FUJIFILM X-T30 Review

We have released a page summarising the good and bad points I felt after using the Fujifilm x-t30 18-55mm for two months.

Although some items need improvement, they have excellent cost performance, making them feel more valuable than the price.

Fujifilm X-T30 Mirrorless Digital Camera w/XC15-45mm F/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ Lens, Charcoal Silver

Compared to the X-T20, which is reasonably priced and the second-hand market is booming, the points are “autofocus” and “high-performance image quality-related settings.” I think the X-T30 is the one to buy from now on, even considering the price difference.

Good points of Fujifilm X-T30

Solid camera body

Like the X-T20 and Fujifilm X-E3, the camera’s texture is very good. Metallic materials are used on the top and bottom of the camera, and the operation parts, such as the dial, are also made of metal, so you can’t feel the cheapness.

At least makes a camera with a high-class feel compared to the Canon EOS M series and Sony α6xxx series, which are APS-C mirrorless cameras in the same price range. If you value the “joy of having”, this is a recommended point.

In addition, the Fujifilm X-T30’s strength is that the camera dimensions are the same as before and that it can reuse the X-T10’s camera accessories.

Compact but abundant operability

Despite being a reasonably compact camera body for an APS-C mirrorless camera, it has three dials, two push-compatible command dials, a focus lever, eight buttons, a flash, and a wealth of operating components.

In addition, many customizable buttons (including touch Fn) make it easy to adjust the operability to your liking. The degree of freedom is higher than that of Canon and Sony cameras in the same price range.

I can’t deny the view that “the operation members are packed too much in a compact body, and the operability is poor, “but I think it is within the acceptable range.

Many affordable and solid lenses

Brighter than a zoom lens, with a metal exterior, it is dustproof and splashproof. Autofocus is quiet and fast, and it goes well with the XF F2 R WR series. Although the Fujifilm X-T30 is not dustproof and drip-proof, the mount is tightly sealed on the lens side. You can rest assured that there is less concern about small dust contamination on the sensor surface.

Also, the metal lens barrel resembles the metallic texture on the body side. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the most luxurious mirrorless camera in the same price range, and I feel that the cost performance of “joy to have” is not perfect.

By the way, the image quality of all lenses is good, and the tendency of color and bokeh is constant. It is a nice point that there is no unevenness in color and depiction, even if you use different lenses.

The high degree of freedom customization

There are four customizable buttons, and you can call up four functions by operating the touch panel.

Compared to the conventional model, the X-T30 has multiple functions such as “color chrome effect”, “D range priority”, and “boost mode”, so you want to utilize button customization effectively.

The Touch Fn is slightly more responsive than the 3rd generation X-series, so I feel the operability is “within the allowable range.”

AF with a misleading response

It will be a point to switch from the 3rd generation X series. I’ve used several X-Trans CMOS III + X-Processor Pro cameras, such as the X-Pro2 and X-E3, but the X-T30’s autofocus is no longer the case.

• Image plane phase difference AF coverage extension (almost 100%)
• Further densification
• Supports C-AF pupil detection
• Improved response for face detection and pupil detection

For those who know the conventional focus performance, you should feel that it has improved significantly. In particular, the coverage and response have been improved, greatly improving the usability of tracking AF and pupil detection.

If you want to take family photos and move objects, we recommend moving to the 4th generation. However, there are some caveats (See below for disadvantages)

Image quality and image quality settings equivalent to X-T3

I was equipped with the same latest back-illuminated 26-megapixel sensor as the X-T3. The back-illuminated image sensor is rare for an APS-C camera; as far as I know, the X-T3 is the first.

This does not mean that it has high sensitivity and noise immunity, which can be mistaken for Fujifilm X-E3 and X-Pro2. Still, it performs well considering the high pixel count + enhancement of image plane phase difference AF.

Furthermore, I recommend the ” color chrome effect, ” first introduced in the GFX 50S and is not even implemented in the more expensive Fujifilm X-H1. In particular, the ability to reproduce red is increasing, so this is a function that I would like to use actively. However, it is limited to JPEG output. In addition, the new ” D range priority ” setting makes it easy to enjoy HDR-like depiction.

The image quality is good (as before) without the complicated specs story.

