Predicting the Fujifilm X-E5: What the past tells us about the future

Just a couple of weeks ago, Fujifilm announced the X-M5, the first new model in its entry-level X-M series in over a decade. The appearance of this long-dormant line sparked renewed interest in Fujifilm’s other compact X-series cameras, and we couldn’t help but wonder if a new X-E camera might be on the horizon.

At a recent event, we posed the question to a Fujifilm executive, asking whether X-E owners should be worried about the product line’s future. “We haven’t lost focus on any of our existing range,” we were told. We expect to see another X-E model, but what might we anticipate from an X-E5?

Over time, there’s been some drift in who the X-E series was aimed at as the company’s various product lines evolved, and to a degree, it seems like even Fujifilm is still trying to figure out precisely who the series is for. To see where it might be headed, let’s look back at previous X-E models to understand where it’s been and how it’s trending.

The X-E1: Where it all started

Announced: September 2012

MSRP: $999

Fujifilm’s X-E1 was only the second interchangeable lens camera in the X-series, following the flagship X-Pro1 that launched the X system a few months earlier. When launched, it was intended to broaden the X-series’ appeal and effectively became Fujifilm’s enthusiast-oriented camera body.

The X-E1 represented a more affordable option that mimicked the X-Pro1’s design philosophy and control layout. It used the same 16MP sensor and image processor, ensuring it could deliver photo quality on par with the more premium X-Pro.

It didn’t include the X-Pro1’s hybrid optical viewfinder, opting instead for a 2.36M-dot OLED EVF – impressive for 2012. However, it added a pop-up flash, which the X-Pro1 lacked.

It became a popular choice for those who wanted Fujifilm’s retro styling and manual controls at a more approachable price point. Some users even thought of it as an X100 with interchangeable lenses since the two series followed very similar design cues.

The X-E2: Still the enthusiast’s camera

Announced: October 2013

MSRP: $999

When the X-E2 arrived just 13 months after the X-E1, it reinforced the X-E series’ position as Fujifilm’s enthusiast camera, with X-Pro continuing to occupy the premium bracket and the recently announced X-A1 and X-M1 slotting in at more entry-level positions.

The X-E2 brought relatively few changes in design, many of which were internal improvements in response to user feedback, including face detection autofocus and autoexposure, along with configurable Auto ISO, including maximum and minimum ISO and minimum shutter speed.

Its hardware was nearly identical to the X-E1’s; the Q button was relocated to prevent accidental presses, and separate AE-L and AF-L buttons replaced the X-E1’s combined button, allowing for more customization by advanced users. It was also Fujifilm’s first interchangeable lens camera to offer its ‘Lens Modulation Optimizer’, which used lens correction profiles with variable sharpening to try to compensate for diffraction.

The X-E2s: Change is in the air

Announced: January 2016

MSRP: $699

Something important happened between the X-E2 and X-E2s: in January 2014, just three months after the launch of the X-E2, Fujifilm announced the X-T1, another model aimed at enthusiast photographers. Feature-wise, the X-E2 and X-T1 were very similar, leaving two models vying to be the enthusiast favorite, with the main difference being the camera’s shape.

Although the X-T1 arrived with a higher body-only cost of $1299, it proved wildly popular and almost certainly outsold the X-E2. With two models aimed at what was essentially the same audience, it seems likely that Fujifilm went back to the drawing board to reassess the future of the X-E line.

The result was an X-E2s that was essentially a mid-life refresh of an existing model, being all but identical to the X-E2 with the newest firmware installed. It also bought the company time to work out how the X-E and X-T lines should evolve relative to one another.

The X-E2 launched with a substantial $300 price cut. While X-E2s buyers surely appreciated the lower cost, this decision was probably driven, at least in part, by not wanting to tick off distributors who still had the original X-E2 on store shelves rather than signaling a price recalibration.

