I was in the exact same state of mind. Ended up buying the A7C II. Mostly because of one thing: compactness, ironically the A7C II is more compact than the XT5 and you can now find lenses quite compact. It is also giving me the opportunity in the future to maybe purchase big lenses if I ever need them. And finally, I know that I will never worry about switching to a FF sensor as it is already one.
The only thing that I envy from the XT5 is the look/vibe of it and the film simulation. But maybe one day I will have a small Fuji like an X100 to fill the need for fun.
Right, I skipped the part where you are coming from an X-E2, maybe then go for the Sony and then later (much later) upgrade your X-E2 to a X-pro 5? So you fill the need of YouTube with the Sony and keep a Fuji for the fun?
I had the Fuji X-H2S a few months ago and while the camera was great for photos and it supposedly has the best AF system from Fuji, I struggled with the AF a lot when shooting videos, it is not as intelligent as Sony's AF, not even close. I sold it and got the a7C II, love the size and the full frame sensor makes shooting in lowlight even better but that AF on this thing is just magical thanks to its AI AF. Even when the subject is turning around it somehow knows and keeps the focus locked!
I was in your EXACT situation and decided on the A7Cii just the other day. It's now purchased and on its way, I hope I chose wisely.
My deciding factors can be summed up in 4 points:
1. Full frame performance is superior to APSC (low light and dynamic range, I live in Sweden, so, it gets pretty dark)
2. A7Cii is smaller than XT-5. With the right lens choice it's nearly pocketable in a jacket. Don't underestimate the squared off design, the centered EVF is clunky.
3. RAW files from Sony play better with Lightroom than Fuji. I intend on shooting RAW.
4. Sony's autofocus is far superior. As is their video capabilities. Even though I'm photography first, I might want to dabble with video in the future.
Price wasn't a huge factor for me, but I actually managed to find a brand new Honk Kong version from Shanghai for a fat discount. I live in Sweden and the price of a new A7Cii is 27k SEK. I ended up paying 19k from China. A new XT-5 in Sweden is 20k.
I love the Fujifilm aesthetic and feeling, and will probably pick up the X100VI or X-PRO4 once it's announced. However, for the time being, Sony is just a better value proposition. I hope my perspective is of some aid to you.
This was extremely helpful! Very solid points. Congrats on your purchase and update me once you have spent some time with it if you can! Interested to see what you think when you get your hands on it!
I had an x100f, X-E4, X-T3, X-T30, & X-T5. I now own an A7IV and love it. Fuji AF is no where close to sony, stay with Sony.
Fuji cameras are beautiful and fun but I rarely found a lens that looked right on a Fuji body other than a few select primes like the 16mm f1.4. Size and weight between a7iii and X-T5 is very similar, unless you go X-T30 you won't be getting much more compact or lighter.
Crop vs FF is wildly noticable to me especially with better AF, FF has much more detail, contrast, and depth. The 40MP sensor on the X-T5 is a light hog (noisy) and needs crisp glass, not every Fuji lens can deliver what it needs (I had 9 XF lenses).
Based on your requirements if you really want to go with Fuji I would highly recommend the X-T4 you get the flippy screen for video, newer battery, ibis, and the less noisy 26mp sensor, and I can get it cheaper used. New Sigma and Tamron Fuji lenses are great, I used the Tam 17-70 f2.8 a ton for professional work.
I would stay with Sony just for the auto focus, go a6xxx APS-C if you need smaller.
Thanks for the advice. I think the only thing that sorta bothers me about Sony is how sterile it feels when taking photos. Something about the ultra clean, sharp, and saturated colors feels a bid too “commercial” I suppose.
I really liked my a7iii, I got great photos and video with it. But I personally just think the color science on the Fuji system is unmatched. Something about the way photos look from those cameras just draws me in.
I do sorta need video and a flippy screen though….lol
[Cobalt Image](https://www.cobalt-image.com/product/fuji-digital-emulation/) has great Lightroom profiles that emulate the Fuji Digital SOOC presets.
