Fujifilm goes after aspiring vloggers with its new $800 X-M5 camera

Even as it keeps working to catch up with demand for the massively popular X100VI, Fujifilm has been on a steady cadence of releasing new cameras. The X-T50 was announced in May, and it was the first to feature a physical dial for switching between the company’s signature film simulations. That dial is carrying forward to the new, budget-tier X-M5 that Fujifilm is announcing today.

The X-M5 is priced at $799.95 and is an affordable gateway into the company’s interchangeable lens mirrorless camera lineup.. Fujifilm is positioning it as a lightweight camera ideal for everyday shooting and “emerging 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 comes in silver or black, but the black version won’t be shipping until April. The silver will be in stores next month.

Fujifilm is pushing the message that for as good as our smartphone cameras might be, the X-M5 has a far larger sensor that’s capable of capturing more. At the top left of the camera is the film simulation dial, which offers quick access to eight film simulations and three custom slots where you can assign another favorite from the 20 built-in options. The X-M5 also has a PASM-style mode dial, a fully articulating rear LCD (though there’s no EVF), and the microphone input is in a unique spot on the back of the camera near the hotshoe.

But even if you don’t have an external mic, the X-M5 is Fujifilm’s first camera to include a three-mic system. “You can choose from four microphone directivity options: surround, front, back, or front and back, depending on the situation,” the company’s press release says. To help with clearer audio, the camera is also capable of cutting out steady-state noises like air conditioning or other constant hums.

The X-M5 includes Fujifilm’s tried and true 26.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and the company’s current-generation X-Processor 5. Fujifilm can’t seem to escape criticism of its system’s continuous autofocus performance, and so the company is rolling out a newly-enhanced predictive autofocus algorithm that it believes should rectify the inconsistent hit rate that some customers have experienced with its recent cameras.

For video, the camera can capture 6.2K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit video, and in this era of vertical social media content, it’s also got a 9:16 “Short Movie Mode” that caps out at full HD resolution.

There are several tradeoffs that Fujifilm had to make to hit the X-M5’s price. The rear LCD has an unremarkable resolution of 1.04 million dots. (By comparison, the X-S20 has a 1.84-million dot LCD.) The camera also uses Fujifilm’s older and smaller-capacity battery, so if you’re out for a long day of vlogging, it’ll be wise to carry a spare. And the SD card slot is still UHS-I. That shouldn’t be a huge issue for the target market 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 grown to be perhaps my favorite lens in Fujifilm’s arsenal. But it can definitely get heavy at times — especially on my X-H2 — so I’m looking forward to seeing what a difference the downsizing has made. Fujfilm says the new model is even sharper and better at resolving the 40-megapixel sensor found in 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 that’s designed for outdoor shooting. (Think wildlife, sports, birds, and so on.) It comes at a hefty $2,999.95 and will be available in December.