The Fujifilm X-T5 in Low Light: A High ISO Sample Gallery

The Fujifilm X series continues to push the boundaries of APS-C image quality, and the X-T5 is a perfect example of this evolution. Announced in November 2022, it swung the pendulum back toward a photography-first design after the video-leaning X-T4, and it’s still a camera built specifically for stills shooters.

But with a packed 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, a core question emerges: how well does it actually perform in low light? While pairing the camera with a fast lens — like the incredible Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1 R WR I used for some of these shots — certainly helps, the underlying sensitivity and noise profile of the sensor are what ultimately make or break the image.

The Fujifilm X-T5 features a native ISO range from ISO 125 up to ISO 12,800. The settings on either end of that spectrum fall into the extended ISO range, allowing you to drop down to ISO 64 or push all the way up to ISO 51,200.

What counts as “high ISO” is entirely subjective. However, because most modern cameras perform very cleanly up to ISO 3200, I am using that as the baseline threshold for this test. The sample images below range from ISO 3200 all the way to the maximum ISO 51,200.

In practice, the files hold up very well through about ISO 3200 — that’s where I’d still call the image quality excellent. Past that you start running into a ceiling: ISO 6400 is usable for most work, and by the time you reach the extended settings at 25,600 and 51,200 you’re trading away color and dynamic range to get the shot at all. The images below let you judge where your own cutoff sits.

Note: If you’d like to see controlled, side-by-side shots throughout the entire ISO spectrum, I’ve posted a full X-T5 ISO range test separately.

High ISO Sample Images

Here is a selection of real-world photos I’ve shot handheld on the X-T5 in low light. I will continue to add more examples as I shoot them. You can click on each image to open a full-size view for a closer look.

About these images

To give you an accurate look at the X-T5’s true noise profile, here is how these files were processed:

• Shot in RAW: The versions embedded on this page are derived directly from the original RAW files, meaning they bypass the camera’s default JPEG smoothing enhancements.
• Zero Noise Reduction: I have explicitly avoided mitigating the image quality issues you get at high ISOs. I have not applied any noise reduction or optical fixes in Lightroom. More specifically, I haven’t run these through my go-to app for high ISO files, DxO PureRAW (though I know from experience it makes a massive improvement on these files).
• Minimal Tweaks: I have only applied the bare minimum processing in Lightroom — usually just a slight bump in contrast and exposure to accurately reflect the scene.

How to get to ISO 25,600 and 51,200

• Accessing the extended ISO range on the X-T5 isn’t necessarily self-evident. If you’re using the physical dial or one of the Auto ISO presets, you can only push the camera up to ISO 12,800. To access ISO 25,600 and 51,200, you need to turn the sensitivity dial to C and then manually adjust the ISO using the front command dial. For a detailed walkthrough, I’ve posted a guide to accessing the highest ISOs on the X-T5 separately.

Related

For comparison, I’ve previously posted some high-ISO sample images taken with older-generation Fujifilm sensors, including the X-T3 and X-T2. There’s also a broader collection of X-T5 sample images shot across a range of conditions, and my hands-on review of the X-T5.

It’s worth knowing that the jump from 26 to 40 megapixels doesn’t come free at high ISO. The X-T5’s pixels are smaller than the ones on the 26MP X-Trans 4 sensors in the X-T3 and X-T4, so at 100% on screen the noise looks a little coarser. Scale the files to the same output size, though, and the gap narrows — and you’re still holding onto more detail than the 26MP files gave you.

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