The popularity of the compact Fujifilm X100VI bled into the brand’s other cameras, making options like the budget mirrorless X-M5 nearly impossible to find in stock. Now, nine months after the X-M5 was announced, the compact mirrorless camera is finally listed as in stock at multiple US retailers.
The Fujifilm X-M5, the lightest mirrorless camera in the X series, proved more popular than originally expected, with Fujifilm Japan forced to temporarily suspend orders in March. The demand proved to be more than just Japan, with the camera sold out in the UK and US for months.
Earlier this month, the X-M5 was finally listed as in stock at UK retailers, and now it appears the US has followed suit. Several US retailers list the camera in stock, including Adorama, B&H, and Best Buy, although Fujifilm’s US web store still lists the X-M5 as out of stock.
The availability of the X-M5 comes after Fujifilm quietly released “JP” models of several cameras, including the X-M5 and trendy X100VI. Fujifilm did not release a statement as to why the JP models were announced, but the models appear to be made-in-Japan versions of the same camera, likely a strategy for skirting the high US tariffs on Chinese imports. With the availability of the X-M5 after launching JP versions, could that mean the availability of the X100VI might not be far behind?
The X-M5 is both the lightest and most affordable mirrorless in the X Series, a vlogging-friendly camera geared for content creators and budget-friendly photography. The camera’s small size means that it lacks a viewfinder and doesn’t boast the best speed or resolution in the lineup, but at $899 with a kit lens, the travel-friendly mirrorless camera sits at a much more affordable price point. That low price and compact size (which still has some Fujifilm flair) is why the X-M5 is touted as a potential budget alternative to the X100VI.
Since the X-M5 was announced in October 2024, however, Fujifilm announced another mirrorless alternative to the X100VI that has far more features in common with the trendy compact camera. The Fujifilm X-E5 has the same resolution and a similar rangefinder-inspired design, only in a mirrorless camera rather than a fixed-lens compact.
Fujifilm also announced a more affordable compact camera than the X100VI since the launch of the X-M5, the X-Half, a camera with film-inspired controls.
Hopefully, the availability of the X-M5 indicates Fujifilm’s US stock woes are finally easing up.
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