Eight years ago, I got to test a new camera that hadn’t even been announced yet. It was the Fujifilm X-T1, and with its high performance and small, rugged form factor, it was the world’s first weather-sealed, fast action capable outdoor-ready mirrorless camera.
Instantly falling in love with the X-T1, my entire photography life was transformed, and with the successive X-T2, X-T3 an X-T4, I had a front row seat as the X Series cameras came of age over the next few years.
This week, the next chapter began in my X Series life when I snagged the last X-T5 in stock at my local store. As soon as I opened the box and put the camera in my hands, my X Series love was rekindled once again with this new hot-rodded fifth generation model. And with the regular 3-way tilt LCD screen, it felt like home again.
I won’t delve into the specs here, although you can find them at my X-T5 into post. I’ll just say that with a chassis that’s closer I size to the X-T1 than the X-T4, the new X-T5 felt like a familiar friend. Inside, though, the X-T5 is essentially the bionic version of the X-T1.
With the radically upgraded 5th gen features and specs that were introduced earlier this fall with the X-H2 and X-H2S, the X-T5 brings almost all of that into the traditional SLR style “X-T” body that so many of us love.
Being “magic hoar frost” season here in Anchorage right now, I immediately slapped a lens on it, (the XF70-300mm), bundled up and took it for a short walk around my neighborhood in the clear, cold -10F degree air. Over the next 53 minutes, I shot a collection of photos that I feel perfectly show of what I’ve always loved about the X Series.
All of these are straight JPEGs, right out of the camera. Most were shot with the Velvia film simulation, although the last photo in this post was made with the new Nostalgic NEG film sim.
I’ll definitely be posting more images and doing some review posts and videos for the X-T5 after the new year. For now, enjoy these snowy photos and have a great holiday season!
If you want to grab an X-T5 for yourself and support my site, you can order one at B&H Photo.
Also, if you do get one, my bestselling Fuji guide, X SERIES UNLIMITED, has been fully updated with all the relevant X-T5 info.
Beautiful Dan. But I think you’ve shifted some weather south and east this weekend.
Haha!! Yes, we did ship some of our Alaska weather down to you guys in the lower 48. Express, straight from the north!!!
For whatever reason I haven’t shared the disdain for the flip out screen on the X-T4 that others have expressed. Personally, I like being able to tuck it away and just shoot EVF only for stills, then break it out for video work or, really, anything requiring an odd angle. If that were the only change, though, I’d still be happy to upgrade to the X-T5 whenever it comes that time. What I don’t get, though, is the lack of available battery grip which has become indispensable for what I do. In the absence of a third party grip, I’ll be forced to go to an X-H2 when I’m done with my X-T4. And maybe that’s what Fuji is counting on for many of us.
Hi Rick, thanks for your comment. I’m not exactly sure why Fuji didn’t make a battery grip for the X-T5. It could be in part because the batter life on that model has been dramatically improved, and maybe is was a numbers thing. Perhaps there were dwindling sales of grips from X-T3 on. I get it that some people will miss it, especially for shooting with larger lenses. I occasionally use a grip on my older X-T models, but it was seldom enough that I won’t miss it. I much prefer the form factor of a small, light camera without a grip any day.
And yes, with the increased power/speed and performance, and surprisingly small size of the new X-H models, I guess they’re offering that as the option for people who want a camera with a grip, which obviously helps when shooting video or ultra fast sports/action, which is kind of what the X-H2S is targeted for. At any rate, with the increased battery life of the X-T5, perhaps some grip people will find that it actually works just fine without.