Fujifilm X30 review in 2024

Pros

+ Superb design, styling and usability
+ Excellent mechanical zoom action is also the power switch
+ Very good 28-114mm equivalent f/2.0-2.8 zoom
+ Effective image stabilization
+ Tilting rear screen
+ Decent EVF

Cons

– Only 12MP (but do you definitely need more?)
– 28mm equivalent zoom not 24mm
– No 4K video, only 1080

Fujifilm X30 introduction and context

The Fujifilm X30 is the third iteration of Fujifilm’s premium compact camera. The original X10 was launched way back in 2011, the X20 appeared in 2013 with an X-Trans sensor and in 2014 the X30 arrived, swapping the optical direct-vision viewfinder of the first two models for an EVF. The 12MP resolution stayed the same all the way through, as did the 2/3-inch sensor size.

The sensor is smaller than those in today’s mirrorless cameras, but it shouldn’t be dismissed. It’s a 2/3-inch unit that’s much larger than those in smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras, so while it’s not large, it’s not that small either. This put the results from the X30 on a distinctly higher plane than those from phones, for example.

The key points about the X30 from today’s perspective is that it has the classy looks and the retro appeal of cameras like the X100 VI or X-T30, but with the convenience of a built-in 4x zoom, compact design and a lower price point.

There might be those who say it’s not a ‘proper’ camera, thanks to its smaller sensor and non-interchangeable lens, but the creative market has changed, and this kind of camera snobbishness won’t cut it any more. Creativity now takes many forms, and charm and practicality have become just as important as megapixels and specifications in the hearts of today’s creators.

It’s not the only Fujifilm camera that has aged remarkably well. The original Fujifilm X-T1 also holds up really well today, as do cameras from other brands from that era, such as the weighty Nikon D800. I’m also impressed by the sheer design and build quality of the even older Canon EOS 50D, though its sensor does betray its age.

The one other camera I would put in a similar category to the X30, albeit one with a bigger sensor and interchangeable lenses, is the wonderful Olympus PEN-F. Fitted with one of Olympus’s small primes, this too is a beautiful classically styled camera with modern appeal.

I guess my point is that while modern cameras will wipe the floor for these older models with their video capabilities, actually still camera quality has advanced very much less, to the extent that many ten-year-old cameras are still perfectly effective today.

See also
• Best used cameras to buy today
• Are used digital cameras any good for photography today?

Fujifilm X30 specifications

Sensor	12MP 2/3-inch X-Trans CMOS II
ISO range	100-3200, exp ISO 12800
Lens	7.1-28.4mm (28 – 112mm equivalent) f/2.0-2.8
Minimum focus distance	50cm/80cm wide/telephoto, 10cm/50cm macro wide/telephoto, 1cm super macro
Stabilization	Lens shift type
Maximum burst speed	12fps
Video	1080 up to 60fps
Viewfinder	0.39-in, 2.360K-dot OLED
LCD	3.0-inch tilting, 920K-dot
Storage	55MB internal memory, SD UHS I card slot
Battery	NP-95, 470 shots
Dimensions	118.7 × 71.6 × 60.3mm
Weight	423g

Fujifilm X30 features

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first. The X30’s 12MP resolution is well down on today’s norms, though its images are still enough to fill a 4K monitor, produce a top quality mid-size wall print and fill any web page or social channel. You’d probably have to downsize it from 12MP for online use anyway.

Given that it has a small(er) sensor, the limited resolution was a decision Fujifilm made in order to achieve decent image quality across a range of ISO settings – and I would say Fujifilm judged this compromise perfectly. I wouldn’t want to use the X30 past ISO 1600, but then its fast f/2.0-2.8 lens and effective optical stabilization mean I don’t often need to.

It doesn’t shoot 4K video, either. But then I’m guessing your phone does, and you’ll always have your phone with you, right?

So let’s switch to the positives. This is a compact camera with a fast f/2.0-2.8 4x zoom, a built-in EVF and a tilting rear screen. It also has plenty of manual control, with full PASM exposure modes. The built-in stabiization is very effective – if the fast lens doesn’t take care of low-light situations, the stablization will. I’d probably prefer a slightly wider 24mm zoom capability rather than the 28mm equivalent minimum focal length this lens provides, but I can live with that.

