Downsizing from Z8 to X-T5

[Oregon Dawg]

You're absolutely right—I’ve gone deep down the rabbit hole over the years. My photography needs have evolved, and I’ve reached a point where I fully understand the trade-offs. Now, I focus on buying what truly matters rather than endlessly poring over reviews to find the absolute best optical performers.

I used to chase upgrades in image quality and specs, but I’ve realized that for my travel needs, compactness and good image quality matter more than anything else.
A few years ago, I would have been all about prime lenses. Today, I’d happily choose a compact f/2.8 or f/4 zoom over a prime with better image quality.

Most of my travel involves flights, and my camera bag is my personal item. It has to hold my laptop, travel documents, DJI Pocket 3, camera gear, and other electronics. That’s why compactness is critical—it’s not just about weight but also size, since the bag needs to fit under the seat.

With my Nikon setup, I’ve maxed out the available space, so adding more lenses isn’t an option. With Fuji, I’d have the advantage of significantly reducing weight while still being able to carry a few extra lenses without worrying about space.

My trips are primarily for sightseeing rather than dedicated photography, so I need a setup I can take everywhere without feeling weighed down.

That being said, I love getting a lot of detail in the images. Since I watch all my videos and photos on both my 70inch TV, but also in a VR headset with a virtual 100 inch screen. love seeing the detail in objects and places and photography for me is a very personal hobby. Outside of friends and family, I don't post my images anywhere and just enjoy revisiting my memories and love going back in time with my photos and videos.

Some Updates:

I just returned from a weekend getaway, and the Z8 delivered incredible results. I shot everything—buildings, oceans, birds, people, and landscapes—and aside from one or two images, autofocus was spot-on. I also shot a lot of birds in flight for video, and the autofocus performed exceptionally well. The DX mode and additional cropping helped me capture smaller birds.

That said, I did run into some limitations with focal range for certain birds, but that’s a trade-off I’ll have to accept since I’m not planning on buying larger lenses.

For the first time, I’m in complete awe of the camera and its capabilities—there’s nothing I dislike about it, except for the size and weight of the setup. It's built like a tank, handles everything and gives me immense room to grow my skill.

I did feel a bit self-conscious shooting street photography with the Z8 and the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. The setup felt bulky, and I didn’t want to make people uncomfortable with such a large camera and lens.

Last evening, I visited my local store and got a hands-on demo of the silver X-T5 with the 16-50mm f/2.8-4 and the 70-300mm. The weight difference compared to my Nikon setup was substantial. While the Nikon has a better grip, the Fuji wasn’t bad, and I was told I could add a SmallRig grip to improve handling.

The dials felt tactile and satisfying, the compactness was great, and I liked the easy switch between video and photo modes. Just handling it felt fun!
The X-T5 is truly compact and next to the Z8, it felt tiny. With the 70-300 on the X-T5 and the 28-400 on the Z8, there was a big difference in weight and size. The fuji setup will be a lot easier to travel with.

Unfortunately, due to store policy, they couldn’t install a battery in the unit since I was testing a brand-new boxed item. So, I couldn’t evaluate autofocus or image quality, but the handling and lens size were a significant improvement over the Z8.

But I am worried about the build quality ( I was told the silver color was prone to the paint peeling off), and the auto focus drop coming from Z8. I also don't know how the X-T5 will handle rolling shutter.

In the past this would have been an easy choice. I would have made the switch and figured it out. If I didn't pan out, I would reassess and try something else. This time, I have something I truly like, so I want to be very careful and cover all my bases before doing anything.

The rabbit hole is not necessarily a bad thing, lol. I've enjoyed my time there. It can be fun learning and exploring. At some point something usually happens that brings us back up to the surface.

Travel: I've traveled with my heavy bag with a Nikon DSLR and 3 lenses. And I was carrying primes, and it was still heavy. I've carried a bag with a Fuji X-T4, 16-80, 33 1.4 and 70-300. And it wasn't much different than my Nikon bag. Now I have the X-T5, 35 f2 and 16-50. My bag weighs 5 pounds. And it feels like a maximum for me, lol. (And it's worth noting that other than the telephoto I've been happy with all three kits as far as photo quality and gear usage is concerned). I probably won't travel with the 5 pound bag unless we go somewhere special where I can do some deliberate photography. Otherwise I'll travel with my iPhone. Anyway, it could be you consider two systems, the Z8 for deliberate photography and something more compact for travel photography. Although, having two systems does add cost. I've never had two systems myself, although I suppose these days my iPhone is my second system. There are plenty of people on this forum that have multiple cameras for different use cases.

Good luck with everything! You have a lot of knowledge and experience, you will figure out what works best for you.

 

[GaryPS]

I'm a hobbyist photographer. So, I consider my cameras/lenses more as toys to enjoy than tools to make a living from. I moved from Nikon (the last of which was a Z6) to Fujifilm (the last of which was an XT5), and I have not regretted it. I enjoy the dial-based UI of the Fuji rather than the PSAM and menus of the Nikon. I really like the build quality of Fuji bodies and XF lenses as well the color science and film simulations. Most of all, I like the compact size and light weight of XT5 and XF lenses. I thought the Z6 and Z lenses produced fantastic images, but I found that every time I packed my camera bag I would would reach for the Fuji kit. I guess if I was shooting something where I was stationary and could use a tripod I might reconsider, but my tripod is covered in dust at the bottom of my closet. To me lugging equipment is not the way to enjoy a hobby. Just my $.02.

