For some time now, camera manufacturers have understood that there is only one way to beat smartphones, and that is to offer high-performance connected cameras which allow for the creation of shots of infinitely superior quality and which provide automatic settings for users who haven’t yet learned to shoot manually. Following this line, Fujifilm has just released the X-T30, a compact and light mirrorless unit created for advanced amateurs, for those who - for example - are looking both to print shots and to lend a professional touch to their social accounts.
Nicknamed the “little giant”, the X-T30 inherits a large number of characteristics from the professional X-T3 and compresses them into a case which weighs little more than a smartphone (383 grams) and can be held in one hand. It carries an ASPC 26.1-megapixel sensor, which is powerful enough to produce printable images and is perfect for lovers of digital. The photograph is so wide that it can be cropped as the user likes, even focusing on a distant subject.
As said, the body is small. For those with very large hands, this is a limit, but the majority of us will find it very comfortable. The commands are all positioned in the right place and, compared to the previous X-T20, Fujifilm has finally abandoned the directional cross for a more comfortable joypad which provides access to the main functions, including the focus point. Even with the eye in the viewfinder, the fingers easily move on this lever. On the back we have a touch-screen display. It tilts in two directions (upwards and downwards) and allows for easy filming (the X-T30 reaches 4K at 30 fps) or shooting in difficult positions where we can’t get our eye to the viewfinder.
The X-T30 gives access to grown-up photography step by step. Those who are still finding their feet can use the automatic mode or the various settings dedicated to all situations, and maybe use the film simulator, one of the high-points of Fujifilm. The camera develops in RAW with satisfactory results. We can choose between natural or vivid, or between a soft or contrasted black and white. This way, the shots are already ready to be shared. To this end, the camera has Bluetooth, and finally Fujifilm has decided to update its Camera Remote app, which allows for the pictures in the camera to be saved on a smartphone with a tap. The new version will be released in March for iOS and in May for Android, and we can’t wait. The current version is practically useless.
Available from the end of March, the Fujifilm X-T30 will cost 949.99 euros for the body alone. For one hundred euros more, buyers can get it in a kit with the XC 15-45 mm lens, and at 1,249.99 with both the XC 15-45 mm and the XC 50-230 mm lenses. For 1,349.99, it comes with the XF 18-55 mm F2.8-4 R. As always, however, these are recommended prices and generally once they hit the shops, they can be found for up to a hundred euros less.