I also want to mention Fujifilm’s extended dynamic range modes, which juggle the ISO setting and tone curve settings to offer 200% or 400% dynamic range. This is invaluable for high-contrast scenes and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been able to pull back spectacular skies in RAW files that looked overexposed at the time. Compact cameras aren’t known for their dynamic range, but the X30 is a bit special.

Let’s also talk about the EVF. You can’t always take these for granted on compact cameras. Currently, the Canon PowerShot G7 X and G7 X II are selling for silly money on the used market, but these cameras don’t have viewfinders and, despite the bigger 1-inch sensor and some wild viral influencer adoration, I don’t think the G7 X is half the camera the X30 is.

The X30 also has a tilting rear screen. It doesn’t flip out sideways, but I’m probably not the only photographer to prefer a simpler tilting mechanism. It keeps the LCD on-axis with the camera lens and doesn’t feel as fragile or as obstructive as a flip-out screen. But then this is a design and handling point, which is what comes next.

Fujifilm X30 design and handling

There are a couple of things that really set the Fujifilm X30 apart, and I’ll start with the big one. This is a compact camera that’s designed like a physical object and not an electrically-actuated gadget. The zoom ring is a physical mechanism, not a fly-by-wire electrical motor. When you turn the zoom ring to zoom, you don’t have to wait for a motor because you are shifting a physical mechanism. 

Even better, the power switch is built into the zoom ring. You start the camera up and select a zoom setting in a single action. I can’t begin to describe how simple and how satisfying this mechanism is to use. In my long career as a camera reviewer, I’ve never used a compact digital camera as good to use as this one. Or, for that matter,  one that looks as good.

So that’s the next thing. If you think the Fujifilm X100 VI is beautiful, I have to tell you that this is not new. The Fujifilm X30 may never enjoy the same reputation because it belongs to a different era, but to my eyes it’s every bit as appealing. 

The design gulf between the Fujifilm X30 and its compact camera rivals at the time is every bit as great as that between the X100 VI and other high-end compact cameras today. And while there are plenty of compact cameras that out-spec the X30 in the modern era, there are none which, IMHO, approach it as a physical object to use and even admire that also incorporate a zoom lens.

Fujifilm X30 performance

For a compact camera with a 2/3-inch image sensor, the Fujifilm X30 produces very good images. Fujifilm wisely chose a compromise between resolution and overall image quality, so while the images are only 12 megapixels, they are sharp, clean and stand up especially well to editing.

The X30 does have a selection of Fujifilm Film Simulations, but if you do intend to do any editing, it’s best to shoot RAW – and because it’s only a 12MP camera, the RAW files aren’t that large. They also include the extra dynamic range of the 200% and 400% extended dynamic range option – this is not simply a JPEG processing step. The only downside is that noise does increase somewhat.

On the subject of noise, the X30 is quite usable up to ISO 1600 but probably not beyond that, depending on your own tolerance to image noise. Interestingly, the JPEGs display better management of noise and detail than Lightroom can manage with RAW files. For this, and other Fujifilm RAW files, you’re much better off with Capture One.

The autofocus is not especially sophisticated, dating from long before the latest advances in AI subject recognition and tracking, but thanks to the smaller sensor and lens components, it is very fast and effective and hard to fault.

The lens quality is surprising, showing good edge to edge consistency right across the frame and only losing a small amount of detail at full zoom – it’s much more consistent than the average DSLR or mirrorless kit lens, for example. There’s even an ultra-close-range macro mode.

Fujifilm X30 verdict

The Fujifilm X30 is a very handsome camera. It not only looks good, it’s a delight to use, and packs a very good, very fast 4x zoom into a compact and portable design. The obvious disadvantages are its limited 12MP resolution and lack of 4K video, but with the resurgence in popularity of old retro camera designs, both analog and digital, it’s pretty clear that users place far more emphasis on a camera’s physical appeal than its technological prowess – and the X30 provides both that physical appeal and some pretty competent imaging capabilities too.

We’ve seen how the Fujifilm X100 VI has gone viral and the X30, not to mention other similarly ‘classic’ camera designs, have benefited indirectly as people who can’t get an X100 VI look for the next best alternative. Prices for the X30 have been steadily rising, and they are currently selling for quite a lot more than I paid for mine when I bought it new a few years ago.

If 12MP is enough for you (it’s about what you get from a smartphone) and you can live without 4K video, I don’t think there is a much better walkaround/travel camera than this one, even ten years after its launch.