To clarify, the Phoblographer’s metering tests work according to Sunny 16. If the camera erred, photos tended to be too dark rather than too light, which is great because darker photos are easier to fix in post. MeteringĮxposure on the Z30 felt fairly accurate. That said, other cameras at this price point also don’t have stabilization, so it’s hard to hold it against the Z30.

Without a viewfinder, it’s more challenging to get a good steady hold. Plus, holding a camera with a viewfinder pulled up to your face is typically a steadier grip than holding the camera away from your body and using the screen. You can get it in some lenses, including the kit lens, but I wasn’t able to handhold the Z30 as slow as I could with in-body stabilization. One thing that would make this camera easier to use is in-body stabilization. There’s a question mark button that, in the camera menu, explains what many of the options do. I think Nikon’s menu system is a more straightforward than other brands (cough, cough, Sony). In fact, without the viewfinder, the shooting experience feels a bit like a smartphone, only with much better ergonomics. The touchscreen will feel familiar to smartphone photographers. There’s a big green auto mode on the mode dial, and the controls are much simpler than high-end models. Ease of Useīudget cameras are often beginner’s cameras, and the Z30 is no exception. But, it will struggle to capture the dance floor in the same bar. It will do just fine taking overhead food shots in a dim bar. In short, this camera will photograph low light and action, but not both at the same time. The Z30 can lock focus in pretty limited lighting, but it does take some time. There’s a low light autofocus mode built-in, and I like that the camera automatically switches to that mode if the lighting is too dim, so you don’t have to constantly turn it on and off. The screen will flash a brighter exposure as the autofocus system works, then returns to the user set exposure before shooting. In the dark, the Z30 has a more limited autofocus range. But I got the shot above using Face AF and, although there were several misses, the system worked on the quick movement of the swings impressively. Again, there’s some misses here, particularly with subjects that won’t sit still, (ie – toddlers). The focus system is okay, but it doesn’t perform as quickly as the similarly priced Sony a6100.Įye AF is built in, and it focuses on the face when the eyes aren’t large enough.

Considering the camera tops out at 11 fps burst speeds, most of the shots were focused. Photographing my dog running towards the camera, I captured a few sharp shots before focus dropped off as he got too close. But, while it’s not an action camera, it’s not awful. And, you’re probably going to want to buy a second battery.Īs Nikon’s most affordable mirrorless camera to date, the Z30 isn’t designed for the toughest subjects. But, there are better options for photographing fast action. Overall, I think the Nikon Z30 is an affordable option for travel, beginners, and vlogging. Autofocus on the Z30 isn’t bad, but Sony’s a6100 does better. It lacks a viewfinder and image stabilization: the latter being difficult to find on competing budget cameras as well. However, the Nikon Z30 skips several features to keep the size and price low. The controls and menus are newbie-friendly, and the grip will make even DSLR die-hards happy. In particular, images in low light are quite impressive. Images from the Z30 are great for this price point. It has a wealth of features for vlogging and video, but doesn’t slack when it comes to stills. It also has some weather sealing and doesn’t feel as plastic-fantastic as other budget models. Compact size, $709 price point, and excellent image quality in low light are three strong reasons to consider this camera. The Nikon Z30 is so small it resembles an oversized point-and-shoot camera.

Camera screen shade