To say the Fujifilm X100VI compact camera was a hit when it launched in early 2024 would be an understatement. It attracted the biggest preorder numbers for a camera in my lifetime, with demand still strong today.
And it’s for this reason that I think the new Fujifilm X-E5 could, or perhaps should, be a hit too.
Arriving more than a year after the X100VI compact camera – that’s four years since the X-E4 – the new X-E5 has pretty much the same exterior and internals as the X100VI; the major difference is that it’s a mirrorless camera, meaning you can swap lenses, whereas the X100VI uses a fixed 23mm f/2 lens.
The X-E5 is a more versatile camera in theory, even if in reality its compact rangefinder design works best with a small lenses for reportage, travel and street photography – and even if Fujifilm’s most compact lens is the one that’s fixed to the X100VI.
Thankfully, Fujifilm has unveiled its lightest lens yet alongside the X-E5: a tiny XF 23mm f/2.8 pancake lens ,which weighs just 90g. Put that pairing next to the X100VI, and there’s not much to choose between the two, as you can see in the image above.
The Fujifilm X-E5 and X100VI are remarkably similar cameras on the whole, with similar price tags to boot (besides for shoppers in the tariff-hit US): the X100VI is priced at $1,599 / £1,599, while the X-E5 and new 23mm f/2.8 kit cost $1,899 / £1,549 (Australia pricing TBC). So which one is best? Let’s take a look at the key differences.
1. The internals
- 40MP APS-C sensor with in-body image stabilization
- 6K video recording
- X-Processor 5 and subject-detect autofocus
Under the hood, there’s essentially nothing to choose between the X-E5 and X100VI – they have pretty much the same image-making capabilities and processing power.
Core features include 40MP stills, a 2x digital crop and in-body image stabilization (the X-E5’s is rated slightly better, up to seven stops in the center).
Both cameras also offer video recording up to 6K 30p, although video is buried in the drive mode menu, which means both cameras are primarily designed for photography. If you shoot video regularly, you might want to look elsewhere.
The current X-Processor 5 engine features again, powering a number of subject-detection autofocus modes. What’s new in the X-E5, though, is not just size-altering for autofocus zones, but shape altering – the shape can be changed from square to rectangular. Both cameras offer extremely precise spot AF.
2. Lenses
- Fujifilm X-E5: Fujifilm’s X-mount, with a wide lens choice, including the new 23mm f/2.8
- Fujifilm X100VI: fixed 23mm f/2 lens
On the face of it, the Fujifilm X-E5 should be the clear winner between these two rangefinder-style cameras for lenses, because it uses Fujifilm’s X-mount and so is compatible with a wide range of high-quality optics, whereas the X100VI compact relies on its fixed 23mm f/2 lens. However, it’s hardly a slam dunk.
I’ve held the X100VI, and the X-E5 with the new XF 23mm f/2.8 lens – Fujifilm’s latest and lightest lens, being similarly tiny to the XF 27mm f/2.8 lens – side by side, and the X100VI’s 23mm f/2 lens is smaller and its maximum aperture is one stop brighter.
I’ve used the X100VI a lot, and gravitate to its f/2 aperture, particularly to defocus backgrounds– you’d be surprised at the difference between f/2 and f/2.8.
With their compact rangefinder designs, these are both cameras that are best used with small lenses. I expect the majority of X-E5 buyers to go for the more cost-effective kit with the 23mm f/2.8 lens over the body-only option, and I also expect most users to keep that lens on the X-E5 most of the time.
Which begs the question – why not just go for the more versatile of the two 23mm lenses, the f/2 one on the X100VI?
For many, I think simply having the option to use another lens is enough of a pull to opt for the X-E5 over the X100VI. Sure, it might just be for five percent of your shots, but that’s still enough, especially if it will be your only camera.
And it makes the X100VI lens aperture argument a moot point – the X-E5 can just as easily be paired with the (albeit bulkier and pricier) 23mm f/1.4 lens for travel photography.
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3. Viewfinder
- X-E5: 2.36m-dot EVF only
- X100VI: Hybrid viewfinder – optical VF and 2.36m-dot EVF
Another difference, hinted at on each camera’s exterior, is the type of viewfinder in play: the X-E5 utilizes a 0.39-inch 2.36m-dot electronic viewfinder, while the X100VI features a hybrid viewfinder, meaning you get both electronic and optical displays.
