On June 11th, PetaPixel published a post entitled Photographers Are Tired of Big Cameras by Jaron Schneider, which had an intriguing premise but fell a bit flat on delivery. This article is my attempt to fix that. This is perhaps what Jaron should have said.

While sitting at a train station in Osaka, Japan, Chris Niccolls stated, “I’m thinking of buying a new camera.” This might seem extremely innocuous, a common phrase uttered by most photographers as frequently as trains depart the Osaka station; however, coming from Chris, this was nothing short of shocking. You see, as a camera reviewer, Chris is constantly using new gear. Each week he has a different camera in his hands. Since 2009, when Chris and Jordan Drake began making videos for The Camera Store TV on YouTube, he has used pretty much every model released from every brand. But he very rarely buys them. It’s highly unusual for Chris to be in the market for a new camera.

For the last few years, he has been carrying a Sony a7R V. That’s what he uses when he’s not reviewing cameras. He seemed quite content with it, even just recently. If Chris was in the market for any one camera, I would have bet on it being the a7R VI, the successor to his camera, which he had just recently reviewed. Curiously, that’s not what he had in mind. “I want something small,” Chris added.

The Fujifilm X-E5 is the camera that Chris was considering, which he ultimately purchased just recently. The two factors that he considered most important were compact size and image quality, with bulkiness weighted (pun intended) slightly more important than image quality. After much consideration, Chris decided that the X-E5 struck the perfect balance for him. It was small and lightweight enough, while also delivering image quality that met his strict standards. Of all the cameras available, most of which he has personally tried, the Fujifilm X-E5 is the one that he believes is most ideal for him at this moment in time.

There’s a noticeable trend in photography that can’t be ignored: creators crave compact cameras. According to a recent CIPA report, one out of every four cameras shipped in April was a compact fixed-lens model. That’s shocking! When you look at the most popular cameras over the last year, the majority of them are on the small side, and several of them are fixed-lens. Models like the Ricoh GR IV and Fujifilm X100VI are selling out well before they hit the shelves. All of the data available indicates that smaller gear is tremendously trendy right now.

What explains this? Nobody knows for sure, but there are a few possibilities, and it’s probably a combination of each, and possibly more. First, photographers are getting older. Across the globe since World War II, the average age for most countries has been rising. In America, nearly half of all professional photographers are over 40. The bulky gear that was no issue to carry around a decade ago is now starting to feel a bit cumbersome. Second, many influencers on social media use smaller gear because it’s easier to travel with, and that gear-of-choice tends to get purchased by their audience (that’s why they’re called influencers). Third, younger photographers often care more about picture aesthetic and user experience than spec-sheet stats. That high-end gear with extraordinary capabilities is less impressive to them than a camera that easily produces the look they’re after, especially if it can fit into a pocket or purse.

Fujifilm and Ricoh are the two companies that seem to be benefiting the most from this trend. Fujifilm, in particular, has seen their market share increase over the last few years, thanks to the success of cameras like the X100VI, X-E5, X-M5, and X-T30 III, all of which are hot sellers. Even the much maligned X half has been a massive success in some parts of the world, especially Asia. Of all the major brands, Fujifilm might be in the best position to seize on this compact camera craze, and it will be fascinating to watch them navigate it over the next few years. Will they produce successors to the long-discontinued X30 and X70? Surely both of those would be hits if they did. Will they find ways to shrink the size of their current lineup? Will they introduce a few more pancake lenses? There’s a lot that they could do to capitalize on the trend, but they could also err on the side of caution, and not take many risks. If there’s one brand that has demonstrated a willingness to try something different, it’s Fujifilm. It will be intriguing to watch how each camera company responds to the changing market.

Now that Chris is a Fujifilm photographer, will he embrace straight-out-of-camera photography? Will he try some Fujifilm Recipes? Maybe find some that will replace RAW editing? Will Chris hop off the Fujifilm Express at the next stop, or will he ride it for awhile and see where the adventure takes him? Unlike the trains at the Osaka station, the trend towards smaller gear shows no signs of stopping.

So how’d I do? Did I improve on Jaron’s article? Is this version better or worse than what was published on PetaPixel? Let me know what you think! I enjoyed this writing exercise. I mean no disrespect to anyone—Jaron, if you read this, please know that it was all in good fun.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X-E5 in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-E5 in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Nuzira