Owing to its image quality, compact body and nostalgic, tactile experience, Fujifilm’s approachable X-T30 model has been beloved by travel photographers for years. I know several travel writers and content creators who swear by the X-T30 II and readily suggest it to would-be photographers looking to dip deeper into the expensive world of professional photography.
And so the hotly anticipated X-T30 III arrives with plenty of fanfare, especially now that modern content creators are looking to elevate from their smartphones. And it’s perfectly timed with Christmas right around the corner.
Iterative updates are more readily accepted in entry-level photography than in smartphone land. This is because there are so many phone users out there who haven’t yet upgraded to a professional camera. Their smartphone is a gateway to better, more creative photography and videography, and so you get plenty of people who want to invest in professional photography but haven’t yet found the time, money or confidence to justify the investment.
And so it won’t be a surprise to see the X-T30 III post some impressive numbers for Fujifilm when it arrives in Australia late November, just weeks before the holiday season kicks off. Pre-orders for the camera are open now, and it’s surprisingly only a tad pricier than the X-T30 II was when it was released.
Fujifilm have designed this as the “perfect” everyday camera, pitching it as a premium entry-level kit that’s geared towards pulling amateurs into the realm of professional photography. They’ve done that before. Many times. Fujifilm has been birthing serious photographers since 1934.
The price point is the most important part here. At $1,679 you get Fujifilm’s signature retro-styled aesthetic and some nice specs that have been modernised to bring the X-T30 model in line with the brand’s more expensive cameras.
That new and improved processor should do most of the heavy lifting here, promising better life, improvements to Film Simulations and custom recipes, and much faster image processing. This is crucial at a time when brands like DJI are trying to bring more speed and spontaneity to content creation.
Okay, so give me the specs. What can I expect from the Fujifilm X-T30 III?
Fujifilm clearly pitch this as a travel-friendly camera. The body weights just 378g and has nostalgia coded into every dial. The handling seems to have changed a bit from the previous model, but this could be a more logical set-up (I won’t know until I get my hands on one).
You’re getting the Film Simulation dial that was introduced on the more expensive X-T50, filtering some of that value down and letting you easily switch between various Film Simulation modes for better, more fluid creative expression. Fujifilm has 20 different Film Simulation modes now, switching pre-set colour reproduction, tonal gradation and other elements to help you find your voice.
And that’s the true value in this, really: finding your voice. I’m a firm believer that most people in this world are creative, but some just have a problem with expression. To balance such an affordable (relatively), entry-level camera with flexible style and quality will help new photographers dial in their own style when they’re travelling.
The X-T30 III hasn’t changed Fujifilm’s approach to this entry-level model. The mirrorless digital camera is powerful with a 26.1 MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and a high-speed X-Processor 5, able to process images almost twice as fast as 2021’s X-T30 II.
You can also expect more efficient subject detection AF, and the essential pop-up flash that snaps up at the flick of a button, just like an old-school camera. Video supports 6.2K/30P in 4:2:2 10-bit quality, with additional support for 4K/60P and 1080/240P. Digital image stabilisation should also see a marked improvement over the previous model.
Most exciting for content creators is the 9:16 movie mode, which trickles down from the X-M5 and better speaks to users who want to shoot vertical videos in short formats.
Exposure, speed and ISO each get their own dial.
“The new Fujifilm X-T30 III is the perfect addition to our lineup,” claims Shaun Mah, General Manager, Electronic Imaging & Optical Devices Divisions, FUJIFILM Australia.
“By adding our latest technology, such as the X-Processor 5, and our Film Simulation dial to the already popular X-T30 line, this makes for the perfect camera to capture your everyday.”
Pre-orders for the Fujifilm X-T30 III are now open online.
