For more than one year and half I have been happily using my Fujifilm X-T5 with various prime lenses and one zoom, 5 lenses in total.

I am travelling for pleasure and work quite regularly and I like to carry the camera with me almost every time, so I have one shoulder bag and one backpack which I choose depending on the destination, but they are both not small and not light when the gear is in.

Because I love photography, I manage to overcome the unpleasant discomfort of always carrying around my gear, most of the time.

I must admit that when I am going around and photographing is not the main reason for it, I wonder if I should take the gear with me. And in fact more than once, I left all the gear at home, to regret it after a while because of missing good picture opportunities (I rather not use my mobile for photography).

That’s the reason why at the end of last year, I started to look for a small pocket camera with good image quality, which I could always have with me without struggle.

Unfortunately the number of small cameras still under production was very limited and the few available ones, such as Ricoh GR III or Canon G7x III, were out of stock everywhere for months already.

As we all know, camera manufacturers did not invest in small cameras for a decade or more as a consequence of mobile photography booming (but now things are fortunately changing).

So I already kind of renounced the idea of having a small portable camera, when I read about the imminent announcement of a Fujifilm small camera with interchangeable X-mount lenses, the X-M5.

And for the first time, I pre-ordered a camera the day of presentation, without waiting for the first hand-on reviews.

I wanted so badly a small camera without having to wait for 6+ months that I took the risk of getting something possibly not really good.

In fact, while I was waiting for the delivery of my X-M5, I got quite concerned by the not so positive reviews I was seeing online, almost all of them were saying that it was a vlogger camera not meant for photographers. Well, I had ordered it already, so I decided to see for myself if I made a bad choice or not.

It is now three months since I have been using my X-M5 quite regularly and I can say I am happy to not have read the reviews before ordering it because I would have missed a camera that totally satisfies my needs.

And here there is a lesson to be learned: trusting less the reviews and taking more risks is making life more fun.

Despite the fact that the X-M5 is not a perfect camera, not at all, I cannot find anything that really disappoints me.

Baku Old City - Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15.45mm

It is pretty easy to guess the things I love about it - the looking, the sizing, the Fujifilm film simulations and image style, the image quality and solid construction - since I believe it is the same for the vast majority of enthusiast photographers out there.

Different story about its criticised aspects and it is maybe worth to spend a few words about them.

The lack of a viewfinder is a serious issue for most people but since I was looking at the Ricoh GR III (still I am but now waiting for the IV or the mono), I never considered it a no-go. Now I can say that taking pictures without viewfinder is a different experience, more casual and at the same time more creative because it naturally brings up different ways of composing the image. Under the bright sun, the screen indeed is not always able to provide all the details but it is enough to compose and shoot, leaving some nice uncertainties for after.

The lack of sensor stabilization is the other main issue everybody complains about, but in the past I was used to cameras without stabilization, considering myself lucky if I could effort one lens optically stabilized, like the cheap but very good XC 15-45mm kit lens.

Also the lack of weather sealing has been criticised but basically no camera in this size range has weather protection, not even the (re-)new expensive Leica D-Lux 8 so I don’t understand why the much cheaper X-M5 should have it. In any case, I hate rain so I don’t go shooting in the rain and normally I am not going to places that are environmentally extreme, but if I would go I would take the action cameras (that I use when scuba diving). So again, not a concern for me.

Ultimately the fact that the camera has a lot of functions dedicated to video and vlogging is not in any way reducing or affecting the photo image handling and quality so I think it is improper to categorise the X-M5 as a vlogger camera because it is really much more than that. It is a camera that can well satisfy both vloggers and photographers at the same time.

I would define it more appropriately as a great all-around camera.

I didn’t yet take any video with it because I am not really a video making guy, (except underwater and on family vacations when anyway I use action cams because of their ease of use) so I cannot really comment on that. I can only say that you easily forget that there are so many video options available because you don’t miss anything on the photography side

I consider the X-M5 as my multipurpose camera.

When I need something small, pocketable and unintrusive, I put on the XF 27mm pancake and I get something in between the GR III and the X100VI.

When I want to have relaxing time with the family travelling around without renouncing to photography,, I put on the 15-45mm kit lens and I have something very portable and flexible with great image quality which allows me to pursue my passion while enjoying the family time.

Last but not least, I bring around together with the X-T5, as a secondary camera so I can have two prime lenses constantly ready for use without wasting time in changing lenses on the go.

If the expected X-E5 will come out on the market with a viewfinder, will I buy it? Of course, I will but it will not replace the X-M5 which will remain my preferred camera for the casual and fun shooting time.

And maybe with time, the X-M5 will trigger in me an interest in shooting videos.That would be a great plus but I guess I am not ready yet for it. My immediate interest is now going towards high quality photo printing……. Stay tuned, something is coming up shortly….

Fujifilm X-M5 - The most unappreciated camera of 2025.

The real power of photography