Fujifilm X-T30: Excellent Performer in a Tiny Shell

The Fujifilm X-T10 and X-T20 mirrorless cameras were very popular among photographers for several reasons, such as their excellent imaging performance and the compact factor. The new Fujifilm X-T30 follows the same trend and brings along the same 26-megapixel sensor, image processor and much of the feature set of the high-end X-T3 at a more reasonable price. The X-T20 and X-T2 also had the same relationship.

The Fujifilm X-T30 features Fujifilm’s latest AF system along with several direct controls and a tilt-angle touchscreen. You get all this in a compact and smaller body. Now, Let’s take a closer look at the X-T30 and find out what has changed and what’s stayed the same.

Fujifilm X-T30 Design

The X-T30 is a compact camera and has the same height and width as the X-T20, but its thumb grip has been revised, which gives the camera a little more depth than its predecessor. Both cameras are equal in weight.

Fujifilm X Series cameras are known for their dial-based manual controls. Hence, the X-T30 continues this trend and offers dedicated dials for shooting mode, exposure compensation, and shutter speed.

A lever is provided which can be used to enable SR (Scene Recognition) Auto shooting mode. There are two command dials as well, one is placed on the front and other on the back. They can be used for more functionalities.

Both, the Fujifilm X-T30 and X-T20 look exactly the same from the front, but there are a few changes if you look at the back of the cameras. The X-T20 had the four-way keypad at the back while the X-T30 is equipped with an eight-way joystick.

The positions of the “MENU/OK” and “DISP/BACK” buttons are changed. Thumb grip has been revised and the “Q” button is placed on top of this thumb grip, which seems quite useful for getting easy access to the customizable quick menu.

In terms of body design, there are a couple of other changes that might go unnoticed while comparing product photos. It’s the electronic viewfinder and the touchscreen.

Like its predecessor, the X-T30 features an OLED EVF with 2.36M-dot resolution, offering 0.62x magnification, however, the X-T30’s EVF is brighter with 800 cd/m² compared to the X-T20’s 500 cd/m². Moreover, in Boost mode, the EVF of the X-T30 offers a refresh rate of 100 frames per second compared to the EVF of the X-T20, which has a refresh rate of only 54.54 frames per second.

Similarly, both cameras feature a three-inch touchscreen with 1.04M-dot resolution, but the upgraded touchscreen of the X-T30 has a faster response time.

The Fujifilm X-T30 in Use

The Fujifilm X-T30 uses the same APS-C-sized 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor as the X-T3, and this has been designed with a backlit architecture, which helps the camera gather the light effectively.

Like the X-T3, the sensor also has a native ISO range of 160-12,800, which can be stretched to a range of ISO 80 to 51,200. Both cameras deliver the same image quality.

The camera also comes equipped with the same phase-detect autofocus system as the X-T3, and it covers the whole image area which is quite impressive. Additionally, the autofocus performance in low-light situations is also better, just like its predecessor.

You can select four AF area modes: Single Point, Wide/Tracking, Zone and All (which allows you to cycle between the other three). In Single Point mode, you have the option to manually choose from 117 or 425 points.

Fujifilm says that the face and eye detection features of the camera have been improved. It works well but still more work needs to be done in this area.

Although the camera accurately detects faces and eyes, sometimes the system starts jumping between the two faces in the scene. It also switches between the eyes when it’s tuned to ‘Auto’ unless you tell the subject not to move. The X-T30 offers eye-detection during continuous autofocus.

Like all the other Fujifilm cameras, JPEGs look outstanding, especially if we talk about color. At low noise levels, the camera performs well, making it an attractive choice for low-light shooting. It’s because the dynamic range is so good at lower sensitivities and the camera brightens the shadows without adding too much noise.

Video quality is superb and can be captured (in both DCI and Ultra HD) at up to 30 frames per second. The camera includes almost all the capture tools you need. Surprisingly, the 10-bit Log output is also there, but you will have to find an external recorder if you want to take its advantage.

For power, the X-T30 uses the same NP-W126S lithium-ion battery as found on the X-T20. It will give you 380 shots on a single charge with the LCD and 360 shots while using the EVF. It’s more than the X-T20’s 350 shots, which was the same for both the LCD and the EVF.

The battery runs the camera for almost 45 minutes while recording 4K or Full HD. It’s less compared to the X-T20’s 50 minutes 4K recording and 60 minutes Full HD recording.

How Does the Fujifilm X-T30 Compare?

The Fujifilm X-T30 has a slightly bigger sensor than its predecessor, the X-T20. It’s EVF is bright and, as mentioned, the touchscreen is upgraded for better response. Design has been improved for good handling and easy access to the controls. More comparison details are provided in the table.

Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-T30 is an astonishingly capable camera. Although image stabilization is missing, you can use a nice lens for that. In terms of capturing both stills and videos, the X-T30 matches the quality of the X-T3 at almost half the price.

The camera performs well in low-light conditions and its autofocus performance is good. Battery and handling are decent as well. From professionals to novices, the X-T30 can be a great choice for a range of photographers.