Fujifilm X-T50 assessment: A giant enchancment (for lots more cash) – Uplaza

Fujifilm’s X-T30 II is certainly one of my favourite cameras, because it provides most of the capabilities of the higher-end fashions for lots much less cash. So I used to be notably excited when the corporate launched the X-T50, which is sort of a miniature model of the $1,700 X-T5.

It shares many options, together with a 40.2-megapixel sensor, 6K 30P video help and, in a primary for the sequence, in-body stabilization. On the identical time, it retains the small measurement and retro-cute styling of previous fashions.

At $1,400 it’s not almost as inexpensive because the $900 X-T30, although. To search out out if it’s price an additional half grand, I examined the X-T50 out in London with some skilled photographer pals.

Physique and dealing with

The X-T50 is all about portability and elegance, so it’s good and light-weight at 438 grams (0.96 kilos), simply 50 grams greater than the earlier mannequin. In case you’re touring with a compact lens, it might probably simply be slipped right into a bag.

On the identical time, the grip has been enlarged sufficient to make the digital camera simpler to hold on to. Operation is basically unchanged, with two management dials, a shutter velocity dial and an publicity compensation dial, together with a joystick and eight buttons. Nevertheless, Fujifilm did introduce one new trick: a movie simulation dial instead of the earlier drive mode — extra on that shortly.

All of that makes it almost as simple to regulate as a lot bigger cameras. The devoted shutter dial is an uncommon characteristic lately, so it does take some getting used to. The benefit is that you would be able to see that setting simply by wanting down on the digital camera, a should for discreet road or journey taking pictures.

Like previous fashions on this sequence, the X-T50 has a tilt-only show that doesn’t flip out, which is probably going a bummer for the vloggers it’s tantalizing with its video capabilities. And rival fashions just like the Sony A6700 and Canon R7 do have flip-out shows. The two.36-million-dot digital viewfinder isn’t tremendous sharp, however is par for the course on this worth vary.

With a smallish battery just like the one on the X100 VI, the X-T50 can handle simply 305 photographs on a cost or 390 in financial system mode. That’s close to the underside in its class. By comparability, Canon’s like-priced R7 can take as much as 660 images earlier than the battery dies.

The X-T50 has an honest array of ports, together with microHDMI, USB-C and a mic jack. As earlier than, there’s no headphone enter, however you should use the USB-C slot with a 3.5mm adapter to watch audio. It comes with a single, however quick UHS-II card slot.

Efficiency

If it’s pure efficiency you’re after, the X-T50 in all probability isn’t for you. Burst speeds are respectable at as much as 13 fps in digital shutter mode or 8 fps with the mechanical shutter — removed from the 30 fps of the Canon R7 in digital mode. Additionally, the digital shutter is simply good in case your topic doesn’t transfer too shortly, as rolling shutter distortion could be very noticeable on this mannequin.

Autofocus nonetheless isn’t a Fujifilm sturdy level, both. After I was taking pictures quick-moving topics, it was a bit hit and miss in steady mode, notably once they have been near the digital camera. Nevertheless, efficiency relies upon significantly on the lens getting used.

On prime of face and eye detection, Fujifilm has added subject-tracking autofocus modes for animals, birds, automobiles, bikes, airplanes and trains. This characteristic is totally separate from the common eye and face detection modes, so it’s important to dive into the menus to modify between them, or program two separate buttons.

For the opposite forms of images it is designed for, the X-T50’s autofocus works nicely, although it isn’t fairly as much as Sony, Canon and even Nikon’s requirements.

A key new characteristic is in-body stabilization. With as much as seven stops of shake discount, you may get sharp images right down to a couple of quarter second. That’s the identical because the 557-gram X-T5, which is sort of an accomplishment given the dimensions distinction. It makes the X-T50 way more versatile, letting you blur movement to create attention-grabbing photographs or shoot in darkish environments.

Picture high quality

With the identical 40MP sensor because the X-H2 and X-T5, the X-T50 provides a significant increase in decision over the 26MP X-30 II. On prime of boosting sharpness, the additional pixels make it attainable to crop in, one thing that’s useful for journey images, wildlife taking pictures or anything the place you won’t be capable to get near the topic.

