Fujifilm X-M5 Review: The Lightest X-Mount Camera Brings Film Simulations to Vloggers
The Fujifilm X-M5 is the smallest and lightest interchangeable-lens camera Fujifilm makes. It weighs about 355 grams with battery and card, launched in October 2024 at $799 for the body, and puts a film simulation dial right on top. It’s Fuji’s answer to Sony’s ZV-E10 II, aimed squarely at creators and first-time camera buyers who want the Fuji look.
It’s a funny little camera. Very capable in some ways, very stripped-down in others.
The sensor is Fuji’s 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4, a back-side illuminated chip shared with the X-S20, paired with the newer X-Processor 5. Image quality is excellent for the price.
Video review: Dustin Abbott
What it does surprisingly well
Video specs read like a much pricier camera. 6.2K at 30p in open gate. 4K at up to 60p. Full HD at 240p. 10-bit 4:2:2 internally with F-Log and F-Log2. There’s a vertical 9:16 mode for phones, a three-microphone array on top, and both microphone and headphone jacks. Few cameras at $800 have a headphone jack at all.
The film simulation dial gives you instant access to Fuji’s color looks, 20 of them, including Classic Chrome, Classic Negative and Reala Ace. Turn the dial, see the result on screen, shoot. It’s the most fun way to use those looks Fuji has made.
Subject detection autofocus from Fuji’s newer bodies is here too, and it works well for faces, eyes and pets.
What it leaves out
No viewfinder. No in-body stabilization; video gets digital stabilization only, which crops in. With a light kit lens and no IBIS, handheld low-light stills need care.
It uses the small NP-W126S battery, rated at about 330 shots by CIPA. Video eats it quickly, so buy spares or use USB-C power.
The single SD slot is UHS-I, which is slower to write and clear the buffer. Mechanical bursts are about 8 fps.
The body is so small that larger X-mount lenses make it awkward. It shines with small primes like the XF 27mm f/2.8 pancake or the Fujinon XC 15-45mm kit zoom.
Who should buy it
Vloggers and social creators who love the Fuji look. Travelers who want a tiny camera that still takes lenses. First-time buyers who want something more fun than a phone and cheaper than an X-S20.
Against Sony’s ZV-E10 II, the X-M5 is cheaper, smaller and has the film simulation dial and headphone jack, while the Sony has the bigger battery and more lenses. If you shoot mostly stills and want a viewfinder, step up to the X-T50 or X-S20.
For a light, cheap camera with real personality, the X-M5 is hard to dislike.