Fujifilm X-T30 Bad points

Camera operation unique to Fujifilm

The “Fujifilm X-series” has no “mode dial” except for entry models such as the X-A5 and X-T100.

You can switch between “P / A / S / M” like other companies by operating the shutter speed dial, aperture ring, and ISO sensitivity (depending on the model) provided on the camera. While you can enjoy classical operations, you cannot switch camera settings quickly.

For example, suppose a cat pops up during landscape photography. In that case, there are many things such as “AF-C with focus mode lever”, “change speed with shutter speed dial or ISO limit speed setting”, “change focus area”, “change image quality”, etc. Operation is required. It is not enough to deal with the photo opportunity. If you are another company, you can switch everything at once in custom mode, or you can temporarily switch camera settings with the call function.

The X-T30 has a lever that can change to “advanced SR auto” mode with a single lever. It would be convenient to change this mode to “a mode that forcibly intervenes with arbitrarily customized camera settings.”

A finder that gradually becomes obsolete

The exterior of the X-T30 is almost the same as the X-T10 except for the introduction of the joystick.

It is perfect to follow the texture of the top plate and dial, but the electronic equipment, such as the viewfinder (the remarkable improvement), is still the X-T10 and X-T20.

The X-T30’s “0.39-inch OLED 2.36 million dot viewfinder” is not inferior to its competitors. However, the mirrorless camera in the same price range in 2019 will have a 0.70 to 0.74x OLED finder (α6400, LUMIX G99, etc.). Compared to these, the small viewfinder image is a little disappointing.

In addition, since the eye point is short and there is no eyecup, it is a strict specification for spectacle wearers. If you are focusing on the viewfinder, you can use the X-T10 or X-T20, so you should check the viewfinder to see if it is within the permissible range.

Body too small for “comfortable operation.”

The compact and lightweight camera body mentioned in “Good Points” is too small from the viewpoint of “comfortable camera operation.” This is mainly related to the position of the newly mounted focus lever. It’s hard to use because you can’t operate the lever without lowering your thumb to an unnatural position. I find using the touchpad AF with my left hand easier than with the focus lever.

Furthermore, the erroneous operation rate of the Q button placed on the thumb rest is exceptionally high. Although the firmware update has improved a little, the probability of erroneous operation is still high. It is better to disable the Q button by customizing it. That specification is not found in conventional models, so check it when switching from the X-T20.

AF setting is challenging.

Although AF-C can be highly customized, it is a little complicated, and it is quite challenging to make the best choice for the scene. AF-C customization has several presets that suit the situation, but it’s hard to get the feeling that “Oh, this is it!”.

You don’t have to increase the number of presets, so it may be easier to understand if the Fujifilm mirrorless camera officially introduces some “recommended presets for your situation.”

The next problem is the balance between face/pupil detection and AF area mode. When face detection is on, face detection has priority regardless of the AF area mode (including when the face is erroneously detected, of course). It would be great if face detection continues to detect with high accuracy, but unfortunately, it is interrupted.

When the detection is interrupted, it returns to the AF position before the detection, so there are often scenes where the focus is lost. The only way to avoid this is to use the wide (following) mode to continuously chase follow-up AF even if face detection is cut off. Even in other AF area modes, I want a setting that allows the AF frame to move to the interrupted position even if face detection is interrupted.

Supplementally, I feel that the performance of face detection itself is considerably better than that of the 3rd generation. However, to use it comfortably, I have the impression that “I have another breath!”

Touch panel response and operability

It is better than it was when I was at X-E3.

However, the reaction is still slow compared to Canon and Panasonic. It would be nice if the touch focus and touch Fn were at least half-tempo responsive.

In addition, some points are inflexible and frustrating, such as not accepting other touch operations when using touch focus, and the feeling of touch menu operation is reversed and cannot be changed.

This summary

Satisfaction is 85 points.

Although there are some points to be worried about, AF, with excellent image quality (including functionality) and high response, is attractive for a camera in this price range. Including the beautiful XF lens group that complements it, it is a highly complete model as an APS-C mirrorless system.

Some parts are not perfect, such as the viewfinder magnification is a little slight, the AF system that I want to improve, and the touch panel that lacks response. Still, it is an acceptable level considering the advantages.

I can deal with some points by updating the firmware, so I would like you to continue releasing improved firmware unique to Fujifilm.

Fujifilm x-T30 Overview

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