Photography News Issue 65

Camera test 21

Photography News | Issue 65 | photographynews.co.uk

Verdict

Features Excellent sensor, AF system and focus lever are all positives Handling 23/25 The design is proven and enhanced with the addition of the focus lever Performance 24/25 Lovely image quality, responsive AF and fine exposures Value for money 24/25 Sub-£1000 body with a top sensor gives the X-T30 huge appeal Overall 94/100 Another star performer from Fujifilm and sure to be a big seller Pros Sensor, focus lever, small body, AF, great value of performance weaknesses? In all honesty, not really. Some people might not like its look or the way it handles, but if you simply need a leading camera supported by an outstanding lens collection at an attractive price, there seems no point looking any further than the Fujifilm X-T30. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then the proof of the camera is in the pictures it produces. Well, there is no denying the Fujifilm X-T30 delivers in spades, and the pictures it produces are first-rate. While there is much hype and interest in full-frame mirrorless capture, cameras like the X-T30 show why for a great many photographers, there is no need for the larger format. It gives top- quality files, easily good enough for big prints, and brings genuine user benefits, like portability. It’s rich in features, too, with AF points across 99% of the frame, an AF focus lever, fast burst shooting rates – and all this in a really portable body. Did the X-T30 show any signs 23/25

The front and rear input dials can have their functions varied as well, and the Q Menu can be edited, too. However you like to use a camera, all tastes are catered for in the X-T30. While the X-T30 is not aimed at action shooters, it has the potential to deal with quick-moving situations. With the electronic shutter, you get 30fps with a 1.25x crop giving about 16 megapixels resolution and no blackout, and 20fps with the full APS-C frame. You get AE/AF tracking, too. With the mechanical shutter, the top continuous shooting speed is 8fps. Features like Pre-Shot – which works with the electronic shutter – are great. You can just keep your finger on the buttonwithout actually taking any shots. At 30fps, Pre-Shot gives up to ten frames with the shutter button partially depressed, and then up to 22 shots when the shutter is fully depressed. At 10fps, you again get ten frames while the shutter button is partly depressed and up to 68 shots with the shutter button fully depressed. A feature brought across from the X-T3 is the sports finder mode, which is available when using the mechanical shutter. It’s very handy for action shooting, giving you a split second more warning before the subject arrives in the image area.

For video shooting, the X-T30 can record 4K 4096x2160 at 23.98p/24p/25p/30p for up to ten minutes, and at Full HD you get up to 120fps for slow-motion effects (there is a crop in this mode). The ETERNA Film Simulation mode is provided if you want a desaturated feel to your footage (and stills). To sum up, I really enjoyed using the Fujifilm X-T30. I liked

its predecessor, the X-T20, too, but the X-T30’s BSI sensor takes image quality up a significant step, especially if you enjoy using higher ISOs – and its AF is much more assured and fast. The body is not weatherproofed, nor is there in-body image stabilisation, but build quality is impressive, it feels solid and many Fujifilm lenses have OIS built in.

All tastes are catered for with the X-T30

Cons Focus lever position, no weatherproofing, no in-body stabilisation