Is the Fujifilm X-T5 40 Mpx Sensor Better than the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T4 26 Mpx?
- Remi
- 14 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Is the latest Fujifilm 40 Mpx camera better than the older 26 Mpx in terms of image quality? Is the Fujifilm X-T5 better than the Fujifilm X-T3 or X-T4?
The real questions besides looking at camera resolution, image quality, and noise levels are, is upgrading to the Fujifilm X-T5 worth it? Or is the image quality so much better on the X-T5 that an upgrade is needed?
These are fair questions, and there are many concerns about the fact that Fuji managed to put 40 Mpx on an APS-C. Logically, a smaller sensor packed with a high pixel count should result in more noise, since it tends to warm up quickly as the result of more circuits and less space to cool the sensor.
In this article I will share images taken with my good old Fujifilm X-T3 as well as the Fujifilm XT-5 which I had the luck of using for two weeks while being on a tour in the Dolomites.
We will look at these cameras purely in terms of image quality. No other aspects will be looked at, such as practicality, ease of use, etc.
Key findings:
Consider the image quality result of the Fujifilm X-T3 similar to that of the X-T4.
Both the X-T3 and X-T5 have great image quality.
Usability and features should be the deciding factor when upgrading or choosing the Fujifilm X-T5 over the X-T3 or X-T4.
With daylight, noise management with the X-T5 is superior to the X-T3. At higher ISO and at night, the X-T3 is superior to the X-T5, even when photo stacking is used.
Sharpness appears to be similar for both cameras.
Waiting for the X-T6 due to be released in 2026 may be worth it, since image quality is only slightly better on the X-T5, depending on the situation,
Despite a higher pixel count, the X-Trans CMOS 5 HR 40 Mpx noise level remains contained, although it tends to degrade at higher ISO 3200 and above.
Sharpness similar for both cameras.
The higher pixel on the X-T5 means a possibility to print larger prints.
Most camera brands seem to have reached their peak in terms of image quality. Fujfilm is no different. Improvement is mostly coming from the other factors, such as practicality, autofocus performance, battery life, and so on.
1- Camera sensor compared
The Fujifilm XT-3 packs the X-Trans CMOS 4. It is a 26.1 Mpx APS-C X-Trans back-illuminated sensor (BSI) which is the same as the Fujifilm X-T4.
The Fujifilm X-H2S packs the latest Fuji's X-Trans CMOS 5 HS (high speed), which has been optimized for video and fast-moving subjects. It is essentially an upgrade from the X-Trans CMOS 4; therefore, we can consider that the image quality is similar or slightly better.
The Fujifilm X-T5 packs the X-Trans CMOS 5 HR (high resolution). It is a 40.2 Mpx APS-C X-Trans back-illuminated sensor (BSI) which is the same as the X-H2.
Given the above information, it can be assumed that the X-T5 is likely to be noisier than the X-T3. However, it packs a lower ISO capability at 125 vs 160 for the X-T3. That being said, these are just numbers, and who knows what the reference is.
2- Sensor's main difference
The obvious major difference between those two sensors is the pixel counts. The XT-5 has nearly 60% more pixels than the X-T3.
As per Fuji, it only matters when used with optimized lenses from Fuji. I am honestly not sure what it exactly means, but I guess those optimized lenses would provide a slightly better image quality. But would it make a huge difference? I don't believe so. Is it a marketing argument to make you buy a new camera, and a couple of new lenses? That seems quite likely!
3- The test and effective image comparisons
In this test, we will be looking at picture comparisons shot with both the XT-3 and the XT-5:
Landscape photographs shot with the XF 10-24mm MK1,
Landscape photographs shot with the XF 55-200mm,
night photography, was and processed images
The approach for this comparison is the following:
Looking at three different sets of pictures shot in different conditions with different lenses with both the X-T3 and X-T5
The conditions include pictures shot with the XF 10-24mm, XF 55-200mm and night shots photographed with the Samyang 12mm f2.0
Each picture will be looked at it's original size, zoomed at 100%, and at 200%, both raw and processed
The zoomed view will be different since the megapixel count is different (26 vs 40). One could argue the framing should be similar. However, I chose not to adjust the zoomed view on those pictures to see the similar quality result on each picture. Otherwise, the 26 Mpx sensor would be automatically disadvantaged.
3.1. Wide-angle comparison
The pictures compared below were shot as follows:
Shot at 10mm for the X-T3 (15mm at 35mm eq.) and 11.5mm for the X-T4 (17mm at 35mm eq.)
Minimum ISO on both cameras: ISO 160 for the X-T3 and 125 for the X-T5
Aperture: f/13 for both cameras
Bracketing +- 2 stops to gain as much dynamic range as possible,
Focus stacking to have a sharp picture from front to back
Post-processing in Lightroom, then Photoshop with the addition of sharpness and blur, as well as other contrast improvements.
As in most cases, while looking at the pictures from both cameras at full size, there are no visible differences, whether you look at the raw or processed picture.
