In summary
The Fujifilm X-M5 camera targets vloggers with its small size, light weight, and up-market specifications.
It’s certainly a better choice for snapshooters than its predecessor, however without any kind of viewfinder and with its pared-back control interface, it’s unsuitable for serious photographers.
Full review
Announced on 15 October, 2024, the new X-M5 interchangeable-lens camera is the smallest and lightest X-series body, weighing approximately 355 grams (with battery and card) and only 111.9 mm wide and 38 mm deep without a lens. The rangefinder-style body is offered in silver and black versions and features a 3-inch articulating LCD touch-screen monitor – but, unfortunately, lacks any kind of viewfinder. Equipped with a 26.1-megapixel APS-C X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor and the same X-Processor 5 as the X100VI, the new camera provides key controls for contemporary stills and video content creation.
Angled view of the Fujifilm X-M5 camera, silver version, with the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens. (Source: Fujifilm.)
The first new model to appear in Fujifilm’s X-M camera line since the original 2013-vintage X-M1, the X-M5 introduces a dedicated top panel dial for accessing the most commonly used eight options out of a total of 20 Film Simulations the camera supports. These modes can simplify workflows by producing edited material straight out of the camera.
In addition, special effects include a Grain Effect mode that can apply a film-like ‘grain’ appearance to colour or monochrome images, along with Colour Chrome and Colour Chrome Blue effects for obtaining deeper, richer colours. We received the review camera with the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens (an entry-level lens that we reviewed in June 2018).
Who’s it For?
The lack of a viewfinder will deter serious enthusiasts, even those looking for smaller, lighter equipment. According to Fujifilm’s press release, the X-M5 will suit a wide range of users, although we think it will have a narrower appeal and is obviously targeted at vloggers.
Vloggers and snapshooters who currently rely on their smartphones may be lured by the larger sensor in the X-M5, which has more than 16 times the light-gathering power of a typical smartphone chip and promises richer colours, more detail recorded and better low-light performance. However, we think the Nikon Z50 II, which we reviewed recently – and which has a viewfinder and costs roughly the same – will have wider general appeal and be more attractive to photo enthusiasts.
The difference is the two cameras’ resolution – 26.1-megapixels in the X-M5 vs 20.9-megapixels in the Z50 II – is negligible from a practical viewpoint and both cameras support 4K 50p video recording. However, as well as its 2,360,000-dot EVF, the Z50 II is easier to use due to its external buttons and dials, whereas the X-M5 relies largely on menu diving (which is slower)
An overview of the key features of the X-M5 provides the following list:
- 1-megapixel APS-C X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor
- X-Processor 5 image processor
- 2K/29.97 fps video, 10-bit internal processing
- TTL Hybrid (PD/CD) with AF 425 selectable points, AI-based subject detection
- Up to 30 fps continuous JPEG shooting with 1.25x frame crop and electronic shutter’ 8 fps with mechanical shutter and full frame coverage
- 20 Film Simulation recipes
- Creator-friendly video modes
- 5 mm diameter microphone and headphone sockets
- 0-inch 1.04m-dot tilting touch-screen LCD
- SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot (UHS-1 compatible)
- Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz) and Bluetooth wireless connections
Vloggers will probably welcome the new 9:16 Short Movie mode, which offers a cropped 9:16 vertical recording option in 15, 30, and 60 second options for internet-ready content straight from the camera.
Another potential benefit is the camera’s trio of built-in microphones and set of four sound capture modes –Surround, Front Priority, Back Priority and Front & Back Priority – for producing clearer, more dynamic soundtrack recordings. Also catering for vloggers are the Special Product Priority, Portrait Enhancer and Background Defocus modes, which are easily accessible in the camera’s Vlog mode to further simplify content creation.
A conspicuous red outline appears around the screen when the camera is recording, reducing the chances of missed recordings and wasted footage. Subject recognition AF with eye tracking and the option to apply one of two Log modes for colour grading will simplify the post-production process for more serious content creators.
Build and Ergonomics
Like most entry-level cameras from Fujifilm, the X-M5’s body is made mainly of plastic to keep its weight as low as possible. It’s a little smaller than that camera, which measured 116.9 x 66.5 x 39.0 mm, but also 25 grams heavier. The X-M5 uses an updated version of the NP-W126 battery, although shooting capacity is quite similar when the Eco mode isn’t used.
