I recently got to handle a whole bunch of cameras at The Photography & Video Show, and despite all of the manufacturers’ latest and greatest wears vying for my attention, I kept coming back to the humble Fujifilm X-M5. There was a time when I was considering picking one up, but I’ve since come to the conclusion that it’s not the camera for me. However, that’s not to say I’m telling you to pass it by. Far from it.
You see, I’ve long bemoaned the industry’s pivot away from beginner cameras. You’ve got the excellent Canon EOS R100 (thank goodness) and the aging Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, and that’s about it. Fujifilm never replaced the X-T200 and Nikon hasn’t bothered bringing out a mirrorless successor to the D3500.
This technically makes Fujifilm’s entry-level offering the X-T30 III, but I still prefer the X-M5. So, what is it about this little camera that I love so much? Well, it’s tiny, it’s well priced, you can change the lenses, and it’s powerful as all heck. It’s so well priced, in fact, that it tends to be cheaper than the X-T30 III and it’s so small, it’ll give the Fujifilm X100VI a run for its money (with a sensible lens attached of course).
What I don’t like about the X-M5 is that it’s lacking a viewfinder. And that, ultimately, is why it’s not the camera for me. But youngsters who want an upgrade from their smartphone probably won’t care. And while the X-T30 III gives you essentially the same photography specs with a viewfinder, the X-M5 beats it outright with its, frankly ludicrous, video specs.
“Meh, who cares about video?” I hear you say? The next generation of photographers, brought up on a diet of Netflix and TikTok. They’re much more likely to think of themselves as content creators as opposed to pure photographers and in that respect the X-M5 is quite simply unprecedented in its delicate blend of affordability, size, and power.
And believe me when I say there’s enough power in this little ‘bod’ to take you right to the top. One of my favorite Instagrammers of late is Casey Herzog (@herzawg). An incredible travel photographer and content creator (429K followers and counting) who often uses a Fujifilm X-M5, with a Pikachu figure in the hotshoe (I digress…). My point is, this is one of the cheapest cameras on the market, but it’s got the specs that will enable you to grow as a photographer and videographer. It packs Fujifilm’s latest X-Trans sensor and can capture 10-bit 4:2:2 6.2K 30p open-gate video and 4K / 60p (cropped).
And of course, it comes with 20 of Fujifilm’s built-in Film Simulations, so you can capture beautiful JPEGs straight from the camera. No editing required. Not only is this a boon for newbies – editing is just an added complication when you start out – but shooting JPEGs straight out of the camera is a great way to learn your craft, because you have to be disciplined. You have to get it right in camera.
Ultimately, if it sounds like I’m gushing a little too much over this little Fujifilm gem that’s because it genuinely excites me that the industry has a camera that’s not only accessible for beginners, but packs enough grunt that it can grow with them. If you’re thinking of picking up the best camera for beginners or buying a mirrorless camera for a youngster, don’t count out the Fujifilm X-M5. And that’s coming from someone who’s a bona-fide Nikon fanboy.
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