We test Fujifilm X-E5 - this is what it's like to photograph with the camera

The new Fujifilm X-E5 continues Fujifilm's X-E series with simplicity and the joy of photography in mind. Technically, it is well-positioned, and in terms of design, it resembles Fujifilm's more advanced compact camera X100 V/VI - but without some of the advanced features such as the ability to switch between optical and digital viewfinder - the X-E5 only has a digital one.

Despite the design having many direct similarities, the X-E5 differs somewhat. The size is roughly the same, and the layout with the controls is similar, but with a chassis that is more angular than, for example, the X100 VI, which has much softer lines and edges. 

But a major difference that might be easy to miss when you see the X-E5 with the newly released Fujinon 23mm F2.8R WR lens is that you can change lenses on the camera since it is a system camera, unlike the X100 VI, which is a compact camera with the similar but fixed Fujinon 23mm F2 II lens.

Even the controls feel somewhat simpler and smaller compared to the X100 VI, but a quick look at the direct predecessor, Fujifilm X-E4, still shows that the design language is an evolution of it, leaning towards that of the X100 series.

Using the camera is really nice. I personally like the X100 cameras and using the X-E5 gives a similar feeling if you exclude the more tech-nerdy features that the Fujifilm X100 VI has, but at the same time adds a new perspective with the features that are unique to the X-E5, which we write more about in our news article.

Rotating the extra dial to switch between different film simulations is new, and it allows you to quickly change the style of the photos you take, from, for example, a black and white simulation to a custom-saved recipe where I have adjusted highlights, contrast, and colors to get my own style on the photos.

The first thing that annoys me is the eye sensor that constantly turns off the screen when I switch with my thumb (right or left thumb, both work just fine to use). The reason is that I want to get direct feedback on how the photo I plan to take in the newly selected film simulation will turn out, something that is not possible when the screen is off. 

However, when I look in the digital viewfinder, a graphical wheel is displayed over the control on the left side, with a film roll showing the name of the selected simulation - that is, the chosen "film." Then you can clearly see the result of how the selected simulation affects the image.

But after a while, the simulations become familiar, and the screen on the top does its job. It is this little window for the selected simulation that rotates into view and shows what you've chosen, and then it takes precedence to get visual feedback for the image result - I rather know that a certain film simulation is what I want.

Here, Fujifilm could develop the concept further. What I see is the point of the "window" is precisely to get control over the selected film, but it's not entirely clear. The letters are what you have to rely on, but I think that if you still have an upward view for this visual feedback, it's good if it's clear - color-code the descriptions to find the right one faster, or why not have a digital screen just like the one on Fujifilm X half (X-HF1) where you really get a sense of the selected film?

Okay, maybe I'm being a bit picky, and maybe it's because I like the feature of choosing simulations and want more of it. Perhaps it would also contribute more to the analog feel, or a sort of placebo effect of nostalgia. I like the concept.

What enhances this feeling even more is the possibility to take a retro trip to the early digital info systems found in the viewfinder of 80s analog cameras. Fujifilm has decided that we can choose to see all the info in the viewfinder as Fujifilm usually displays it, with graphic icons and numbers. 

But for those who want more retro, it's possible to switch to a sort of "retrostyle" mode where we get the orange screaming segment numbers (the classic seven digital segments that can build the number 8), along with a light meter on the right side. The lag when the numbers change as you adjust something (like the aperture) is thankfully excluded, and in fact, it feels quite clear when you see the values presented this way, even if it slightly strains the eye, attention-wise.

The light meter with the small rotating pin is more of an indicator in auto mode for where you are on the exposure compensation dial - that is, if you are over- or underexposing the image with your current settings. If you set the camera manually to underexpose, it will point downwards, so in practice, you can follow it to achieve correct exposure. It's a bit fun.

The Fujifilm X-E5 has also received the fingertip control that we usually find on the X100 cameras, which was not present on its predecessor, the X-E4. Now, the control has inherited some thinking from the medium format camera Fujifilm GFX 100RF, where an extra control handles cropping - something that allows the photographer using the X-E5 to quickly crop images (which gives the impression of a kind of zooming) by pushing it to the side, or change the aspect ratio like 1:1, 16:9, and so on, by pushing it the other way. 

The control can also be held in one direction, and that function can be programmed to suit your photography - change a setting, activate something, or make a choice.

Kamera & Bild tests the camera together with the newly released lens Fujinon 23mm F2.8R WR which you can read more about here. This pancake lens is about 2.3 centimeters, which makes it a good fit for a camera like this. The handling is simple and smooth, but the size and weight are what make the whole thing.

The camera is otherwise quite fast and easy to handle, and we will take a closer look at the parts inside the shell. If you want to know more already, you can read more in our news article about the camera here.

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