It’s been 11 years since the X-M1 was unveiled. Although many fans of the X-M series have little hope for its future and may believe that this series has come to an end, suddenly, the rumor mills start to share bits and pieces that the X-M series is being reignited. Today, Fujifilm skips the numbers 2 to 4 and decides to name this X-M1 successor as X-M5. It makes sense as we are into the 5th generation of the X-Trans sensor, hence, the “5” in the X-M5.
Intro
The Fujifilm X-M5 was announced together with XF16-55mm f2.8 MK II and XF500mm f5.6 in the X Summit Clay Studio 2024. From the announcement, it is stated that X-M5 is the smallest X-series, even smaller than X-E4. What are the pros and cons of being the smallest? Is there anything been compromised? I’m sure it has but can we accept them?
The X-M5 is clearly aimed at vloggers, especially the new young generation of vloggers with limited budgets. But it is also a great tool for young photographers. In this blog, I will share my experience with this camera from a photographer’s point of view.
Before I proceed further, I would like to mention all the lenses that I have tested with it.
- ArtraLab 24mm f1.7
- Brightin Star 50mm f1.4
- Meike 55mm f1.4
- Rokinon 35mm f1.2
- Sigma 10-18mm f2.8
- TTArtisan 56mm f1.8
- Viltrox 13mm f1.4
- Viltrox 27mm f1.2
- Viltrox 75mm f1.2
- XF 27mm f2.8
- XF 30mm f2.8
- XF 35mm f1.4
- XF 70-300mm f4-5.6
Design, Build Quality, Handling & The Shutter…
The camera features a rangefinder-style design and is incredibly compact—smaller than its predecessor, the X-M1. According to the official specs, the X-M5 is 5mm shorter in length, 1mm thinner in depth, and maintains the same 67mm height. However, it is slightly heavier, weighing 355 grams compared to the X-M1’s 330 grams.
The build quality is decent for an entry-level camera, with a plastic body that feels solid, though you can tell it’s made of plastic when you hold it. As for handling, it’s not the most comfortable for larger hands like mine. The camera is so small it fits in my palm, so for a more secure grip, I prefer using an additional grip or holding the lens instead of the body.
The shutter sound is loud for a small and compact camera. Not an issue to me but I do prefer the shutter sound from the X-T5 (or maybe I have gotten used to it).
Right: Fuji X-M5 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Classic Chrome
It comes with 3 command dials (film simulation dial, mode dial, and rear command dial) and 1 front command dial. Quite a number of dials for an entry-level camera.
The film simulation dial is first introduced in X-T50. I know there has been a lot of feedback about this dial since its introduction, and I agree it to a certain point. But this is actually beneficial to photographers who are not similar to Fujifilm and it’s film simulations. Changing the film simulations via the dial and witnessing the change of colors can allow new photographers to get hold of the film simulations, find one that they love the most, and enjoy the Straight-Out-Of-Camera end results.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . Meike 55mm f1.4 @ 55mm . f1.4 . 1/850″ . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome
If you have noticed, out of the 4 dials, 2 dials are fixed. That said, we have left with 2 dials that are available to customize (such as exposure compensation control, ISO control, and aperture control for those lenses that do not come with an aperture ring) to suit our shooting behavior.
Oh yes, I like the less stiff, tactile feedback from the rear command dial. Personally, I prefer this to the one on the X-T5.
Sensor and Processor
Like the X-S20, it comes with an X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor and X-Processor 5 combination. Is this a bad combination? No. In fact, it is probably my preferred combination. I explained in the X-S20 post that I preferred 26 megapixels over 40 megapixels. The resolution is a sweet spot for my memory space and storage space since I hardly do photo cropping.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . Rokinon 35mm f1.2 @ 35mm . f1.2 . 1/6400″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Having X-Processor 5 actually does help battery efficiency and focusing performance. More on these later. But do note that the base ISO is 160 and not 125 as that can only be found in the X-Trans 5 HR sensor.
Image Quality
I have no complaints about the image quality here. If the image quality from this sensor is poor, I guess it won’t be the flagship sensor for X-T3 and X-T4. I am glad that Fujifilm decided to keep this sensor and extend its longevity further.
Performance
The autofocus algorithm seems to improve quite a lot. The eye-AF tracking is more sticky and picking up the subject is faster than my X-T5 with the firmware 2.03 (I’m lazy, don’t judge me).
I can feel that my hit rates has gone higher than before and more reliable.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 @ 18mm . f2.8 . 1/4700″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Battery Life
The camera uses the NP-W126S battery. Will it offer poor battery life? From my experience with the X-T50, I was able to get around 550 shots before the battery drained. With this camera, I managed to capture about 530 shots, which meets my expectations and is better than the CIPA rating of 330 shots. If you find the battery life insufficient for a full day of shooting, it’s a good idea to carry one or two spare batteries.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . XF 30mm f2.8 @ 30mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome
Feedback
Every camera isn’t perfect, and there is always room for improvement. X-M5 is not exceptional.