The difference really comes while starting to zoom-in. At 100% and 200% zoom, both the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujifilm X-T5 raw files do not show major noise but feel slightly blurry. The processed pictures show a lot more noise, especially in the sky and for the X-T3, and the well-known worming effect appears on Fuji's files. This comes from the addition of sharpness in post-processing. It could be lowered by either lowering the sharpness in the sky or applying a denoiser as the last step of the processing.
Now, comparing directly the raw and processed files from the X-T3 and X-T5, it seems that the X-T5 has a slight edge. The X-T3 file seems a little noisier, with a tiny bit less sharpness. Keep in mind that various factors may affect the end result, in particular, any shakes stemming from shutter movements or wind, for example.
The picture quality remains great on both cameras in this particular test.
But let's keep going with the different lenses and light conditions.
3.2 XF 55-200mm - The telephoto lens
The pictures compared below were shot as follow:
Shot at 156mm for the X-T3 (234mm at 35mm eq.) and 149 mm for the X-T5 (218mm at 35mm eq.)
Shutter speed: 1/250s for the X-T3 and 1/40s for the X-T5 both handheld
Aperture: f/13 for the X-T3 and f/11 for the X-T5 (certainly a little too high on both, but switching lenses leads to this)
Minimum ISO on both cameras: ISO 160 for the X-T3 and 125 for the X-T5
One shot for both, no focus stacking or bracketing
Post processing in Lightroom, then Photoshop with the addition of sharpness and blur, as well as other contrast improvements.
Similarly to the previous pictures, there are no major differences in terms of noise and quality when looking at the full pictures, whether it is the raw file or the processed one.
When looking at the raw zoomed files, we can notice more noise in the darkest areas with the X-T3. These could come directly from the fact that the X-T5 has a lower base noise level at 125 vs 160 for the X-T3. However, the X-T5 seems to be a little blurrier than the X-T5. This is especially visible on the rooftop of the hut as well as the two wooden containers in front of it. Since the two were handheld and the shot with the X-T5 was made at a substantially lower speed (1/40s), there might have been some shakes here. Just as a reminder, we are doing some pixel peeping here, so there is nothing fundamentally alarming with those results.
When looking at the zoomed processed pictures, both having more or less a similar post-processing applied, the noise on the X-T3 becomes a lot more visible, once again, especially in the darkest areas. The slight blur is still present on the X-T5 but the processing reduced it to an a level that makes it almost invisible. Obviously, no blur at all is always better.
So far, the two pictures shot with the XF 10-24mm and the XF 55-200mm during daylight have shown that the X-T5 noise level has improved and that the sharpness is slightly higher than on the X-T3. The last example is showing a lower sharpness on the X-T5, but this is probably coming from a lower shutter speed, preventing a perfect steadiness.
Now let's take a look at the nigh photography results.
3.3 Night Photography shots
The pictures compared below were shot as follow:
Shot with the Samyang 12mm f2.0 for both the X-T3 and the X-T5 (18mm at 35mm eq.)
Shutter speed: 8sec for the both the X-T3 and the X-T5
Aperture: f/2.0 for both cameras
ISO 6400 for both cameras
Noise stacking of 20 shots for both photographs in Starry Landscape Stacker
Post processing in Lightroom and then Photoshop with the addition of sharpness and blur, as well as other contrast and color improvements.
The two pictures were shot within a two-day interval, but are essentially different, from the lighting to the composition. Every parameter and the lens were similar.
The fully processed picture, stacked with 20 pictures for noise cancellation, shows for both cameras a great and detailed result. What will be really interesting here is to look at the zoomed images.
In the raw full picture (one shot, not stacked), both cameras seem to show a fairly heavy noise level. That does not come as a surprise for Fujifilm. For more details, do not hesitate to take a look at the article I wrote about using Fujifilm for astrophotography.
When zooming in, the true result stands out: the X-T5 seems to handle noise level better than the X-T3 despite having a much higher pixel count. Sharpness is considered as similar in this case.
Now, the stacked processed zoomed images have a slightly different result. The X-T3 seems to have a slight edge here with a little less noise. Sharpness is really close for both ccameras Note that the noise level may also be the result of the processing, but in this particular case, the X-T3 shows a slightly better performance.
To conclude this article, the comparisons between the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujfiilmy X-T5 shows that the X-T5 image quality and noise handling are generally better than for the X-T3. The difference is however not massive. The big advantage of the X-T5 comes down to printing. The higher pixel count will allow for more details on larger prints. But keep in mind that for most common size prints, the result will be very similar.
If you have a Fujifilm X-T3 or X-T4, should you upgrade to the X-T5 or X-H2? My answer is: not yet. The X-T6 is expected in the course of 2026. Most probably around the end of the first half or the second half of the year. Until then, keeping a totally capable Fujifilm X-T3 or X-T4 would be completely acceptable.
About the Author
I am Rémi Bergougnoux, a French professional travel and landscape photographer currently based in the Jura Region. My most influential destinations include Latin America, where I spent about a year, Namibia, Iceland, Norway and certainly many others.
Alongside writing blogging, I also have a YouTube Channel (@Remontheroad) where I teach about photography, and runs workshops,
Aside from photography, hiking, cooking, enjoying good wines and socializing are my main hobbies.
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