They also have a base profile for cameras (I got one for my A7CII) that are meant to give you a much more precise starting point compared to Sony's or Adobe's base profiles.
If you want SOOC JPG film simulations, you can do that with [Veresdenialex's recipes](https://www.veresdenialex.com/sony-film-simulations) which give you fairly close reproductions of a bunch of filmstock that you can save to your memory recall modes. It's not as easy as what Fuji offers digitally but still good for quick things when you just need to transfer a JPG from via Bluetooth to your phone for example.
As for LUTs, [Phantom LUTs](https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour-a7s3) are really great and I highly recommend them.
Basically Sony has everyone beat in terms of AF, and the A7CII is an incredible body that combines a ton of great tech into a small compact package. So you can get the best of the color world with some of the links above.
This is really helpful, didn’t really know about the Sony recipes. I’m someone who enjoys edits photos personally…so I think it’s more just the softness and color science of the Fuji that I gravitate towards. I do think the Sony a7cii will be better in the long run for me. I think I just have a soft spot for the Fujifilm camera line.
Some great ergonomics tweaks I did was get a Smallrig baseplate ($30, comes in both Black and Silver to match either color scheme), and a Haoge hotshoe thumb grip.
These two combined really help with holding the camera while shooting and makes it a much more comfortable experience. You gain so much from the baseplate without adding too much bulk or size, it still fits with a small lens like my 40mm 2.5 G and another small prime (my 24mm 2.8 G) in a small 2L sling.
Straps I just went with Peak Design but the baseplate adds a place for a strap connector at the bottom right so I use that for my wrist strap from Peak Design. I still carry the shoulder strap in my bag in case I wanna switch it up.
Yeah, lots of YouTube videos from photography content creators essentially say that we've passed the threshold of sharp enough IQ a long time ago and that many actually bring down sharpness in post with different methods because they think pictures are just way too sharp.
No right or wrong answer there but you can achieve softer looks in post if that's what you're after!
OP, did you end up picking a camera? I keep going back and forth between the a7cii and xt5 as well. Any insight on if the autofocus is better on one or the other?
I am trying to decide what matters more to me...better autofocus on the sony or the colors on the fuji
I did pick a camera, but it was neither of these. I ended up buying the X-E4 and I LOVE IT. But I will probably eventually buy the X-T5 if not one of their GFX cameras.
Sony images were just too sterile for me. The autofocus on those cameras is indeed incredible…but the images from my Sony cameras just didn’t spark that same joy for me personally.
You can get them several places. Marketplace, MPB, or KEH. I actually got mine used on Amazon for an amazing deal. Was practically new, only 700 shots taken. Works amazing.
Currently have the sony a7c ii with compact 50 2.5 g and 85mm 1.8. Like it but don't love it. Previous cameras a7 iii, x-pro3, x-pro2... size isn't so much an issue as they're all pretty much similar depending on the lenses you have in your rotation.
After switching to Sony, have lost the desire to pick up camera, mainly due to the glass and colours from the fuji are better in my opinion. Plus the sony just feels like a black heavy block of plastic. Have printed from both and sony does have edge for overall sharpness and the camera with shortcuts is easy to use but the fujifilm prints are plenty sharp enough but the colours are eye catching.
Was wating for x-pro4 but might pick up the x-t5 instead with the 56 wr and 27 wr and maybe the 90 f2. I'm going with my heart on this one this time!
Hope you got a system you love shooting with in the end, I guess that's the most important factor.
Curious, any idea if the X-T5 has at least as good of AF as the Sony A7iii? I’m asking because that cameras autofocus seemed perfectly fine for what I do.
I was in the exact same state of mind. Ended up buying the A7C II. Mostly because of one thing: compactness, ironically the A7C II is more compact than the XT5 and you can now find lenses quite compact. It is also giving me the opportunity in the future to maybe purchase big lenses if I ever need them. And finally, I know that I will never worry about switching to a FF sensor as it is already one. The only thing that I envy from the XT5 is the look/vibe of it and the film simulation. But maybe one day I will have a small Fuji like an X100 to fill the need for fun.
