ive been saving up for months and finally decided to pull the trigger on the x-t5 for my trip to kyoto next month so im super stoked!! but man prices are all over the place. right now im torn between that adorama kit that comes with the 18-55mm lens and a bunch of accessories for about $2099 or this other bundle on b&h that has the newer 16-80mm lens but its pushing my $2100 budget limit once you add tax.
the 16-80 seems better for travel but i dont know if the extra weight is worth it... or should i just wait for a sale? does anyone know if there are hidden edu discounts or coupon codes for fuji right now cause i really need to get this ordered by friday to make sure it arrives in time.
Honestly, just go with the Fujifilm X-T5 with XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS. I used that lens for a year and its way lighter for walking around Kyoto all day. The 16-80 is nice for the extra reach but it feels pretty front-heavy on the T5 body. If youre pushing your budget, those extra accessories in the Adorama kit usually arent worth much anyway. If you have a student email, the B&H Edu Advantage program is the best way to shave off some cash. It usually drops the price by a hundred bucks or so on Fuji gear. If not, look at the open-box section on their site. You can usually find a condition 9 or 10 Fujifilm X-T5 Mirrorless Camera Black for way less and it still has the full factory warranty. Just make sure you order by Thursday morning to be safe tho... shipping can be sketchy sometimes.
I've tried many Fuji setups over the years and the constant f/4 on the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR is a technical game changer for exposure. Quick tip tho, that lens has 6-stop OIS which helps a ton with the Fujifilm X-T5 Mirrorless Camera IBIS. Are you shooting video or mostly stills? Might be worth looking at used body-only deals to fit better glass into that budget.
> Re: "I've tried many Fuji setups over the years..." Honestly, in my experience, those big retail bundles with the "free" bags and cheap SD cards are usually a bit of a trap. I remember back when the Fujifilm X-T3 launched, I spent weeks obsessing over every $50 difference between the major shops, only to find out that a local shop had a better trade-in deal or a "hidden" price that wasn't listed on the main landing pages. I have to disagree slightly with the focus on the standard big-box kits for the absolute best value. Most of the stuff they throw in those bundles is basically filler you'll end up replacing in two months anyway. I've tried many different ways to shave off a few bucks over the years and honestly, the best discounts are usually buried in places people forget to look. It's frustrating when you're on a deadline like your Kyoto trip, but rushing into a "deal" that includes a $10 tripod isn't really the move. Instead of stressing over the specific bundles from the big guys right now, you should really just go check out the Fuji subreddit or the FujiAddict blog. There was a specific thread recently that listed all the current promo codes for student discounts and some authorized dealer sales that aren't widely advertised. I think I saw a YouTube video about this a few days ago too... just search for "X-T5 best price 2024" and it should be one of the top results. They break down the verification process for those discounts way better than I can here. Tbh it's worth the five minutes of searching before you drop two grand on a Fujifilm X-T5. Just my two cents from being in this hobby way too long...
