Fuji X-E5, black, with the XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR, review — The Fujifilm X-E5, black, with the XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR

A Grown-Up Fujifilm X-E Camera

Is the Fujifilm X-E5 Mini X-Pro Camera?

I find it hard to believe it's been over 4 years since I reviewed the Fujifilm X-E4. At the time, I dubbed the X-E4 a younger sibling to my X-Pro2, with fresh new legs, full of energy, and speedy tech under the hood.

However, it was also a camera, lacking a grip, and the number of custom buttons was scaled back for a minimalist look; as a result, functionality took a bit of a hit.

Eventually, I upgraded it to an X-Pro3, which brings me to the next point. As I type this, the X-Pro3 was released exactly six years ago, and a successor is not in sight until 2026. In the meantime, I thought I would try something else.

This brings us to the Fujifilm X-E5, which, on paper, looks like a more grown-up X-E camera, promising new features in a slightly larger and more user-friendly body. But is it a mini X-Pro, and how does it feel and perform? Let’s take a look.

Fujifilm X-E5 and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR — The Fujifilm X-E5, black, with the XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-E5 was released on June 12, 2025, and was slated to be available from August 14th onwards. I believe this was delayed till late August. Unless you had a pre-order, there was still a backlog of X-E5 orders at the time this review was written, and it was indeed hard to find in stock.

The popularity of cameras such as the Fujifilm X100VI and X-E5 keeps throwing curveballs into the Fujifilm supply chain, and I will admit this has had me turning my attention away from Fujifilm to a certain degree.

Basically, I find it annoying that it’s so hard to buy their products. Fujifilm is not the only brand affected by this.

It was only a fluke that I found an available X-E5 and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR combo at Camtec Photo in Montreal, and that was four months after the announcement. Only now, a year and a half after launch, is the X100VI becoming available in stores regularly.

When this review was posted, the Fujifilm X-E5 retailed for $1,899.00 in a bundle with the new XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR lens or $1,699.00 for the body alone. This is on par with the X-Pro3's pricing when it launched in 2019, and, naturally, the value proposition of the X-E5 compared to it has been widely discussed in Fujifilm circles.

Ted Harris Paint, East Hastings, Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R. — East Hastings, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 35mm f/1.4 R @ f/6.4

Build Quality, Handling, and Specs

The build quality of the Fujifilm X-E5 is a few notches above that of the X-E4, and more importantly, the better overall quality also translates into better handling.

The X-E5 is slightly larger and heavier at 15.7 oz (445 g) with the battery and SD card, versus 12.7 oz (364 g) for the X-E4.

Both cameras are at the light end of the scale in my paradigm, and I prefer the slightly beefier X-E5, as it is easier to handle thanks to a small grip indent on the front of the camera, whereas the X-E4 has none.

The 2.36m-Dot 0.62x OLED EVF was one of my main concerns about the X-E5, especially given that the X-E5 is twice the cost of the X-E4 at launch. However, I can report that my worries here were largely unfounded. The EVF is indeed better than expected.

The diopter dial takes a bit of fiddling to get right, but once you have it set, you are good to go. The included strap is quite impressive, but it feels stiff around the anchor points and may have been a culprit in inadvertent diopter changes a couple of times.

I was pleasantly surprised that nothing on the X-E5 camera feels flimsy, including the battery door.

Vancouver Harbour. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 14mm f/1.4 R. — Vancouver Harbor, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 14mm f/2.8 R @ f/8

As I also use adapted manual focus lenses, I was happy to see the command dial on the back of the camera (the X-E4 did not have this), and it has an excellent feel for punching in to check focus. I have only done a few tests, but I think the EVF is better than expected for this, also.

With the X-E5, Fujifilm has introduced a new film simulation dial on top of the camera. Aesthetically, it is well executed, and I mostly flick it between Acros and FS1, which I currently have set to Nostalgic Neg. It’s cool that you can create your film simulation based on Fujifilm’s and enter these as one of the three custom settings.

Arguably, I could live without this film simulation dial, and it could easily be handled via a custom button. Still, I can see how this would be appealing to new Fujifilm camera users.

The articulating screen (3.0" 1.62m-Dot 3-Axis Touchscreen LCD) is wonderfully flush with the body and feels super sturdy. While my other cameras currently don’t have this feature, I am surprised by how much I've already used it to shoot from various angles, flipping the screen out effortlessly.

