Three UNDERRATED Features of the Fujifilm X-T5
Introduction
The Fujifilm X-T5 has been my daily driver for the past two years, and in many ways, it’s an incredible camera. When most camera reviewers talk about the X-T5, they’ll highlight its standout features like the 40MP sensor, 8 stops of IBIS, and 6.2K video recording. But today, I want to dive a little deeper and focus on three underrated features that often get overlooked. These are the features I use every day, and they really set this camera apart for me.
This is the blog post to a Youtube video that can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/DJurPAigIuc
Whether you’re considering buying the X-T5 or you already own one and aren’t using these features yet, you’ll want to pay attention. Let’s get into it!
More than just a fancy looking device
1. The Mechanical Shutter
In camera reviews, you rarely hear anyone comment on the sound of the shutter. It’s not usually seen as a key metric, but photography is a very experience-driven activity. For me, having a satisfying shutter sound and feel makes all the difference when I’m out shooting.
When I first started using the X-T5, I remember being genuinely confused by how quiet and inconspicuous the mechanical shutter was. I even checked to see if it was enabled! The sound and feel are beautifully refined—far quieter than my X-T30, for instance.
Why does this matter?
Loudness: The X-T5’s shutter is much more silent compared to many other cameras, which has been a huge advantage during events like weddings, where loud shutter sounds can be a distraction. I've even received compliments for how quietly I can shoot during church ceremonies.
Camera shake: The X-T5’s shutter produces minimal vibration, which is important for getting steady shots, especially during long exposures. On other cameras, I might have switched to electronic shutter to avoid shake, but with the X-T5, I’m happy to shoot in mechanical shutter mode almost all the time.
The bottom line: The X-T5’s quiet, low-vibration shutter offers a fantastic shooting experience and is one of the most underrated features of the camera.
For a shutter sound comparison between X-T5 and X-T30, feel free to check out the Youtube video on the topic linked below.
2. Dynamic Range Settings
Another underappreciated feature of the X-T5 is its dynamic range (DR) settings. For the longest time, I thought the best dynamic range was only possible at the base ISO of the camera. Turns out, that’s not entirely true!
With Fujifilm’s DR settings, you can pull out up to two additional stops of dynamic range, which helps capture perfectly exposed photos straight out of the camera, even in tricky lighting situations with very bright highlights and deep shadows.
How do DR settings work?
The camera exposes the shot at base ISO while simultaneously boosting the ISO for the shadows during processing. This results in well-balanced images with properly exposed highlights and shadows.
For example, in DR 200%, the shadows are exposed at ISO 250, and in DR 400%, they’re exposed at ISO 500. This clever exposure method prevents highlights from blowing out while lifting shadow detail.
I typically shoot at DR 400%, even though it introduces a little more noise in the shadows due to the ISO 500 boost. For me, the trade-off is worth it to achieve a well-exposed shot in high dynamic range scenes without having to lift the shadows in post-production.
A quick demostration how DR settings work in practice.
3. The Electronic Shutter
You might be thinking, “Most cameras these days have an electronic shutter, so what’s the big deal?” Well, the X-T5’s electronic shutter is capable of something many others can’t do.
Once you’ve reached the maximum mechanical shutter speed, the X-T5 can hit crazy-high electronic shutter speeds of up to 1/180,000s. While I’ve never needed to go that high, I frequently use speeds of up to 1/32,000s in bright conditions or when shooting with wide apertures like f/1.2 or f/1.4.
Why is this important?
Many top-tier Canon and Sony cameras max out their electronic shutter at 1/8,000s, which isn’t enough for me, especially when shooting in bright light without ND filters.
With the X-T5, I can shoot at wide apertures even on a sunny day without worrying about overexposing the image or lugging around additional ND filters.
To enable these ultra-fast shutter speeds, simply go into your camera settings, navigate to photo settings, and set your shutter type to “Mechanical + Electronic.” This feature saves me from the hassle and extra expense of using ND filters and is perfect for shooting in bright conditions.
Settings: 1/18.000s f/1.2 ISO 125
There is situations in which that electronic shutter is very handy and allows for shooting in bright sun without ND filters.
Conclusion
While there are other well-known features of the Fujifilm X-T5, these three underrated features—the mechanical shutter, dynamic range settings, and electronic shutter—really stand out in my daily use. They enhance the shooting experience in ways that aren’t always immediately obvious but make a significant difference in both the ease and quality of my photography.
If you own the X-T5 and aren’t using these features yet, I encourage you to give them a try—you might be surprised by just how useful they can be!
Feel free to also review the content of this blog in video form. My Youtube video on the topic can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/DJurPAigIuc
