Fujifilm’s new entry-level X-M5 camera fits your pocket

Mirrorless cameras can be very expensive for photo enthusiasts, but Fujifilm’s new entry-level X-M5 may be the solution.

At only 355g, and costing about R16 000, the X-M5 is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or handbag, but so are mobile phones with great cameras and even those come with a hefty price tag.

With almost everyone making videos and calling themselves creators, the camera’s videography features should appeal to vloggers, videographers and social media content creators.

The challenge with any entry-level camera is balancing the number of features sacrificed while still having a usable and useful camera.

Vlogging

A new Short Movie mode on the camera allows users to easily shoot vertical 9:16 videos popular on various social media, and then smoothly share the captured content to a smartphone for editing or posting. 

This is likely to appeal to creators who want to go beyond the mobile phone camera.

There is also Vlog mode which gives vloggers and creators the ability to change shooting conditions intuitively by simply touching the LCD screen at the back.

The X-M5 can record 6.2K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit video, while also supporting extensive video functions including 4K/60P and 1080/240P.

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Competition

New bit rates of 8Mbps and 25Mbps have been added, which shortens the transfer time to external devices such as smartphones and contributes to shortening the time required to upload captured video to social media.

However, there is no electronic viewfinder (EVF) and this could be a dealbreaker for some.

While the X-M5 looks good on paper and is currently the most affordable X-series model, it does have some serious competition from the Sony ZV-E10, Nikon Z30, Canon R50 and Panasonic S9 among others and is priced from R16 000.

Pricing

The Fujifilm X-M5 is set to arrive in South Africa at the start of November, with a suggested retail price of R16 000

There are also two news lenses emerging from the Fujifilm stables, with the first of particular interest to wildlife and bird photographers in South Africa.

The Fujinon XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR and  XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens will reach local shores later in November, retailing for a suggested R64 000 and R22 000.

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