Front and top views of the X-M5’s body, showing the revised controls. (Source: Fujifilm.)
The front panel on the camera body has a shallow grip moulding that is identical to that on the X-M1. As in that camera, the front and command dials are programmable and each can be set to adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO or Film Simulation settings.
However, the top panel is quite different from the X-M1 since the pop-up flash has been replaced by the Film Simulation dial (which was first introduced on the X-T50). The Film Simulation settings span both recording formats unless you’ve selected the Movie Optimised Control interface.
The accessories hot-shoe is unchanged but a dedicated red movie button replaces the Fn button in the new camera. Stylistic changes have been made to the other dial controls, which remain in their original positions, with the mode dial gaining new Vlog, Movie and Filter settings. There’s also a new, labelled AUTO position and three additional Custom memories, bringing the total to four.
The separate Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Scene Position settings have been eliminated since the AUTO mode includes subject detection and will display an icon indicating which type of scene it has identified. If you’d prefer to take control, in AUTO mode you can rotate the front command dial to choose from 14 subject type presets.
Setting the Vlog and Movie modes prioritises video settings, while the P, A, S and M modes bias the menu toward stills shooting. In the Vlog mode most functions are controlled via the monitor – although its touch functions are disabled. Settings in this mode are stored separately from those used for normal movie recording.
The Filter mode lets users choose from a list of seven presets, which include the usual Toy Camera, Miniature, Pop Colour, High and Low Key, Dynamic tone and Soft Focus effects. In addition the camera provides six Partial Colour settings which capture the scene with the selected colour in full colour and the rest of the scene in black and white.
The rear panel of the X-M5. (Source: Fujifilm.)
The rear panel has undergone some radical simplification with a joystick (‘focus stick’) replacing the previous camera’s arrow pad and two tiny buttons for Menu and DISP.BACK access. Manual focus override is available with the focus stick, which can also be used for navigating the menus.
The default subject detection AF function is programmed to lock focus upon the face and/or nearest eye of people, animals, birds and insects as well as relevant parts of cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, trains, insects and drones. The latest AF predictive algorithm ensures high tracking performance for moving subjects.
A fully-articulating touch-screen replaces the tilting screen on the X-M1 and provides slightly higher resolution. As on the X-M1, the screen is close to the left hand side of the camera body and covers almost all of it. Above the monitor screen are New Drive/Delete, Playback and AEL/AFL buttons, accompanied by a microphone/remote release port with a screw-in cover.
The interface ports on the right side panel remain in much the same place, although the USB port is now USB-C and the HDMI connector is Type D. A new microphone port, which can also be used to connect a remote release, is located above them.
Below the focus stick are the standard Menu/OK and Display/Back buttons. Underneath the monitor screen are connections for the optional FAN-001 cooling fan, which supports extended shooting and video recording in high-temperature conditions and draws power from the camera’s battery.
Like most entry-level cameras, the positions of the battery compartment and tripod socket in the base of the camera are unchanged. The former contains the single SD card slot, which accepts UHS-I compatible SD cards. The strap lugs on each side of the camera extend horizontally, as they did on the X-M1.
Sensor and Image Processing
The 26.1-megapixel APS-C X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor is the same fourth-generation chip as used in the X-T3, X-Pro-3 and X100V and covered in our review of the X-T3. However, it’s coupled with the latest X-Processor 5, which is fast enough to support 6.2K/30p movie recording (with a 1.23x frame crop), just like the X100VI.
The X-M5 offers the same 4K/50p and 4:2:2 10-bit internal movie recording capabilities and PAL system users can also opt for sub-sampled 4K/25p at the full sensor width or at 4K/50p with a 1.14x frame crop. Users can also select a vertical video option at FHD/ 25p quality for clips that will be posted on social media or take advantage of special ‘Long Play’ modes that can record at 4K 25p with a 1/18x frame crop and FHD LP at 50p with a 1.29x frame crop. These modes support longer recording times before the camera starts to over-heat.
New video bit rates of 8 Mbps and 25 Mbps have been added to the Media Recording Settings for reducing transfer times to external devices like smartphones as well as the time needed to upload video to social media. Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a new Frame.io Camera to Cloud interface plus the Fujifilm X App make it easy for users to automatically upload photos and videos directly from the camera.
