>>4119238I went to b&h yesterday to check out some cameras and see how they feel. The X-T5 doesn't seem as bad as the extreme reactions seem to indicate. I like that it's light, which I predicted I would. The back screen mechanism specifically feels very solid. The shutter button was weird, I don't like how the half press is clicky so you need to hit two clicks to take a photo. Yes, the camera doesn't exude quality and sturdiness, but it wasn't like "this is a toy" bad, either. It felt good to hold and it was very pleasingly compact. The UI felt responsive.
I also checked out the X-Pro3. The demo model was a dura finish version. In contrast, it felt way more solid in the hands. I don't like how you have to depress the dial lock in order to change the shutter speed, I much prefer a toggle or no lock at all. The ISO-in-shutter dial felt flimsy, which was predictable. But, the rest of it was fantastic, it just made me want to take it out and shoot with it. The OVF was really cool, too. This may be because I'm a big fan of rangefinders though, idk.
For comparison purposes, I also own a Sony a7iii so I checked out the a7iv and the a1. The a7iv UI definitely felt faster, but the button changes were eh to me. I think I actually prefer the way the buttons feel on the a7iii. Maybe it's just because it was an open demo model (Fujis are behind the counter), idk. The a1 felt premium. The absolute best thing about it was the EVF: it's absolutely massive. It's big and beautiful and it made me want the camera just for that reason alone. Stupid expensive though so obviously I will not be buying one any time soon.
I've always felt that my X-E4 felt surprisingly cheap, but after evaluating the other Fujis, I feel like it's not that bad in comparison. I've never checked out the X-T2 generation cameras, but overall I do think that Fujis are cheaper feeling than the big 3 brands. That said, I think it's acceptable to get the dials, compactness, and overall comfyness of the Fuji system.
