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| Not only does the X-T5 have excellent color film simulations but the files translate nicely into gorgeous black and whites as well. (click to enlarge) All images made with the Fujifilm X-T5. |
Did you ever have a car, truck or motorcycle that you just loved? It most likely wasn’t the fastest and probably didn’t have all of the options included. Surely it wasn’t the most expensive one. But there was something about it that made you love driving it. Something that just ‘worked’ for you. It could have been the seats that fit you perfectly, the way it handled corners, the acceleration, the sound system or the sound of the motor. When it was time to sell or trade it in, it was painful. When you bought your next one, it just wasn’t the same. You probably would like to have another one just like that old one to try to recreate those feelings you had.
How about a shirt or sweatshirt? Did you ever have a shirt, sweatshirt, sweater or other piece of clothing that was your absolute favorite? You wore it as much as you could because it just fit you perfectly. It was you. That shirt’s style, color or pattern perfectly reflected your personality. You looked really good in it! Over time it became tattered, faded and the material was just past its lifetime. For the longest time you just couldn't throw it away. Eventually it wore out and you had to make the tough decision to discard it. The bad thing about it was you never quite found another shirt that you liked wearing as much.
What is it about certain inanimate objects to which we gravitate and cherish? Why is it that we feel about certain ‘things’ and hold them dear but other, almost identical things, not so much? Why do they meld so well with our personalities when other things are just, well, things? Funny how that all works.
That is how I’ve quickly come to feel about my Fujifilm X-T5. True. In the short time that I’ve had it, that particular brand and model of camera has become my favorite digital camera of all that I’ve owned and used. I think I’ve finally found the ‘perfect’ camera for me. The X-T5 is the camera I want to pick up and use every time I go out to photograph.
(My all time favorite film camera was and remains the Pentax 6X7 medium format beast but that is for another time.)
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| Skipjack—a sail powered ketch with a raked mast for manually dredging oysters from the floor of the Chesapeake Bay. Still used today but there are very few left in existence. |
With all of the other digital cameras I’ve owned and used, there always seemed to be some sort of shortfall, something left to be desired, whether how it felt in my hand, the size, weight, the positions of the buttons and dials, the menu configuration, number of pixels, no IBIS, viewfinder, autofocus ability or it was lacking certain features I regularly use. No so with the X-T5. It has everything I want in a camera, feels perfect in my hand, has the right amount of pixels for the way I plan to use it, the menus meld seamlessly with my brain and I love the perfectly engineered and placed knobs, dials and buttons—probably because of using similar cameras since 1971 in my film days. And...it is relatively inexpensive when considering other digital cameras with similar attributes.
I love the way the XT-series of Fujifilm cameras work for me. Some may criticize the APS-C size sensor as not big enough, but not me. Some may not like the 'old school' knobs and dials, but I do. Some may criticize the dynamic range being a stop short of full frame cameras, but I don’t. Some others may criticize that you get a bit of extra noise at ISO 6400. I’m fine with it. Others my remark that the autofocus isn't the fastest or greatest out there. But it is very fast, accurate and has excellent subject recognition. It is certainly fast enough for the kinds of photography I practice. I think it is a great AF system.
I think the X-T5 is very well built, has in-body-image-stabilization (IBIS) and has the features I actually use. The viewfinder, although 3.69mp, in real life use, is perfectly fine. I don't even notice the difference between it and the 5.76mp viewfinder in my X-H2S. The difference is inconsequential when in the field. You may concentrate on the viewfinder. I concentrate on what I am seeing in the viewfinder. In sum, the X-T5 has sufficient abilities in every kind of measure to meet all my photographic needs. The X-T5 just fits me and my photography in every way.
I don’t need a $4000-$6500 camera that is best in class. I’m fine with a lesser camera as long as it does everything I need it to do and is capable of producing excellent image quality. The X-T5 and the Fujifilm lenses are capable of producing excellent, highly detailed and sharp photographs. With this camera's capabilities the rest is up to me to use them to create good images. If the images I make with it aren't good, it isn't the camera. Again, the X-T5 perfectly fits the bill for me. Perfectly!
What was wrong with my other cameras? Nothing really. They have all been excellent cameras but they just fell short in one or more ways. They never reached the level of what I thought was perfect for me.
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| Old dead vines, textured wood and lichen. (click to enlarge) |
The Fujifilm X-T3 was close but did not have IBIS. It had the feel I love when holding it, the knobs and dials I love from my old manual exposure film cameras and a menu that made sense to me. The rear LCD was perfectly engineered for a stills photographer.
The Fujifilm X-T4 also was close. It had IBIS but it had that pesky video oriented fully articulating LCD screen that made shooting verticals on a tripod an exercise in futility. What a pain! I know, I know. Some of you love it and that is okay. I don’t. Both only had 26mp, which truly is enough but I had moved on from my previously stated “sweet spot” of 24mp. The X-T5 has IBIS, the old 3-way screen of the X-T3 and 40mp!
