodies and an X100vi. The 40mp sensor is excellent, autofocus is generally good (though not up to the A9 obv.) as I am shooting mostly landscape in MF on tripods, or travel and street. Fuji color science is very good. Fuji lenses are generally excellent, even the mid-range ones. The latest primes are superb. I'm happy covering pretty much anything with my current gear other than sports, and I know I'll get good results. I make my own 17-inch prints and get *great* results.
Can't tell you what to do, but the X-T5 is a nice little camera and the system is well thought out. Good luck and have fun.
gregfountain wrote:
Looks like you did a fairly comprehensive analysis between the two systems. I've had the XT1 - XT4 and a myriad of XF lenses, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back if I were starting over again. Maybe even the XH2 to get better ergonomics. I just sold off all my Sony gear (A7R5 + several GM lenses) simply because I didn't like the ergo on their cameras, but I'm a big guy with big hands, so it was a personal thing for me vs performance, which was top notch.
Be prepared for a lot of input, but ultimately, you have to decide.
Maybe I did not make it clear that I plan on keeping my A7RIV 61MP body and better IQ (G & GM ) lenses. The XT-5 is for travel and I want it as small of a kit as possible. The XH-2 is more bulk and weight than needed.
If I do sell both compacts and their lenses, I can see see selling the A7RIV too and getting a A-1, due too the blackout free shooting. I do a lot of wildlife, BIF and Jets/Airshows with my 100-400 GM and would love to have the stacked 50MP sensor for that type of shooting.
I switched to Fuji from Nikon in 2017 and have never looked back. I started with the X-T1 and now have an X-T3/Sigma 10-18, an X-T5/16-80 and an XT50.16-50. These three are the best cameras I have ever owned in my 45 yrs of amateur photography. Highly recommended!
I switched from the Nikon Z9 and excellent Z glass a year ago. While I missed Nikon’s AF initially for a few things, Fuji’s latest FW update for my XH2 has brought it very close. I understand this update will hit for the XT5 in a few weeks. As of yet, I have only good things to say about the Fuji X system.
Maybe I did not make it clear that I plan on keeping my A7RIV 61MP body and better IQ (G & GM ) lenses. The XT-5 is for travel and I want it as small of a kit as possible. The XH-2 is more bulk and weight than needed.
If I do sell both compacts and their lenses, I can see see selling the A7RIV too and getting a A-1, due too the blackout free shooting. I do a lot of wildlife, BIF and Jets/Airshows with my 100-400 GM and would love to have the stacked 50MP sensor for that type of shooting. ...Show more →
Sorry about that, I was busy doing other things and missed your A7RIV. I'm currently shooting a Leica SL2 system. The A1 is an excellent camera as well - had one for about a year. I've shot almost every brand minus m4/3 and Fuji was one of my favorite crop sensor systems.
I made the move from Sony to Fuji/Leica and now back to Sony/Leica. Candidly, once the novelty of the film simulations wore off, the downsides of Fuji became more apparent. The lenses just aren't as sharp as on Sony and the AF was noticeably worse. I also don't think the 40mp sensor gives you as much acuity as Sony's 26mp APS-C sensor due to X-Trans.
Aesthetics wise, I think the Fuji X-T5 looks nicer for sure but the subpar tech got annoying too.
SpecFoto wrote:
The XH-2 is more bulk and weight than needed.
I see this a lot. Having owned both, I disagree when put in actual use. First, the weight difference is about 100 gms, so yeah it is heavier but not anything obnoxious. The biggest bulk difference is due to the extended finger grip on the XH2 that the XT5 lacks -- add the shallowest lens, the 27 pancake, and they're both now within a few mm of the same total sizes and are going to need the same thickness slot to store them in... The actual size-in-hand with a lens attached while shooting differences are virtually insignificant -- and the extra grip range of the XH2 is much more comfortable in the hand while using it.
The flip-twist rear LCD on the XH2 bothers many and I do get that. I happen to prefer it to the tilt-swing XT5 style as I can reverse it and it becomes its own cover and LCD protector, but that's me. I can easily live with either.
