The Fujifilm X30 ($599.95) doesn't represent a huge upgrade in terms of imaging from its predecessor, the X20 ( at Amazon)(Opens in new window —it's got the same manual zoom lens and 12-megapixel X-Trans sensor—but it's a significant departure from the X20 in one aspect. It has lost the bright, zooming optical viewfinder which made the X20 so unique.
It has been replaced by an outstanding EVF. However, the EVF may be as great as it is. For those who like an optical view, however, this is a disappointing loss. Although the X30 is a great camera, it can be expensive and does not compare to larger-sensor cameras in terms of image quality or resolution. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC–RX100 III, a pocket camera with a 1-inch sensor ($748.00 on Amazon) (Opens in new window) remains our Editors’ Choice in the premium compact category.
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Design and Features
The X30 is 2.8 inches by 4.7 inches by 2.4 inches (HWD), and 14.9 ounces in weight. This is a bit too big for many pockets and slightly larger than the X20 (2.76 by 4.6 inches by 2.2 inch, 12.4 ounces). You can choose from an all-black or a chrome version. The body is covered in a leatherette, which covers the majority of its surface with a metal top plate and black leatherette.
This lens features a manual zoom, which is rare in compact cameras. To zoom in or out, you will need to turn the barrel manually. This is a far cry from electronic zoom rocksers. This is also how the X30 can be turned on or off. Twisting the lens extends its capabilities and helps it to stay in the most collapsed condition. The X30 does benefit from the added depth. It is the same size as the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II (Amazon: $779.00) (Opens in a new browser)(2.9x4.6x2.6inches, 1.2lbs), but it's heavier due to a complex zoom lens which must cover the huge 1.5-inch image sensor.
With a variable f/2 to 2.8 aperture, the X30 has a 4-x zoom range of 28-112mm. This design has been used by Fuji since the X10, Fuji's first attempt at this camera class. The Canon PowerShot G7X X (Amazon: $699.00) is slightly wider. It features a 24-100mm zoom lens with f/1.8 to 2.8. Although the G7X X is larger than its predecessor, it packs a brighter, wider lens in a smaller package. The company could have updated the X30 with a larger lens to match its competition. But, we will have to wait to see if there is a new version.
Fuji improved the control system of its X20. Fuji has improved the control scheme of the X20 by adding a control ring to the lens and a button on its faceplate which changes the function. The bottom right corner of your faceplate has a switch that allows you to toggle between continuous autofocus and single autofocus. The lens control ring can be used to focus when the mode is set to manual. Peaking is a feature that highlights the in-focus parts of the frame. You can thread the shutter release, making it possible to use a cable for mechanical release. This is especially useful when using a tripod.
Top plate contains the hot shoe, pop-up flash and mode dial. It also houses the shutter release button, a movie recorder and an EV compensation dial. This dial can range from -3 EV up to +3 EV at third-stop increments. The rear buttons can be used to change the drive mode and set exposure. They also control flash, self-timer and flash settings. You can launch Wi-Fi with the X30 by using the menu and delete functions. Rear control dial can be turned left and right to adjust shutter speed and aperture according to the shooting mode. Pushing it in magnifies your frame which is helpful if you choose manual focus.
Fuji has an on-screen menu that allows you to make additional adjustments. You can adjust 16 settings using the Q button located at the rear. You can navigate it easily by using the controls around the Menu/OK buttons to switch between settings, or the control dial at the rear to modify them.
The picture output mode is one of the options you have access to from Q's menu. Fuji digital cameras have had film emulation settings since the beginning. This allows you to choose between Velvia's punchy and saturated look or Provia's more natural style. Classic Chrome is a new mode for film in the X30. Although Fuji won't advertise the addition of a Kodak film emulator mode to its digital cameras, it is clear that Classic Chrome feels and looks very much like Kodachrome.
The colors are true to life, although the palette is a little muted. The blue skies in Velvia are brighter than the dark, deep colors. This is just beautiful. It's just beautiful. When reviewing digital cameras, I shoot in Raw+JPG mode if the camera supports it. Then I process and upload the Raw images. The X30 was set to Classic Chrome so I didn't think twice about Raw processing.