The X-E3: Finding a new identity

Announced: September 2017

MSRP: $900

The X-E3 was the most significant reimagining of the X-E series’ basic design to date and reflects Fujifilm’s efforts to differentiate it from the X-T series. How do you do that? Make it smaller, remove a few hardware controls, simplify the camera, and lower the price. Oh, and make it a little sexier in the process.

The upshot is that the X-E3 arrived with a more modern, streamlined look. It shrunk a bit, losing 8mm in width, lost the four-way controller on the back in favor of a joystick and gained a large 3″ touchscreen, which allowed users to use finger swipes as a proxy for hardware controls previously found on the four-way controller. Notably, it lost the built-in flash found on all previous X-E models.

The result was still an enthusiast-friendly camera but one that got a little more compact, a bit more sleek, and had a simplified layout with fewer control points to differentiate it from the X-T series. It also saw a $100 price drop compared to the X-E1 and X-E2, further distancing it on price as well.

The X-E4: Settling into a niche

Announced: January 2021

MSRP: $850

The X-E4 continued the series’ trend toward a modern-looking design, with more straight edges, flat surfaces and simplified controls. The body became so streamlined that it had neither a grip on the front nor a thumb rest on the back. Another casualty was the ‘M-C-S’ (‘Manual,’ ‘Continuous’ and ‘Single’) focus mode control on the front of the camera, which provided a quick way to adjust AF settings. (Fujifilm sold an optional grip for those who wanted one.)

Most importantly, the rear command dial found on previous models was omitted, effectively making the X-E4 a single-dial camera, taking it still further from its enthusiast roots. Fujifilm also dropped the price of the X-E4 down to $850.

The camera did gain some enthusiast-friendly features: the 3″ touchscreen became a tilting touchscreen, providing a lot more flexibility when using the camera, and upgraded video specs brought DCI 4K video without a crop, including F-Log gamma.

However, signals abounded that the X-E4’s role had shifted further relative to the X-T4, its contemporary at launch.

In addition to losing a command dial, it had a lower resolution viewfinder, continued to rely on a single UHS-I card slot instead of the dual UHS-II slots on the X-T4, and it couldn’t match the X-T4’s ability to capture 4K/60p or 10-bit video despite having the same sensor/processor combination.

In effect, the X-E4 had been shunted downmarket; the X-T line offered everything-including-the-kitchen-sink controls, while the X-E series was distilled into a smaller, simplified camera with enthusiast-oriented features. It still served a broadly similar audience but more likely as a small, convenient secondary camera or a camera for travel rather than the main workhorse.

What might this tell us about a future X-E5?

Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line. The design became more sleek and distinct without becoming as plasticky or simplistic as the X-A or X-M series or morphing into an entry-level model. It’s still a camera for serious photographers, but photographers who want something smaller or possibly more fashionable.

So, what might we expect from a future X-E camera? We think there’s room for an X-E5 that doesn’t tread on the X-T5’s toes but doesn’t need to appeal to entry-level users to be successful, either.

“Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line.”

We expect an X-E5 will likely be an X-E4 but with Fujiflm’s flagship 40MP sensor. Since Fujifilm has developed a small image stabilization unit for the X100VI, we hope to see that as well. However, we doubt if an X-E5 will get the fancy two-way tilt screen found on the X-T5, given the emphasis on size and cost, and we don’t anticipate seeing a film simulation dial since those have generally appeared on Fujifilm’s more beginner-friendly models.

However, we hope to see the X-E series regain some of its enthusiast street cred. We’re not expecting it, but we’d like to see the return of the second command dial, at least, which makes the camera much more enjoyable to use.

The X factor could be price. Several years of inflation have driven up prices across the industry, and a new X-E will almost certainly come in a fair bit higher than the X-E4’s $850 launch price. Based on the X-M5 and X-T50 prices, we anticipate it will fall somewhere in the $1300 range, though we’re happy to be proven wrong on that.

Let us know what you would like to see in a future X-E5 in the comments.

creditSource link