Photography News 104 - Newsletter

Big test

PERFORMANCE: ISO

SPECS ›  Price £1699 body only, £2049 with XF18-55mm, £2149 with XF16-80mm ›  Sensor 23.5x15.7mm X-Trans CMOS 5 HR ›  Resolution 40.2 megapixels ›  Imaging engine X Processor 5 ›  Sensitivity ISO 125-12,800 (extendable to ISO 64 and 51,200) ›  Metering TTL 256 zone – multi, spot, average and centre-weighted options ›  Exposure modes PASM ›  Exposure compensation +/-5 stops in 1/3 EV steps (stills) +/-2 stops in 1/3EV steps (movie) ›  Image stabiliser Seven stops, IS mode boost and digital image stabilisation for movie use only ›  Shutter speed range 15 minutes to 1/8000sec, plus B (mechanical), 15 minutes to 1/180,000sec (electronic) ›  Shooting speed Up to 15fps (mechanical shutter), up to 20fps (electronic shutter, with 1.29x crop) ›  Handheld High Res Shot mode Raw 8160x6120 pixels, JPEG 8160x6120/5760x4320 pixels ›  Autofocus modes Single, continuous, manual ›  Viewfinder 0.5in OLED with 3.69m dots ›  Rear LCD 3in three-way tilting touchscreen with 1.84m dots ›  Movie recording 6.2K/30p, DCI4K/30p, 4K/60p, Full HD/240p ›  Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C, micro HDMI, 3.5mm stereo mini connector, 2.5mm remote release connector, hotshoe ›  Power NP-W235 battery ›  Dimensions (wxhxd) 129.5x91x63.8mm ›  Weight 557g (with battery and memory card) ›  Contact fujifilm-x.com

These images show the native ISO settings available on the X-T5, from a new low setting of ISO 125 through to ISO 12,800. Extended settings of 25,600 and 51,200 are available, but lighting conditions on the scene I photographed resulted in overexposure. I thought this could be remedied by switching to the electronic shutter and using the superfast shutter speeds, but it’s worthy of note that the extended ISOs aren’t available with the electronic shutter. In terms of ISO performance, the X-T5 is solid up to and including ISO 1600, with fine detail and virtually grain-free files. At ISO 3200, grain starts to become noticeable in areas of smooth tone, but colours remain largely accurate. At ISO 6400 and 12,800, there is a minor colour shift and more notable grain, but it never becomes obtrusive, appearing more like a watercolour wash than a speckled mess.

125

200

400

800

1600

3200

6400

12,800

AF system in the X-H2S is Fujifilm’s finest to date, but that model has a stacked, high-speed sensor. The X-T5 uses the same image processor, but matches neither the X-H2S nor the new Canon. In single-shot mode, the focus is fast and reliable, but I found the focus tracking performance not as tenacious in its ability to pick up and follow a moving subject. As with the Canon, my subject matter was a fast and erratically moving dog, and while the EOS R6 Mark II recorded an 80-90% success rate as said hound hurtled toward (as well as away from) the camera, the X-T5’s hit rate was around 25-30%. Some of this could be attributed to user error or inability, but it’s just not as sticky, despite an updated AF algorithm and AI-learning technology. A big caveat to apply is the price, and you could argue I’m comparing apples to pears. The X-T5 is significantly cheaper than both the X-H2S and EOS R6 Mark II. As such, it shouldn’t be expected to compete. But it’s worth knowing that

differences exist, and for me they’re most obvious in AF performance. One aspect that Fujifilm has absolutely nailed is camera design; the X-T5 is simply a pleasure to use. The top-plate analogue dials have a positive action and can’t be OL’ RELIABLE With 56 weather-sealed points offering high levels of dust and moisture resistance, the X-T5 can be trusted to keep snapping anywhere

WITHIN A WHISKER The sensor uses an image-processing algorithm to boost resolution without affecting signal-to-noise ratio

Issue 104 | Photography News 35

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