Jack Flesher wrote:
I was all over the XE5 until I saw the EVF specs -- I knew it would not be suitable for me. Really too bad -- had Fuji made the camera just a little bigger to accommodate a really good EVF, I would have been all over that camera and doubly so if they couyld have somehow accommodated the larger battery at no further size expense.
If you wear glasses or do a lot of compositional or focusing work through the viewfinder then you might find it lacking. I wear contacts most of the time, and most of my shooting does not require extreme precision.
I would have preferred a slight bump-out of the viewfinder to accommodate a higher magnification (0.66x a la the X100V), but I also believe that we adapt quickly to whatever we have. I'm optimistic that the while the viewfinder might seem small at first compared to my XT4, eventually I'll forget what the XT4's viewfinder looked like and the XE5 will be the new normal. For me it's a risk worth taking because I wanted something smaller than the XT4 (in particular, something thinner).
mdude85 wrote:
I've got the XT4, the X100V and now the XE5 all in hand.
I think the XE5 is noticeably more compact than the XT4. It's in the height (the dials protruding from the top plate along with the SLR-style bump), the depth (thickness) and the weight.
But yes you do give things up. For me it's the battery life and the viewfinder. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the XE5 viewfinder. It's noticeably smaller compared to the XT4 (which itself is even less magnified than the XT5). I wonder if there will eventually be demand for a 3rd party viewfinder magnifier given the popularity of the X100 and XE series.
That being said, eventually one just gets accustomed to the tools that they have. A couple days shooting with the smaller X100V's viewfinder and you don't even really notice it. Some people might even like it. ...Show more →
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Jack Flesher wrote:
I was all over the XE5 until I saw the EVF specs -- I knew it would not be suitable for me. Really too bad -- had Fuji made the camera just a little bigger to accommodate a really good EVF, I would have been all over that camera and doubly so if they couyld have somehow accommodated the larger battery at no further size expense.
The X-E5 is basically a better made X-M5 with IBIS and an emergency EVFs for composing in the brightest light (minus the ability to tilt the rear screen vertically). I would never buy the X-E5 if I was largely dependent on EVFs.
The X-E5 is basically a better made X-M5 with IBIS and an emergency EVFs for composing in the brightest light (minus the ability to tilt the rear screen vertically). I would never buy the X-E5 if I was largely dependent on EVFs.
I disagree that it's an "emergency" EVF, but yes, other models offer higher magnification for people who need that. It's the same EVF that was in the XE4. The diopter adjustment knob is horrible for those of you who need to adjust it regularly. Classic example of form not following function.
The XE5 is expensive, but that's the world we live in now (especially those of us who live in America). The prices of most, if not all, of the Fuji cameras are set to go up by the end of the month.
mdude85 wrote:
I've got the XT4, the X100V and now the XE5 all in hand.
I think the XE5 is noticeably more compact than the XT4. It's in the height (the dials protruding from the top plate along with the SLR-style bump), the depth (thickness) and the weight.
But yes you do give things up. For me it's the battery life and the viewfinder. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the XE5 viewfinder. It's noticeably smaller compared to the XT4 (which itself is even less magnified than the XT5). I wonder if there will eventually be demand for a 3rd party viewfinder magnifier given the popularity of the X100 and XE series.
That being said, eventually one just gets accustomed to the tools that they have. A couple days shooting with the smaller X100V's viewfinder and you don't even really notice it. Some people might even like it. ...Show more →
X-T5 is noticeably smaller than the X-T4. I found the X-T4 to be bigger than I preferred. The X-T5 is nice without feeling too small. I also have some smaller Fuji cameras, and while they are good for when you are wanting something very small, they do feel cramped to me.
My X-E5 arrived today. I was expecting to hate the EVF, but have been pleasantly surprised.
I wish I’d held on to my X100vi for a few more weeks, so that I could provide some direct A/B experience, but so far I’ve found I actually prefer the EVF in the X-E5 to the one in the X100.
For some reason, my eyes perceive it as both sharper and brighter in real-world use.
I’m not sure how much of that comes down to the new simple (vintage-style) view… but I’ve had zero problems using it so far.
I’m one of the lucky many whose close-up vision fell off a cliff in my mid-40s, so I use the diopter and don’t require eyeglasses. I can’t say for sure how the experience will be for someone who wears glasses to shoot, but I have zero complaints so far… it was a bit overcast today, so we’ll see what happens when the light gets harsh, but I’m optimistic it’ll be okay.
mdude85 wrote:
That being said, eventually one just gets accustomed to the tools that they have. A couple days shooting with the smaller X100V's viewfinder and you don't even really notice it. Some people might even like it.
I agree with you about getting accustomed to the gear you have. A dozen years ago I had the XE1, which had a very limited viewfinder by today’s standards, but I didn’t notice it that much after using it for a while. Even more so, when I first got it the difference in the body size by comparison to my much larger full frame DSLR was almost shocking. At first I had some real issues with the smaller form factor… but after about a month of use they mostly disappeared… and the DSLR seemed oddly gigantic when I switched between the two systems.
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Jack Flesher wrote:
was all over the XE5 until I saw the EVF specs -- I knew it would not be suitable for me. Really too bad -- had Fuji made the camera just a little bigger to accommodate a really good EVF, I would have been all over that camera and doubly so if they couyld have somehow accommodated the larger battery at no further size expense.
While I’m less concerned with absolute viewfinder quality than some appear to be, I think it is emblematic of an overall concern with the XE5 now that its price is in the same range as other Fujifilm cameras — namely that on a feature and quality basis it comes up bit short in comparison to those other options.
