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face and eye detection and a long list of subject detection modes: animal, bird, automobile, motorcycle and bike, aeroplane and train. I tried a selection of lenses for this test, including the XF 23mm, XF 18-55mm and XF 55-200mm, and focusing speed, accuracy and responsiveness rated highly on a range of subjects. I didn’t get the chance to shoot fast action in the short time I had the X-M5 but no notable issues surfaced in stills and video shooting so far. Speaking of video, I shot some sample footage in 6.2K video mode and tried out the short movie mode feature too. Performance was great; the footage looked clean and richly detailed, but without IBIS it could
simulation bracketing or allocating a function button. Having 12 on hand is creatively liberating, and the dial is a constant reminder that they’re readily available. I was regularly switching from setting to setting. For an entry-level camera, the X-M5 can rattle through frames, and there’s pre-capture shooting too. For this burst shooting test I used a 128GB Prograde 300MB/s SD card. Shooting Fine JPEG and lossless compressed Raws with the mechanical shutter I got 47 8fps shots, as claimed, before the camera hesitated and the buffer cleared in 14 secs. With continuous high shooting using the electronic shutter, rates of 10, 20 and 30fps with a 1.25x crop are claimed. At the 30fps setting I got 34
shots at 29fps, while at 20fps I got 38 shots at 19fps; so close enough to Fujifilm’s claims. Without a crop, the options are 8, 10 and 20fps – at 20fps I got 30 shots at the claimed rate. The X-M5’s pre-shot mode works well with the electronic shutter and continuous high shooting. There’s a good choice of frame rates, but the 0.5sec pre-shooting time is fixed, as is the post-capture period. Autofocusing is handled well on the X-M5, with its advanced system that has the option of 117 or 425 points in single point, or if you prefer zones there’s the choice of 3x3, 5x5 and 7x7. The single point or zone can be moved around by the focus lever or with the touchscreen, and there’s a touch shutter release too. There’s also
DIALLED IN The right top-plate is clean, and the controls are great to use. The mode dial has movie and vlog options while the Q (quick menu) button is adjacent
keen photographers and content creators who are currently using their smartphones and looking to take the next step. Given its set of features, the X-M5 has broad appeal; even experienced creators just wanting a pocketable backup will find this camera a worthwhile investment. You could partner it with something like the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR, for example, turning it into a powerful imaging notebook for £1200. See more photos online at photographynews.co.uk/reviews
be a little shaky. Although I’m not a vlogger, I regularly skim through YouTube Shorts so I’m aware of the potential of the 9:16 short movie mode – it worked well. I enjoyed filming myself while I walked around once I got used to not being self-conscious. If I could play guitar, dance or liked talking about myself, I would be using this feature all the time. To wrap up, the X-M5 showed itself to be a very capable camera with plenty of potential to tempt
PERFORMANCE: EXPOSURE LATITUDE
Final word
Verdict
The X-M5 is a fine performer, and at £799 for the body and £899 for the XC 15-45mm lens kit, it’s keenly priced too. Two of its biggest, also EVF-free vlogging-orientated rivals, the Nikon Z 30 and Sony ZV-E10 II, are in the shops for £699 and £924 respectively (body-only prices). Each has its pros and cons, but against the ZV-E10 II – with the same 26-megapixel count – Fujifilm’s newcomer has a large price advantage. The Fujifilm X-M5 has much to commend it, and I can see this attracting many new users to the brand’s X Series. Many X-M5 buyers might not venture any deeper, simply enjoying what they have, but some will. There’s lots of headroom for creative growth, especially with Fujifilm’s extensive lens system, so it’s a camera I’d highly recommend.
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showing clean highlights without significant veiling or colour cast. Underexposed Raws also recovered nicely; even the -4EV frame came out well, in colour and tone at least. Shots at -3EV and -4EV showed an increase in noise in the shadows, but -2EV looked almost identical to the correctly exposed frame.
The X-M5 was used with an XF 18mm f/2 lens for this exposure bracket, with the meter reading of 1/60sec at f/8 and ISO 160. Adobe Lightroom was used to correct exposures. The X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor’s Raws handled exposure abuse well. The overexposure limit was +2.6EV, with the corrected Raw
24 /25 FEATURES
Enticing line-up of stills and video features gives the X-M5 broad appeal
22 /25 HANDLING
The small size, lack of EVF and IBIS take getting used to, but logical layout is a big plus
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24 /25 PERFORMANCE
The X-M5 is a capable hybrid with much to admire and enjoy
25 /25 VALUE FOR MONEY
£799 for a camera body this rich in stills and movie features is a steal
95 /100 OVERALL
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Long features list, good to use, compact and great value
PROS Price, small size, Film Simulation dial, very good ISO performance, subject detection AF, plenty of continuous shooting options, short movie mode, 6.2K open gate video recording to internal card CONS No EVF, no IBIS
Issue 119 | Photography News 37
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