Skip to main content
Cameras

Fujifilm Debuts X30 Advanced Compact Ahead of Photokina

Ever wish for an EVF in your X20? Fujifilm's been listening.

Credit:

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Never one to sit still too long, Fujifilm announced a brand-new camera today. Coming after X10 and X20, the new compact X30 takes Fujifilm's traditional retro style in a forward-looking direction.

While you might be familiar with Fujifilm's signature hybrid optical viewfinder, found in X100-series cameras, the X10 and X20 used a less complex optical viewfinder. It was a decent solution, but between the parallax error and the lens barrel blocking part of the field of view, it was far from ideal.

With the X30, Fujifilm has completely gone the other direction, taking out the OVF and replacing it with a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder with 0.65x magnification. Not only will this give you a more accurate idea of what you're shooting, it'll be better to use in bright light, where an OVF might flare out completely. Even better, a tilting rear 3-inch LCD will make off-angle shooting super easy.

{{ photo_gallery "design" }}

Fujifilm has kept the imaging stack mostly the same from the X20, utilizing a 12-megapixel X-Trans 2/3-inch sensor paired with a familiar 7.1-28.4mm (28-112mm 35mm equivalent) f/2-2.8 lens.

The X20's fun twist-lens-to-turn on action remains, with a brand new control ring behind the camera's metal manual zoom ring. On top of that, the X30 has completely reworked controls. Gone is the wobbly vertical dial on the camera's back, and the vital quick menu button is in an easy-to-reach position this time around.

Reworked rear controls look like they've been designed to appease people who were turned off by the X10 and X20.

WiFi quietly joins the feature party, working with Fujifilm's current smartphone apps on iOS and Android. Software-wise, you'll find the entire suite of excellent JPEG color modes along with a brand-new film simulation called Classic Chrome.

Finally, you might not need to carry a second battery with this camera. Fujifilm is boasting improved battery life with 470 shots (CIPA) on a single charge with USB recharging to boot. All in all, we think Fujifilm has seriously listened to user feedback, keeping what worked and improving what didn't.

This seriously updated baby X will be available in late September in both silver and black for $599.95. Stay tuned to Reviewed.com Cameras for more Photokina 2014 news. We'll be covering the world's biggest imaging event direct from Cologne, Germany September 16th-25th.

Up next