Rear display: A 3-inch LCD screen with 921k dots resolution. That's on par with other cameras in this class—and sharper than the 460k-dot panel used by the older X20. The camera is mounted on hinges so that it can be tilted up or down. However, touch input is not supported. It's difficult to see the screen in direct sunlight at the default brightness. However, you can adjust the brightness using the Q menu. You can also access the Monitor Sunlight Mode via the Screen Set Up option. This mode increases the brightness but tends to fade colors. The Canon G7 X was able to cut through the glare and not deaturate, which made it a more pleasant experience.
The G7 X does not have an eye-level viewfinder. The 2,400k dot OLED EVF on the X30 is among the most impressive you will find in a compact camera. EVFs in compact cameras, such as the Nikon Coolpix P7800 with EVFs are smaller and less sharp than those on the X30. The X30's optical finder is larger than that of the X20, but it works just as well.
It does exhibit some stuttering in low-light conditions, as with most EVFs. However it is not worse than what you will see on an LCD rear Live View feed. The optical finder was something I missed when shooting with my X30. It was that one thing that truly set the X20 apart in a crowded marketplace. It's not easy to find an EVF as sharp as the ones found in mirrorless cameras such as the Sony Alpha6000 (Opens in new window).
WiFi comes with the X30. It was a desirable feature a few years back, but it is expected to become a standard one. The Fujifilm Cam Remote app allows you to connect your X30 with an iOS or Android phone and then download JPG photos and videos. Remote control is also possible via the app. You can view live streams via Wi-Fi and have all the same shooting controls as you would have with the X30 top dial. You can set flash output, self-timer and ISO to adjust manual controls.
Although the app has geotagging, it is not very well-designed. Although it can provide location information for photos captured within the last few minutes, this function is limited to those images. Canon offers a similar function in CameraWindow. However, it matches the location of your smartphone with the timestamps on photos to allow you to add GPS data later.
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Performance and conclusions
The speed at which the X30 can start and capture and in-focus image depends entirely on how quickly you can turn its lens. I performed about two dozen timed trials and found that at my quickest, I could manage that feat in about 0.7-second, and at my worst about 1.4 seconds. I found that the most comfortable speed to be the average one, about 1 second. But that's a lot quicker than the RX100 III, which requires about 2.2 seconds to start and shoot.
The X30's burst speed is very high. The X30 can produce JPG images at 11.8fps, which is enough to take 20 shots in Super-High speed mode. Standard High speed shooting slows down to 9.3fps. This allows it to keep the pace for either 23 JPG or 13 Raw frames. Autofocus is very fast. The X30 can lock and fire in under 0.1 seconds. The X30 can be used to automatically select a focal point or you can set it up so that the camera tracks a moving object.
Imatest was used to test the sharpness and clarity of the X30 lens. The lens scored 2,172 lines per inch of picture height at 28mm f/2 on the center-weighted Sharpness Test. This is better than the 1,800 lines that we use when determining whether a photograph is acceptable sharp. Although there's a decrease in the resolution near the edges (1,667 line), this is not nearly as severe as what compact cameras show.
The center-weighted score is increased to 2,229 lines by stopping at f/2.8. Edges are above 1,800 lines. At f/4 the Diffraction reduces detail, dropping it to 2,086 lines. It drops to 1,799 lines at f/5.6. Although you have the option to stop at f/11, I do not recommend that the aperture be smaller than f/5.6.
The maximum aperture at 50mm is f/2.2. Again, the lens is sharp with 2,263 lines. It performs fairly well up to the edge of the frame. At f/2.8 the lens is slightly sharper at 2,281 lines, while at f/4 it loses resolution (2,175 and 1,932 lines, respectively). It drops to 1,575 lines at f/8. It's still strong at 112mm (2,288 lines), and slightly better at f/4 (2.349 lines), with edges at the top of 2,000 lines. The f/5.6 drop is slight, and the f/8 one,397 line drops.
Although there is no distortion when JPG shooting, it is evident that Live View doesn't always show the correct distortion correction when zooming in fast. Flare is also a problem. I did not have a Fuji hood with me when I tested, but I found that I could induce flare on a few occasions by simply turning the lens to the most extreme angle.