In-camera remedy of JPEG recordsdata is dealt with nicely, with nice, correct colours and simply the correct amount of sharpening and noise discount. You possibly can typically share images straight out of the digital camera, without having for any post-processing — a bonus for road and different photographers who don’t prefer to fiddle in put up.

The 14-bit RAW images supply loads of room for fine-tuning, as they maintain excessive quantities of element in highlights and shadows. As such, I noticed low ranges of banding, noise and different artifacts at low ISOs in all picture areas.

The upper decision doesn’t harm picture high quality a lot in low gentle, both. Noise is managed nicely as much as ISO 6,400, and you’ll go as much as ISO 12,800 in a pinch. Contemplating that the X-T50 is an APS-C and never a full-frame digital camera, I used to be impressed with the dearth of noise when taking pictures in bars and different dim environments.

And naturally, the X100 VI provides Fujifilm’s full array of movie simulation modes, and so they’re simply accessible on the brand new dial. You possibly can experiment with widespread seems like Velvia, Eterna, Acros black and white and others. It additionally comes with Fujifilm’s new Reala Ace, based mostly on one of many firm’s previous damaging movies. On the identical time, you get a RAW backup in full colour, so that you’re not locked into a particular look.

Video

With glorious video specs, the X-T50 is a strong hybrid digital camera, so long as you remember some caveats — notably round cropping and sharpness.

Very like the X-T5, you may shoot 6.2K at 30 fps with a 1.23x crop, or 4K at as much as 60 fps with line-skipping and a 1.14x crop. The cropping happens as a result of 6K video solely requires 24 megapixels, and the sensor/processor mixture isn’t as much as the job of supersampling the whole sensor width.

The digital camera additionally provides sub-sampled 4K at as much as 30p utilizing the total sensor width, or high-quality 4K 30p with a 1.23x crop. For tremendous slow-motion, Fujifilm additionally launched 10-bit and F-Log2 settings for further dynamic vary.

At 6.2K and 4K HQ, rolling shutter skewing is pronounced so that you’ll wish to keep away from extreme or sharp digital camera actions. Sub-sampled 4K is best in that space, however video is noticeably much less sharp.

Video autofocus matches what I noticed with images, that means it was respectable however not very best for shifting topics. The AI-powered AF did lock onto topics, however once more, couldn’t at all times sustain with birds, animals or autos.

Handheld video is now a sensible choice with in-body stabilization. It really works nicely when you don’t make abrupt actions, and the “boost” mode provides close to tripod-like smoothness. Digital stabilization can be out there, however isn’t supported with the 6K or HQ modes, and doesn’t scale back jolts when strolling.

Video high quality is strong for such a small digital camera, providing the identical correct colours I noticed in picture modes. Capturing in 10-bit F-Log made it attainable to regulate footage significantly in put up or get inventive. You may as well shoot video utilizing the movie simulation modes in order for you a particular look straight out of the digital camera.

Wrap-up

All informed, the X-T50 is an superior improve to the X-T30 II, with enhancements in almost each space — notably decision, stabilization and video. The movie simulation button is a bit gimmicky, but it surely ought to attraction to followers of the model, notably those that love the X100 VI.

The issue I’ve with this digital camera is the worth. The $900 X-T30 II was simple to suggest to consumers on a mid-level finances. Nevertheless, at $1,400, the X-T50 is simply $300 lower than the superior X-T5, and at that worth it has a number of stiff competitors from the likes of the Canon R7 and Sony A6700, together with full-frame fashions just like the Canon R8, Nikon Z6 II/Z5/Zfc and Panasonic S9.

Fujifilm seemingly figured that the X-T50 was almost as succesful because the X-T5 and that the 40-megapixel decision beats out rivals — but it surely has priced numerous potential consumers out of the market. In case you’re on the lookout for one thing that prices across the identical because the X-T30 II, Nikon’s $1,100 Zfc is simply as fairly and rather a lot inexpensive.