Fujifilm X-M5 Full Review: My New Favorite Everyday Camera

[@thehorologychannel]

Very informative and practical video, thank you!

[@adventureaheadphoto]

You’re welcome!

[@Lilly-t9e]

Thank you for the information that's really helpful, liked and subscribed

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the sub!

[@iamkubrick]

The XM5 is my first Fuji camera. I’m really enjoying it. The autofocus is fine, it’s on par with my S5iiX. The worst thing is the lack of IS. But there’s Fuji cameras that have IS so people can get those. I put the 27/2.8 on y M5 and it just goes into my pocket. I leave my phone at home. Love it.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@FreeRange4x4]

No way! I’m literally watching your Film Simulations tutorial video right now. I found myself wondering if you had another video on the XM-5, hopefully an in depth one, and then you uploaded this! Keep up the videos with detailed information and tips, I haven’t found that anywhere but here. Subbed.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks so much! Glad you’re finding it useful! If you have any requests for specific topics let me know!

[@FreeRange4x4]

@@adventureaheadphoto You're welcome. My request is that you keep up the detailed, humble, and honest videos like this one. Most of the big channels gloss over the realities and downsides of cameras (or overinflate them) so that way they get more opportunities from the manufacturer. It's blatantly obvious and yet like you said, it's quite effective. I'm very glad I found your channel. I may be getting a better camera in March, and the XM-5 is my top choice at the moment. Thanks!

[@adventureaheadphoto]

@@FreeRange4x4 I've got a long way to go before anyone is sending me cameras, that's for sure. I, too, hope that if I'm lucky enough to get that opportunity one day I haven't sold my honesty to achieve it. I'll do my best!

[@thehorologychannel]

What would be interesting is to also see comparison between X-T3 and X-M5. Same sensor, but years of technical development and new processor

[@adventureaheadphoto]

That’s actually a really good point. I might have to do that.

[@prabowodwi]

Because of some kind of drama, I will solve my Fujifilm video autofocus problem with switching to ZVE10II, but your video make me decide to stay on Fuji track. I will make Video with this camera. Autofocus XM5 is enough for me. Thanks for your video.

[@coleydotmp4]

You did a great job all around with this video. Liked and commenting for engagement - Good luck on your YT journey bro!

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks so much, that means a ton!

[@CSigler]

Another great video on this amazing camera Destin! Thank you for your hard work!

[@adventureaheadphoto]

You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@AltCine]

All very good points. I agree with all of them. Im willing to overlook them as the camera is great but yes...things could have been done a lot better.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Agreed! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment

[@henzordonez]

great review! Can you tell me the difference of xm5 vs xs20 in terms of ibis in video while handlheld? im torn between the two but i love the compactness of xm5.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Absolutely! The X-S20 has real IBIS that physically stabilizes the sensor, while the X-M5 only has electronic stabilization that relies on cropping the image. If handheld video is important to you then the X-S20 is the clear winner.

[@ghana1717]

Saw your post in the Facebook group. In love with your content! Keep up the good work.🔥🔥

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks for the kind words! It’s super motivating to get so much positive feedback!

[@nicopaar4974]

I just received it today!! But I’m really unsure on what lens to use, since there is no Ibis.. anyone got a recommendation?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

I think it depends on what you’ll be doing with the camera. If you’re going to be shooting handheld video then a zoom lens with OIS would almost be a requirement. I’ve been mainly using the 18mm 1.4, 33mm 1.4, and Sigma 56mm 1.4 on mine. None of them have OIS, but for my uses (photography and video from a tripod) it’s not really a requirement.

