Fujifilm X-E5 Review

Introduction

Smaller and more affordable than the X-Pro range, Fujifilm’s X-E line has long been the brand’s go-to mirrorless camera for shooters seeking retro flair in a relatively compact body. However, previous X-E models occasionally fell short thanks to plasticky builds, middling specs, ultra-minimalist control setups and a lack of in-body image stabilisation. The Fujifilm X-E5 is here to right those wrongs – and justify a big cost increase in the process.

The X-E5 arrives with a price tag significantly higher than the X-E4 had at launch, suggesting Fujifilm sees it not as a casual beginner option but a serious mid-range contender.

It packs the same 40.2MP sensor and X-Processor 5 combo found in the flagship Fujifilm X100VI compact, adds in-body image stabilisation (a first for the X-E series) and improves the physical controls with a lovely new Film Simulation dial and a customisable front lever.

Is the X-E5 one of the best cameras around, or have its mid-range ambitions priced it into tougher territory? After spending a couple of weeks with the camera and the new XF23mm f/2.8 pancake lens launched alongside it, I came away with a clear picture of what this little rangefinder-style mirrorless does well, and the areas where it still falls short.

Design and Handling

• Aluminium top plate but no weather-sealing
• New Film Simulation dial
• Tilting touchscreen and small OLED viewfinder

The X-E5 doesn’t fiddle with the formula too much. Like its X-E series predecessors, it sticks to a slim, rangefinder-inspired form factor, complete with small viewfinder and minimal body depth. But as soon as I picked it up, the build quality improvements were immediately obvious.

Gone is the slightly cheap feel of the X-E4. The X-E5 offers a reassuringly solid aluminium top plate, tighter panel seams and an overall heft that speaks of quality rather than cost-cutting. The included braided rope strap also adds another premium touch. Yes, it’s just a strap, but it looks really good and feels right.

Despite the build quality upgrade, the camera remains pleasingly compact and lightweight. With the new XF23mm pancake lens mounted, I found it an ideal companion for street photography and travel, as the camera and lens together weigh just 535g.

That said, the lack of weather sealing is a noticeable omission at this price point. This would have been a perfect camera for city breaks, day trips and longer holidays, but you’ll want to keep it stowed somewhere dry when the skies turn grey.

Ergonomically, I found things a mixed bag. The compact body means there’s limited space for chunky grips; there are small ridges at the front and back, but not much for my fingers to wrap around. With a small, lightweight lens fitted, it’s fine due to the extremely low weight of the whole package, but I suspect mounting anything heavier will make it feel imbalanced. This isn’t a camera designed with large, heavy telephoto lenses in mind, so wildlife and sports photographers should steer clear.

Control-wise, the X-E5 treads a fine line between minimalism and usability. The rear remains refreshingly clean, with just a few buttons and a thumb-stick keeping clutter to a minimum. The top plate adds Fuji’s trademark shutter speed and exposure compensation dials, plus the standout new feature: a dedicated Film Simulation dial, which sits right where the ISO dial would normally be. It’s a brilliant addition: not only does it look great with its analogue-style display window, but it makes swapping between Fuji’s film emulations fast and intuitive.

The front lever, borrowed from Fujifilm’s X100 and X-Pro series, adds another layer of control. You can assign it to whatever suits your workflow: switching aspect ratios, using the digital zoom or jumping to a specific custom setting. It’s a thoughtful addition that makes the otherwise stripped-back design a lot more functional.

If there are two areas where the design remains rooted in the past, it’s the screen and viewfinder. The 3-inch tilting touchscreen flips upward but not sideways, which is fine for low-angle shooting and selfies – unless you’ve got something mounted in the hot shoe. Stick a flash or mic up top, and the screen’s forward view becomes nigh-on unusable. Not ideal if you’re planning to shoot vlog-style video or want a monitor for interviews.

The OLED EVF also feels a step behind the times. It’s tiny, relatively low-res, and the eyecup does little to block out external light. It’s usable, certainly, but not the immersive, high-detail experience you’ll find on some rivals.

