Sarah's Deal: Fuji X-T30

My former Corcoran classmate and friend Sarah H. has been offered a deal on a Fuji X-T30 with two small Fuji primes. She shoots professionally (family portraits and weddings) and has two older Nikon DSLRs and three lenses, but would like to try mirrorless and could use something more portable for travel. The price checks out as a decent deal.

She'd like to know how well flash works on the X-T30, and I had no answer for her. Can anyone share any information about using flash on an X-T30? Does anyone have an opinion about the Fuji X-T30 in the general? There's a new iteration out now, the X-T30 II, though it doesn't seem much different from the first.

Mike

Comments

[John Krumm]

I used to own one, in fact it was my second Fuji, after a theft. It's a very good camera if you don't find it too small. I also found Fuji to be quite good with flash. I'm not a pro, but it seemed to work well with the Godox TT350F Mini for family shots. The XT-30 will get you the same color and image quality of the larger cameras. I eventually sold it when I bought a camera with IBIS.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

My X-T30 is one of my cameras that may have to be pried from my cold, dead hand. Although my work doesn’t call for it as often as in the past, it’s quite a wonderful little camera that’s long been my go-to for a small ILC. It’s basically a mini-X-T3, producing the same image quality. And it’s almost smaller than the X100 cams. Excellent for street, travel. Paired with an XF 27mm pancake and you have a coat-pocketable slr!

Never used it with flash.

[Skip Davis]

This might be a good review to read.

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/fujifilm-x-t30-review

[Dave Jenkins]

I've been using a Fuji X-T20 since 2017 and have shot a number of weddings with it. It's a fine, easy-to-handle camera. I usually photograph weddings with one flash on camera plus a monolight on a stand and it all works just fine. The photographer for whom I've been second-shooting since I stopped booking my own weddings (herself a Canon 5D4 shooter) described my Fuji files as "pretty."
Two years ago I bought a Fuji X-H1, which is a fine camera, but I'm thinking of selling it and getting another X-T20 because the 20 is small and light and does everything I want to do. And the controls would be the same. Or, I might upgrade to two 30s. If the X-T20 is a very good camera, and it is, the X-T30 can only be better.
I have a few X-T20 files on my blog if your friend would be interested in seeing them. http://alifeinphotography.blogspot.com/2021/09/talking-about-tools.html

[Gordon Lewis]

The X-T30 is essentially a smaller, less full-featured version of the X-T3. I have had great success using the X-T3 (and other Fuji models) with the Godox TT685f TTL battery-powered flash as well as Godox AC-powered monolights. It works with flash-on-camera and wireless radio triggers. (The X-T30 has no PC flash input.) I've even been able to use Nikon flash units, although only in manual power setting mode.

Aside from making sure the shutter speed is within flash sync range, it's a good idea to set "Preview exp/wb in manual mode" to OFF, otherwise the electronic displays will look dark and off-color. This applies regardless of what type of flash you use and happens because you're looking at an electronic rather than through an optical viewfinder.

[Sroyon]

Hi Mike, I don't own this camera so I have nothing to contribute, but thought you might want to specify if the question is about the pop-up flash, or a separate unit either on or off camera?

[Stan B.]

The main detriment for pro use as I see it would be the significantly smaller EVF in these models than in the more expensive models.

[Chas James]

I have both Fuji and Nikon systems.

For ultimate tonal quality and dynamic range my FF Nikons are better than Fuji and without doubt the Nikon flash system is superior to that of Fuji.

However I find Fuji superior for (light) weight, their handling of (jpeg) high ISO in low light, their wonderful and compact primes, their control system and simply the pleasure of using them.

I have found, in the last 18 months, that I am using the Fujis more than my Nikons and they are my firm choice for travel.

I hope that that helps.

[Bryan Geyer]

Since "She shoots professionally (family portraits and weddings)", I'd be hesitant to switch from full frame to DX. Portraits and weddings are the sort of subject that invite large sized prints, and big prints enhance income. Yes, I realize that excellent prints of large size can be made from an APS-C size sensor (I shoot a Nikon D500), but I'd want the theoretic edge that a 2.3X bigger original provides if I was shooting for money and pushing big prints.

[Her other cameras are Nikon D7000's from 2010. They are APS-C as well. --Mike]

[Patrick Pope]

I've used Nikon and Fuji professionally for weddings, portraits, and real estate.

