How could they omit IBIS? A look at how the X-T30 III compares
| Photo: Richard Butler | 
The Fujifilm X-T30 III is a subtle refresh of the company's least expensive SLR-shaped X-mount mirroless camera. It sits above the rangefinder-styled X-M5, adding a viewfinder, and below the image stabilized X-S20, and shares its 26MP APS-C sized BSI CMOS sensor with all three models.
The update brings more advanced subject recognition autofocus, improved video capabilities and a Film Simulation dial, putting one of its key distinguishing features to the fore.
But how does that leave it fitting into the marketplace, particularly in the light of inflation and tariff led price increases? The Fujifilm X-T30 III retails for $1000, body-only or $1150 with a 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS kit zoom.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $1000, $1150 w/ 13-33mm  | 
$1010, $1150 w/ 16-50mm  | 
$1100, $1250 w/ 18-45mm  | 
$1500. $1600 w/ 15-45mm  | 
We're primarily going to compare it with the similarly-priced Nikon Z50II and Canon EOS R10, both also mirrorless cameras with unstabilized APS-C sensors. We'll also look at the more expensive X-S20, which is built from very similar components but with a different control system and image stablization.
And, although they don't really fit in the tables, we're going to include some detail about the OM System OM-5 II ($1200) and Sony a6400 ($1000) too.
Resolution
There's not much to choose between cameras in this class, in terms of resolution. At 26MP the Fujifilms have a few more megapixels then the EOS R10, but not to a degree that makes any real difference.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 26MP | 21MP | 24MP | 26MP | 
There's a bit more of a gap to the 21MP Nikon and the 20MP OM-5 II, but it's still only about a 12% difference in linear resolution, so we wouldn't recommend selecting between these cameras on the basis of pixel count. All the current cameras use sensors that are modern enough that there's not a huge difference in performance (the move to BSI doesn't make a big difference to IQ in sensors this big).
Stabilization
| Photo: Mitchell Clark | 
None of the $1000 APS-C models from Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon or Sony includes in-camera stabilization.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stabilization | Lens only | Lens only | Lens only | In-body  (up to 7EV)  | 
All of them tend to come bundled with stabilized lenses, which means you can use slower shutter speeds without having to worry about hand shake, when you're using that lens. But you'll have to upgrade to a more expensive camera if you want an in-body stabilization system that tends to work better for video. The OM System OM-5 II is the least expensive option, while you'll need to spend a fair bit more again to get in-body stabilization and an APS-C-sized sensor.
Continuous shooting and Autofocus
| Photo: Richard Butler | 
As comparatively lowly models in their respective ranges, none of these cameras is designed as an out-and-out action camera, and yet they all boast shooting rates (at least in their distortion and flicker prone e-shutter modes) that exceed those offered by professional sports cameras, not much more than a decade ago.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cont. burst rate | 8fps Mech 20fps Elec  | 
11fps Mech 15fps Elec  | 
15fps Mech 23fps Elec  | 
8fps Mech 20fps Elec  | 
None of these models has an especially deep buffer, so don't imagine any of these will perform well, pitch-side, but they'll do pretty well for capturing short bursts of movement.
The Nikon has the most reliable AF system here: tracking whatever you point it at pretty well. The Canon is a touch behind, but still very capable. All four models have subject recognition modes trained to identify and lock onto specific subjects, and if you're shooting one of these subjects, the performance gap between the Fujifilm and its peers definitely narrows.
The Sony is very good at general tracking and eye detection but has little subject recogniton beyond this. The OM-5 II is also limited to humans in terms of subject recognition and its tracking AF is well off the pace.
Viewfinder and screens
| Photo: Shaminder Dulai | 
There's not a lot to choose in this class in terms of viewfinders: they're all built around the same 2.36M dot OLED panels, with the optics mounted in front of them affecting how large the finder ends up looking. Nikon does the best job here, though its large viewfinder hump also making it the tallest camera here by some margin, as a consequence.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVF | 2.36M dots 0.62x mag  | 
2.36M dots 0.67x mag  | 
2.36M dots  0.59x mag  | 
2.36M dot 0.62x mag  | 
| Rear screen | 1.62 dots 3.0" Tilt up/down  | 
1.04M dots 3.2" Fully-artic.  | 
1.04M dots 3.0" Fully-artic.  | 
1.84 dots 3.0" Fully-artic.  | 
There's a bit more of a decision to be made when it comes to rear screens. The X-T30 III has the highest resolution screen, with its 900 x 600 pixel resolution, but it's also the only one that tilts up and down, rather than extending to the side and rotating.