Fujifilm X-E5 articulating screen — The articulating LCD on the Fujifilm X-E5

Fujifilm X-E5, Key Specs

40.1-Megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor (same as the X-H2, X-T5, X-T50,and X100VI)
X-Processor 5
ISO range: 125-12,800 (64 to 51,200 extended)
7-stop image stabilizer
Up to 13 fps.
One card slot: SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II
EVF: 2.36m-Dot 0.62x OLED
LCD: 3.0" 1.62m-Dot 3-Axis Touchscreen LCD
Video: 6.2K/30p, 4K/60p & FHD/240p Video
Battery: NP-W126S, good for approx. 310 shots
Weight including battery and memory, 15.7 oz (445 g)

Pedestrians at Burrard and Dunsmuir in downtown Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR. — Burrard Street, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR @ f/8

In Action

It could be an odd thing to start with, but I’m glad to see that you can recentre the autofocus point with a quick tap on the joystick. This feature has been absent on some Fujifilm cameras I have tested, and I found it very annoying.

When you carry your camera, you will inevitably move the joystick, which in turn moves the AF point. Then, when you put the camera to your eye, the delay in getting the AF point centered will delay you from being ready for your next frame. Nuff said on this topic.

The shutter sound of the X-E5 is very pleasing to me and almost identical to that of my X-Pro2, only slightly more dampened.

Some readers may say, "What is he going on about?" but the shutter sound is still significant to me, as I'm more old-school, with a long history of using film cameras. I would go so far as to say I have avoided specific cameras, such as the Nikon Z8 and Panasonic Lumix S9, because they use electronic shutters only.

On the front of the Camera, you now have a rocker switch that, by default, enables a digital zoom or an aspect ratio. It works if you shoot JPEGs.

This seems to be a trend with cameras I’ve tested in the last year, such as the Leica Q3 or GFX100RF, and with high-megapixel sensors, it makes sense as a handy feature and can help you compose images with tighter crops in different aspect ratios.

As a RAW shooter, this function is less important to me. I would rather crop or adjust the aspect ratio in post, and the good news is, I can use these custom function buttons/switches for other features that may be more important to me.

A woman walks her dog along English Bay in Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R — English Bay, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 35mm f/1.4 R @ f/2.8

Image Quality

With the same top-of-the-line 40.1-Megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor as we have in the X-H2, X-T5, X-T50, and X100VI, we should be happy with the image quality, but hear me out. I am slightly torn regarding this sensor.

At times, it feels as if too many pixels have been squeezed into a sensor not big enough to handle them. This will, of course, depend entirely on how you use your camera gear. If you are a wildlife photographer, you cannot have enough reach or enough pixels, which can save the day when you crop your images.

If you are a landscape photographer who favors big prints, having the detail matters. Even if you mainly view your images on a large monitor, you may favor having more pixels to enhance the experience.

I mainly view my images on a 16-inch MacBook Pro or my iPhone Pro Max. I make photo books and do print from time to time, but rarely larger than 11” X 14”. For these use cases, the 40-megapixel feels like overkill, and at times I find the files look a tad mushy.

Fujifilm X-E5 film simulation dial — The new film simulation dial on the Fujifilm X-E5

Lately, I have been using my X-Pro1 more and more, and I am still floored by the quality of the files it produces from its 16-megapixel sensor. Mind you, I often shoot mid-range topics where the X-Pro1 shines, rarely more demanding landscape scenes, and never wildlife.

Another issue I have with the X-E5 files is that they may look mushy when editing in Lightroom, but then look okay when you upload your exported JPEGs to your site or view them in Photoshop. Maybe I need to check my Lightroom settings, which are otherwise fine with other cameras.

Some of the issues may just be reviewer niggles, but I found them important to point out. In the end, and in many scenarios, I am also quite pleased with the X-E5's output.

Fujifilm X-E5, and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2 Aspherical

One last thing I want to point out regarding image quality is which lenses you use. While highly regarded, the XF 35mm f/1.4 R and XF 14mm f/2.8 R I used in this review may be getting a bit long in the tooth compared to stellar new options such as the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR, XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR, and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR lenses.

