In mid October, Fujifilm announced several new products: two new XF lenses and a new X-system body (note the relative sizes above are not to scale!) and we are taking pre-orders for them now. In addition, during their presentation, they apparently made some comments about how they are aware that some of their newer cameras could use an update to make autofocus more reliable, and indeed it seems their latest body, the X-M5, has seen some noticeable improvements. So there is hope for those with an X-T50 / X-T5 / X-H2 / X-H2S who feel that AF performance may be a bit lacking. I expect that some of those improvements may also be applied to the GFX 100S II and GFX 100 II. Also, at the end of the presentation, there was a teaser about two more cameras being announced later next year, but there was no hint about what they were, whether X-system, GFX system or something entirely new. In any case, here is the rundown of the announced products, starting with the new camera first (all photos in this posting were supplied by Fujifilm)…
Fujifilm X-M5 Body (now shipping Nov. 21st at $1,080)
The new X-M5 is intended as a “content creator’s” camera, so relatively inexpensive with excellent video capabilities, a fully articulated LCD and in this case, without an electronic viewfinder. The lack of EVF would be a deal-breaker for me personally, but so many people these days are comfortable shooting with their smartphone at arm’s length, that they likely wouldn’t even notice the omission. The X-M5 has the latest processors and AF algorithms, and initial testing seems to indicate that it is the best autofocusing Fujifilm body to date. As mentioned, previous models will also be getting an AF update later this year, so they should eventually be on par. The sensor is last-gen however, the 26MP X-Trans CMOS 4, and notably the camera does not include IBIS (in-body-image-stabilization), so some sacrifices had to be made to hit a price point. There are, however, plenty of lenses with image stabilization, so choose your glass wisely! As for being “only” 26MP, well in my view that is not at all a concern as I have plenty of sample 24″x36″ prints here from both 24MP and even 16MP Fujifilm bodies, and they all look great. That said, if you do want the highest resolution, you’d want to look to the 40MP models like the X-T50, X-T5 and X-H2 and they all have IBIS as well.
As with the previously announced X-T50, Fujifilm has added a mode dial for direct and easy access to Fujifilm’s wonderfully creative Film Simulation settings, popular with videographers and still photographers who prefer shooting jpeg instead of raw. The X-M5 will also take Fujifilm’s cooling fan accessory that works with other higher end models, to enable longer recording times and minimize heat buildup. During high resolution and/or high bit-depth video recording, a small camera body like the X-M5 can have trouble dissipating heat quickly enough and will limit your recording times, especially in warmer environments.
For full information, you can check the following link for the Fujifilm X-M5. The camera will initially only be available in silver, with an all black model following at a later date. The body is $1,080 and a kit with the XC 15-45mm OIS kit zoom is only $1,200. Despite being a very inexpensive lens, the XC 15-45mm is actually quite decent optically, so for the slight price difference, I’d definitely suggest the kit option. Note that the body-only will be special order initially, unless we see more interest in that than the kit…
Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R WR II (shipping Dec. 12th at $1,620)
Next up is a replacement for Fujifilm’s professional mid-range zoom, the new Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8R LM WR II, which will ship in mid December at $1,620, only $20 more than its predecessor. The new lens is very noticeably smaller and lighter than the original (see comparison image above) and is said to be sharper, faster focusing and generally an improvement on the original. I have held a preproduction version in my hand and while I didn’t have a chance to shoot with it, so cannot vouch for the stated improvements, it was indeed amazingly compact and lightweight. I was very impressed with its size reduction! Rest assured that as soon as I get a chance to actually shot with one, I will be posting a review on our blog. I’ve kind of been wanting a mid-range zoom for my own system, ever since selling my last XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4, and now there are two good options, the super light XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 (which seems amazingly good optically – review to come as well) and this new XF 16-55mm f/2.8. Which one will I get, or will I simply upgrade my XF 35mm f/1.4 for the new XF 33mm f/1.4 and stick with primes…?
Fujinon XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR (shipping Dec. 12th at $4,050)
Lastly, we have a new 500mm super-telephoto lens! The Fujinon XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR is also amazingly compact and light for a 500mm telephoto prime. It is based on the GF 500mm, and our experience with that lens tells us that one can easily handhold it for extended periods. You can see above how compact this lens actually is! You can remove the tripod collar as well, if your main mode of use is handheld shooting. Our rental manager Jason is an avid wildlife photographer and he will surely be eager to test the new XF 500mm himself, so we will likely see a review from him sometime in the future, once he gets his hands on one! It is low on my own personal priority list as I do not often shoot subjects requiring that sort of focal length, however eventually I’m hoping to add one of these to my own kit as well…