Digital stabilisation is available in movie mode and claims to be able to correct everything from slight jittering to the shaking that occurs when shooting video while walking. This camera is also the first to include a steady-state noise reduction function for minimising constant buzzing, such as air conditioning noise.
On the stills front the ISO sensitivity range has been extended by one EV to ISO 51200 but, whereas the X-M1 could only record JPEGs at the minimum ISO 80 and high ISO 12800 and ISO 25600 settings, the X-M5 extends raw file support across the entire ISO range. In addition, Fujifilm has also added HEIF compression to the regular JPEG and RAF.RAW file formats, bringing the X-M5 into line with other recent releases.
The X-M5 comes with the same set of Film Simulations as the GFX-100S, which added REALA ACE, bringing the total to 20. It also provides the same Grain Effect, Colour Chrome and Colour Chrome Blue adjustments and dynamic range adjustments as other recent Fujifilm cameras.
Performance
We’ve made a few changes to our testing procedures, principally by replacing our home-made slanted line targets with a more comprehensive, standard ISO 12233 chart, which is the primary standard for measuring the resolution of stills cameras. Use of this chart will enable us to provide more accurate information of the tested equipment’s centre resolution performance as well as enabling us to make more measurements close to edge of the frame.
A consequence of this change is that colour testing will be done separately. However, our tests will continue to be based upon the GretagMacbeth ColourChecker, which we’ve used since we began our testing. All other testing remains unchanged.
The XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens isn’t one of Fujifilm’s stellar performers although, as we found in our initial review, it produced acceptable results with the X-A5 and the X-T100 cameras we used for our Imatest tests, both of which had 24-megapixel sensors (no details of their image processors were provided). While certainly small and light enough it’s rather slow and limited in reach.
The graph above shows the results of our resolution tests, with a red horizontal line indicating the ISO settings that delivered resolution levels that were above expectations for the camera’s image sensor with the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens. This graph can be used as a guide to the limits you can apply to the auto ISO range when you want maximum optical performance.
Interestingly, subjective assessment of image files showed high ISO performance to be as good as the X-E1’s. Long exposures at night showed little in the way of noise right up to ISO 6400, with a gradual increase in the visibility of noise and overall softening at the ISO 12800 and ISO 25600 levels. A slight loss of colour saturation and blocking up of shadows could be discerned at ISO 25600.
Colour accuracy was generally good and images recorded at high ISO settings retained a natural-looking colour balance despite their loss of resolution and increased noise. Raw files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw showed the expected reduction in saturation, particularly in the green and cyan hues.
As expected, we noticed a significant improvement in autofocusing speed and precision, which extended into movie modes. Particularly in the latter, the camera was quick to pick up objects entering the frame, aided by in-camera subject recognition technology. We encountered no instances of hunting for focus, even in relatively dim lighting.
Movie quality was similar to the results we’ve obtained from other Fujifilm cameras we’ve reviewed recently, especially those with similar (or identical) capabilities. As with the X-S20, we only checked the PAL system frame rates of 25 fps and 50 fps.
Like the X-S20, the review camera showed perceptible slight lags when re-adjusting exposure levels when the camera’s focus was shifted from a dark area to a bright one, although this is to be expected. In normal footage, sharpness, colour rendition and smoothness remained relatively constant across the resolutions we checked out.
The built-in microphones delivered usable soundtracks and we didn’t detect any camera or lens noises in the soundtracks. However, without an external microphone or recording device, we were unable to test the full audio recording capabilities of the camera.
We carried out our timing tests with the same 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC II U3 memory card, which was supplied with the camera and rated for a write speed of 300MBps. Unfortunately, since the camera only supports UHS-I cards (max. speed 104MBps) it was unable to take advantage of the card’s faster speed.
The review camera took roughly 1.5 seconds to power up and we measured an average capture lag of 0.4 seconds, which was reduced to 0.25 seconds on average with pre-focusing. Lag times could be as long as half a second if the lens was seriously defocused when the shutter button was pressed. Shot-to shot times averaged 0.9 seconds and it took 1.1 seconds, on average to process each JPEG file, 2.1 seconds for a RAF.RAW file and 2.6 seconds for a RAW+JPEG pair.
