When the Fujifilm X100VI was launched back in February, I was really holding out hope it would be one of the best Cyber Monday camera deals this year, but it soon became clear that getting hold of an X100VI – for anything less than its RRP – was a big enough task in and of itself. Jump to December 2 and I’m beginning to think that Santa himself won’t be able to fulfill the X100VI that’s been at the top of my Christmas list all year…
But I’m not going to despair, because I’ve been quietly coming round to the idea of a Fujifilm X-T50 as a suitable alternative. Not only do I think it’s the better camera – for some people – but with the folks over at Wex Photo Video selling it for just £1,139, it’s the obvious alternative!
Sadly, US deals appear to be non-existent right now, but B&H Photo’s bundle for $1,499, which includes the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens, a SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro UHS-I SDXC card and a Hunter 35 DSLR Holster Bag is still $100 cheaper than a Fujifilm X100VI anyway, so I think it’s still a worthwhile option if you simply cannot wait.
Stack the Fujifilm X-T50 up against the best compact camera on the market, the Fujifilm X100VI and you’ll find that they’re remarkably similar cameras. They both pack the same 40-MP X-Trans CMOS APS-C sensor and X-Processor 5 image processor. They can both shoot electronic bursts at up to 20fps, although the X100VI wins out slightly with its 11-fps mechanical shutter bursts compared to the X-T50’s 8fps.
But where the X100VI has six stops of IBIS, the X-T50 has up to eight stops. They both have three-inch rear LCD screens, but the X100VI has 1.62-million dots, compared to the X-T50’s 1.84 million. However, the X100VI has a higher resolution EVF, 3.69-million dots vs 2.36 million. They can both accommodate a single SD card and their video specs are identical, with both cameras shooting at up to 6.2K 30p in 4:2:2 10-bit, 4K 60p, and full HD 240p. They also both support F-Log and F-log2.
Crucially, for anyone who’d dearly love an X100VI, they both have 20 Film Simulation modes. There’s been some confusion over the X100VI’s weather resistance. Neither camera is fully weather sealed, but Fujifilm states: “Using the AR-X100 and PRF-49 together make the X100VI weather-resistant.” These are sold separately.
So, give or take the odd spec here and there, these two cameras are very similar. The big difference is their styling. The X100VI is a premium compact camera with a fixed 23mm f/2 Lens, while the X-T50 is a mid-range interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera. And it’s the ability to swap lenses that makes the X-T50 the better camera, in my humble opinion.
I get it, the X100VI is one of the coolest-looking cameras available today. And if all you want is a camera you can carry around and snap away with or an alternative to your existing interchangeable-lens camera, then by all means, wait for new stock. After all, it’s a flippin’ fantastic little camera!
But if you aim to buy a camera you can grow with as a photographer and there’s even the smallest possibility you might decide to try, say, wildlife photography or portrait photography or sports photography, then the X-T50 will be the better camera in the long run because you can upgrade it with Fujifilm’s extensive range of lenses. In fact, the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens already makes it a more versatile little camera than the X100VI, if not quite as cool...
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