It was high up in the sky but slightly to my side, so I was photographing a subject in shadow that was backlit. This is not a great photographic situation, but it's what I do. I am so used to using modern lenses with excellent flare resistance that I was shocked to find a large rainbow-colored lens flare in my corner.
Imatest can also check photos for noise. This adds a grainy effect to images and reduces the detail in higher ISO settings. The X30 reduces noise by less than 1.5 percent at ISO 1600, and just 1.7 percent at ISO 3200 when shooting JPG images. Although the X30's 12-megapixel resolution is impressive and its larger than average 2/3 inch X-Trans sensor image sensor help keep noise down, they are not miracle workers. A close examination of images on calibrated displays shows some blurring at ISO 1600.
You can shoot at ISO 6400 and 12800 in JPG, but you shouldn't bother—as you can see in the ISO scene crops in the accompanying slideshow, image quality is poor when you push the camera that far. A compact camera that has a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor, such as the Sony RX100 III and Canon G7XX will give you more detail. These cameras offer more resolution, which allows for larger prints and better cropping.
The X30 is capable of capturing images in Raw format using ISO 3200. The X30 has a slightly better JPG output at ISO 800 than the RX100 III, although it is noticeably more detailed at ISO 1600 or 3200. The X30 wins here again in terms of details at the highest Raw ISO. However, the Sony RX100 III is noticeably better when capturing Raw images at ISO 3200. This edge also holds true at lower ISOs. The RX100 III's price of $800 may turn you off. Sony sells both the RX100 II, and the RX100 II (598.00 at Amazon). Both feature a 1 inch 20-megapixel image sensor.
Although the X30 can record video at QuickTime quality up to 1080p60, I was not impressed by its quality. It's not quite as sharp as I'd expect from its resolution, and there was evidence of rainbow color moiré effects in test footage. Although the audio quality is acceptable, it can be difficult to not pick up background noises when manual zooming in.
An external microphone can be used to bypass the microphone input. A micro HDMI port can be used to connect to an HDTV and a USB port is available to plug in to the computer. The X30 can charge its internal batteries via micro USB. It also comes with an AC adapter, cable and cable. The X30 does not include an external charger. If you want to purchase a second battery for your camera, it will be worth the cost. All standard SD and SDHC memory formats can be used.
The decision to replace the X20’s optical finder with an EVF will be a love-or-hate one. Your opinion on the Fujifilm X30 is likely to reflect your position. The EVF is a great compact camera feature. It also avoids many of the pitfalls that were present in the X20's optical finder, such as imprecise framing or the fact that its view field is blocked by the lens barrel.
The question now is whether or not the entry-level $600 X30 will be worth it. The X30 is solidly constructed and easy to use the manual zoom lens. Its image quality may not be as great as that of more expensive cameras like the Canon PowerShot G7 X ($700), which offers a slightly wider angle and zooms almost as far as our Editors Choice, the RX100 III (which has a 24-70mm lens but a very good pop-up EVF). If you are a cropper or want to print large prints, the 12-megapixel XTrans image sensor on the X30 is not as good as the 1-inch 20MP image sensors in the other cameras.
There's also Classic Chrome. It may make it worth your money if you long for the glory days of Kodachrome. I loved the film mode more than any Fuji digital camera. One reason may lie in the fact that Kodachrome is no longer available for me to load into my digital camera. It's also impossible to properly develop the film. This is not true for Velvia and Provia. Although slide film can be expensive to produce and to process, you still have the option to do so if it is something you truly want.
In a highly competitive market, the X30 is available. The best compact cameras are the 1-inch sensor models from Sony and Canon. However, the RX100 and G7 X share the same design. In terms of size and handling the X30 feels closer to other cameras such as the Nikon P7800 or Canon PowerShot G16. It also compares well with these models.
The X30's EVF performs better than that in the P7800 and the G16 has a tiny optical finder. Each of these three cameras have their strengths and weaknesses. The X30, however, is my favorite among them all. It's still not the most compact camera available. You can upgrade image quality with the Sony RX100 or Canon G7X cameras.
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