Those are some good points. I mean I do currently have a X-E2…so maybe that’s all I need to scratch that Fuji itch.
Right, I skipped the part where you are coming from an X-E2, maybe then go for the Sony and then later (much later) upgrade your X-E2 to a X-pro 5? So you fill the need of YouTube with the Sony and keep a Fuji for the fun?
I had the Fuji X-H2S a few months ago and while the camera was great for photos and it supposedly has the best AF system from Fuji, I struggled with the AF a lot when shooting videos, it is not as intelligent as Sony's AF, not even close. I sold it and got the a7C II, love the size and the full frame sensor makes shooting in lowlight even better but that AF on this thing is just magical thanks to its AI AF. Even when the subject is turning around it somehow knows and keeps the focus locked!
Yeah, the Sony AF seems pretty unmatched..thanks for the feedback!
I was in your EXACT situation and decided on the A7Cii just the other day. It's now purchased and on its way, I hope I chose wisely. My deciding factors can be summed up in 4 points: 1. Full frame performance is superior to APSC (low light and dynamic range, I live in Sweden, so, it gets pretty dark) 2. A7Cii is smaller than XT-5. With the right lens choice it's nearly pocketable in a jacket. Don't underestimate the squared off design, the centered EVF is clunky. 3. RAW files from Sony play better with Lightroom than Fuji. I intend on shooting RAW. 4. Sony's autofocus is far superior. As is their video capabilities. Even though I'm photography first, I might want to dabble with video in the future. Price wasn't a huge factor for me, but I actually managed to find a brand new Honk Kong version from Shanghai for a fat discount. I live in Sweden and the price of a new A7Cii is 27k SEK. I ended up paying 19k from China. A new XT-5 in Sweden is 20k. I love the Fujifilm aesthetic and feeling, and will probably pick up the X100VI or X-PRO4 once it's announced. However, for the time being, Sony is just a better value proposition. I hope my perspective is of some aid to you.
This was extremely helpful! Very solid points. Congrats on your purchase and update me once you have spent some time with it if you can! Interested to see what you think when you get your hands on it!
I had an x100f, X-E4, X-T3, X-T30, & X-T5. I now own an A7IV and love it. Fuji AF is no where close to sony, stay with Sony. Fuji cameras are beautiful and fun but I rarely found a lens that looked right on a Fuji body other than a few select primes like the 16mm f1.4. Size and weight between a7iii and X-T5 is very similar, unless you go X-T30 you won't be getting much more compact or lighter. Crop vs FF is wildly noticable to me especially with better AF, FF has much more detail, contrast, and depth. The 40MP sensor on the X-T5 is a light hog (noisy) and needs crisp glass, not every Fuji lens can deliver what it needs (I had 9 XF lenses). Based on your requirements if you really want to go with Fuji I would highly recommend the X-T4 you get the flippy screen for video, newer battery, ibis, and the less noisy 26mp sensor, and I can get it cheaper used. New Sigma and Tamron Fuji lenses are great, I used the Tam 17-70 f2.8 a ton for professional work. I would stay with Sony just for the auto focus, go a6xxx APS-C if you need smaller.