Connectivity is also a bit old-school. There’s micro HDMI and a dedicated 3.5mm mic input, which is nice, but nothing similar for headphones. If you want to connect your cans for audio level monitoring, you’ll need a USB-C dongle. The USB-C port also handles charging and data transfer duties, naturally. Storage comes courtesy of a single SD card slot, located at the bottom of the camera next to the battery.

Features and Performance

• 5-axis IBIS for the first time on an X-E series model
• Improved subject recognition for autofocus
• 20fps cropped and 13fps uncropped burst shooting

Design has been improved, yes, but it’s the features that really push the X-E5 into a new league. Chief among them is five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), appearing for the first time on an X-E series model. Fujifilm claims up to seven stops of compensation, and while I didn’t break out a lab test rig to confirm that, I can say that handheld low-light shots and smooth video clips are now very much on the menu. 

The autofocus system has also been enhanced. It still uses a combination of contrast and phase detection, but subject tracking now includes more than just human faces. Animals, birds, cars, bikes, planes and trains are all recognisable. And in use, it’s fast, sticky and confident. It’s not up to the standards set by Sony and Canon’s flagship cameras, but it’s fast enough for most everyday shooting scenarios.

Burst shooting is solid, too – albeit slightly downgraded from the X-E4. You can get up to 20fps with the electronic shutter, though there’s a 1.29x crop at that speed. To use all of the sensor, I had to drop down to 13fps (electronic) or 8fps (mechanical). That’s not class-leading, but it’s perfectly serviceable for capturing fleeting moments or short flurries of action.

Battery life is about what you’d expect: 400 shots or around 45 minutes of video, according to the CIPA rating. In practice, I got through a couple of shooting days on a single charge with no issues at all. If you plan to shoot lots of video, though, you’ll want to invest in spare batteries or a power bank.

Speaking of video, it’s an area where the X-E5 first impresses… and then frustrates. On paper, the support for 6.2K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps and even Full HD at up to 240fps for smooth slow-motion looks great. You get 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording, F-Log and F-Log2 profiles for post-production colour grading, and access to all the Film Simulation modes for motion as well as stills. 

Unfortunately, with no internal cooling setup, the X-E5 has a habit of overheating when recording hi-res clips. I set the camera to 4K 60p and found it shut itself down after about 15 minutes. So yes, there’s some movie-making potential here – but serious videographers should probably look elsewhere.

Image Quality

• 20 Film Simulation modes, plus the ability to create your own recipes
• Superb 40.2MP photos and crisp 6.2K 30p or 4K 60p video
• 14-bit RAW photo shooting

The X-E5 produces stunning photos. The same 40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor found in the X100VI lives inside this camera and, paired with the X Processor 5, it delivers class-leading stills quality for a crop-sensor camera.

You get a huge amount of detail, even in compressed JPEGs, and the 14-bit RAW files are rich, flexible and very resilient to heavy post-processing. Dynamic range is superb, and high ISO performance is excellent. 

But it’s not just about technical image quality. This is a Fujifilm camera, and the real joy here is the colour science. The Film Simulation modes (there are 20 here in total) remain a strong draw. There’s Classic Chrome (my personal favourite) for a muted documentary-style look, Provia for natural everyday shots, Velvia for punchy landscapes alongside newer simulations like Nostalgic Neg and Eterna Bleach Bypass for cinematic tones.

The Film Simulation dial, mentioned above, makes switching between them quick and easy. And if none of Fuji’s defaults match your taste, you can build your own custom recipes, tweak tone curves, add grain and create a look that’s all yours, all in-camera.

It makes for a real best-of-both-worlds experience: you can shoot everything in-camera or export those 14-bit RAWs to Lightroom and process until you hit perfection.

The XE-5’s video image quality is also excellent. The footage is crisp, natural and full of character, particularly if you use one of the simulation modes. F-Log2 unlocks more dynamic range for grading (up to 13 stops) and with 10-bit 4:2:2, you’ve got plenty of flexibility in post. Again, the overheating limits its use for longer projects, but for short clips and b-roll, it’s more than capable.

Should you buy it?