Back in January I started a rumor that the upcoming X-Trans IV sensor would be made by Samsung and not Sony. Well, that proved to be false. I guessed wrong. According to Fujirumors the upcoming X-Trans IV sensor will be made by Sony and it will be a 26-megapixel stacked sensor.

What’s a stacked sensor? If you’re thinking multi-layer like Sigma Foveon, you’d be wrong. What’s stacked is the circuitry. This is the same technology found in the Sony A9. It enables the camera to operate ridiculously fast. The next generation of Fujifilm X cameras will be much quicker than the current lineup (which is already pretty quick). This is good news for action photographers.

My guess (take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much) is that the additional 2-megapixels won’t add any resolution, but instead they’ll be a part of the auto-focus system. I think instantaneous auto-focus combined with incredible tracking capabilities will be a trademark of the upcoming cameras.

I doubt that there will be any significant image quality improvements (outside of video) with the next generation of X-Trans cameras. The reason to upgrade will be strictly camera performance. If you need something quicker than the X100F, X-Pro2, X-T2, X-T20 and X-E3, then the X100V, X-Pro3, X-T3, X-T30 and X-E4 will be the cameras for you. These new cameras should begin to appear within the next twelve months, I’m pretty certain of that.

Personally, I’m happy with the speed of the X100F. I don’t need anything faster. In fact, I’m constantly having to remind myself to slow down. But some people do require more speed, such as sports photographers, and the upcoming cameras will be a nice tool to have.