[@nicopaar4974]

@ thank you so much! Would you say, handheld photos without lens stabilisation are usable at all?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Photos are absolutely usable! I shooting weddings professionally and my primary camera for a long time was the X-T3, which I used in conjunction with prime lenses with no stabilization. IBIS for still photography is overrated - all it really lets you do is use slightly slower shutter speed without camera shake becoming a problem. It's important to remember that your shutter speed can also allow for motion blur to become a problem, so in my wedding work for example, I never go to slow enough shutter speeds to rely on IBIS anyway because doing so would result in motion blur when the people in my photos move.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

For a fun experiement I just reviewed my wedding portfolio on my website - not a single image there benefited from stabilization. On some of them the lens had OIS, but the shutter speed was high enough that it wasn't required to help make the image. www.adventureaheadphoto.com/wedding-portfolio/

[@nicopaar4974]

@@adventureaheadphoto wow, thank you so much for your time and inputful message!! I really appreciate. This really helped.

[@jdm0sk]

I don’t understand why all of the people reviewing this camera say “it’s. Great but not perfect” like what camera is perfect there’s no perfection when targeting different crowds.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

I think that it’s a nod to the fact that this camera is so good that it’s close to being perfect, at least for some use cases. It’s also, admittedly, a valid way to make the thumbnail/title/hook of a KZbin video seem more intriguing and therefore getting more people to click and watch for longer. It’s a way to hedge toward playing the analytics game on KZbin without using full on misleading clickbait like “This camera is trash because of this one fatal flaw” or something.

[@thehorologychannel]

Didn't really understand the value of transferring photos using X app. If there's something additional can you please explain. I own X-T3 for over a year and all this time I've been transferring both - jpegs (card slot 2) and raws (card slot 1) via cable to my POCO and Xiaomi Pad

[@adventureaheadphoto]

I tried doing that a few times with my X-T3 to my phone and could never get it to work. You had to set the USB connection up to appear as an external drive and then click/drag files over to do it on a computer, and my iPhone would never recognize it properly to do so. I’ve always tried to do the transfer wirelessly on my X-T3 and X-H2 and it’s always been horribly unreliable - on several occasions after 20 minutes of trying to connect I just gave up on it altogether and pulled out my laptop and card reader. With the new X-App functionality it’s just seamless. It takes me 2-3 seconds to make the connection and start transferring photos, and I love that it’s a native feature that just works the way it’s supposed to without any delay.

[@MyCreativeDisorder]

Video quality and autofocuss look good to me :) Thanks for the video!

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks for watching!

[@osmantarar]

Can we get sharp portraits and landscape photos in day light and night time with XM5 without stabilization? or Sony a6700 is good option instead?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

You can *absolutely* get sharp photos without stabilization. You’ll have to use a slightly higher shutter speed, but that’s rarely a problem on modern cameras. Remember that stabilization just allows you to use a slower shutter speed. If your subject is moving at all, this won’t help you because a slower shutter speed will induce motion blur. Stabilization isn’t all that important for still photography - people have been getting great photos without it for a long time. It’s much more important for video where it helps to provide smooth handheld footage.

[@osmantarar]

@adventureaheadphoto Thank you! for a detailed answer. Is the image quality and sharpness of XM5 equal to the Sony A6700?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

@@osmantarar they’re both modern cameras and should provide comparable image quality + sharpness. Up front: I have no experience with the Sony, but here is my take: My advice when choosing between brands is to consider the entire system - which one has lenses that appeal to you and suit your budget? In my opinion, Fuji has a more well rounded and complete selection of lenses optimized for an APS-C sensor, since their flagship x-series cameras use the same sensor size as their entry level ones. Fuji is always pretty widely accepted to have better color science, and some people really enjoy playing with the film simulations. Some of Fuji’s sub $1000 prime lenses are incredible values because even if you upgrade to an X-T5 or X-H2 eventually, those lenses still work on those cameras the way they’re intended to. The Sony system has more room to grow, but you’ll eventually need to step up to full frame to do so, which likely means replacing lots of your lenses along the way - and full frame G master glass gets expensive fast - some of the lenses I’d want are $2,500+ whereas my most expensive Fuji lens was around $1,000. Sony is definitely more on the cutting edge of technology with their sensors and autofocus systems, however, so if you want the absolute technically best cameras, they may be the best choice in that regard. I shoot Fuji because it’s a more budget friendly system that provides perfectly adequate results for my needs. I love the color science and the retro styling of their camera bodies. They just inspire me to get out and shoot more than other brands have in the past.