My Nikons have always been truly wonderful cameras but I just don’t favor the menu driven way it works. Front command dial, rear command dial, “I” menu. I don’t like having to push a button before I can engage exposure compensation. My finger just can't naturally find that button without me taking my eye from the viewfinder. Why doesn't Nikon just add that wonderful third dial—exposure compensation—that can be moved without taking my eye from the viewfinder. A single, quick action. Also, the Nikon ‘picture styles’ don’t come close to the Fujifilm film simulations. They are good, but they fall short of what Fujifilm generously gives us.
The Nikons are an excellent line of cameras with extraordinary image quality (as are the Canons and Sonys), but I’m not willing to sacrifice how the X-T5’s dials and knobs work for my way of photographing just to get a bit better image quality that is most likely not at all discernible except under extreme conditions. Handling, feel, real world use is more important than a minor gain in noise or dynamic range.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I shot with Olympus micro4/3 cameras for years. A wonderful system and I can’t criticize it except, like the Nikon, it lacked three dials to easily and separately adjust shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation. You see, I find myself most often shooting in manual mode with Auto ISO. Lots of times, the camera picks a different "correct" exposure than I believe is optimum for a particular composition. With the X-T5, I just dial in a bit of exposure compensation with my right thumb and the Auto ISO shifts up or down to achieve the best exposure. That is not so easy with the Olympus cameras (or the Nikons). Also, the Olympus cameras actually have too many features. Yes, they are wonderful if you use them all. I found I didn’t use most of them but the ones I did use were engineered well. The downside of having all of those features is that it complicates the design of a menu system. The Olympus menu system is unbelievably comprehensive, but it has to be. No criticism from me. Just too extensive when you don’t need all of the features.
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| An old log barn. (click to enlarge) |
That brings me back to the X-T5. Like your all time favorite car or all time favorite shirt, the X-T5 has become my all time favorite digital camera. Is it perfect for others? Probably not. Is it the best camera out there, bar none? Heavens no. It isn’t the most feature filled camera nor the most expensive camera and it isn’t the fastest to autofocus nor has it the best image quality. But it is the perfect camera for me and the kinds of photography I practice and the things I do with my resulting images. It has the perfect feel in my hands, the perfect layout of knobs, dials and buttons, the perfect menu, the right number of pixels, the features I value, image quality that fully meets my needs and, don't forget, a wonderful selection of lenses that fit all my needs. What more can I say?
So, what is your perfect camera? Does it exist? What is most important to you when it comes to using a digital camera? Feel free to share your thoughts.
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| Nostalgic Negative Film Simulation |
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| Nostalgic Negative Film Simulation |
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| Nostalgic Negative Film Simulation |
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| Very high contrast. Straight out of the camera. See below for an edited version. (click to enlarge) |
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| Edited in Lightroom Classic. Do you think this new sensor can handle that extreme dynamic range? I think so. (click to enlarge) |
These certainly aren’t images to write home about but I think they mostly illustrate some of the versatility of the X-T5. There are some additional images you can see here that I made with the 10-24mm f/4 (version 2) lens. I’ll be using this camera as my primary ‘picture taking machine’ in the future so you should see better images in the future. Winter is not my most prolific photography season but Spring will bring more colorful and interesting photography.
Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
All content on this blog is © 2013-2023 Dennis A. Mook. All Rights Reserved. Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution. Permission may be granted for commercial use. Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.
Hey Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. Ditto to all your experiences with the X-T5 and its predecessors. I was purging older lenses last year. That process was accelerated by the news of 40mp. One big swap was selling the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8. I read some reviews and picked up the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN. I found myself leaving the 16-55mm at home because of its size. Anyway, that's my take. I too am looking forward to the warmer weather very much.
The only thing I am lacking at the moment is a good L-bracket for the X-T5. I like to walk with the camera+lens on a strap that is cross body. I like to have the camera pointing lens-down. That means I connect the strap to the left side of the camera (ISO dial) and then need some way to attach the other end of the strap to the bottom of the camera. This causes the camera to flip so the bottom is against my left hip and the lens points down. I got used to that during a previous job overseas in crowds that mindlessly would bump into the lens. I prefer the smaller profile in a crowd and have come to use it all the time if I can find a bracket that provides a mounting point on the bottom of the camera. So far my search hasn't been fruitful.
Glad you like the X-T5 as much as I do. We should both have lots of fun.
Best regards,
Al
Al, thanks for the comment and your thoughts. The Small Rig L-Bracket for the X-T5 has three 1/4 20 standard tripod bolt holes in the bottom center which should allow you to fasten your strap. I found the Small Rig website always sold out but available in their Ebay store. Mine arrived within a couple of weeks. Very well made and versatile. Enjoy your T5!
DeleteThanks Anonymous. I've looked at that. I had two different SmallRig brackets for the X-T4. I had two because the first one had the grip made of wood, and it was blonde. My thoughts were that it would be slippery when wet, it was hard with no give which might be fatigue inducing, and the blonde color was not to my taste. I got it because it had the extra adjustment for the swivel LCD. I bought the second one that didn't have the wooden grip and had no adjustment to accommodate the swivel. Both were well made. I never used the one with the blonde wood.
