Every journey is a dialogue with the world. I long to step into unfamiliar streets and lanes, meet different people, and use my lens to record those fleeting atmospheres and emotions. Those unexpected surprises always endow me with new energy and inspiration. When I first picked up the Fujifilm X-E5, I was immediately deeply attracted by its exquisite retro design—literary and classical, like an eternal muse of light, shadow, and art.
Just like the Fujifilm X-E5, it is not just a photography tool, but an intimate travel companion, carrying a retro soul while boasting top-notch modern imaging technology. It pays tribute to classics with a retro posture and captures the present with modern performance. This time, it will walk with me through the Apennine Peninsula, embarking on a Renaissance journey belonging to light and shadow.
Captivating appearance at first sight, lightweight and portable
If you yearn for a trendy camera that focuses on creation and has a strong personality, the X-E5 is definitely the best choice. It can not only meet the professional needs of professional photographers but also serves as a high-value "accessory" with a classic retro "rangefinder-like design". Whether held in the hand or hung on the chest, it can easily attract people's attention. The X-E5 weighs only 445g with the battery, and the total weight is 535g when paired with the newly released XF 23mm F/2.8 R WR pancake lens, achieving an excellent balance between appearance, portability, and practicality. In addition, it can change lenses at any time, easily expanding the boundaries of creation. I also often use the XF 33mm F/1.4 and XF 56mm F/1.2 lenses, which have excellent imaging quality and compact size, making them very suitable for match with the X-E5.
● Accurately restoring the on-site atmosphere
I love the on-site atmosphere in natural light. No matter the light conditions—overcast days, strong noon sunlight, sunset, or evening—the X-E5's performance is very satisfying, even stunning. It can accurately restore the real atmosphere of the moment, delicate and touching.
Overlooking the entire city of Verona from the mountain, with the Adige River and the Arcadia Bridge in front of me, the cloudy weather, the windy afternoon, and the sound of the turbulent river made me feel as if I had returned to the Middle Ages. To better show the the whole picture of the ancient city, I set the aperture to F4.5, and the focus accurately stayed on the person's eyes. The hair fluttered in the wind, blending history and the present, retro and modern in the same frame.
At noon by the seaside in Sirmione, the sun was scorching, and the light contrast was very large. In such a "deadly light" moment, the camera could still accurately and beautifully present the colors and light-dark relationships in the environment. The details of the hair in the dark shadows and the texture of the skin in the highlights were very delicate.
In the evening at Lake Garda, during the dreamy "blue hour", I took the last photo before finishing work. I originally thought it might be blurry, but it became one of my favorite photos during this trip. The ISO was set to 250, the picture was clean and transparent, full of atmosphere. The X-E5 is equipped with a 7-stop 5-axis image stabilization, which allows hand-held shooting at 1/13s with extremely high stability and freedom.
● Easily competent for various shooting scenarios
As a professional photographer, my main camera system is the GFX medium format. My requirements for a backup camera are strict: reliable focusing and continuous shooting speed, sufficient pixels, excellent image stabilization... The X-E5 can meet most of my shooting needs and is a reliable partner with professional qualities.
I completed almost all the shooting this time with the new XF 23mm F2.8 R WR pancake lens. The 23mm focal length is equivalent to 35mm in full-frame, which can be called the "golden focal length for humanities" and is undoubtedly the golden partner of the X-E5. The scenes in Italy are rich and the weather is changeable. Whether shooting portraits in front light, backlight, or side backlight, its resolution and analytical power are sufficient to meet my needs, and the focusing speed and distortion control are also quite excellent. Combined with the X-E5's 40.2 million high pixels and the body zoom lever, it can also achieve 1.4x (about 48mm) and 2x (about 69mm) digital zoom, easily completing environmental portraits and close-up portraits. When I zoom in on the details with the display screen, I clearly feel the excellent resolution, and the photo can retain enough details even after secondary composition and cropping. It achieves an excellent balance between appearance, portability, and practicality.
The models also love it and often fold the 180° screen with one hand for selfies, which can fully see the screen. At the same time, 23mm is a very good self-portrait perspective, and it can easily handle both photos and videos as a Vlog camera.
● The soul of color: Film Simulation
The X-E5 is equipped with Fujifilm's widely praised Film Simulation system, which has high practical value in the field of commercial portrait photography and can achieve professional effects with straight-out-of-camera shots. In this portrait shooting, I mainly used the CC mode, which presents warm and natural skin tones, and the blue tones in the environment have a slightly cyan-green texture. The overall color has a classic film atmosphere, perfectly matching the unique visual tone of Italy. Whether it's the blue sea and sky or street figures, they all present a bright, comfortable, brisk, and relaxed beauty full of retro charm.
When shooting street scenes and landscapes, I prefer to use the NN, NC, and RA modes. The seaside of Sirmione, the ancient arena of Verona, and the lemon stalls on the street all present just the right color saturation with a retro style. The NN and RA modes are particularly suitable for showing the layers of the sea and sky. The RA mode is more fresh and bright, and I personally prefer the unique cyan-green cinematic texture of the NN mode. The NC mode can perfectly present the traces of time on the ancient city walls, with strong visual appeal.
To improve creation efficiency, I preset my commonly used Film Simulation modes and parameter recipes in the FS1-FS3 custom dials. The Film Simulation dial design of the X-E5 is classic: the retro shape of the circular window is full of literary atmosphere, and the layout on the back of the top cover, combined with the top window, is convenient for thumb operation and easy observation. This user-friendly design makes mode switching efficient and full of ritual, becoming a pleasant interactive experience in the creative process.
Paying tribute to classics, time is eternal
For me, "paying tribute to classics" is not an empty slogan but the most real experience during this shooting journey. Every time I press the shutter, it's like replicating the years I've been chasing light and shadow, creating a wonderful resonance between past memories and the present moment. Through the viewfinder of the X-E5, the glory of a thousand years wakes up at this moment, and the romance of the old century still shines brightly.
The term "cinematic feel", which is often used to describe the atmosphere of photos, has been most perfectly interpreted on the streets of Italy. Buying an ice cream feels like traveling back to Rome in 1953, which is perhaps the most profound tribute to classics. I long to capture the vicissitudes of time and freeze the brightness of youth in the mottled traces of time in Italy.
When the X-E5 accompanied me walking through the dappled sunlight in Sirmione, stopping in front of the ancient arena in Verona, or indulging in the golden sunset over Lake Garda, those classic movie scenes naturally appeared in front of my eyes: the lazy summer in *Call Me by Your Name*, the romantic encounter in *Roman Holiday*, the eternal pathos in *Romeo and Juliet*—these image memories seem to reappear one by one in the viewfinder.
The X-E5 perfectly combines a retro rangefinder appearance with top modern craftsmanship, taking into account performance and control. It has a fashionable tone and can easily handle various professional shootings. If you desire a trendy camera that focuses on creation and has a strong personality, the X-E5 is definitely a "no-brainer purchase".
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