That’s fine, I suppose, if achieving that final increment of smaller body size is the main or only thing, but to get there you give up a second card slot, at least one dedicated old-school operational control, viewfinder quality, and battery capacity — all in a camera whose price now is very close to that of its more capable relatives.
Like all things photography gear related, it presents some compromises, and different photographers will regard their importance differently.
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Geoff D F wrote:
X-T5 is noticeably smaller than the X-T4. I found the X-T4 to be bigger than I preferred. The X-T5 is nice without feeling too small. I also have some smaller Fuji cameras, and while they are good for when you are wanting something very small, they do feel cramped to me.
When I moved from my XPro2 to the XT5 I was surprised by how comfortable the XT5 body is and by the “compact” feeling it has in hand. Because of the larger grip I expected the camera to feel a lot larger, but that isn’t the case for me.
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Having used other cameras with similarly limited EVFs, I understand the issue — I’m also a glasses-wearer. But when I used those other cameras (notably the XE1), I adapted and got by pretty well. While I think it is important to acknowledge the limitations of this camera’s EVF, I think that calling it an “emergency” EVF is a bit over the top… though I’ll concede that those who prefer to use the LCD by default may find the issue less sigificant.
gdanmitchell wrote:
While I’m less concerned with absolute viewfinder quality than some appear to be, I think it is emblematic of an overall concern with the XE5 now that its price is in the same range as other Fujifilm cameras — namely that on a feature and quality basis it comes up bit short in comparison to those other options.
That’s fine, I suppose, if achieving that final increment of smaller body size is the main or only thing, but to get there you give up a second card slot, at least one dedicated old-school operational control, viewfinder quality, and battery capacity — all in a camera whose price now is very close to that of its more capable relatives.
Like all things photography gear related, it presents some compromises, and different photographers will regard their importance differently.
The price of the XT5 is going up at the end of August to a rumored $1999, but yeah, the price difference between the XT series and the XE series is now smaller than it has ever been. But if a lot of buyers are new to the system, and are not spec-obsessed, they'll probably be choosing primarily between the rangefinder and the SLR-style design, and the latter is more clunky looking than the former.
One other quibble I have with the XE5 is that it's quite hard to adjust the film sim dial without inadvertently triggering the eye sensor. That makes using the film sim dial while you're actually shooting kind of tough. I'm guessing (or hoping) that user feedback will bring this to their attention.
mdude85 wrote:
One other quibble I have with the XE5 is that it's quite hard to adjust the film sim dial without inadvertently triggering the eye sensor. That makes using the film sim dial while you're actually shooting kind of tough. I'm guessing (or hoping) that user feedback will bring this to their attention.
I think that if we are honest and open to criticism of he platform we use… we have to admit that these very small bodies that have a lot of control buttons and similar aren’t always easy to operate… and that their design sometimes creates some handling issues.
The inadvertent triggering of the eye sensor can be an issue on other Fujifilm cameras, too. I’ve done it on my XT5. There are also some issues with button placement when handling/holding the camera. When shooting street I typically hold the camera in my right hand with a wrist strap attached for security. It isn’t unusual for me to accidentally hit one of the control buttons and change settings while doing this. I used to regularly lift the camera only to discover that I had moved the AF point to a far corner of the frame this way, and I’ve accidentally triggered settings displays and made accidental changes. It is less of an issue now than it used to be, but accidentally offsetting the EC knob can also be a problem.
Thinking about this over the past dozen years, and wondering what the solutions might be. I can only think of a few. One is to think very carefully about the placement of controls relative to how photographers are likely to hold and operate the cameras in the field. Another is to err on the side of slightly stiff controls that are a bit harder to accidentally change. Another would be to give up and simply put fewer control points on the camera body, perhaps moving more to a modal dialog system. (Not my favorite option)
In a world of pluses and minuses and compromises, it may just be that this is a price we pay for smaller cameras.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think that if we are honest and open to criticism of he platform we use… we have to admit that these very small bodies that have a lot of control buttons and similar aren’t always easy to operate… and that their design sometimes creates some handling issues.
Here here, well said ^^^
My preferences, and I realize these are different for you
ASMP dial on top. Aperture or SS depending on mode available on the front command wheel with EC on the rear wheel; in M mode, aperture up front, SS on the rear.
AF-lock button, I use as AF-lock; shutter half press as AE-AF lock in AF-S mode, neither in AF-C mode.
Q-menu button -- this is my goto customization arena.
I prefer the drive button on the XH2, but am also fine with the drive wheel on the XT platform.
Focus mode lever up front is fine, however I find the Q-menu quicker because I'm usually changing focus area and/or AF tracking at the same time.
FN button programmable at front by lens is fine, I use it for DoF preview.
I personally turn OFF all the rear LCD touch parameters and disable FN at the 4 rear toggles due to the fact my big fingers or thumb will inadvertently change something I am unaware of until it's too late.
I wish we could "lock" the EVF display cycle button, but at least it's obvious when I've bumped it.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think that if we are honest and open to criticism of he platform we use… we have to admit that these very small bodies that have a lot of control buttons and similar aren’t always easy to operate… and that their design sometimes creates some handling issues.
Yes, and, it's not just the design but also the engineering constraints. Maybe the eye sensor has to be placed where it is for some technical reason. But, I think that given how much attention is paid to marketing the film sim dial, you want that thing to operate pretty much perfectly. My two gripes are that using it triggers the eye sensor too easily, and that the plastic window covering the dial should have had some magnification; but I'm also in the "pushing 40 and losing my vision" camp.