 

[Maxx787]

Most people invest in Full-Frame over APS-C systems. Selection of lenses as the deciding factor in terms of cost. Nikon Z8 and Fuji X-T5 as different as chalk and cheese. Nikon Z8 durable mid-range camera for bigger zoom lenses standing the test of time. As Fuji X-T2 / X-T3 owner with no regrets. Fuji XT cameras for a different market at lower budget price. Perhaps consider Fuji XH-2S as more comparable to Nikon Z8?

 

[kc384]

Thank you everyone for the incredible support and advice. The Fuji forum has always been one of the best, and the comments and advice I have received have been wonderful. I have gone through every reply and considered all the aspects.

At the end of the day, compactness was the key, and the dials and retro feel of the X-T5 just called to me.

I bit the bullet! I bought the X-T5 with the 16-50 f/2.8-4 kit. I also purchased the 70-300 and the Viltrox 56 f/1.7 air lens. I bought the small rig grip as well. I won't use the grip most of the time, but when I need it, its there.

Putting this setup next to my Nikon, I couldn't believe how compact the Fuji lineup was.

I also found a great buyer locally to sell my Z8 to, so I bid farewell to it. Currently working on selling the lenses.

Very excited to be a part of the Fuji family.

Will be taking the camera out for a test drive later this evening.

I have been a PASM guy all along, so the retro dials and controls are fascinating, but I need to relearn a few things.

If there are any tips or things I need to keep in mind please let me know. I have already updated the firmware to the latest 4.21 version.

Also, possibly a naive question. In Z8 and other PASM bodies, I had custom modes with tailored settings for different shooting types. Do I get anything similar here, or I just adjust the dials as I need?

 

[Mountaingrapher]

Thank you everyone for the incredible support and advice. The Fuji forum has always been one of the best, and the comments and advice I have received have been wonderful. I have gone through every reply and considered all the aspects.

At the end of the day, compactness was the key, and the dials and retro feel of the X-T5 just called to me.

I bit the bullet! I bought the X-T5 with the 16-50 f/2.8-4 kit. I also purchased the 70-300 and the Viltrox 56 f/1.7 air lens. I bought the small rig grip as well. I won't use the grip most of the time, but when I need it, its there.

Putting this setup next to my Nikon, I couldn't believe how compact the Fuji lineup was.

I'm certain you did a great choice an will enjoy your X-T5 s much as you enjoyed your Z8.

Also, possibly a naive question. In Z8 and other PASM bodies, I had custom modes with tailored settings for different shooting types. Do I get anything similar here, or I just adjust the dials as I need?

You can easily replicate PASM on Fuji X:

• set ISO and Shutter Speed dials on A, select Aperture on the lens and you have the equivalent of A mode
• set ISO and Aperture on A, select Shutter speed and you have S mode.
• set Shutter Speed and Aperture on A and you have an ISO mode?
• Set everything by yourself and it's an M mode.

I find way more intuitive to use than PASM, has everything is readily avaiable, but that's only a personal preference.

You can define different Auto ISO settings, with minimum ISO, Maximum ISO and Minimum Shutter Speed, that enable to adapt to different situations. I have personally established 2, an Action (SS > 1000, ISO up to 6400) and a General (no minimum SS, ISO up to 800) and I change based on what I'm shooting. However I miss being able to switch between these settings with the Q menu, it was available on my X-T20, I don't understand why I can't on the X-T5...

 

[Truman Prevatt]

Thank you everyone for the incredible support and advice. The Fuji forum has always been one of the best, and the comments and advice I have received have been wonderful. I have gone through every reply and considered all the aspects.

At the end of the day, compactness was the key, and the dials and retro feel of the X-T5 just called to me.

I bit the bullet! I bought the X-T5 with the 16-50 f/2.8-4 kit. I also purchased the 70-300 and the Viltrox 56 f/1.7 air lens. I bought the small rig grip as well. I won't use the grip most of the time, but when I need it, its there.

Putting this setup next to my Nikon, I couldn't believe how compact the Fuji lineup was.

I also found a great buyer locally to sell my Z8 to, so I bid farewell to it. Currently working on selling the lenses.

Very excited to be a part of the Fuji family.

Welcome aboard, mate. The Fuji team is happy to have you.

Will be taking the camera out for a test drive later this evening.

I have been a PASM guy all along, so the retro dials and controls are fascinating, but I need to relearn a few things.

My advice is to take a deep breath and relax and enjoy learning the camera.

If there are any tips or things I need to keep in mind please let me know. I have already updated the firmware to the latest 4.21 version.

Also, possibly a naive question. In Z8 and other PASM bodies, I had custom modes with tailored settings for different shooting types. Do I get anything similar here, or I just adjust the dials as I need?

The UI on the Z8/9 with its four shooting banks and four extended menu banks are designed to allow the user to establish unto 8 independent full configurations of the camera at the push of a button.

The Fuji XH2 and XH2S are similar in that independent configurations an be select with the twist of a dial. The XT5 is a traditional UI which is in conflict with the UI philosophy of the Z8. If there were equivalents to the preprogrammed configurations, the dials would lie. The beauty of the dials and aperture rings is the camera settings are always visible to you when even if the camera is turned off. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

But from what you have stated about your interest in travel and landscape with the occasional bird wildlife, the flexibility of the Z8 may be overkill and you should be able to do what you want with the XT. It is a much more relaxed camera.

 

[kc384]

This is great info. Thank you. I still can't get over how truly compact this powerhouse of a camera is.

Very fascinating to learn the in and outs of this system. The dials feel so rewarding. My muscle memory is not used to this, so its going to be a fun ride to learn things again.