Fujifilm X-T30 II
Fujifilm’s ‘little giant’ has been given an upgrade in the form of the X-T30 II, ANGELA NICHOLSON investigates
Fujifilm’s X-T30 is one of my favourite cameras of recent times because it combines a solid build, traditional controls and a relatively compact body with the ability to produce attractive images that have excellent colour and exposure, plus a good level of detail. So it’s with mixed emotions that I discover that the X-T30 II only makes a few upgrades on its predecessor, most of which, some might argue, could have been implemented with a simple firmware update to the X-T30. But let’s focus on what the new camera offers.
First up, I have no qualms about the sensor and processing engine, they are the same 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 as in the X-T4 and X-T30.
That’s a great combination and it delivers the image quality that both I and many other photographers like.
The X-T30 II only has a few physical upgrades on the X-T30, one of which is a move from a 1.04-million dot screen on its rear to a 1.62-million dot device. That simply means that when viewing your images, they look even crisper than before. The rest of the upgrades are on the inside of the X-T30 II, for example, it has the enhanced autofocus (AF) algorithms of the X-T4 to make its Intelligent Hybrid AF system faster and more sensitive in low light than the X-T30. In fact, when the Fujifilm XF50mm f1.0 R WR lens is mounted, the X-T30 II’s AF system is sensitive down to -7.0EV rather than -3EV with the X-T30.
This was particularly noticeable when shooting on an overcast winter day in a local woodland. Even in the low contrast and poor lighting conditions, the X-T30 II managed to get the subject sharp quickly and decisively. It also does a good job of keeping moving subjects sharp when the AF area is kept over the right point. In addition, the Face/Eye detection is more reliable, but it still only works with human faces and eyes.
Shooting moving subjects often calls for high continuous shooting rates and the X-T30 II can shoot up to 53 full-resolution JPEGs or 17 RAW
Most of these upgrades could have been implemented with a firmware update to the X-T30
files at 20fps (frames per second) when the electronic shutter is in use. If that’s not fast enough, you can switch to 30fps but incur a 1.25x crop and capture 16MP images. Alternatively, shooting with the mechanical shutter gives a maximum rate of 8fps for up to 90 JPEGs or 18 RAW files.
Fujifilm has given the X-T30 II the Classic Neg and Eterna Bleach Bypass Film simulation modes in addition to the 16 of the X-T30.
There are also controls to adjust the Clarity, Tone Curve and Monochromatic Color, plus the Auto White Balance can be set to White Priority or Ambience Priority and the Color Chrome FX Blue option has been introduced to subtly enhance blue subjects.
On the video front, aside from the addition of Film Simulation modes, the only upgrade brought by the X-T30 II is that it can shoot 4K video for up to 30 minutes instead of just 20 on the previous model. Like the X-T30, the new camera can record 4K video in 17:9 or 16:9 aspect ratio, capturing in 6K at up to 30p and downsampling to 4K (4096x2160 or 3840x2160 respectively) for better quality. Full HD footage can be recorded at up to
120p for slow-motion playback. There’s also F-Log recording and the ability to record to an external device via HDMI cable to capture 4:2:2 10-bit colour, rather than the 4:2:0 8-bit colour that’s recorded to an SD card.
Although it’s not weather-sealed, the X-T30 II’s top and bottom plates are made from magnesium alloy, while its dials are made from aluminium alloy, giving it a durable feel. The grip is also nicely shaped and while the camera feels best when paired with a smaller lens, it’s okay with longer lenses too.
Like the touchscreen, the 0.39-inch, 2.36-million dot OLED viewfinder gives a reasonable preview of the image, showing plenty of detail and matching the colour and exposure of the captured shot.
My only complaint regarding the control layout is that the Q button used to access the Quick menu is too easily pressed accidentally. This function can be turned off and assigned to another button instead, but it would have been nice to see this button located in a more practical position on the new camera.