Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 Pancake Lens | POV Photowalk at Chelsea in Bloom 2026

A Surprisingly Good Street Photography Setup

The more I use the Fujifilm X-E5, the more I realise how well suited it is to this kind of photography. Small enough to disappear into the background, lightweight enough to carry all day and discreet enough that people stop noticing it almost immediately.

Combined with the Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 pancake lens, the entire setup becomes genuinely pocketable in a way most modern interchangeable lens cameras simply aren’t anymore.

That changes how you photograph. You move differently. You react faster. You stop overthinking every frame and start responding more instinctively to what’s happening around you.

Chelsea in Bloom 2026

This year’s “Out of This World” theme created some surreal scenes throughout Chelsea. Astronauts hanging above cafés, giant floral planets, UFO-inspired displays and crowds constantly stopping in the middle of the street to photograph everything around them.

But what interested me most wasn’t really the installations themselves. It was the atmosphere around them. The quieter moments hidden between the chaos. People reacting to the displays, waiting, photographing, watching and moving through the streets of London.

That’s what street photography becomes for me. Less about documenting a location and more about documenting behaviour inside that location.

The Viltrox 28mm F4.5 Experience

I actually found the 28mm focal length really interesting during this walk. At times it felt slightly tight for the crowded streets, especially when surrounded by large groups of people, but I also think that limitation helped create a more intimate perspective throughout the day.

There’s something about using a smaller lens that changes the psychology of shooting. The camera feels less intrusive. People react differently. You become less visible.

For travel and street photography, I honestly think setups like this make a lot more sense than carrying large bodies and oversized lenses all day.

Straight Out Of Camera Images

Most of the images shown throughout the video are close to straight out of camera (SOOC) with only minimal adjustments. I wanted the colours, atmosphere and imperfections of the day to remain intact rather than heavily processing everything afterwards.

The Fujifilm X-E5 continues to produce files that feel natural and enjoyable to work with, especially for this style of documentary and observational photography.

Music & Sound Design

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