The Nikon promises a slightly larger panel, but with slightly reduced 720 x 640 pixel res. The Canon offers this resolution and the smaller panel. It's a similar story with the OM-5 II: a 2.36M dot EVF with somewhat modest 0.5x magnification, and a 3.0" 1.04M dot fully articulated rear screen. The Sony has the largest viewfinder, at 0.7x magnification but also the lowest res rear screen: approximately 720 x 415 pixels in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Video
| Photo: Richard Butler | 
Video is one of the areas that distinguishes between cameras at this price. All four of the main cameras we're looking at can shoot 10-bit footage, either as Log footage to maximise flexibility for color grading, or as HDR footage for playback on high dynamic range displays.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video options | 6.2K/30 open gate 4K/60 1.18x crop 4K/30 full-width  | 
4K/60 1.44x crop 4K/30 full-width  | 
4K/60 1.6x crops 4K/30 full-width  | 
6.2K/30 open gate 4K/60 1.18x crop 4K/30 full-width  | 
| Mic / 'phones? | 2.5mm / Via USB adapter | Yes / Yes | Yes / No | Yes / Yes | 
All these cameras boast pretty good specs, including the ability to capture 4K/60 if you can tolerate some degree of crop (though it makes capturing wide-angle footage harder and will tend to be noisier). The Nikon has the most dependable video autofocus in this group, and also lets you capture and monitor external audio without the need for adapters. Only the X-S20 has image stabilization, though, and even then it's not the smoothest of systems.
Both the OM-5 II and a6400 show their age or, at least, the age of their processors, by only being able to capture 8-bit video. This limits the flexibility of its Log footage (especially the more ambitious S-Log3 curve, and means it can't shoot true HDR footage.
OM System's in-body stabilization means the OM-5 II is an easier camera to shoot video with than most of the others here, but its autofocus undermines it, in this regard, so all of them will require a bit of work in one way or another.
Dimensions
The X-T30 III is the smallest of cameras here, by some margin, and also the lightest.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 118 x 83 x 47mm | 127 x 97 x 67mm | 123 x 88 x 83mm | 128 x 85 x 65mm | 
| Weight | 378g | 550g | 429g | 491g | 
There are some definite downsides to this: the X-T30 III has lots of external controls but also the least surface space to fit them on, so, perhaps unsurprisingly, it feels the most fiddly and cramped to operate.
The Nikon is the only camera in this group not to have an autofocus joystick; something that's also the case for the OM-5 II and a6400. And, while the Nikon's tracking AF makes up for this to an extent, we generally find it more engaging to be able to pre-position or move the AF point via a tactile control point.
Ergonomics are ultimately a matter of taste, but it's only really this omission that stops the Nikon being the standout camera, in this regard. For us, the Canon and the Nikon are the most comfortable of this cohort to shoot with.
Kit lenses
| Photo: Richard Butler | 
One of the biggest differences between the cameras in terms of real-world use isn't down to the cameras themselves at all: it's the lenses they come bundled with. A lot of users in this price bracket tend to primarily use these 'kit' zooms, so choosing the most flexible one makes a significant difference.
| Fujifilm X-T30 III | Nikon Z50II | Canon EOS R10 | Fujifilm X-S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default kit lens | 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS | 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR | 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS | 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 PZ  | 
| In equivalent terms | 20-51mm eF5.5-9.7 | 24-77mm eF5.5-9.7 | 29-73mm eF7.3-10.2 | 23-69mm eF5.5-8.7  | 
The X-T30 III comes with a retractable manual zoom that goes much wider than the ones offered by its peers, which is hugely useful, especially if you're used to shooting with the relatively wide angle lenses that smartphones tend to feature. The Nikon and X-S20's power zoom lenses perhaps offer the best balance between wide-angle capability and reach at the other end, but we've liked what we've seen of the new 13-33mm so far.
The OM-5 II's default 12-40mm F4.0 kit lens comes from the company's 'Pro' series and, as the branding implies, it's a rather more substantially built option than its peers. It has a constant F4.0 maximum aperture, so while it's a third of a stop darker in absolute terms and a whole stop darker in equivalent terms at the wide end, it's brighter by both metrics at the long end. And its 24-80mm equivalent range is pretty handy, too, though it takes the combined cost to $1600, $450 more than most of these other rivals.
Summary
| 
 The Film Simulation dial is one of the X-T30 III's changes, relative to its predecessor and also represents one of the camera's stand-out features, relative to its peers. Photo: Richard Butler  | 
The cost of an 'entry-level' camera has risen markedly in recent years. There are a couple of cameras for sale cheaper than these, but you really notice the corners that have been cut and the build quality that's been sacrificed. But if you can stretch to the $1000 mark, you have a choice of very capable models.
All these cameras offer excellent image quality, increasingly sophisticated autofocus and video capabilities that would have been unthinkable, quite recently. There are definitely factors to help you choose between them, whether that's the Fujifilm's attractive range of color modes, the provision of an AF joystick or the inclusion of a headphone socket for audio monitoring, but for the most part it's hard to go far wrong.
The Fujifilm X-T30 III is a very subtle refresh of its predecessor. We can't imagine many Mark II owners choosing to make the upgrade, but its specs are enough to keep it competitive against its immediate peers.
Read our intial impressions of the Fujifilm X-T30 III