The X100VI’s electronic viewfinder is essentially the same as the one on the X-E5, but the optical display is unique, and is in the retro spirit of the camera’s rangefinder design. Having spoken with many other seasoned camera reviewers, I’m in the minority who actually use the optical display more often than the electronic one.
For travel and street photography, I like how I can see outside the frame of my image composition when using the optical display – it makes timing a shot of a passerby all the easier, as you can see them before they enter the frame.
That said, the optical display is physically pronounced, which makes the X100VI feel less streamlined than the X-E5.
The X100VI has a front lever for switching between the electronic and optical displays. The X-E5 also has a front switch, but for a different purpose: a GFX100RF-style digital crop and aspect ratio selector, with various display options for the surrounding cropped-out area, including a border, greyed out, or simply magnified to your composition.
With a long pull of the switch a range of aspect-ratio crops from the sensor’s full 3:2 aspect appear – this is a function that’s directly offered through a dial on the GFX100RF, but which is somewhat buried here, though equally fun to experiment with.
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4. Design
- Fujifilm X-E5: refined controls, 1.04m-dot touchscreen, tilt up to 180 degrees
- Fujifilm X100VI: 1.84m-dot touchscreen with 100 degrees of tilt, built-in LED flash
Naturally, Fujifilm has tinkered with some fresh ideas for a refined design in its latest model, the X-E5. It also feels more premium than the X100VI (and X-E4) – it’s much like a mini version of the high-end GFX100RF medium-format compact.
The shutter speed dial is set further towards the back of the top plate and with a slight overhang, which makes it easier to adjust with your right thumb than the dial set in the middle of the top plate in the X100VI. The top plate of the X-E5 feels the part, with cleaner lines, too.
Its tilt touchscreen has a greater range of motion than the X100VI’s – you can pull it out from the body and flip it up 180 degrees for selfies, whereas the X100VI is limited to about 100 degrees of tilt. That said, the X-E5’s screen resolution is 1.04m dots, versus the 1.84m dots of the X100VI, which feels a little stingy given the asking price.
A mark in favor of the X100VI is that it features an LED flash, albeit a low-powered one, that’s handy for low-light and indoor portraits, whereas the X-E5 doesn’t have one. Both cameras feature a hotshoe for connecting optional flashguns.
5. Film simulations
- Fujifilm X-E5: new dial with stripped-back selection from the full 20 simulations plus custom modes
- Fujifilm X100VI: all 20 simulations, accessed in-camera
Needless to say, Fujifilm’s famed film simulations feature in both cameras, but on the X-E5 there’s a cute window on the top of the camera that displays which look you’re shooting with – that’s a new feature – and a dial for making your selection from the stripped-back choice of six most popular looks, plus three custom options. As you scroll through the options, they appear on the LCD screen too.
During my extended hands-on time with the X-E5 ahead of its launch, I created what are known among Fujifilm fans as film ‘recipes’ for each of those custom slots. For sunny Mediterranean weather, the monochrome Acros with red filter film simulation gave a high-contrast look bringing out the drama, with a few additional tweaks to contrast and so on. Another custom profile I went for was a variation on the Eterna cinema for a filmic look, this time tweaking grain and various other settings.
The X100VI has this same capability, but it doesn’t have a comparable direct control for film simulations, even if they are easy enough to find in-camera. It has the full selection of 20 film simulations, which takes longer to scroll through.
X-E5 vs X100VI: Which is better for you?
Do you already own X-mount lenses, or like the idea of being able to change lenses? If so, there’s a clear winner here – the X-E5. Its refined design and clean lines, plus easy access to film simulations, plus digital and aspect-ratio crops, all make for an overall slicker experience.
Personally, however, I’d still go for the X100VI. The compact rangefinder design suits small lenses, and the camera with its brighter 23mm f/2 lens is simply the better package of the two. I’ll caveat that as someone who already owns another interchangeable camera though, and if you’re totally new to the ‘proper’ camera game, the X-E5 probably has more staying power.
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