X-E5 x Alexandre Champagne
I’ve found the one.
You’ve probably felt that way a thousand times : You chase something you deeply want and you’re never able to catch it. You crave something you think you need more than anything else and you can’t find it and then, when you turn your attention elsewhere, it finally happens, you find the exact thing you were looking for, at the right moment.
That is exactly what happened with the Fujifilm X-E5. I dreamed for a compact body with interchangeable lenses that wouldn’t be bulky for so long and thought it would never be because of the megapixel war and the consumer desire to find cameras that feel more like a cellphone than a camera.
I feel this is something Fujifilm understood from the get-go while designing the camera: What people like and want. Low price point, light, versatile, playful and straight forward.
Put all those thoughts into the Fujifilm environment and you have yourself a very nice piece of gear that’ll outperform the best of cellphones and even the most capable full frame bodies out there.
Playful is one word I like to use when describing the X-E5 because I believe fun should be the number one argument for owning a camera. If you’re not pleased while operating the thing, why do it in the first place? Having the camera in my hand reminded me of why I started. A few clicks here and there brought endless smiles and wonderful souvenirs. I did not have to think, analyze or intellectualize anything, I was just in the moment.
I’ve always felt that light, small cameras, weren’t as fun to handle as those big bulky full frames that scare people as you click the shutter in public spaces because they sound like artillery. To my unending pleasure, I found more comfort than I expected in the newly built full aluminum body of the X-E5 and it’s delicious ergonomics. I believe it is witchcraft of some sort because it feels solid and light at the same time, while being easy to hold and maintain grip no matter how you’re holding it. I feel like a thumb holder will be an easily justifiable add-on but that is personal preference.
