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Big test Fujifilm X-M5 PRICE: £799 FUJIFILM-X.COM
Tiny, feature-rich and aggressively priced, Fujifilm’s latest X Series arrival is aimed at snappers and creators looking to move on from their smartphones for a more pleasurable all-round imaging experience. Does it deliver on this goal? Will Cheung finds out
WORDS & IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
THE IMAGING WORLD is constantly evolving, and while there’s still lots of hype surrounding models such as the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Nikon Z 8 and Sony A9 III, those cutting-edge, prestige products are not cameras for the people. The fact is that if you want to sell lots of boxes, the place to be is where the market is: right now that’s with content creators, storytellers and vloggers. In short, the billions of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram users. While not everyone posts content, we’re still talking huge numbers, meaning a big target for every manufacturer. Cue the Fujifilm X-M5, a compact and affordable camera with an impeccable pedigree that’s perfect for those migrating from a smartphone, as well as mirrorless first-timers. With 6.2K/30p open gate in-body video recording, short movie mode and a full repertoire of still imaging skills, the X-M5 is a formidable little machine and an impressive hybrid. While you can buy the kit with the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, Fujifilm’s lens range is one of the most extensive, and third-party support is growing too. At its core, the X-M5 uses the 26.1-megapixel
X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, which has been a regular on Fujifilm cameras since it arrived in 2018; used on the X-T4, X-S10 and X-Pro3. Its abilities are well known, and on the X-M5 it’s supported by Fujifilm’s latest X-Processor 5 imaging engine. Pick up the X-M5 and you can’t help but be impressed by its pocketable size. It’s easily Fujifilm’s smallest X Series camera, but its handling remains good. The right- side bulge and pronounced ridge for the thumb provides a comfortable, secure grip for carrying the camera in hand, ready to shoot, although I added a wrist strap for safety’s sake. There’s no familiar top-plate bump to allow for an EVF, which of course keeps size and weight down. People migrating from a smartphone won’t
find the lack of EVF an issue at all, as using the monitor to frame shots will already be second nature. For those of us more used to cameras with a viewfinder, that familiarisation takes a little more time. However, the monitor is fully articulating, provides a good viewing image and touch functionality is well up to standard. Overall handling of the X-M5 is fine once you get used to holding the camera out rather than raising it up to the eye. I’ll admit I did that more than once, but soon got the hang of it. Setting up shots precisely when the sun’s out is more challenging; maybe a monitor with a higher nits rating would be beneficial, but generally I had no complaints on this front. The on/off, record button and rear input dial are nicely placed, and
SHAKE AWARE There’s no IBIS in the X-M5 but with a little care, shooting sharp shots at slow shutter speeds is easy enough. This was taken with the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS with an exposure of 1/9sec at f/3.6 and ISO 1600
Issue 119 | Photography News 35
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