Continuous shooting speeds depend on shutter selection so we tested the fastest burst rates achieved with both the mechanical and electronic shutters. With the mechanical shutter we recorded 78 Large/Fine JPEG frames in 10.1 seconds, a frame rate of just over 7.7 fps, which is close to specifications at the top rate of 8 frames/second (fps). It took 16.5 seconds to process this burst. Swapping to losslessly-compressed RAW images barely changed the frame rate but, because of the buffer memory limit, recording paused after 3.5 seconds when 25 frames had been recorded.
With the electronic shutter, the frame rate increases to a maximum of 30 fps but a 1.25x frame crop is applied. We were able to record 129 Large/Fine JPEG frames in 4.5 seconds before the capture rate slowed in this mode, which is slightly slower than the specified rate.
The buffer capacity is restricted to 23 RAF.RAW frames with the electronic shutter in the Continuous High mode. Our tests showed this to be accurate while at the same time confirming a shooting rate of approximately 28 fps, on average. It took 8.2 seconds to clear the buffer memory.
Conclusion
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SPECS
Image sensor: 23.5mm x 15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS 4 with primary colour filter and 26.1 megapixels (effective)
Image processor: X-Processor 5
Lens mount: Fujifilm X mount
Focal length crop factor: 1.5x
Image formats: Stills: JPEG (DCF, Exif Ver. 2.32), HEIF 4:2:2 10-bit, RAF.RAW (14-bit), RAW+JPEG, TIFF 8bit / 16bit RGB (in-camera raw conversion only); Movies: HEVC/H.265, Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24bit / 48KHz sampling), MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Linear PCM (Stereo sound 24bit / 48KHz sampling), MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, AAC with Long GOP compression
Image Sizes: Stills (3:2 aspect ratio) 6240 x 4160, 4416 x 2944, 3120 x 2080 plus panoramas 9600 x 1440 (H) / 2160 x 9600 (V) or 6400 x 1440 (H) / 2160 x 6400 (V): Movies (PAL system): 6.2K (3:2) at 25p/ 24p; DCI 4K (17:9 and 16:9) at 50p, 25p, 24p; Full HD (17:9 and 16:9) at 50p, 25p, 24p; Full HDLP(16:9) at 50p; Full HD(17:9 and 16:9) High speed at 200p, 100p; F-Log and F-Log2 support plus 9:16 Short Movie mode
Aspect ratios: 3:2, 16:9, 1:1
Image Stabilisation: Digital IS for movie mode only
Shutter (speed range): Focal Plane Shutter (Mechanical shutter 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec. plus Bulb to 60 min.; Electronic shutter: 30 sec. to 1/32000 sec. plus 1-second Bulb exposure)
Exposure Compensation: +/-5 EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-2EV for movies)
Exposure bracketing: 2, 3, 5, 7 or 9 frames in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV step, max. +/-3 EV, single/burst
Other bracketing options: Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, ISO, Focus, White Balance
Multiple exposures: Supported with Additive, Average, Bright, Dark modes
Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay for stills, 3, 5, or 10 seconds delay for movies
Interval recording: Yes, for time-lapse
Focus system: Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF
AF selection: Single point AF 13×9 / 25×17 (Changeable size of AF frame); Zone AF 3×3 / 5×5 / 7×7 from 117 areas on 13×9 grid, All points; Automatic Detection for Animal, Bird, Automobile, Motorcycle & Bike, Airplane, Train.
