The Fujifilm X Summit on May 16 is getting bigger and bigger.
Not only will we get the Fujifilm X-T50, the Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 and the Fujifilm GFX100S II, but according to our sources also the Fujinon GF500mm f/5.6 will be announced on May 16.
And we also have the price for you.
The Fujinon GF500mm f/5.6 will cost €3,899 in Europe. So far I have no indication about the price in US Dollar.
Shocked?
Well, that’s actually a bargain compared to what other brands charge for equivalent lenses.
I was there, when Fujifilm launched what would become their all time bestseller, the Fujinon XF18-55mm f/2.8-4.
I was there to blog about it, to talk about… and to buy it for myself.
And actually, I bought two of them.
The first one I destroyed it when I had to jump into the Mekong river (story here – only the legendary Fujinon XF35mm f/1.4 survived that adventure, the rest of my gear broke).
I loved the XF18-55 so much that I bought a new one after destroying the first one.
The second sample did stick with me until I decided to sell it along with my XF55-200mm, in order to replace both of those lenses with the king of versatility, the Fujinon XF18-135mm.
I have had wonderful years with my Fujinon XF18-55mmF2.8-4. It has taken some of my favorite images. And I am sure it has given great joy to many other fellow X shooters out there.
But now it is time also for this glorious lens to retire.
In fact, according to our trusted sources, Fujifilm will announce also the Fujifilm X-T50 and the new kit lens, the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8, at the X Summit on May 16.
does Fujifilm prefer to give the GFX100SII a dedicated launch day, and make a separate announcement for the X-T50 and the new kit lens?
did I share a wrong rumor?
Well… don’t worry. We don’t share wrong rumors here. Everything will happen as we tell you it will.
But I will contact our sources and see what they have to say about it. And as soon as I can I will share an update here on FujiRumors.
And beyond that?
Well, the only gear Fujifilm has pre-announced, is the Fujinon GF500mmF5.6, but that one is listed on the official G mount roadmap as coming sometimes in 2024. So it could be on May 16, but also later on.
Well, I am growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of a new X mount roadmap. I keep asking for a new one since years and Fujifilm keeps ignoring our wishes. So at this point I have no expectations anymore.
Anyway… answers will come. Some of them on May 16, but many other answers will come well before that.
Most people and all websites are calling the successor to the Fujifilm X-T30II the “Fujifilm X-T40“.
However, according to our sources, there will be no Fujifilm X-T40, because the X-T30II successor will be called Fujifilm X-T50.
That makes sense to me, because it belongs to the 5th generation Fujifilm cameras (with 5th generation processor, AF goodness etc).
And yes, I know. The X-H2, X-H2S and X-S20 are also part of the 5th generation Fujifilm lineup, and yet they don’t feature the numeral “5” in their names. However, transitioning directly from X-H1/X-S10 to X-H5/X-S50 would likely have been too big of jump. In this case, it makes sense to maintain the “2” designation, indicating the second generation of this series.
But after I’ve shared the rumor, I have noticed some misunderstandings. So let me address those first, and then we’ll talk about each of the three cameras
But I didn’t mean to say that all we get in 2024 are these three cameras, and all of them will come in the first half of 2024 (as I see reported around on Forums etc).
I was referring to the fact that initially we told you that there will be “3 or more cameras” coming in first half 2024, and now we can be more specific and confirm that the number of cameras will be 3.
So to be clear I want to remark: I don’t know how many cameras will be launched in the entire year 2024. What I know so far is that there will be 3 cameras in the first half (the replacements of these models), and there will be potentially more cameras in the second half of 2024. But so far I have no rumors about it.
So there is still the second half of 2024 where Fujifilm could have potentially lots of time to please us with much more gear.
And I promise that after the imminent X100VI-centric X Summit I will try to find out more about it.
