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.
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
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 later. 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—look for the Denoise tool under the Detail panel.
Fixing Image Noise & High ISO Artifacts
- DxO PureRAW 3. Like Lightroom Classic’s Denoise tool, it only works on RAW files. But since was updated to version 3, it has become my go-to app for this kind of thing. I’m consistently amazed at how it can rescue photos with otherwise dodgy image quality from noise. It can also help with lens distortion, lens vignetting, and lens softness.
- DxO DeepPrime. This is the noise-only offering using the same denoising technology as PureRAW.
- Topaz Labs’ DeNoise AI. This is another excellent option for specialized denoising. It works alongside Lightroom or as a standalone app.
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. Lightroom Classic and Capture One also have excellent built-in tools for this.
- Topaz Labs Sharpen AI. In addition to standard unsharp tools, it 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:
- Body only (MSRP $1699)
- Bundled with an 18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 zoom lens (MSRP $2099)
- Bundled with a 16-80mm ƒ/4 zoom lens (MSRP $2199)
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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