[@osmantarar]

@@adventureaheadphoto great opinion, thank you so much.

[@The-Master-of-None]

Thank you for this review. I agree with almost all of your points here. But i think those guys who complain about autofocus have valid reasons to complain. Fuji claims and also their affiliate vloggers claim that it is "topnotch" autofocus. Some claim that it is on par with Sony autofocus. But the truth is not. Fujifilm can do better than this. That's the only weakness of fuji cameras and they should hear these valid rants on the internet about their autofocus system or else they will lose the competition on the market when other camera brands keep on improving their system. But overall your video is great and very helpful!! 🔥

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks for the feedback! I definitely agree that the autofocus on this camera isn’t perfect, but I do think that the problems are being overblown. Neither the x-h2 nor the x-m5 have ever failed to perform how I needed them to unless there was significant user error involved, such as forgetting to turn on face/eye detect or similar. I’m not going to complain if Fuji improves it, but it’s already doing everything I ask of it, so I’m not overly concerned.

[@sanztos4595]

@@adventureaheadphoto In terms of autofocus, can Fujifilm compete with Canon and Sony?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

@sanztos4595 I don’t think so, like I said in the video - those brands are definitely better in terms of autofocus, but that has ALWAYS been the case. Fuji has never been the best brand at any technical aspect of photography, with the exception of maybe color science. If you want the technically best images and autofocus you should be shooting on a Sony, but to me they’re uninspiring and sterile feeling, and I hate the ergonomics of most Sony cameras. Fuji’s autofocus is perfectly adequate for 99% of the population. Anyone relying on autofocus for extremely fast action or long focus pulls in video shouldn’t be shooting Fuji anyway, and a whole host of reasons.

[@rickyross9073]

@@adventureaheadphoto i mean i think the autofocus is awesome, no problems here

[@The-Master-of-None]

@@adventureaheadphoto i agree that fuji autofocus is sufficient for travels and casual shooting. The problem with that is the advertisment and false narrative that other fuji vloggers say that the autofocus is exeptional or top notch as if it is on par with sony or other brands. I have both fuji and sony cameras. I hate the color science of sony and until now i dont like sony colors, but that is the usual rant for sony system because until now they cant fix it but you can use sony on professional work because you can fix the colors but you cant fix blurred images. And i still believe that fuji must have this constant pressure in them about the autofocus to improve their system more and not to bash the brand itself. Because fuji cameras are great!

[@sdencik1]

I agreed that there's too much drama surrounding Fujifilm's autofocus. Of course, I chose to ignore Clawn's drama.

[@ferryhmm]

No offense, but your audio is coming primarily from the left which is very irritating to listen to, especially on headphones. This seems to be the case for most of your videos actually. I suggest you fix this, because while your video quality is very good, audio issues like that makes a lot of people want to click off. I realize you put a lot of effort into your videos, but I would not be surprised if this negatively affects the performance of your videos significantly. This is just meant as constructive criticism.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Hey, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me about this issue. You're the first to mention it. I just tested it on both my phone and laptop speakers as well as with two different sets of headphones, and I can't see to replicate it. I'm not sure how it would be possible that the audio is panned off to one side, since I'm recording on a single lav mic in mono mode and not applying a pan of any type in post. Is it possible that this issue is on your end, since I can't seem to replicate it on mine and nobody else has complained about it? If there is in fact an issue I can fix, I absolutely want to do so, but I'm unable to replicate it.

[@ferryhmm]

@@adventureaheadphoto I already made sure to test on other videos, it's just yours which is panned for me. Just to be clear, it's not a complete pan to the left, there is still sound coming from the right, it's just that the left side is noticeably louder. However, if you're not able to replicate it, then this is indeed very odd. I will do some more testing on my side and come back to you.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

@ferryhmm thank you! I’m not an audio expert by any means so I could certainly be making a mistake on my end, but I’m not sure how something recorded in mono with no pan applied would end up panned to one side.