I name a few of them as I deem them more important to me.
The screen resolution is low by today’s standard (at 1,040,000 dots). It has the same screen resolution as the X-T3 which was first announced in 2018 and even worse than the X-E4 (at 1,620,000 dots). I’m not saying low screen resolution is terrible but sometimes it gives me a little bit of wrong judgment.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . Sigma ArtraLab 24mm f1.7 @ 24mm . f1.7 . 1/4700″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
I was surprised that Fujifilm did not release an optional hand grip like they did for X-E4. But this is not an issue, as many third-party accessory makers are making one for X-M5.
The “Q” Quick Menu button is positioned between both the mode dial and the rear command dial and it is a pretty small button. This gives me a problem to press the “Q” button as I have a pretty big finger. I wonder why they do not include the “Q” button beside the AEL/AFL button. Oh yes. the playback and AEL/AFL button can be bigger.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . XF35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Finally, the absence of an EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) is likely the most common complaint from Fujifilm users. I can relate, as I missed having the EVF when reviewing my shots or shooting in bright sunlight. It would be great if Fujifilm could offer an external EVF as an optional accessory, as I believe most X-M5 owners would gladly purchase one.
Price Point
At 800 USD, this is the most affordable interchangeable X camera released, and it took the crown from X-E4, which was once the cheapest X camera ( priced at 850 USD).
Others
While the X-M1 features a built-in pop-up flash, the X-M5 replaces it with a film simulation dial. Is this change worthwhile? Personally, I think it’s a great trade-off. The film simulation dial not only benefits newcomers but also makes it easier for me to switch between my favorite film simulations. While the “Q” button also lets me change film simulations, having a dedicated dial provides a more tactile, hands-on experience.
Oh yes, this is probably the best affordable camera to experience 20 film simulations with 8 film simulations allocated on the dial with 3 presets available. I remember my X-T3 had only 16 film simulations and that’s it.
The last one is the mechanical shutter, where X-M5 can only go as fast as 1/4000s, whereas 1/8000s on X-T5.
Who is this for?
Like I mentioned earlier, this camera is aiming at vloggers with limited budget. But that does not mean this is not a capable camera by any means. It is a very decent entry level camera which using very capable sensor and processor.
Right: Fuji X-M5 . SBrightin Star 50mm f1.4 @ 50mm . f1.6 . 1/1600″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
If you are new to photography and attempt to step one step up from mobile photography, I think this is a good camera to buy and take photos with. You will not be disappointed with the results and get to explore the magic of the Fujifilm film simulations.
Conclusion
I do not share the other benefits of the X-M5, and that is the videography portion. I have very minimal videography knowledge, and I do not think I am the right person to share. Nonetheless, this camera comes with a 6.2k open gate recording in 10-bit. This is a huge move for an entry-level camera, or at least I have not encountered one yet from any brand. It also comes with a good-positioned microphone/remote release connector.
The camera’s compact design does come with a few compromises. The handling is not ideal, but this can be improved with an additional grip. The absence of an EVF can be addressed with an optical viewfinder, though it works best with 27mm focal length lenses. The lack of IBIS can be compensated by using lenses with OIS, and Fujifilm offers a solid selection of OIS lenses beyond the kit lens, such as the XF16-80mm, XF80mm macro, and XF70-300mm. That said, I’m personally fine without IBIS, as my shooting style hasn’t changed significantly, and I shot with the X-T2 and X-T3 for a long time without major issues.
What I miss the most are the dials found on my X-T5, like the ISO dial and shutter speed dial. I really appreciate those dials because they provide quick access and setup for certain unique shooting situations. As a result, I don’t miss many important moments. That said, I usually preset my camera settings and stick to them most of the time, so I rarely need to adjust the dials during a shoot. As for X-M5, there are options to reconfigure or remap the command settings using the available buttons, so I recommend assigning your most frequently used functions to the buttons you use less often.
Despite these compromises, the X-M5 is still a great camera, offering excellent value for those looking to try Fujifilm. It provides a fantastic introduction to the beautiful film simulations Fujifilm is known for. With the new X-Processor 5 and the improved autofocus algorithm, the autofocus performance and the subject tracking are impressive. Additionally, the X-Trans 4 sensor continues to deliver excellent image quality.
I hope to see good sales with this X-M5, after all, it has been 11 years since the series was born.
Thank you for reading.
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Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. All of the shots are straight out of the camera with some edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. The photos are resized to 30% of the original size except for cropped ones. If you wish to see the original file, contact me and I will be happy to share it with you.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
5. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
Alwin Kok 