Travel Well: What the latest with the X‑E5 teaches about gear & intention
There’s something quietly powerful happening with the Fujifilm X‑E5 lately.
It’s being called “the best travel camera yet,” and while I’m not entirely surprised, what I find more interesting is why people are buying into that.
Not just for specs, but for being lightweight, for being usable without fuss, for being the kind of camera you’ll actually pick up instead of leaving in the bag.
That’s not new to me. I’ve noticed in my workshops and online: many photographers get hung up on megapixels, on lens count, or on every new “must‑have” feature.
But what really changes behaviour, I believe, is when a camera delivers more joy. More “able to wander, explore, experiment” rather than “tracking down yet another lens or menu setting.”
Here are some lessons I’m learning, and maybe they will make sense to you, too:
Carry‑ability beats specs “most of the time”. A camera that fits in your hand comfortably, that feels robust, that doesn’t make you think twice before stuffing it in your camera bag - that becomes a feature. The X‑E5 seems to be winning here because of improved build, better handling, and good performance without being over‑engineered.
Use your gear as a companion, not a burden. If you find yourself leaving gear behind because it’s bulky, heavy, or complex, you risk missing out on shots, and sometimes the best ones are spontaneous. Gear that blends into your rhythm of shooting lets your vision lead.
Clarity of purpose helps. Do you want scenes, stories, people, light? Travel, street, landscape? If you are clear on that, you’ll make better gear decisions: maybe fewer lenses, more portable bodies, more film simulations that suit your eye. You’ll also create content that resonates, because people like hearing why you shoot something, not just how.
Personally, after reading about the X‑E5 responses this week, I felt a nudge: maybe I need to shoot more with what fits in my camera bag comfortably. Maybe one body, one lens (or two), and chase the light. Because the greater freedom sometimes comes from less weight.
If there’s one thing this week reminds me, it’s that the gear that creates more storytelling is the one you’ll actually use, every step of the journey.
— Kevin
