Fujifilm Underestimated the X-M5’s Popularity But It Won’t Become an X100VI Situation
Although the Fujifilm X-M5 launched late last year to mixed reviews, it has proven extremely popular with consumers, especially those seeking to up their photo and video game at a budget-friendly price point. About four months after its release, the X-M5 remains challenging to find, with retailers in Japan stopping orders and American photo stores left in the lurch. Where the heck is the X-M5?
When in Prague, Czechia last week for the Fujifilm GFX100RF launch event, PetaPixel asked Fujifilm precisely that.
“Compared to the X100VI, producing [the X-M5] is much less complex. So it won’t be like an X100VI situation,” Yuji Igarashi, Manager of Fujifilm’s Professional Imaging Group, promises. “We will try to do our best to catch up.”
A camera being popular is not a bad problem to have, although it is one Fujifilm encounters quite frequently, and not without its financial risks. Despite having somewhat regular product shortages, Fujifilm has consistently maintained that it is not failing to make enough cameras on purpose. There is not some marketing ploy in action.
“It is very popular,” Igarashi says of the X-M5, agreeing that the camera has been hard for photographers to purchase in the months following its release.
After PetaPixel expressed to Fujifilm that it seems like all of the company’s products are popular and difficult to purchase at launch, the company replied, “That’s right.”
Although not holding inventory is fine for Fujifilm, a lack of readily available supply can be frustrating for photographers trying to purchase a new camera at retail prices, something Fujifilm hopes customers will do instead of feeding into scalpers.
As of now, B&H expects the black X-M5 body and kit to start shipping next week, which aligns with what Fujifilm said last fall, while the silver version that has technically been available since November is still “coming soon.” At Adorama, the silver version is on backorder, while the black one is available for preorder. Moment says the silver X-M5 is “coming soon,” while adding that the black version is expected to arrive in April. On Fujifilm’s official USA shop, both black and silver X-M5 cameras are “out of stock.”
Overseas, the situation is the same. Wex Photo Video in the United Kingdom is waiting for stock of all X-M5 kits, while most retailers in Japan do not list the X-M5 for purchase at all.
Not without its shortcomings, it seems the $899 Fujifilm X-M5 kit, “easily the best video-based camera” at its price point, is not only popular but much more sought after than Fujifilm expected. The company is working hard to increase production and doesn’t anticipate that the shortage will last long — certainly not as long as the ongoing X100VI shortage.
Image credits: Fujifilm
