The popularity of the Fujifilm X100VI has bled over into the company’s compact mirrorless cameras, making the more affordable models difficult to find in stock. But one of the brand’s most affordable compact mirrorless cameras, the Fujifilm X-E4, carries the red discontinued flag from the company’s website. That leaves surprisingly few mirrorless options that carry the rangefinder-inspired design of the X100 series – and I think photographers are more than ready for a Fujifilm X-E5.
The Fujifilm X-E4 is the mirrorless camera that’s arguably the most similar to the popular Fujifilm X100VI fixed-lens compact camera. The X-E4 has a compact design, retro dials, and the left-side viewfinder inspired by rangefinder cameras. While the X100 series is a compact fixed lens camera and the X-E4 an interchangeable mirrorless camera, pop on a pancake lens like the 27mm f/2.8 R WR or the TT Artisans 27mm f/2.8 and you basically have a compact camera.
The problem? The Fujifilm X-E4 was introduced in 2021 and, now that it has been discontinued for more than a year, it’s nearly impossible to find for photographers looking for an X100VI alternative. The only choice for the X-E4 is finding a used model, and thanks to the discontinuation and the popularity of the X100VI, used models are selling for a few hundred dollars more than the camera’s brand new list price.
The other issue is that the X-E4 has Fujifilm’s old sensor and processor. Now, I actually don’t think that’s a big problem, since I use the X-T4 with a previous generation sensor and processor. But it could be a problem for photographers that want a true X100VI alternative, as the compact camera has a far higher resolution.
Will we even see a new Fujifilm X-E5? With the way that Fujifilm’s compact and budget mirrorless cameras are selling, I think it would be a terrible idea for Fujifilm to discontinue the series entirely. And, with the predecessor discontinued, I’m hoping that we’ll see a new Fujifilm X-E5 before the end of the year.
The rumors, however, are mixed on whether or not a new X-E5 is coming at all. After all, the X-E4 was discontinued at the end of 2023, and we still haven't seen a successor. The newly launched Fujifilm X-M5 could be the sole budget body for the Fujifilm X line. The biggest issue with the X-M5 however, is that it eliminates the viewfinder entirely, making the X-E4 a truer mirrorless alternative to the X100 series. (It also has the lower resolution 26.1MP sensor.)
I sincerely hope Fujifilm has an X-E5 under development. In the meantime, the X-S20, X-M5, or the X-50 will have to do for photographers looking for a retro Fujifilm mirrorless without dropping a lot of cash.
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