The projectile-target system Ca+ Ni has been used to produce the neutron deficient N = 50 isotones Tc, Ru, and Rh at high angular momentum. The multidetector array NORDBALL including particle selection was used. A large number of new levels were found in all three nuclei.Most of them can be interpreted as states with a neutron particle-hole excitation across the N = 50 shell gap, coupled to lower valence-proton configurations. Some of the observed levels above 11 MeV probably correspond to states with two neutrons excited across the shell gap.PACS number(s): 23.20.Lv, 25.70. Jj, 21.60.Cs, 27.60. +j