CheckMag | Missing Fujifilm X-M5 features could be the compact camera's biggest strength

Fujifilm's next camera appears to be the X-M5, a small, affordable APS-C camera with capable hardware and impressive video and photography chops that should launch at the October 14 X Summit in Tokyo. 

While the leaked X-M5 spec list looks like it was basically ripped verbatim from the X-S20, which is a very capable hobbyist camera, the missing EVF and in-body image stabilisation — two key features — have caused something of a stir in the Fuji community. One comment on a Fuji Rumors post about the X-M5 reads: 

"I'm convinced the next camera I'll buy should 100% have IBIS. The difference is abysmal for cropped sensors at night."

The rest of the comments aren't particularly positive about the lack of IBIS, either, but the implications of a compact camera with no EVF, a plastic construction, and no IBIS are worth considering. Likely the most important considerations for most photographers considering something like the X-M5 are size and cost, and removing those features could realistically bring the price of the new camera down substantially.

The Fujifilm X-S20 already only costs $1,299 at Best Buy and the like, and it allegedly has the same sensor as the X-M5 will have, along with IBIS and a middle-of-the-road EVF. Removing some of the complexity from the X-S20 with the X-M5 would likely bring the cost and size down substantially. It also reduces the power requirements, meaning the X-M5 could get by on a smaller — and cheaper — battery and still have decent battery life.

Currently, the entry-level Fujifilm X-T30 II is the only modern APS-C camera Fujifilm sells without IBIS, and that camera generally sells at $999.99 or less, although it is often out of stock, despite still being in production. Fujifilm has thus far continued to produce the X-T30 II, despite the X-T50 technically replacing it, although at a much higher price. Fujifilm clearly realises that there is demand for a compact APS-C camera with a more basic feature set and a lower price, and that is likely what it hopes to achieve with the X-M5. 

The inclusion of the film simulation dial on the X-M5 also supports the idea that this will be Fujifilm's new de facto entry-level camera. This is doubly true since film simulations have taken off on social media, especially with younger smartphone users looking for a bit of nostalgia. It also wouldn't be surprising to see the X-T30 II finally be discontinued after the X-M5 launch. 

Ultimately, a cheaper X-M5, even if that means a stripped-back feature set, would likely be a positive force for the compact camera space, which continues to languish under the growing threat of smartphone photography.