[@ferryhmm]

@@adventureaheadphoto Okay I just downloaded an mp3 of your video and imported it into audacity and just from a first glace at the two waveform of the audio channels I can see that the left audio channel is significantly louder. So this is most definitely not due to my hardware and most definitely not just on my side either. I can imagine, that if you truly don't pan the audio in post, maybe the audio is already recorded with a pan applied? Somewhere deep in some windows settings or something, I'm not sure. But there 100% is a slight pan, you should be able to see it in the waveform.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

@ thank you for taking the time to do that - I will look into it!

[@throughasinglelens3963]

I thought I was the only one that was annoyed by the lack of hot shoe cover. Also annoyed by the cheap rear cap on the kit lens.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Glad I’m not alone! Not deal breakers, but definitely annoying.

[@AltCine]

I was so shocked to see that rear cap🤣 taking budget and cost cutting to a whole new level.

[@colinhoward2200]

So to be clear, the X-S20 for not much more money has a relatively decent EVF, has IBIS, the same sensor and a way better battery. I have no idea what all this hype is about. It is also honestly not that much larger or heavier.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

$500 more is a 62% increase. That’s huge for most people. The size difference is also bigger than you’re letting on. The X-M5 doesn’t have to be for you. I literally started the video by saying that it isn’t for everyone. Me? I’d buy it over the X-S20 even if they were the exact same price. It’s the camera I’ve been waiting for.

[@colinhoward2200]

Just get the X-S20 instead - it fixes pretty much any negative about the X-M5. KZbinrs have been sucked into basically a stripped down X-M5, and the X-S20 has been around for over a year now., and not much larger. This includes the inbuilt ability to change film simulations on its left hand dial by default. Not sure why no one is mentioning this?

[@adventureaheadphoto]

The X-S20 seems like a great camera, but at $1299 it’s $500 more than the X-M5. If I’m spending $1299, I’m just going to pick up another X-H2 on the used market for about the same price. Beyond just the price though, the X-S20 is a “modern” body style, while the X-M5 is a retro looking body with rangefinder inspired styling. The X-M5 is nearly 3cm thinner front to back and 1.5cm narrower in width. It’s hard to describe just how tiny the X-M5 is - I’ve been carrying it in my hoody pocket with the 33mm 1.4 and forgetting that it’s there.. and that’s not even a really small lens. I chose the X-M5 over the X-S20 because: -It’s way better looking -It’s way smaller -I already have an X-H2 for professional work and wanted a different form factor with retro rangefinder inspired styling for everyday carry -It will spend much of its time on a tripod in my studio where the differences aren’t worth $500 anyway If this is going to be someone’s only camera to do it all, then yes, the X-S20 is better - but not everyone can afford that. It’s good to have so many great options to choose from - we’re living in a golden age of cameras.

[@colinhoward2200]

@@adventureaheadphoto Your choice I guess, and I suppose it depends on what yo what to take. For me, I have tried the X-H2 on rental and owned the X-T5. I am much happier with how my phots and videos look with my X-S20. I think (personally and from my usage), the drive to increase mega pixel size makes things worse for me. I seem to be getting better dynamic range in both photos and videos - this is physics - the larger pixels, more dynamic rage and less noise. Your experience or use case may be different of course. Happy shooting :D

[@colinhoward2200]

But I understand your point - if you do not want the EVF find or IBIS or good battery life. Then he X-M5 is great for you.

[@DavidFackrell1]

When did your order yours

[@adventureaheadphoto]

2-3 days after it was announced. It arrived with the first wave of pre-orders from B&H.

[@DavidFackrell1]

@ I ordered mine nov 11th hope I get it soon

[@robinlennon4752]

I don't think supply will be a serious issue so I don't see over-priced scalping being an issue. A rather plasticky mass produced Fuji body that offers a good feature set for the money, but suggesting a possible future culture classic is a step too far 😊.

[@adventureaheadphoto]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Time will tell!