Focus modes: AFS (Single) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
Exposure metering: TTL 256-zone multi-pattern sensing system with Multi, Centre-weighted, Average and Spot metering patterns
Shooting modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Exposure
Film Simulation modes: PROVIA/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, ASTIA/Soft, Classic Chrome, REALA ACE, PRO Neg.Hi, PRO Neg.Std, Classic Neg., Nostalgic Neg., ETERNA/Cinema, ETERNA BLEACH BYPASS, ACROS, ACROS + Ye Filter, ACROS + R Filter, ACROS + G Filter, Black & White, Black & White + Ye Filter, Black & White + R Filter, Black & White + G Filter, Sepia
Advanced Filter modes: Toy camera, Miniature, Pop colour, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus, Partial colour (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple) plus Grain Effect, Colour Chrome Effect, Colour chrome Blue
In-camera adjustments: Dynamic range (AUTO / 100％ / 200％ / 400％), Clarity (+/-5 steps)
ISO range: Auto (3 options), ISO160~12800 (1/3EV steps) plus extensions to ISO 80 and ISO 51200
White balance: Auto with white/ambience priority, Daylight, Shade, Fluorescent (x3), Incandescent, Underwater
Flash: External flashguns only
Flash modes: 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain, AUTO FP (HSS); TTL (TTL AUTO / STANDARD / SLOW SYNC. ), MANUAL, MULTI (When EF-X500 is set), OFF
Sequence shooting: Max. 30 frames/sec. with electronic shutter and 1.25x crop; 8 fps with mechanical shutter
Buffer capacity: Max. 128 Large/Fine JPEGs at 30 fps / 1000+frames at 5 fps with mechanical shutter, 23 uncompressed RAW files at 30 fps or 27 at 8 fps
Storage Media: Single slot for SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (UHS-I compatible)
Pre-shot recording: Available at 30, 20, 10, 8 fps with 1.25x frame crop; Recordable frames and shooting speeds depend on recording media
Viewfinder: None
LCD monitor: 3-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio touch screen with approx. 1,040,000 dots
Weather sealing: No
Interface terminals: USB Type-C USB 10Gbps, HDMI Micro connector (Type D), ø3.5mm stereo mini connectors for microphone and headphones
Wi-Fi function: Built-in Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11b/g/n/, 2.4Ghz); Bluetooth v5.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy)
Power supply: NP-W126S rechargeable Li-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 440 shots/charge economy mode, 330 shots/charge normal mode
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 111.9 x 66.6 x 38 mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight: Approx. 355 grams with battery and card
Distributor: Fujifilm Australia
TESTS
Based on JPEG files.
Based on RAF.RAW files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
31mm focal length, 60-second exposure at f/8, ISO 80.
31mm focal length, 30-second exposure at f/8, ISO 160.
31mm focal length, 10-second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 800.
31mm focal length, 1-second exposure at f/8, ISO 6400.
31mm focal length, 1/2-second exposure at f/8, ISO 12800.
31mm focal length, 1/2-second exposure at f/11, ISO 25600.
31mm focal length, 1/3-second exposure at f/11, ISO 51200.
Close-up at 15mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/340 second at f/5.6.
15mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/100 second at f/6.4.
Cropped section of the above image, magnified to 100% to show coloured fringing.
24mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/4 second at f/8. (From JPEG file)
The same scene as above, captured simultaneously as a RAF.RAW file and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
24mm focal length, ISO 6400, 1/110 second at f/6.4.
24mm focal length, ISO 25600, 1/420 second at f/6.4.
24mm focal length, ISO 51200, 1/850 second at f/6.4.
15mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/160 second at f/5.6.
15mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/140 second at f/5.6.
15mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/250 second at f/5.
15mm focal length, ISO 320, 1/180 second at f/4.5.
24mm focal length, ISO 160 1/18 second at f/4.4. From RAF.RAW file converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
24mm focal length, ISO 320, 1/300 second at f/7.1.
15mm focal length, ISO 80, 1/240 second at f/5.6.
45mm focal length, ISO 80, 1/160 second at f/5.6.
Still frame from C4K 17:9 video clip (4096 x 2160 pixels) recorded at 50p.
Still frame from C4K 17:9 video clip (4096 x 2160 pixels) recorded at 25p.
Still frame from UHD 4K 16:9 video clip (3840 x 2160 pixels) recorded at 50p.
Still frame from UHD 4K 16:9 video clip (3840 x 2160 pixels) recorded at 25p.
Still frame from Full HD 17:9 video clip (2048 x 1080 pixels) recorded at 50p.
Still frame from Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 50P.
Still frame from Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from vertical Full HD video recorded at 25p.
Rating
RRP: AU$1449 (body only); $1649 (with XC 15-45mm kit lens)
- Build: 8.8
- Features: 8.5
- Ease of use: 8.8
- Autofocusing: 9.0
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.9
- Still image quality RAW: 8.9
- Video quality: 8.9
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