Fujifilm X-T5 High ISO Sample Images

I’ve been out shooting with the new Fujifilm X-T5. Here’s a selection of images I’ve shot at high ISOs with the Fujifilm X-T5 under real-world conditions to give a sense of how it performs in low light shooting.

Fujifilm X-T5 High ISO Sample Images
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The Fujifilm X series has been getting better and better with its image quality. And the X-T5 is another very impressive camera. It’s also one that has swung back somewhat away from an emphasis on video back to stills photography.

One of the core requirements for me is a camera that shoots well in low light. A fast lens helps, and in this case, I was shooting some of the time with the very fast Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR. But the performance and sensitivity of the sensor is crucial.

The Fujifilm X-T5 has a 40MP APS-C sensor. It has an ISO range from ISO 64 up to ISO 51,200. Of that, ISO 125 to ISO 12800 is in the native ISO range, with the settings on either end of that falling into the extended ISO range.

What counts as a high ISO is, of course, entirely subjective. Most cameras these days have very decent performance up to at least ISO 3200. And that’s where I’m putting the threshold here. So the images below range from ISO 3200 to ISO 51,200. If you’d like to see some side-by-side shots throughout the full ISO range, I’ve posted some examples separately.

High ISO Sample Images

Here’s a selection of photos I’ve shot on the X-T5 at high ISOs. I’ll try to add some more as I shoot more examples.

About These Images

These were all shot handheld with an X-T5. They were all originally shot in RAW. I’ve done only minimal processing in Lightroom–usually, just a little bump in contrast and exposure, as is pretty normal with RAW files. The versions embedded in the page here are derived from the RAW files, so they don’t have the camera’s default enhancement that it applies to JPGs generated in-camera.

What I haven’t done is any mitigation of image quality issues you get with high ISO images. In other words, I haven’t applied any noise reduction or other optical fixes. More specifically, I haven’t run these through what has become my go-to app for high ISO images: DxO PureRAW (especially since PureRAW 3 came out). But I know from experience that it can make a huge improvement.

You can click on each image for a full-size view for a closer look.

A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 4000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 8000. Those white dots aren’t hot pixels–they’re stars.
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - DATE, 2023 - CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH.COM
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 5000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 4000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. This was taken at night, and it was a lot darker than it looks in the photo.
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 ISO Range Sample Image
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - DATE, 2023 - CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH.COM
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - DATE, 2023 - CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH.COM
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 4000. This was also taken in the dark.
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - DATE, 2023 - CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH.COM
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 5000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 4000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 5000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. The spots to the left aren’t dust bunnies–they’re stars.
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - DATE, 2023 - CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH.COM
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 4000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 8000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR Zoom Range Sample Image
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 5000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 ISO Range Sample Image
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
A photo taken with a Fujifilm X-T5 in low light conditions at a high ISO
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 3200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 ISO Range Sample Image
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. The image quality really suffers here, with pronounced image noise, washed-out colors, and a shallow dynamic range. So it’s not well suited to shots like this, but it might be much more tolerable in street photography or some other instance where makes the difference between getting the shot and not getting the shot.
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 8000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 8000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 8000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 6400. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 10000. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 51200. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 25600. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Fujifilm X-T5 at ISO 12800. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel

Things Worth Knowing

  • Accessing the extended ISO range on the X-T5 isn’t necessarily self-evident. If you’re using the dial or one of the Auto ISO presets, you can only get it up to ISO 12,800. To get 25,600 and 51,200, the short version is that you need put the sensitivity dial to C and then adjust the ISO using the front dial. For the more detailed version, I’ve posted a guide to accessing the highest ISOs on the X-T5 separately.

Fixing Image Quality Problems in Editing

And the general rule of thumb in photography is that it’s better to get the shot right at the time of capture rather than trying to fix it after. That’s a great aspiration, but it’s not always possible to do if you’re shooting in especially challenging conditions or bumping up against limitations or flaws in gear, conditions, or technique.

But it’s worth mentioning that there are some excellent tools available to help address common image quality issues with digital images. And they’re getting better and better all the time as the power of AI ramps up. They can deal remarkably well with anything from sensor issues like high-ISO image noise to lens issues like distortion, softness, vignetting, and chromatic aberration. (Note: I’m focusing here on corrections related to image quality, not image enhancement tools–that’s a different kettle of fish.)

All-round image processing apps like Lightroom Classic and Capture One have solid tools built in that are very good places to start. But it’s also possible to take it much further with more specialized tools. If you shoot in challenging conditions regularly and find room for improvement in the image quality coming out of the camera, these might well be worth a look (and they have free trials). Some are stand-alone apps; some integrate into image editing suites such as Lightroom Classic.

UPDATE: In April 2023, Adobe released an update to Lightroom Classic that added new AI-powered noise reduction for RAW files. It’s a powerful tool that rivals some of the dedicated apps below. If you’re already using Lightroom Classic for your image editing and organization, it’s well worth trying out.

Fixing Image Noise & High ISO Artifacts

Fixing Lens-Related Optical Issues

  • DxO PureRAW (again offers an impressive suite of automatic fixes that are applied before you start editing the images)
  • DxO ViewPoint (correcting for lens distortion and geometry skews)
  • Topaz Labs Sharpen AI (in addition to standard unsharp tools, includes focus correction and shake reduction)

Price & Availability of the Fujifilm X-T5

The Fujifilm X-T5 was released in November 2022 and comes in all-black or black with silver trim (which is the version I’ve been shooting with and used in the product shots above).

It’s sold in these configurations:

Check the current price and availability at:

Related

For comparison, I’ve previously posted some high-ISO sample images taken with the X-T3 and X-T2.

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David Coleman / Photographer

David Coleman

I'm a professional freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here. More »

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