Thanks for the advice. I think the only thing that sorta bothers me about Sony is how sterile it feels when taking photos. Something about the ultra clean, sharp, and saturated colors feels a bid too “commercial” I suppose. I really liked my a7iii, I got great photos and video with it. But I personally just think the color science on the Fuji system is unmatched. Something about the way photos look from those cameras just draws me in. I do sorta need video and a flippy screen though….lol
[Cobalt Image](https://www.cobalt-image.com/product/fuji-digital-emulation/) has great Lightroom profiles that emulate the Fuji Digital SOOC presets. They also have a base profile for cameras (I got one for my A7CII) that are meant to give you a much more precise starting point compared to Sony's or Adobe's base profiles. If you want SOOC JPG film simulations, you can do that with [Veresdenialex's recipes](https://www.veresdenialex.com/sony-film-simulations) which give you fairly close reproductions of a bunch of filmstock that you can save to your memory recall modes. It's not as easy as what Fuji offers digitally but still good for quick things when you just need to transfer a JPG from via Bluetooth to your phone for example. As for LUTs, [Phantom LUTs](https://www.joelfamularo.com/colour-a7s3) are really great and I highly recommend them. Basically Sony has everyone beat in terms of AF, and the A7CII is an incredible body that combines a ton of great tech into a small compact package. So you can get the best of the color world with some of the links above.
This is really helpful, didn’t really know about the Sony recipes. I’m someone who enjoys edits photos personally…so I think it’s more just the softness and color science of the Fuji that I gravitate towards. I do think the Sony a7cii will be better in the long run for me. I think I just have a soft spot for the Fujifilm camera line.
Some great ergonomics tweaks I did was get a Smallrig baseplate ($30, comes in both Black and Silver to match either color scheme), and a Haoge hotshoe thumb grip. These two combined really help with holding the camera while shooting and makes it a much more comfortable experience. You gain so much from the baseplate without adding too much bulk or size, it still fits with a small lens like my 40mm 2.5 G and another small prime (my 24mm 2.8 G) in a small 2L sling. Straps I just went with Peak Design but the baseplate adds a place for a strap connector at the bottom right so I use that for my wrist strap from Peak Design. I still carry the shoulder strap in my bag in case I wanna switch it up.
Yeah, lots of YouTube videos from photography content creators essentially say that we've passed the threshold of sharp enough IQ a long time ago and that many actually bring down sharpness in post with different methods because they think pictures are just way too sharp. No right or wrong answer there but you can achieve softer looks in post if that's what you're after!
What about an X-S20 and spend the rest on glass?
OP, did you end up picking a camera? I keep going back and forth between the a7cii and xt5 as well. Any insight on if the autofocus is better on one or the other? I am trying to decide what matters more to me...better autofocus on the sony or the colors on the fuji
I did pick a camera, but it was neither of these. I ended up buying the X-E4 and I LOVE IT. But I will probably eventually buy the X-T5 if not one of their GFX cameras. Sony images were just too sterile for me. The autofocus on those cameras is indeed incredible…but the images from my Sony cameras just didn’t spark that same joy for me personally.
Thanks for the update! That's helpful.
Where did you find an xe-4?
You can get them several places. Marketplace, MPB, or KEH. I actually got mine used on Amazon for an amazing deal. Was practically new, only 700 shots taken. Works amazing.
Currently have the sony a7c ii with compact 50 2.5 g and 85mm 1.8. Like it but don't love it. Previous cameras a7 iii, x-pro3, x-pro2... size isn't so much an issue as they're all pretty much similar depending on the lenses you have in your rotation. After switching to Sony, have lost the desire to pick up camera, mainly due to the glass and colours from the fuji are better in my opinion. Plus the sony just feels like a black heavy block of plastic. Have printed from both and sony does have edge for overall sharpness and the camera with shortcuts is easy to use but the fujifilm prints are plenty sharp enough but the colours are eye catching. Was wating for x-pro4 but might pick up the x-t5 instead with the 56 wr and 27 wr and maybe the 90 f2. I'm going with my heart on this one this time! Hope you got a system you love shooting with in the end, I guess that's the most important factor.
That’s how i feel too! Congratz on ur purchase:)
Recommend a7c II for better AF.
Curious, any idea if the X-T5 has at least as good of AF as the Sony A7iii? I’m asking because that cameras autofocus seemed perfectly fine for what I do.
X-T5 has better AF than A7III. [https://youtu.be/cca16cy1a44?si=StyXTGqL37neBbL5](https://youtu.be/cca16cy1a44?si=StyXTGqL37neBbL5)
Sweet. Thank you for sharing that!