Fujifilm X-E5 in-depth review

What is the Fujifilm X-E5 and who is it for?

Recently, the very retro-styled Fujifilm X100VI has driven global camera sales success – not cutting-edge flagship models with full-frame stacked sensors and ridiculously high-speed capture. It’s a fixed-lens compact camera that apes the rangefinders of yesteryear, sparking the imagination of young and old alike. 

But what makes it marginally less attractive for the keenest of keen photographers is that fixed 23mm f/2 lens. This feature makes it just too limited as an all-rounder.

Luckily, Fujifilm now offers the X-E5 – a light, compact rangefinder-style retro cam that takes X Mount lenses. 

Additionally, the X-E5 is available bundled with a new pancake lens – the Fujinon XF23mm f/2.8 R WR. That makes the whole set-up roughly the same size and just 15g heavier than the fixed-lens model. However, it has the massive advantage of being able to fit X Mount glass in all focal lengths.

The X-E5 is a dream come true for anyone who focuses on travel or street photography, with the huge benefit of working well for pretty much any type of image making just by using different lenses. From fast primes or portraits to super-wide lenses and speedy long telephotos, Fujifilm has you covered.

Fujifilm X-E5 design and ergonomics

The Fujifilm X-E5 is a very different proposition to its predecessor, 2021’s X-E4. This camera drew criticism over its stripped-back ergonomics, with no handgrip and less-than-premium build quality. While that camera seemed to target less-experienced image makers, the X-E5 has been seriously beefed up – including its price. At £1299 body-only or £1549 with the new 23mm lens, it’s in a much higher-end niche and has the build to back it up. It has a nicely contoured grip for the right hand. Meanwhile, the machined aluminium top-plate gives a feeling of quality and robustness. And while the camera isn’t heavy, at 445g compared to the X-E4’s 364g, it’s perfectly portable while still having a reassuring heft to it. 

Sadly, the big miss is that there’s no weather sealing, which does seem odd for a travel-oriented camera. Even the X100VI can be made weather resistant with its optional adapter ring.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

This is a very nice camera to look at. I was using the retro-inspired silver version on a couple of days shooting in Valencia, Spain, though an all-black option is available. These come with the same paracord strap as the GFX100RF, which underlines how Fujifilm are pushing the premium aspect of this design.

Fujifilm X-E5 APS-C sensor & image processor

The X-E5 doesn’t skimp on spec, as it uses Fujifilm’s most up-to-date X-Processor 5 and the 40-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor – of course in APS-C size – as used in the X100VI, X-T5, X-H2 and X-T50.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

In terms of performance, the X-E5 is standard-issue fifth-generation X Series, which is excellent. The image quality is brilliant.

Fujifilm X-E5 image stabilisation

While the design of the X-E5 means that it’s going to be compared to the X100VI, internally it’s identical to the X-T50 and uses the same IBIS system. But there’s an improved algorithm that claims up to seven stops of compensation in the centre of the image and six on the edge.

Our tests showed that claim is a little ambitious, as we found a maximum of around five stops for stills. In video mode, IBIS works in combination with Optical Image Stabilisation on certain lenses. And if you don’t mind a slight crop, you can add in Digital Image Stabilisation, plus there’s a boost mode too. It’s freakishly smooth – simply incredible.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

The IBIS wasn’t hugely necessary for me, working in the bright sunshine, but it’s certainly nice to have at lower shutter speeds.

Fujifilm X-E5 viewfinder and screen

To see the action, there’s a 0.39-inch, 2.36-million-dot EVF that’s the same as the X-T50’s, although the rear LCD is lower resolution, at 1.04-million dots compared to X-T50’s 1.84 million. And while the X100VI has a hybrid viewfinder, it’s all EVF on the X-E5. It would be nicer to have more detail, but the X-E5’s screens get the job done. The rear screen does tilt up and down and even flips up and over the top-plate to make it ideal for selfies or vlogging.

One of the coolest new features is the Classic Display mode for the EVF, which simplifies the view, just reading out the exposure settings in an old-school LED style with a swing-needle exposure guide. It’s one area where retro controls really can help you focus on the image rather than all the usual info around the screen. Of course, just hitting the Display button allows you to cycle through all the options.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

There’s something gratifying about using a camera this small that still packs so much resolution in. This is amplified by the EVF and LCD not being the best quality. So when you get the photos off the camera and look at them on a larger screen, the amount of detail you can uncover in post is incredible. 

Fujifilm X-E5 battery

The camera uses the same NP-W126S battery as the X100VI and X-T50 instead of larger NP-W235 from the X-T5 and X-H2, but there isn’t room
for a chunky high-capacity battery.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

The X-E5 is rated for 310 frames in normal mode – or 400 in economy mode – and to be honest, I didn’t have any problems with the battery life whatsoever. I walked around for two days photographing almost non-stop – recharging overnight – and I didn’t run dry once. I am diligent in turning my camera off between shots though.

Nevertheless, if you’re a prolific video user, your mileage might vary.

