Fujifilm X-M5: new affordable APS-C camera to launch in 2024 with controversial film simulation dial

The Fujifilm X-M5 has shown itself in a handful of rumours that suggested that the compact APS-C camera would launch as an affordable alternative to the X100VI sometime in late 2024. Now, a new rumour out of Fujirumors reveals Fujifilm's film simulation dial will also be present on the X-M5, positioning it as a more beginner-friendly camera than its fixed-focal-length stablemate.

Fujifilm's film simulation dial made its debut on the recently announced Fujifilm X-T50(curr. $1,399.95 at Best Buy), which would traditionally fall squarely in the sub-$1,000 camera category but instead launched at $1,499.99. While the X-M5 looks like it will be targeting the same market with the film simulation dial, it should launch at a lower price if previous rumors of an absent EVF are true.

The purported last-gen sensor from the Fujifilm X-S20(curr. $1,399.95 from Best Buy with a kit lens) is also said to be making a return in the X-M5 alongside the established X Processor 5 and the same 5-axis IBIS as the X-S20, to boot. This hardware setup suggests that the X-M5 could even come in at slightly less than the X-S20, since all the other hardware should be identical, with the battery perhaps being an exception.

Along with news of the X-M5, Fujirumors also seemingly reiterated the existence of a Fujifilm X-E5which, given former X-E series cameras, would be closer to the X100VI in the looks and ergonomics department. An X-E5 would likely feature an EVF similar to the one in the lower-end X-S20, alongside similar hardware throughout the rest of the camera. While this will make it a very capable interchangeable-lens rangefinder-style camera, it may also increase the price, significantly diminishing its appeal to entry-level photographers.