IMHO one of the biggest advantages to the XH2 over the XT5 is rarely mentioned, and that's the CFx slot. Again, YMMV on this, but I appreciate the added durability and super fast DL times, as well as the added burst capacity...
The Fuji X-T5 is for fun - for having that retro feeling. If you are fan of those film simulations - go for it. All else, don't make the move from the a7cR to X-T5. You get less IQ, substantially worse AF, and you will lose a wide variety of lenses that are available for E-Mount.
Me, I am curently owning two X-E3, an X-Pro3, an X-T2 and an X-T3. Will sell the two X-Ts soon and only keep the rangefinder models. X-Pro mostly because it is a bautiful camera, the X-Es because the offer everything I need in the smallest possible package. Much better user interface than the X-E4. Those X-Es I combine with the classic f2 primes and the 27f2.8 and Voigtländer 18f2.8.
But as soon as Af comes into play, or special lenses like the 20-70f4 or Voigtländer 65f2, it is the a7cR.
So in summary - nom I wouldn't switch. In oarallel: yes, but no switch.
In case you’re new to the Fuji forum, we have a few embedded “Anti-Fuji” trolls. If you read through various threads you can figure out who they are. They claim things like the “newer bodies aren’t worth it,” or “the 40mp sensors don’t give you anything more than the 26,” or “Fuji has focus problems.” They are clever enough to claim they use older models, but avoid the newest ones because of these mysterious defects.
Point here is read what actual users of the models closest to what you’re planning to buy have to say about said model as it’s likely a lot more reliable data
I recently switched from a Nikon Z6 system to an X-T5 system. I find the focus system to be much better than the Z6 which I never complained about. The X-T5 images are every bit as sharp as the Z6 even when using the Nikon 70-200mm S lens. The size of the Nikon system was the reason I switched and I'm really glad I made the switch, half the weight and half the size. The XF 70-300mm replaced the big Nikon lens and makes a great walk around lens. I mainly shoot landscapes, mostly intimate landscapes, and my grandkids with some wildlife.
In case you’re new to the Fuji forum, we have a few embedded “Anti-Fuji” trolls. If you read through various threads you can figure out who they are. They claim things like the “newer bodies aren’t worth it,” or “the 40mp sensors don’t give you anything more than the 26,” or “Fuji has focus problems.” They are clever enough to claim they use older models, but avoid the newest ones because of these mysterious defects.
Point here is read what actual users of the models closest to what you’re planning to buy have to say about said model as it’s likely a lot more reliable data ...Show more →
Your "trolls" likely have more experience with Fuji cameras than you do. I know one who has used owned and used the X-T5 and the X100V and X100VI - but gave up on them. So I stronlgy advise folks to take critical voices on Fuji AF and 40MP sensors into consideration. Or just rely on folks who would never say anything critical of Fuji. And yes: The X-E3, the X-T3 and the X-Pro3 are all fine cameras.
SpecFoto wrote:
Maybe I did not make it clear that I plan on keeping my A7RIV 61MP body and better IQ (G & GM ) lenses. The XT-5 is for travel and I want it as small of a kit as possible. The XH-2 is more bulk and weight than needed.
I shoot a full frame system but I also shoot the XT5 and a few smaller lenses for street and travel photography. While there are even smaller options — for example, Fujifilm’s own XE series bodies and smaller-than-APSC systems from other brands — Fujifilm x-trans system is excellent and includes a aa good selection of quite small dedicated lenses.
If you want to go even a bit smaller you can look at one of the XE models.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I shoot a full frame system but I also shoot the XT5 and a few smaller lenses for street and travel photography. While there are even smaller options — for example, Fujifilm’s own XE series bodies and smaller-than-APSC systems from other brands — Fujifilm x-trans system is excellent and includes a aa good selection of quite small dedicated lenses.
If you want to go even a bit smaller you can look at one of the XE models.
