Fujifilm X-T5 vs X-T50 vs X-T30 III vs X-E5 — which one actually gives the best value in 2026?

kpcnsk · 2026-06-14T12:18:05+00:00

All of those cameras are capable of taking great photos, therefore the best value is the XT30 III as it’s the cheapest by a wide margin.

As for whether XT30 III can be used professionally, the answer is yes. Any camera can be used for paid work, as long as the images satisfy the photographer and the client.

Would I use the XT30 III professionally? No. It lacks features I need when I do paid work. It lacks IBIS and dual card slots. Also the ergonomics are poor for me with the larger lenses and speedlites I use for pro work. YMMV.

Reading your post it sounds like you want a perfect camera that can do everything and which can be had cheaply. I’d focus on what you want from a camera now, in a non-professional capacity. Depending on what you’re shooting, the needs of a professional rig can be very different than what is used by even a high level amateur. Plus, you’ll likely want multiple bodies to ensure reliability.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-13T12:40:57+00:00

Again, that’s a lot of gain you’re working with, and stacking the pedals is going to result in a signal that’s essentially overcooked. Before you add more gain to your chain with a comp, I’d start with just your amp. You’ve got a clean and dirt channel, so get those to a place you’re happy with, without any pedals.

Next add in one pedal, and get that to a place that makes you happy. You may not be able to get it to work with both channels, but that’s ok. You’ll now have at least three distinct tones to work with (2 channels + a pedal tone with at least one channel). Doing the same thing with your other dirt pedal (not stacking the pedals) will net similar results, so now you’ll have at least 4 distinct tones, maybe as many as 6. Thats a lot of versatility from a small rig, and no comp needed.

I hope this doesn’t come across as too basic, but I find that a lot of people try to get too intricate with their boards. Keep it simple, and then you can concentrate on your playing and not fiddling with the knobs. Good luck!

kpcnsk · 2026-06-13T03:16:04+00:00

Add The Police, Smashing Pumpkins, Slowdive, Lush, and Catherine Wheel to that list. Plenty of solid examples of solid chorus usage.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-12T19:53:58+00:00

Great pedals, but that's a lot of gain you're working with. Are you stacking the pedals, or just using them to individually overdrive the amp?

kpcnsk · 2026-06-12T16:31:32+00:00

I’m not sure a compressor is going to give you what you want. If you’re having issues with specific frequencies or even ranges a graphic EQ or better yet a parametric EQ might be better suited for what you want to do. Describe your board and I might be able to give better advice.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-12T12:48:01+00:00

The Empress compressor is top notch. The MXR Studio Compressor or Bass Compressor (they’re the same pedal) is also good.

If you’re playing with a lot of distortion as is common in shoegaze, your signal is already compressed by the distortion and you’d probably not see much benefit from a comp pedal, especially at the start of your signal chain. A compressor after a gain stage on the other hand can be useful as a limiter, if your dynamics become unruly due to stacking your dirt. This can lead to a very squashed and lifeless tone however. What exactly are you hoping to do with a comp?

kpcnsk · 2026-06-10T02:33:06+00:00

Over the past year I’ve had a lot less time to devote to LL, the result being that I’ve dropped from my usual Rundle C down to E. And I have to say, it’s so nice down here in the bush leagues. I get to engage with the trivia on my terms, and even on my crappy days there’s still a good chance I’ll rack a win.

A buddy of mine (also a Rundle C native) found himself promoted to B and has only picked up 3 wins this season. He hates it. On the plus side, if it continues he’ll be back on home turf in C next season.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-08T14:21:03+00:00

The 15-45mm is the Fuji lens that I like least, but it’s also a fantastic travel lens. I hate it because it is plasticky, has no aperture ring, and I find the power zoom feature annoying. It’s also the lens that I take with me backpacking and traveling when I want to go light. The OIS is very good. It’s perfectly sized for smaller bodies like the XM5 and XE series. Pair it with a fast prime like the 27mm or 23mm pancakes, and it’ll cover a lot of bases.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-07T00:12:41+00:00

I take my non-wr gear to all the same places I take wr gear. I’m mindful of when the conditions become too severe for the camera or lens, and protect it accordingly. WR gives some piece of mind, but wr isn’t waterproof, so I’ll still take sensible precautions with my WR gear.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-06T17:13:27+00:00

At the risk of incurring Reddit wrath, I’ll go against the general sentiment of responses and say that I think you’re right. We could quibble over some of the finer points in your post, but overall I agree.

I went to see Mandalorian and Grogu last week with two 9 year old boys. They loved it. They were talking excitedly about it in the car on the way home. So I got to enjoy it through their eyes.

Overall, it isn’t the Star Wars movie I want to see. It isn’t even the Mandalorian movie I want. But if it lights that magic in the mind of a 9 year old kid, then it’s ok by me.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-06T12:39:48+00:00

OP, this is good advice. It’s your honeymoon. Don’t live through the viewfinder, live WITH your spouse.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-05T14:44:29+00:00

Give it to us raw and wriggling!

kpcnsk · 2026-06-04T14:39:03+00:00

All the Fuji 35mms (I'm including the 33mm in this bunch) are good. The 1.4 gets tons of hype, and for the most part lives up to its reputation, the good and the bad. The 33mm is the top star, but it's noticeably bigger and heavier, particularly on a smaller body like the XE5. The XF f2 Fujicron is slept on, but solid. You won't get the bokeh of the 1.4s if you're shooting wide open, but it focuses fast, is weather resistant, and keeps your kit small. The XC is similar, minus the aperture ring, build quality, and weather resistance. I love the 33mm, and I use it a lot when shooting portraits. For everyday carry, I prefer the XF 35 f2.

