The Fujifilm X30 is an amazing and fun little camera. All it does is create wonderful pictures. It was quite surprising, and just blew away my expectations! I bet some of you aren’t even aware that this camera exists.
MPB is the sponsor of this article. They loaned me a Fujifilm X30 to try out for a couple of weeks. For those who don’t know, MPB is an online platform where you can buy, sell, or trade used photo and video gear. “At MPB, there’s something for everyone who wants to try something new, hone their skills, or pursue their passion—and it won’t cost the earth.” If you’re in the market for used camera gear, be sure to check out their platform—you can learn more about MPB here. Thank you, MPB, for making this article possible!
The Fujifilm X30 is a compact fixed-lens zoom camera with a tiny 12MP X-Trans II sensor. The third iteration in the series, the X30 was already a bit dated when it was released in 2014. With its discontinuation in 2016, Fujifilm abandoned the series altogether. The camera has a 28mm-112mm full-frame-equivalent f/2-2.8 lens, so it covers a lot of focal lengths. It has pretty good close focus capabilities and even optical image stabilization. There’s a lot to like on paper, but the 2/3″ CMOS sensor is just really small, and I think it’s hard to take a camera seriously with such a tiny sensor—especially when that tech is a decade old or more. That’s all on paper, of course, and real world use is what actually matters.
Despite the tiny sensor, the Fujifilm X30 is actually a similar size (just a tad smaller) to the Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 18mm f/2 pancake. The camera is not nearly as compact as I had expected. I had anticipated the dimensions to be more similar to the Fujifilm X70—perhaps even be pocketable—but it’s actually noticeably larger. In place of the usual Shutter Dial is a PASM Dial (which was common on Fujifilm’s lower-end models at the time); otherwise, the X30 looks and functions like many other Fujifilm X-series cameras. Because of the tiny sensor, it has significantly lower high-ISO capabilities than the APS-C models—I think it’s best to keep the camera at ISO 800 and below, but I did use ISO 1600 in some low-light situations and it was ok enough.
I programmed seven Film Simulation Recipes into the camera’s C1-C7 Custom Presets: Classic Kodak Chrome, Kodachrome 64, Pro Film, Lomography Color 100, Provia Negative, CineStill 800T, and Monochrome Red. This is a good set that covers most situations. Also, because each one uses a different White Balance type, the camera will remember the White Balance Shift for each. On the older cameras, which aren’t capable of saving a WB Shift within the C1-C7 presets, the experience is much improved if each Recipe uses a different White Balance type. I used Kodachorme 64 the most, and Classic Kodak Chrome second most—at one point or another, each of the seven came in handy.
The pictures from this camera are amazing! They have a ton of character—I especially love the lens flare. I think the photographs are the selling point of the X30. It doesn’t have a ton of resolution, so you probably can only print up to 11″ x 14″ and not likely any larger; however, the files are plenty large enough for web and social media use, which is how most pictures are seen nowadays. I could see myself using this as an everyday-carry. Just grab it while heading out the door on ordinary outings.
Once again, a big “thank you” to MPB for loaning me a Fujifilm X30. It definitely is “outdated” in 2024, but the images that it creates are surprisingly wonderful, which makes it worthwhile to own and use. I think this could also be an excellent option for someone just learning photography. Even though the X30 is an easy to overlook model—especially since compact zooms have largely been forsaken by the industry—the retro design of this camera and especially the nostalgic photographs that it makes are easy to love.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on a Fujifilm X30:
Previously in this series:
Fujifilm X-Pro2 — The camera that got away (again)
Fujifilm X-T50 + Fujinon 23mm F/2 = Interchangeable-Lens Fujifilm X100VI??
Leica Q2 from the perspective of a Fujifilm photographer
Up next: Close Up with the Fujinon XF 30mm F/2.8 R LM WR Macro
BTW, in the top picture the camera is sitting on Kyle McDougall’s book An American Mile. An excellent photoessay, and great for inspiration—I highly recommend it.