What I’m trying to say is: Using a high-megapixel sensor also demands the right lenses, and to see the true potential, it often pays to use the best possible lens/sensor combination.

I will have more on the XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR in an upcoming review.

Please click the sample images to view them at up to 2500 pixels, depending on your monitor size. You can also pinch-to-zoom on a mobile phone.

Vegetable store in Chinatown, Vancouver. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R. — Chinatown, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 35mm f/1.4 R @ f/2

Fujifilm X-E5 versus X100VI

The choice between the Fujifilm X-E5 and X100VI should be pretty straightforward. Do you want the ability to change lenses, or are you okay with a fixed lens? It is easy to be lured in by the hype surrounding the X100VI, and in many ways it’s a pretty cool camera, but you will be stuck with just one lens —the 23mm f/2 II.

Many have dubbed the X-E5 an X100VI, which lets you change lenses, but there is more to it. The two cameras are actually quite different, although they share the same sensor and are similar in size and design language.

The X100VI features a hybrid viewfinder and a higher-resolution EVF. It also features a virtually silent leaf shutter, enabling high-speed flash sync. I’ve used this with an earlier X100S, and it is pretty remarkable. It also has built ND filters.

Your decision between these two cameras will also depend on other factors. Is this your first Fujifilm camera, or do you already own other Fuji cameras and lenses?

If I were to choose between the X-E5 and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR combo or the X100VI as an isolated case, not considering the need for other lenses, I would pick the X100VI.

The f/2 max f-stop on the X100VI versus f/2.8 on the X-E5 will make a difference from time to time. The X100VI is also slightly more compact and an incredible all-in-one grab-and-go package.

But if you open up all choices, it is hard to ignore the X-E5, where you can use any lens, such as the excellent XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR, or go crazy with the new XF 500mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR, which I hope to review before long. The choices are virtually endless.

You can read my Fujifilm X100VI review here:

Fujifilm X100VI Review

Downtown Vancouver skyline reflections. Sample image from a Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R. — Downtown, Vancouver, Fujifilm X-E5, XF 35mm f/1.4 R @ f/2.8

Conclusion

What surprised me the most about the Fujifilm X-E5 was how easy it is to use and what a joy it brings. I have owned many Fujifilm cameras, which made the initial setup a breeze. I still have a few more customization options to explore.

The next thing was how well it is built. Perhaps I did not expect much, but maybe I should have, given the X-E5's higher price point compared to the X-E4.

In my initial paragraph, I asked a question. Is the X-E5 a mini X-Pro camera? I’d say it almost is, and more so than the X-E4 was. It’s not quite there, though, and probably for good reasons.

The X-Pro4 will likely arrive in 2026 and will also cost more than the X-Pro3 (like the X-E4 vs. X-E5). There will be features that differentiate the two cameras, such as a hybrid viewfinder, a better EVF, and premium build quality in a slightly larger body.

Hopefully, the X-Pro4 will accommodate the larger battery found in the X-T5 or GFX100RF and finally have IBIS.

Fujifilm X-E5, black, and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR

I have been somewhat lukewarm on the X-E5 sensor in this review, but I know many love it and the ability it gives you to crop your images when needed. If you use the best possible lenses, the sensor will deliver, but this may mean that some of your current lenses would benefit from an upgrade.

What I hope Fujifilm brings to the table with the X-Pro4 is the magic of past sensors. I think something has been lost in the chase for more megapixels. The megapixel race, unfortunately, is vital for marketing purposes but does not always equate to better photographs (depending on your needs, of course).

Overall, though, I think Fujifilm has hit a home run with the X-E5. While it has been reasonably hyped, it is nowhere near as hyped as the X100VI, but it deserves to be, if that makes sense.

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so, at no additional cost, by using the affiliate links below. A small commission goes to us and helps us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.

Check the current price at B&H Photo

Fujifilm X-E5 and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR - B&H Photo
Fujifilm X-E5 (body only) - B&H Photo

Thank you for being supportive.

Fujifilm X-E5 Sample Images

Below are sample photos from the Fujifilm X-E5, processed in Lightroom. I used Fujifilm film simulations, such as Nostalgic Neg., Velvia, Classic Neg., and Acros, for some of the images.

Please click to view larger images.