Originally Published February 2nd, 2019

I sold two cameras in one week!?

Yeah, I’m consolidating my photography kit and adding some new tools for video.

It’s an exciting time!

But I’m sad to see a couple of my cameras go.

First the Fuji X70—now the Fuji X30.

This time I was prepared, I have plenty of photos to share as well as a proper review of the camera. Enjoy!

The Fujifilm X30 Compact Digital Camera

The Fuji X30 is a point & shoot aimed at photo enthusiasts like myself. It offers a smaller body and sensor size but delivers in functionality, style, and features.

 

The Design

The X30 continues Fuji’s efforts to produce stylish & innovative camera bodies. I’ve always been drawn to Fujifilm for their vintage style cameras. The X30 is no different; housed in magnesium alloy and sporting a black rubber grip—the camera feels hefty & perfectly balanced in hand.

Topside you’ll find two manual dials—one for shooting mode another for exposure compensation. The built-in pop up flash is oddly satisfying. The X30 is also equipped with a hot shoe mount for additional flash.

 

The X30 is a mirrorless camera with one of the largest & brightest EVF viewfinders in its class. However, unlike its bigger brother the X100—there is no OVF feature.

The 3″ LCD screen is nice and bright—it also tilts for low or high angle shots.

One of my favorite features on this camera is the manual zoom lens. It comes with a built in 28mm to 112mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent). It also operates as the “on and off” switch. The lens is fast too—2.0 wide to 2.8 tele. The size of the X30 (small enough for a jacket pocket) along with its wide field of view—makes this a perfect carry anywhere camera.

Overall the camera is a joy to shoot—harkening back to the days of 35mm rangefinders in its style and functionality.

Features

What the X30 lacks in sensor size (12MP 2/3 X Trans CMOS II) it makes up in features. Not only does it take bright, sharp, & colorful photos—it also has the option to shoot HD 1080P video.

The X30 is equipped with Fuji’s film simulators—including Velvia & Classic Chrome (my personal favorite).

The shutter is quite fast when using Super High : approx. 12 fps. It is also very quiet on silent mode—making it great for sneaky shots.

Built in WiFi—which I use quite a bit.

The battery packs a punch at nearly 470 photos per charge.

Sadly—there is no multiple exposure option.

Overall

I love this camera!

It just looks cool!

This camera makes me want to pick it up and go on a photo walk!

Why Am I Selling It??

The biggest reason is the same as my X70—I just didn’t find myself using it as much as I should be.

Honestly, my X100F will do a much better job than the X30 at capturing day to day photos & street photography. The X100F has a much better sensor, functionality, and feel. While the X30 does have zoom capabilities—I don’t find myself using it that often. If I need to take zoom photos—I’ll grab my Canon 7D and 70-200mm 2.8 lens.

I’m not a fan of the video. I used this camera to film my first 5 youtube videos and I just wan’t happy with the way the quality of the video.

The tilt screen is ok but it would be even better if it flipped around like the X70—or better yet, flipped to the side for vlogging.

Honestly—I was going to use this for video—but it lacks the options I need ie. focus tracking, flip screen, 4k etc.

What About Carry Everywhere?

I recently purchased a Fujifilm X-E2 which is a mirrorless interchangeable lens rangefinder. It’s small enough to carry with me most places and it has a much bigger sensor as well—hey, I guess I’m just not a fan of the smaller sensor.

Conclusion 

The X30 is a beautiful, solidly built, joy of a camera. I loved taking it with me everywhere and making photos with it. I don’t regret my decision to buy it. I just can’t keep every camera that I buy (because Ashley will hurt me).

I highly recommend the X30 if you love the ascetics of old 35mm rangefinders, don’t mind having a smaller sensor, and are looking for an affordable—compact carry anywhere camera.

The X30 is one of the best in its class—you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for reading gang!
I’ll have a video review of the X30 coming soon.
I’ll post a link to this page once it’s uploaded.

-Tim