Nikon announces lightweight & affordable Z30 mirrorless camera aimed at video creators
posted Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 12:01 AM EDT
Click here to read our Nikon Z30 Preview
The Nikon Z30 is Nikon's third APS-C Z series camera and the company's most compact, lightweight and affordable Z camera. The Z30 is aimed at entry-level users, perhaps people who have never owned an interchangeable lens camera. Further, Nikon has also designed its newest camera for hybrid and video-focused creators.
"A real camera with interchangeable lenses is a big leap in a creator's personal evolution," said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. "We want to support creators by taking the guesswork out of how to get the best production value, which helps them to take their creativity further and grow their communities."
While many of its features are shared with the Z50 and Z fc APS-C cameras, the Z30 has some unique tricks up its sleeve. Perhaps its greatest trick is achieving a very low price point. The camera is available body only for $709.95, making it Nikon's most affordable Z camera by about $150. To achieve this price point, the Z30 doesn't include an electronic viewfinder, a first for a Nikon Z camera. You interact with the camera through its 3-inch touchscreen. It's a full vari-angle display, too. This means you can swivel the display out to the side and use it as a self-facing screen, perfect for solo content creators. The Z30 is the first Z camera to include a tally light, which is a red light on the camera's front that lets you know when video is recording. While not unique to the Z30, the camera can record video continuously for up to 125 minutes. The only other Nikon camera that can do this is the Nikon Z9, a full-frame camera that costs $5,500.
The Z30 uses a 20.9-megapixel APS-C (DX) image sensor, the same as Nikon's other two APS-C Z cameras. The camera's ISO range goes up to 51,200 for photography and 25,600 for video, meaning it should work well in low light. If the Z50 and Z fc are any indications, the Z30 will deliver impressive image quality. The camera includes many useful autofocus features, including subject detection and Eye-Detect AF. The Z30 captures images up to 11 frames per second and shoots 4K video at up to 30p. You can also record Full HD video at up to 120p.
As for audio, the camera includes built-in stereo mics. You can also use a 3.5mm input for headphones or an external mic. The camera has a USB-C port you can use for charging and an HDMI output, too. There's much more to say about Nikon's new entry-level Z series camera, so head to our Nikon Z30 Overview for all the details, including availability info and a breakdown of the different kits Nikon will offer.