A question that I get asked a lot is whether or not a certain Fujifilm camera model is X-Trans IV or X-Trans V. Mostly, this is about the X-S20, X-M5, and X-T30 III, but not exclusively. In the months that followed each of those three releases, I would get a lot of questions along the lines of, “I see that you list the X-S20 as X-Trans V but it has an X-Trans IV sensor, so which is it?”

For the most part, Fujifilm generations have been defined by the sensor. There were certainly some exceptions, but those were rare enough that you could say (for example) X-Trans III and everyone would know what you’re talking about, and there was no confusion. With the latest generation, though, it’s a little more muddy, because the X-S20, X-M5, and X-T30 III cameras have an X-Trans IV sensor paired with the X-Processor 5. So are they X-Trans IV or X-Trans V? Yes, they are.

Because of this confusion, I started saying “fourth-generation” as a synonym to X-Trans IV and “fifth-generation” as a synonym to X-Trans V. Even though the X-S20, X-M5, and X-T30 III cameras have an X-Trans IV sensor, they are fifth-generation models, and not fourth. That simple change in language clears it up significantly. However, I’m not going to edit years and years of articles to reflect this change (that would be quite the task!), so the confusion still lingers.

Whether or not those three cameras are fourth-generation or fifth-generation only matters for Film Simulation Recipes, and not much else. Does someone with the X-T30 III use X-Trans IV Recipes or X-Trans V Recipes? I think it’s perfectly fine to say either will work; however, the most correct answer is X-Trans V. Why? Because the X-T30 III, despite the sensor, has the JPEG options and JPEG rendering of fifth-generation models, and not fourth. The difference in how the X-T30 III will render a picture compared to the X-T30 II when using the same Film Simulation is very minor; the largest difference is how deeply blue is rendered on Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Eterna, and Eterna Bleach Bypass, which you might not care about or even notice. So the short answer is to use X-Trans V Recipes on the X-S20, X-M5, and X-T30 III; however, you’re perfectly fine to use X-Trans IV Recipes if you want. If the X-Trans IV Recipe uses one of those four Film Simulations, I recommend dropping Color Chrome FX Blue by one (Weak instead of Strong; Off instead of Weak).

Fourth-generation Fujifilm cameras are the X-T3, X-T30, X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. While the X-T3 and X-T30 are technically fourth-generation, they are (unfortunately) on an island by themselves when it comes to Recipes, having more in common with third-generation models than their fellow fourth-generation cameras that came afterwards. Fifth-generation models are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III. It’s possible that Fujifilm could release another fifth-generation camera, but I believe that the X-T30 III is the last one, and the sixth-generation will arrive sometime later this year.