X-E3 - just got a second one in mint condition for €500. Selling the X-E4 as it has a very different user interface from the X-E3 with important function buttons missing, and worst of all, only has one magnification level (the highest) when using manual focus.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I shoot a full frame system but I also shoot the XT5 and a few smaller lenses for street and travel photography. While there are even smaller options — for example, Fujifilm’s own XE series bodies and smaller-than-APSC systems from other brands — Fujifilm x-trans system is excellent and includes a aa good selection of quite small dedicated lenses.
If you want to go even a bit smaller you can look at one of the XE models.
Thanks @gdanmitchell for your reply. I should not have said as small as possible, as I am not interested in anything smaller than the X-T5 that has a grip., it seems to be just about the right size. I definitely want the 3 exposed control dials, along with aperture rings on the lenses. What smaller lenses are you using?
I recently sold my last sony and have shot on most brands, Nikon, Canon, Hassy, Phase, Leica, Pentax, etc.
Sony is without a doubt better AF and as you have said you will keep or even upgrade your remaining sony I think you understand that aspect.
Personally, the Fuji color science is much better than Sony. Fuji and Leica color science are close with leica having a slight edge. Always had to edit Sony a lot to get what I saw. Almost never had to edit Leica and I am finding the Fuji to be very close.
Personally, I am finding the AF on the Xt5 to be fine, but I am not doing sports or wildlife, just street and landscape sorts of things. There are several lenses that focus wicked fast, like the 23mm F2, the 56mm 1.2 wr, the 90mm, and now the 23mm 1.4. Even the older lenses, like the 14mm f2.8, are very fast on the xt5. The 27mm WR was very fast. I would add that even the not-well-spoken 18mm is better than most give it credit for. There will be some lenses you3mm 1.4 for shar get, like the 2pness across the frame, and those like the 35mm 1.4 or 18mm f2 you get for their character.
Personally, I don't shoot JPEG so I don't care too much about the film sims out of camera though you can use them as profiles in LR for the basis of an edit of RAWs. I have not been in the system long enough to make too many comments on that yet.
I will also add that processing the RAW through DXO for better xtrans conversion, noise and lens sharpness is great.
I have zero regrets about the transition to Fuji from Sony; you just have to know what you are giving up and what you are gaining. Both systems can make great images; it is more of a preference thing and a use case issue.
I shoot GFX. 1/4000 hasn't been a problem for me. Neither has 1/125 max sync speed. I shoot mostly with strobes at f1.7, f2 (the fastest aperture for a GF lens).
I spent a few hours this morning reviewing my X-T5 images from last year, as I'm contemplating switching back to Fuji (or maybe just adding a Fuji X-T5) to get away from the selfie screens on my Canon cameras.
The most obvious downside to the Fuji X-series cameras is the limited dynamic range compared to Canon and Sony full-frame cameras (although I found them much better than the Sony APS-C cameras). Unrecoverable highlights are unfortunately a common problem in contrasty scenes unless you "expose to the left" and deal with recovering shadow details.
The AF for birds was about on par with my Nikon Z8 - I had several sequences shot over the course of an afternoon while interchanging between the X-T5/XF 100-400 zoom and the Z8/400mm f4.5 every couple of minutes, and the only way I could tell which images came from which camera was to look at the exif data - same image quality, same AF hit rate. I know both Fuji and Nikon have rolled out several firmware updates since then, so I don't know if the results would still be as comparable.
The X-T5 has great tech features like focus bracketing, high-resolution pixel shift, and RAW pre-capture, which not many competitors offer at this price point (or don't offer at all). I don't like Fuji's film simulations, and never shoot JPEG, so I don't put any value in that; Canon and Sony colour science is pretty much top of the class nowadays.
Build quality of the newest Fuji cameras and lenses is a bit suspect, (perhaps coincidentally) since they started manufacturing products in China, so I would be wary of buying used gear.
The EVF resolution is a bit low at 3.6 million dots, but that's a lot better than the primitive viewfinders on the smaller Sony cameras. The tilting LCD is superior for both stills and video shooting, unless of course you left your iPhone at home and need to snap a selfie.....
