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I May Have Found the Best Travel Camera

G.F.A.L.O.E.

CNET’s key takeaways

While most people don’t need a special camera for travel — their phone will work just fine — those of us into photography as a hobby are always on the lookout for cool new gear. To be fair, buying new camera gear could arguably be a separate hobby. There’s something compelling, almost romantic, about a compact, highly capable camera that can easily go anywhere and capture amazing images. The Fujifilm X-E5 is definitely that. It’s so flexible that it might be one of the best options for a travel camera.

Inside is a 40.2-megapixel APS-C sensor with five-axis image stabilization. The retro-stylish body has a variety of manual dials, including overall exposure and shutter speed. The 3-inch screen tilts out from the body to aid in hip-level and above-head shooting. Any X mount lens will work, including a new 23mm f2.8 pancake. But, perhaps best of all, it has fast access to Fuji’s famous and surprisingly fun film simulations.

My experience with the Fujifilm X-E5

The easiest way I can sum up the X-E5 is that it’s the innards of the X100VI with a slightly different body. That body adds the ability to swap in any X mount lens, and adds a great film simulation dial for faster access to a specific aesthetic.

I’m going to be referring to the X100VI a lot because, like an absolute lunatic, while reviewing one for my point-and-shoot camera guide, I bought one. I already have a camera. Several cameras, in fact, and I fell in love with the X100VI so much that I bought one immediately. Given how often it’s sold out and unavailable, it seems I’m not the only person so enamored.

So the majority of using the X-E5 was immediately familiar. From the 40.2-megapixel sensor, to the mechanical stabilization, to the clicky dials, flippy screen and highly adjustable interface: It’s all extremely close or exactly the same as the X100VI. All it’s lacking is the clever optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder. The X-E5 just has an electronic one, though from some rumors I’ve read, the hybrid viewfinder is one of the reasons Fujifilm can’t make the X100VI fast enough, so maybe this is a good thing for availability. There’s no integrated neutral density filter either, though that’s easy enough to add to whatever lenses you buy.

One of the most noticeable differences is right on top, an additional dial to the left of the camera’s hot shoe and the exposure and shutter speed dials. This one lets you click through 10 of the built-in film simulations. If you’re not familiar, Fuji’s film simulations are one of the main things that separates them from other camera companies. These are generally more than a simple filter you «slap on» before posting to Instagram. It changes a variety of image aspects, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly, to alter the overall aesthetic of the image.

Could you mimic these in Lightroom or Photoshop? Mostly yes, but that’s the point: You don’t have to. Getting the colors you want, the look you want, direct out of the camera is a massive time saver. Especially if you’re one to shoot and immediately share your photos. This absence of editing is one of the main reasons I bought the X100VI. I have hundreds of photos scattered across dozens of hard drives that I’ve never done anything with because I want them to look perfect, and editing takes time. I can get a result direct from the X100VI that I really like, and I can post it immediately.

Even better, you’re not limited to the 20 simulations Fuji includes with the camera. There’s an entire community dedicated to creating and sharing film simulation recipes. Some of the ones I use most were from this community. On my X100VI, it takes a few button presses to find and select the right recipe. Having a dial on the top to quickly scroll through them is fantastic. I wish my camera had that. You can even program other recipes to positions on the dial.

Fujifilm sent two lenses with my X-E5 review sample. One was the XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II. This lightweight lens seems like a good day-to-day option. It’s reasonably compact for a zoom. I didn’t end up using it much due to the other lens they sent: The huge, almost comically oversized on the X-E5 body, XF50mmF1.0 R WR. Sure, it looked ridiculous on the tiny X-E5 body, but wow, what a lens. Razor-sharp focus with incredibly narrow depth of field, gorgeous bokeh, and it lets in so much light that I was able to take photos of the Big Dipper hand-held with just the X-E5’s image stabilization offering assistance.

Announced at the same time as the X-E5 was an equally compact lens. The new XF23mm F2.8 R WR looks like a great companion. It’s a slightly wide (35mm equivalent) pancake-style lens that should make the X-E5 a great walking-around camera. But Fujifilm didn’t have one available for me to test, but looking at the specs, it seems it would make the X-E5 roughly the same size as my X100VI with a filter on the front. Which is to say, not exactly pocket-friendly, but easily handheld.

The specs

CNET’s buying advice

The X100VI is TikTok’s darling, and it took me all of a day of testing to buy one myself. I adore it. I’ve had it for months now, including on multiple trips, and every time I use it, I get several photos that I love. More than that, it’s just fun. The X-E5 takes most of the fun aspects of the X100VI and adds the greater usability of interchangeable lenses. That seems like a straight-up upgrade, for the most part.

Should you get one? Well, let me speak from my perspective. If I were choosing between the X100VI or X-E5 right now, I’d personally still get the X100VI specifically because it’s not an interchangeable lens camera. I have a big, full-frame Canon, and one of the main reasons I bought the X100VI was to simplify my photo taking. To rid myself of a bulky camera and lenses when I don’t absolutely need that level of gear. I have that flexibility, however. I already have a camera with interchangeable lenses.

If someone didn’t have an interchangeable lens camera and was deciding between these two, then the X-E5 is absolutely the choice. I love the creative freedom different lenses offer. I mean, I wish there were an affordable Canon equivalent to Fuji’s 50mm f1 lens (Canon’s version is $3,000 used). Some of the negative reviews I’ve seen online about the X100VI often come from people not familiar with the limitations of a fixed-lens camera. If you’re not sure why that would make a difference, the X100VI might not be for you.

The X-E5 is great for travel or really any situation where you want an easy-to-carry camera that lets you take gorgeous, creative photos with minimal editing. Pair it with that 23mm pancake I mentioned earlier, and you’ll be able to get epic photos on any adventure. The list price for just the body is $1,699, but for $200 more, you can get a kit with the 23mm.

In addition to covering cameras and display tech, Geoff does photo essays about cool museums and other stuff, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, 10,000-mile road trips.

Also, check out Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

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