I've found Fuji's flash system to be generally comparable to Nikon's. If she is comfortable with the Big N she'll be okay with Fuji.

More pressing, however, is the single card slot of the X-T30. There's been a lot of debate about this topic but personally I wouldn't consider using a single card slot camera professionally. Backup is a serious task and that starts right in the field. For professional use an X-T2/3/4 would be the closest comparison.

The image quality of the X-T30 is excellent and capable of professional results. Fuji's primes are equally excellent from the f/2 Fujicrons to the larger aperture variants.

One last point that may be worth mentioning. The X-Txx (double digit) series is not as robustly built as the single digit series. I have personal experience with both the single digit series would stand up to professional use better. I'm sure the X-T30 could be used professionally for great results but it's simply somewhat more "delicate" than I would want if I was trusting my reputation to it, both in terms of build and with regard to card failure.

[Albert Smith]

These are the reasons that I did not get an X-T30 after some thought in that regard years ago:

1. Lack of a D-Pad. My other cameras have this and I wouldn't want to adjust how I shoot for this one body.

2. Lack of weather sealing. My environment includes no-notice rain storms and high humidity.

3. Lack of vertical tilt on the LCD, again because my other X-T bodies have this.

4. Single SD slot, versus the redundancy of a second slot which can be set up for duplicates of card one, or sequential loading when card one maxes out, or splitting jpegs and raw to their own card.

5. Not applicable to your friend, but there was a short time that I jumped on when the price difference between the X-T3 and X-T30 was $200. This made my acquisition of a second X-T3 a no brainer.

That said, the X-T30 can give results equal to the X-T3 (and 4) if the user knows how to use it. The sensor and processor are still first class and coupled with a small Fujicron class lens make for a pretty nice kit.

[Rob Campbell]

Never allow yourself to fall into the trap of recommending anything. The minute something goes wrong - and it will - guess who will be to blame.

[garlo]

I have used off camera manual flash successfully with both canon cable and Yongnuo trigger (for canon hotshoe) on my Fuji X-100s.

What I don't like about mirror-less flash photography is that I have to set exposure for ambient first to acquire focus, then set it to desired shutter speed to control background exposure. It is not as convenient as with SLR and range finder camera.

Am I missing a trick that casual amateurs don't know?

Fuji auto-white balance under mixed light works much better than Canon 5D though.

[Paulo Bizarro]

I have been using a X-T30 for several months, but I do not use flash. I use the camera for landscapes, travel, and trekking, with the 16-80 f/4 lens. I also have the X-T3, which feels more robust and has a eyecup around the EVF (which the X-T30 lacks). I do like the little camera, with an extra tripod base plate feels good in the hand. For landscapes, I often use it on a tripod.

[Niels]

I too have stopped recommending anything to anybody (in real life, off the internet).
One of two things used to happen: They don't follow my advice (most often) or they follow it and think I am now their personal support person through the life of the product.

Online is another matter - ask me anything and I'll throw a recommendation at you.

[Chris]

Garlo, I think you are being way to complicated. Mirrorless work the same as any other camera. You can drag the shutter if you want more ambient light as usual. Perhaps you are referring to the EVF which gets dark if you are underexposed? The camera should have a control that allows you to switch off "exposure visible in the EVF" or similar. In OM cameras you switch the viewfinder to "OVF" - optical viewfinder. Then you will see the subject at normal brightness even if the camera is underexposing.

[Stephen S.]

@garlo Yup, you're missing a trick. Mirrorless cameras can be set to always give you a bright preview image, rather than trying to simulate the exposure with purely ambient light. With Fujifilm you want the "Preview Exp in Manual Mode" setting. It varies with other manufacturers: Olympus users, for example, will use the "Live View Boost" or "S-OVF" settings.

[Sroyon]

@garlo: In the EVF settings you should be able to turn off Auto Exposure Preview, then you get a "normal" looking image for purposes of composing and focus.

[Andre Moreau]

Hi Mike,
Here's what a pro wedding and portrait photographer, Omar Gonzalez, says about shooting a wedding with a camera that has only one card slot...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI5hCLlBzjs

[David Seelig]

A friend of mine who was head entertainment photographer for Getty told me flat out even the mirriless nikons flash do not compare to the nikon dslrs for flash . NIkon Canon Sony Fuji mirrorless are not as good at camera on flash as a nikon dslr which was alaways the best dal flash on camera, I know this even though i myself was a canon dslr shooter