It appears that Fujifilm is at least partially killing its budget camera line-up with the upcoming May launch of the Fujifilm X-T50. Notebookcheck previously reported on leaks that the X-T50 would launch with a 40 MP sensor and IBIS, although we speculated that Fujifilm would keep the price down somehow — perhaps by using a last-gen processor. The latest X-T50 leaks from Fuji Rumors seem to suggest otherwise, though.
Not only does the latest leak claim the X-T50 will launch at an MSRP of €1,499 — around $1,600 converted directly, but more likely closer to $1,300–1,400 in the US — but the cut-back flagship looks like it will also pack flagship hardware. Compared to the Fujifilm X-T30 II, the X-T50 could see as much as a 55% price increase if this leak is true.
Such a massive price jump seems unlikely, since even the X-S20 (curr. $1,299.95 from Best Buy), which launched last year, and the X100VI that launched earlier this year and had very different hardware than its predecessor, saw moderate increases of 20% or less.
While the price hike may be concerning, the supposed leaked specifications list is rather impressive, with leaks claiming the upcoming X-T50 will feature the latest X-Processor 5 paired to the 40 MP sensor from the X-T5 flagship with IBIS (in-body image stabilisation), making it a very capable camera.
The alleged X-T50 battery (NP-W126S) is significantly smaller than the 2,200 mAh unit in the X-T5, at just 1,260 mAh, and the X-T50 will supposedly not be weather-sealed, unlike its flagship counterpart. The X-T50 also allegedly only features one SD card slot, instead of the X-T5's dual slots, and the smaller, lower resolution EVF from the X-T30 II (which is still $899.99 from Best Buy).
All of these small changes would knock the X-T50 down significantly compared to its X-T5 counterpart — but in ways the average consumer may not notice. However, more serious hobby and professional photographers will almost certainly spend the extra $200–300 for a
Fujifilm X-T50 pic.twitter.com/shlCcSY21B
— how2fly (@camerainsider) April 30, 2024