DeleteThe attachment to the bottom of the camera/bracket that you suggest is a possibility but I prefer the strap attachment to be on the lower right side, the right side of the bottom. Hah, that sounds weird. The difference between the bottom center and the bottom right attachment is that the camera plus lens falls somewhat better by my side with the bottom right. In addition, a bottom center attachment would leave the camera unable to lie on a flat surface without tilting. Not a fan of that.
The SmallRig L-Shape Grip (4136) for the X-T5 has a strap slot on the right which would be perfect. Sigh . . . But it's not an L-bracket. That X-T5 L-bracket from SmallRig that you mention has a wooden grip. Grrrrrrrrrr. And no place to attach a strap on the bottom right.
Kirk Enterprises has their L-bracket listed but it's short on the bottom and no place for a strap on the bracket. It has a QD (Quick Detach) socket, which is nice but the connection to it would be metal. I don't want to beat up my gear.
Hmmmm. First world problems for sure. Thanks for the reference. I've been spinning wheels on this for a while.
Al, my SmallRig L-bracket for my X-T4 also came with blonde wood. I didn’t like it at all so I carefully covered it with black gaffer’s tape, which also made it grippier. Worked well.
DeleteYes. 1968 Corvette Convertible 4 Speed, 327 that I sold when I got married. Second: 1979 Porsche 911 Targa, Anthracite blue with Magnesium 5 spoke wheels and camel leather interior which I sold when my first daughter was born. Other than that I LOVE my Fuji cameras and currently still use my 11 year old XT1, Xt2, XH1, and the 50r and 100s. Thanks for the memories. Now I have to look at Autotrader Dennis!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finding a tool that works with you. That is so important. Otherwise the camera stays between you and getting the rendition of the scene you have in your mind.
ReplyDeleteI had a complete Crown Graphic outfit that I treasured because it was 4x5 and all American made. I had the focusing cams, the graflarger, and even the "Graphic Way" book. I could never get used to it. I spent more time thinking about the camera than the image.
I went back to using a Linhof Technika to make my images.
Note to commenter about the Targa. I wish you had put it in storage, it could have paid for college.
I still have a Crown Graphic with a 135mm Wollensak lens! Not easy to use. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteI have followed your various posts about the inconsistency in the focus of Fuji cameras.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problems and came to the same conclusions. Pictures taken with a very shallow depth of field were perfectly in focus, such as images produced by the 35mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.2 with the diaphragm all the way open. Photographs taken with a wide angle or with f/5.6 or f/8 diaphragms, in which there was a certain depth of field, some appeared blurred to me.
I lost confidence in Fuji's focus and currently I just keep the Fuji X-H1 with the 16-80mm zoom.
After reading your post about the X-T5 I thought about taking the risk and buying an X-T5 because Fuji cameras are cameras that give pleasure in holding them, in photographing with them and for this I did not get rid of the X-H1.
With the X-T5 these focusing problems found in Fuji's previous cameras did really disappear, or did almost disappear?
Thank you very much for your clarifications.
Jorge
Jorge, thank you for your comment and question. I have had no issues with accurate or consistent autofocus with my copy of the X-T5. Also, I have a close photographer friend who also has an X-T5 and he reports no issues. However, this is a sample of only two cameras. I would suggest that you may want to borrow or rent one for a couple of days to test for yourself. That way, you can see for yourself whether or not a) you are satisfied with the kinds of photography you practice and b), adds another body to the sample count. Additionally, in my reading and viewing videos of others using the camera body, I haven’t seen anyone report AF issues. Hopefully, this is helpful to you. Again, thank you for following my blog and for commenting.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your information Dennis. Maybe Fuji has made the autofocus processor more intelligent in order to distinguish what seems to be in focus due to depth of field and what is really in focus.
ReplyDeleteWith my X-H1 as I know this problem I know how to control the focus but I lose speed because I simply can't frame and shoot, I always have to check the focus.
Maybe I'll go ahead and buy an X-T5...
Once again thank you very much for your reply.
Jorge
I’m happy to be of help. If there is anything else of which I can be helpful, just ask. Take care and stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI also went through a handful of Fuji models. I really liked each of them except for one or two things that weren't quite what I wanted (size, weight, noIBIS). I am delighted with my X-T5. On cars, there has been a long series: Triumph Spitfire, MGB, 380ZX Turbo. One of my sisters described the Nissan as having transporter technology, you were behind the semi, then you were in front of the semi.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager, I always wanted an MGTD. Never got one but did get to drive both an MG Midget and an Austin Healy 3000 owned by some college buddies. I’ve also driven a BMW Z3 and Nissan 300ZX. My favorite, however, was my 1966 Mustang and second favorite my 2000 Corvette. I loved the Mustang. I had it in high school and through out most of my college years. I went everywhere in that car!
Delete