Fujifilm X-E5 controls and Film Simulation dial

The X-E5 does offer a number of new features – the most obvious being the new Film Simulation dial on the top-plate. This redesigned control is integrated into the body of the camera, with an indicator window showing the selected profile.

Alongside the default simulations  – Provia, Astia, Velvia, Classic Chrome, Reala Ace and Acros – there are three custom slots where you can assign Film Simulations and image quality settings, giving you instant access to your own custom Film Sim recipes.

Also new is the front Control Lever, previously seen on X100 cameras. This is fully customisable, although by default it gives control over the digital teleconverter function.

By pushing the lever towards the lens, the camera cycles between 1x, 1.4x and 2x crops of your image. Working with a wider-angle lens like the 23mm, this allows a fast way to punch in on details, and the camera has enough resolution that those cropped images are still very usable. Shooting in Raw + JPEG also retains the full sensor readout if you later decide you want to change the shot.

In other areas, the old-school control dials might add to the user experience for some, but mean menu-digging for settings that just didn’t exist when all cameras looked this way.

There’s no quick button to toggle from stills to video, for example. There’s no obvious PASM, white balance or drive speed dials. And the knurled shutter speed ring only has full stops on it. So to set mid-speed settings or go higher, you need to use the thumb wheel on the back. This is the price you pay for a cool, retro look.

Second opinion with Ben Gawne

Initially, I was hesitant to use the Film Simulation dial. I like to tinker, so I’ve never loved the idea of baking a colour profile into my images from the offset. However, as the trip went on, I found myself getting to know which profiles would bring out the best of each scene and would set up the camera for a particular shot as I was walking up to take it. The Raw files don’t have the baked-in look, so you can still change them in post.

There’s an argument that the Film Sim dial is redundant, since you can assign Film Simulation to a command dial – but on this trip, that didn’t hold up. Just as I’d set aperture and shutter before switching the camera on, I began selecting a Film Simulation as I saw the composition I wanted to make, and the permanent, visual nature of this control became vital to this style of working. 

Fujifilm X-E5 speed and AF performance

By using the T setting, you can set the mechanical shutter to range from 15 minutes to 1/4000sec, then the electronic shutter takes over to a ridiculous 1/180,000sec. Bulb mode can give exposures up to an hour.

But while the X100VI’s leaf shutter can flash sync at any speed, the mechanical shutter on the X-E5 caps flash sync to 1/180sec. So it’s not the camera for hardcore strobists.

The dual shutter options allow the camera to go as high as 8fps with the mechanical shutter or 20fps with the electronic – fast enough for most. But higher than 13fps, there’s a 1.29x crop. The X-E5 has a single SD card slot that takes UHS-II class cards, which clear the buffer quicker than on the X100VI. 

To keep things sharp, the camera uses the X-T50 AF system for better tracking, especially in zone AF mode and low-contrast situations. It works well, though there was some hunting in continuous AF while the camera was tripod-mounted and the subject not moving. There’s the option of creating your own zone AF configurations too, as long as it’s square or rectangular. There’s also face and subject detection AF with the choice of animals, birds, cars, motorcycle/bikes, aeroplanes and trains. But no Auto mode to make an intelligent selection, sadly.

For those who really want a camera like this, the AF is certainly up to the job most times. Although it did miss face detection focus on a street candid we shot. No system is perfect.

Fujifilm X-E5 video

Serious video shooters might overlook the X-E5 for something like the X-H2. However, don’t write it off as it has features that content creators and YouTubers will love.

The headline is that it can shoot 6.2K in up to 30fps, and either C4K or 4K oversampled from the 6.2K signal for even higher quality. The camera can record in H264 8-bit Long GOP, H.265 10-bit All-Intra and various bit rates from 200Mbps to 8Mbps – ideal for livestreaming to social media. And there’s little to no overheating. 

But there is a catch, as many of the higher video resolutions and frame rates do involve a crop. Shoot 4K and all is good up to 30p with no crop, but 6.3K or 4K HQ downscaled from 6.2K has a 1.23x crop. Go above 30p in native 4K – up to 60fps – and there is a 1.1x crop. Even in HD, there is a 1.1x crop at speeds faster than 30fps. 

If you do feel the need for some super slow-motion, HD does offer frame rates up to 240fps but with a 1.23x crop and there is no audio recorded. 

For rolling shutter artefacts where vertical lines appear to bend over when recording fast pans, in HD or normal 4K then it’s not too much of a problem. But shoot 6.2K or 4K oversampled from 6.2K, and things do go a bit awry. It’s best to avoid these settings if you’re shooting lots of fast movement or whip pans.

The camera offers all the film simulation modes in video, if you want a straight-out-of camera look built in. Or select Log settings to widen dynamic range in post. For the ultimate, you can also output 6.2K to an external Atomos or Blackmagic monitor-recorder for Raw video.

The AF generally works well. Yet, our biggest gripe is when shooting a lens wide open for a shallow depth-of-field, it can hesitate a little when pulling focus. It’s almost like a two-step motion rather than one smooth move. If you notice it, switch to manual focus.

The image quality is what it’s all about – and it’s excellent, with low noise and smooth tones.