Even as Fujifilm continues to work to meet demand for the wildly popular X100VI, it continues to release new cameras. Announced in May, the X-T50 was the first to feature a physical dial for switching between the company's signature film simulations. This dial carries over to the new budget X-M5 that Fujifilm is announcing today.
Priced at $799.95, the X-M5 is an affordable entry into the company's interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera lineup. Fujifilm is positioning it as a lightweight camera that's ideal for everyday shooting and “aspiring content creators” who want to vlog with it – despite a lack of in-body image stabilization (IBIS). At 13 ounces (355 grams), the X-M5 is the lightest body in Fujifilm's current X-Series family. It's available in silver or black, but the black version won't ship until April. The silver will be available for purchase next month.
Fujifilm is spreading the message that, as good as our smartphone cameras are, the X-M5 has a far larger sensor capable of shooting more. At the top left of the camera is the Film Simulation dial, which provides quick access to eight film simulations and three custom slots to which you can assign another favorite from the 20 built-in options. The
But even if you don't have an external microphone, the X-M5 is Fujifilm's first camera to feature a three-microphone system. “You can choose between four microphone directivity options depending on your situation: surround, front, back, or front and back,” the company’s press release says. To achieve clearer sound, the camera is also able to suppress continuous noise such as air conditioning or other constant humming noises.
The X-M5 features Fujifilm's proven 26.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and the current generation X-Processor 5. Fujifilm apparently can't escape criticism of its system's continuous autofocus performance, and so the company is releasing a new version. improved predictive autofocus algorithm, which he says should correct the inconsistent hit rate some customers have experienced with their recent cameras.
For video, the camera can shoot 6.2K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit video, and in this age of vertical social media content, it also has a 9:16 “Short Movie Mode” that tops out at full HD resolution .
Fujifilm had to make several compromises to match the price of the X-M5. The rear LCD has an unobtrusive 1.04 million dot resolution. (For comparison, the X-S20 has a 1.84 million-dot LCD.) The camera also uses Fujifilm's older, lower-capacity battery. So if you're going out for a long day of vlogging, it's advisable to have a spare part with you. And the SD card slot is still UHS-I. This shouldn't be a big problem for the target market addressed here, but it's worth mentioning.
In addition to its latest body, Fujifilm is also announcing the second version of its very impressive XF16-55 f/2.8 lens. The new glass is significantly smaller and lighter than the original, which has become perhaps my favorite lens in Fujifilm's arsenal. But sometimes it can definitely get difficult – especially with my X-H2 – so I'm excited to see what difference the downsizing has made. According to Fujifilm, the new model is even sharper and has better resolution than the 40-megapixel sensor of the X-T5, X-H2 and X-T50. It costs the same $1,199.95 as before and will be available in December.
If you need even more reach, there's also a new 500mm f/5.6 OIS-WR lens designed for outdoor shooting. (Think wildlife, sports, birds, etc.) It costs a whopping $2,999.95 and will be available in December.