Fuji X30 arrives with overhauled interface, EVF, Wi-Fi and radically better battery life
posted Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at 1:00 AM EDT
Good news, Fuji fans: the Fujifilm X30 is here, following in the footsteps of 2012's Fuji X10 and 2013's X20, both popular -- if occasionally quirky -- fixed-lens, compact cameras. Their classic styling and generous selection of physical controls helped them stand out from the crowd, and the X30 builds on those traits with an even more versatile design -- although it does, for the first time, forego an optical viewfinder. But more on that in a moment.
Like its predecessors, the 12-megapixel Fuji X30 sports a 4x optical zoom lens with 28 to 112mm-equivalent coverage and a bright f/2.0-2.8 maximum aperture. And like the X20 that 12-megapixel sensor is an X-Trans CMOS II design, with a color filter array that's intended to reduce moiré, obviating the need for a resolution-robbing optical low-pass filter.
So what differs from the earlier models, if we're using the same lens, sensor and processor triplet as in the Fuji X20? The key changes revolve around the camera's interface, with new controls, viewfinder and LCD monitor. There's also newly-added Wi-Fi wireless networking connectivity, making the X30 social networking-friendly.
Battery life is also said to have been increased significantly thanks to a new battery pack, the earlier models' external battery charger replaced by in-camera charging, and a new film simulation mode added. Not surprisingly, there's a slight tradeoff, though -- this new model is also 2.2 ounces (62g) heavier, and a scant tenth of an inch (2-3mm) larger in all dimensions.
Available from late September 2014, the Fuji X30 is priced at US$600, the exact same price at which both earlier models first listed. Two color variants will be offered: either black or silver.
For much more information on this handsome little enthusiast compact, read our just-published Fuji X30 preview.
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