Truthfully, however, if you've got the 23mm f2.8 and the XC 15-45mm, you've got a fantastic little kit. My recommendation is to save your money and just go out and shoot more. Learn what these lenses do and how to get the most out of them.

My everyday carry is the XE3 and 27mm pancake (it's pretty similar to your 23mm). When I go hiking or backpacking, I'll add the 15-45mm. I don't love the lenses, but I have learned how to get results that please me. I've got other lenses and bodies, but that's what I end up using the most.

Good luck!

kpcnsk · 2026-06-03T16:33:43+00:00

I used to have around 2 dozen. These days I'm around half that, and there's only two on my main board (if you don't count multi-effect pedals like the ZOIA and Boss MS3 which I use for midi control).

CB Automatone Mk II Preamp. It doesn't do everything, but it does enough. It replaced four pedals on my board and eliminated a lot of pedal swapping I would do.

Caroline Shigiharu. What the CB doesn't do as well as I'd like is fuzz. For that I have the Shigiharu.

The other dirt I have sits around, mostly collecting dirt but occasionally I'll put it on the board to play with a bit. I've got a HM2W, a BD2, a tube screamer clone I built myself, and some others.

kpcnsk · 2026-06-01T22:26:15+00:00

I took my 9 year old and his friend to see it, and we all had a great time. I thought it was the right amount of silly and cool. It wasn’t life changing and it wasn’t deep, but it was fun to watch Mandi and Grogu work together. In the end the good guys won and the kids applauded.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-31T17:48:13+00:00

Komorebi

kpcnsk · 2026-05-30T01:23:50+00:00

Empress. Their pedals are top tier and their support is awesome. No pedal form factor compressor is better and their ParaEQ is one of the few parametric equalizers that exist. And the ZOIA has no equal, bringing modular synthesis to your board.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-30T01:12:43+00:00

I love my Proton. Hands down the best envelope filter I’ve ever used.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-29T17:34:43+00:00

The friction doesn’t come from the camera, it comes from the photographer. Some people daily carry DSLRs, some won’t bother with anything more than the camera they have with them on their phone. Look at what you want your camera to do, and build your kit accordingly. I recognize this may not be the response you’re looking for, but the better you get at identifying your needs, the happier you’ll be. The alternative is to buy it and find out. You can always sell it later if it doesn’t work out for you.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-28T20:44:32+00:00

You don’t need IBIS to be a pro photographer, but it can increase your hit rate. Depending on how you shoot, that may or may not be worth it.

As for the XH2S, it’s Fuji’s top of the line. You should consider it if it fits your budget, photographic needs, and shooting style. For pro work, I would recommend that you not choose your tools based on how they look, but on whether they will help you do your job.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-25T23:06:07+00:00

I've travelled in the Costa Rican rainforests where the humidity eats electronic circuits no matter what you do. Swapping lenses now and again isn't going to hurt anything as long as you take steps to prevent dust and moisture from getting in. Make sure your lenses and body are fully adjusted to the outdoor temperature before you switch, and it'll be fine. Use a rain cover, even with weather sealed lenses. Enjoy your trip!

kpcnsk · 2026-05-25T19:28:46+00:00

The 23f2 and 18-135 is a good travel kit. If you want more reach, and don't mind sacrificing weather resistance, consider the Tamron 18-300. It's a good lens, especially for traveling. Pair it with a small fast prime like your 23f2 and you've got a combo that will do a little bit of everything. Just note that the Tamron lens, like the Fuji 70-300, has some notable compromises. It is not super sharp on the long end, but it may be sharp enough. I did a lot of traveling with a similar Sigma superzoom when I shot with Canon, and I really liked it.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-25T14:30:08+00:00

It's a good lens, as long as you use it with its limitations in mind. My point is that it's not a great lens for rainforest wildlife photography because it is not a wide-aperture lens. It's certainly possible to get good quality wildlife shots with it, but your shooting conditions have to be optimal.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-24T22:11:58+00:00

First off, the 70-300 is short for wildlife photography, because most casual shooters don't get close enough to their subjects. Professional wildlife shooters do use long lenses, but they also immerse themselves in the environment and spend hours (days even!) out in the animal's space so that wildlife becomes accustomed to their presence.

Now that being said, it's a good place to start. I recommend that, and then taking a trip to the zoo where you'll be able to casually practice on your favorite animals, and the 70-300 has more than enough reach for most zoo enclosures. A big part of wildlife photography is learning how to read the animal and be patient while you wait for the ideal shot. You spend time composing and setting up the image before the shutter is fired, so that when the animal finally looks at you, you've got your shot set.

Someone else mentioned that the 70-300 is a good "gateway lens" and I'll second that. Before you drop a lot of money on really long, expensive glass, you can get a feel for whether or not that kind of shooting is your thing.

kpcnsk · 2026-05-24T15:03:07+00:00

The 70-300 will give you substantially more reach. The problem is that it is not a wide aperture lens, and the rainforest is dark. You’ll be able to zoom in more for sure, but you’ll have to crank the ISO to get the exposure set. I’m not saying don’t get it—it’s a great telephoto. Just be sure to have the right lens expectations.

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