Now, I know that many would like to have the NP-W235 battery on every Fujifilm camera. But fact is: the NP-W126S battery is here to stay, because it allowes certain cameras to have the smallest size possible.
Fujifilm 5th generation cameras with NP-W126S battery
It looks like the brand new Fujifilm X-T30 III just did something I thought was almost impossible: it made people happy, even on the comments here on FujiRumors 😊
Because, let’s face it — over the last few months (or even years), there’s been a lot of critiques in the comments on FujiRumors every time Fujifilm launched something new (often I feel rightful critiques, but often I think also not).
the Fujifilm X-E5 was slammed for being too expensive (worth every penny, if you ask me)
the Fujifilm X-M5 triggered a massive s*itstorm because it lacked a viewfinder
the Fujifilm X half series was labeled as an overpriced experiment
and even the Fujifilm X-T50, with its IBIS and 40MP sensor, was accused of being overkill
In short: Fujifilm has faced its fair share of criticism with almost every recent release.
So, when the X-T30 III dropped, I braced myself before opening the comment section — expecting yet another wave of disappointment.
But much to my surprise… that didn’t happen.
In fact, the more I scrolled, the more positive reactions I found (with some negatives here and there).
Let’s quote a few:
OreganoSpliff: Well, I’m finding it hard to talk s**t given what you get for the money
Marcio K: xactly what I tought to be – the X-M5 in the X-T30 body. For the price, very interesting.
Stefan: £829 in the uk is super cheap. Just £30 more than the XT30ii was at launch
italianbreadman: This is the best thing they’ve done in years
If I were to judge only from the comments, I’d say Fujifilm did a lot of things right with the X-T30 III — mainly by holding the price around that magical 1K mark.
So what is the best camera right now to get into the Fujifilm X system?
Well, the answer is of course very personal and it depends on your needs and preference.
However, if “compact size” is one of your top criteria (and you want an EVF), then it probably makes no difference if you go for the Fujifilm X-T30 III,X-T50, X-S20 or X-E5, since they are all pretty close in size as you can see below from the comparison taken from Camerasize.
So other factors will be more important in your decision.
For example, for me there is no competition: it must be rangefinder styled. So Fujifilm X-E5 is the way to go.
If you prefer PSAM dial instead, the X-S20 is pretty much your only (and excellent) option: a bit more expensive, sure, but you’ll get also IBIS and a fully articulating screen if that’s important to you.
If on the other hand resolution is a priority, then the X-T50 might be to consider.
If on a budget, though, I’d go for the X-T30III and compensate for the lack of IBIS with a stabilized lens, such as the XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3.
Speaking of XC13-33, I also wanted to compare it with the other wide angle zooms of Fujifilm (XC15-45mm and XF10-24mm) as well as the more higher end kit lens, the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8.
I love how compact the XC13-33 is and so far from the first looks I have seen it seems to be a fairly priced lens for its performance (it costs $150 only if purchased bundled with the X-T30III).
But I am still kind of amazed by the XF16-50mm, an “ordinary” kit lens that comes with some more premium features like weather sealing, linear autofocus motor and an internal zoom.
So, if you don’t miss too much the range from 13 to 15, then I guess I’d recommend the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8. Although, that’s not offered bundled with the X-T30III and the XC13-33mm becomes an unbeatable bargain if purchased bundled with X-T30III.
X-T30III vs X-E5X-T30III vs X-E5X-T30III vs X-S20X-T30III vs X-S20X-T30III vs X-T50X-T30III vs X-T50XC15-45 vs XC13-33 vs XF16-50 vs XF10-24
There are some things you might have missed, some strange omissions compared to other Fujifilm cameras like the X-E5, and even a feature that makes it oddly superior (on paper) to the X-E5 despite being substantially cheaper. Let’s dive in.
Less Film Simulations, More Flexibility
The X-T30 III’s film simulation dial lacks of dedicated Classic Neg. and Nostalgic Neg. slots, unlike all other FS dials Fujifilm has released so far. But at least you can store recipes on the FS1 to FS3 position, like on my beloved Fujifilm X-E5 (you can’t do that on X-T50 and X-M5).
One Firmware Away from Auto Subject Detection Awesomeness
In full AUTO mode, subject detection automatically switches between people, animals, and other subjects (train, car, etc.), just like on the X-S20. It’d be great to have this fully automatic detection in regular shooting modes too.
So please, Fujifilm. You are just a few firmware code lines away from making this happen!
EVF Strangeness
I hope to be wrong with this one, but I have not seen it mentioned anywhere: it looks like the Fujifilm X-T30 III does not have my new favorite EVF “classic display mode”. I love it on my X-E5, and I don’t understand why Fujifilm couldn’t put it also on the X-T30 III.
The Fujifilm X-T30III is substantially cheaper than the Fujifilm X-E5, and yet it features a higher resolution LCD than the X-E5. Look, in real life this does not matter, and yet it is interesting to note that.
in the image size settings, besides the usual 1:1, 3:2, 16:9 etc settings, there are also “instax mini”, “instax square” and “instax wide” settings: those setting record compressed JPEG/HEIF in a shape matching those Instax formats. Shooting 1:1 format has higher resolution than 1:1 Instax Square format.
Also, you can directly print to Instax printers.
6K – Same Same, but Different
6K modes on 40MP models are cropped in wide screen shape, but on 26MP models it’s 6K open gate.
Fujifilm has updated the X App software to version 2.7.0 for iOS. Down below are all the details.
But before that, at the moment the App has a 3.8 stars rating on the Apple Store. That’s way up compared to the 2.6 rating of the past.
Not to talk of the older Camera Remot App, which also got an update recently (just minor bug fixes), but its rating is stuck at 1.4 stars.
What’s New?
The location information of the smartphone synchronizes the camera even when the smartphone is in lock screen mode or when the application is running in the background.
Note: To use this function, access to “Location” in the XApp must be set to “Always Allow”.
Activity information can be shared as image data, so that you can use them for the social networking sites, etc.
Some other function improvements are implemented.
Supported OS versions are iOS14 and later versions.
