In essence, the Nikon Z30 is the Nikon Z50 without a viewfinder but with a vari-angle screen, a tally light, a new record button and teh ability to record video for longer. By itself, the vari-angle screen could be enough to entice vloggers or would-be vloggers towards it rather than the Z50, but of course there are several non-Nikon options available as well. Nikon’s SnapBridge, however, will be popular with anyone who is used to creating and sharing content via their phone, and the Creative Picture Controls enable very attractive stills and video to be created in-camera.

So far, the only stumbling block seems to be the omission of a viewfinder, which is disappointing for photographers wanting a camera that will help them ease into shooting more video.

The Nikon Z30 is Nikon’s first entry-level interchangeable lens camera that is specifically aimed vloggers and those who are primarily interested in shooting video – but it can, of course, also shoot stills.

It’s an APS-C or DX format camera and it features a 20.88MP sensor that is said to be ‘very similar’ to the one in the Nikon Z50. As it features the Nikon Z mount, the Z30 can be used with any of Nikon’s Z-mount lenses whether they are designed to cover a full frame or APS-C format sensor.What is the Nikon Z30?

As I mentioned, the Nikon Z30 has an 20.88-million-pixel APS-C format sensor. This is paired with an Expeed processor that enables a sensitivity range that starts at ISO 100 and goes up to ISO 25,600 for video or 51,200 for stills (with expansion settings of ISO 102,400 and 204,800).

It’s also possible to shoot stills at up to 11fps (frames per second) with full autofocus and metering capability, but without Live View between each shot. Dropping to 5fps enables Live View between the frames.

Video can be shot at up to 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution at up to 30p or Full HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 60p. There’s also electronic stabilisation (E-VR) which is thought to impart a crop of around 1.3x. Alternatively, there’s a slow motion mode that enables Full HD video to be recorded at up to 120p.

Perhaps surprising in a video-centric camera, the Nikon Z30 doesn’t have a Log mode, but it is intended as an entry-level model. Instead, the colour and contrast is controlled using the Picture Controls which are said to have been tweaked to suit video more than stills.

There is an external microphone port along with the ‘sensitive’ built-in stereo microphone, but there’s no headphone port.

In addition, it’s possible to record for up to 125 minutes uninterrupted, which is great news for some vloggers, and Nikon’s Webcam Utility can facilitate live-streaming with the Z30. For long live-streams or recording sessions, the Z30 can be powered via the supplied USB-C cable connected to a mains or other power delivery supply.

Like the Z50, the Nikon Z30’s hybrid autofocus system has 209 autofocus points. This is backed-up by both animal detection and eye detection AF for stills and video, with the detection area covering about 90% of the sensor vertically and horizontally.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is also built-in along with Nikon’s SnapBridge technology. As well as allowing images (with or without hashtags) to be transferred automatically to a paired smartphone, SnapBridge enables 4K video transfer to the phone. It’s also possible to update the camera’s firmware using the smartphone app and SnapBridge technology, which is less hassle than using a computer.

Video and stills are saved to an SD-type card in the single UHS-I card slot.

While the specification of the Nikon Z30 is very similar to the Z50’s in many respects, it looks quite different because it doesn’t have a viewfinder. Instead, images and video must be composed on the 3-inch 1,040,000-dot vari-angle touchscreen. Unlike the Z50’s tilting screen, this flips out the side of the Z30 and can be angled up or down, or rotated to face forward. When the screen is turned forwards, the Z30 automatically switches to self-portrait mode.

The lack of a viewfinder means that Z30 has a flat-top, so it looks less like a mini DSLR. However, the controls are broadly similar to those on the Z50 and there’s an exposure mode dial on the right of the top-plate, complete with a couple of customisable settings. There are also two command dials, one towards the back of the top-plate and the other on the front of the camera at the top of the grip.

A switch on the back of the Z30 lets you flick quickly between stills and video recording. Meanwhile, the red record button has been made more prominent and it sits just behind the shutter release button.

Nikon has also added a tally light to the front of the Z30. This is a red light that illuminates when the camera is recording and it’s a helpful inclusion for anyone in front of the camera. A red box also displays around the screen when the camera is rolling, so there shouldn’t be any missed scenes.

While the top of the Z30 may be different, the grip is still deep like the Z50’s, which should help keep the camera steady when shooting-hand-held.

While I have still to shoot with the Nikon Z30, its similarity to the Z50 suggests that it should be capable of putting in a solid performance. I expect that detail will be maintained well up to around ISO 6400 or even ISO 12,800. Meanwhile the dynamic range should mean that you can brighten the shadows in stills by around 4EV.

It will be interesting to see what the colour and sharpness are like straight from the Z30, will those changes to the Picture Control settings be very noticeable?

Nikon’s autofocus system seems to be constantly evolving, and while the Z30’s AF won’t match the Nikon Z9’s, the company says it’s close to what’s now on offer from the Nikon Z7 II and Nikon Z6 II. I’ll certainly be giving it a thorough test as soon as I’m able to.

These images were provided by Nikon. Follow the link to browse and download full-resolution Nikon Z30 images. Copyright applies.

The Nikon Z50 is a nice little camera but the flip down screen is quite frustrating as it’s blocked from view if you put the camera on a tripod or grip. Nikon’s workaround came in the form of the SmallRig Vlogging Plate, which attaches to the bottom of the camera and enables it to be off-set on a tripod. It works reasonably well but that camera  is a bit unbalanced. The switch to a vari-angle screen is a much better solution for the Nikon Z30.

I’m surprised that Nikon hasn’t given the Z30 a viewfinder. It may help keep the cost of the camera down, but it also means that the shape of the camera had to be changed more significantly in comparison with the Z50, which would likely impact on production cost. More significantly, it reduces the appeal of the Z30 somewhat to photographers who want to start shooting video.

It would also have been nice to have in-body stabilisation along with the electronic stabilisation.

However, given what we know about Nikon’s understanding of colour, exposure and detail resolution, it’s likely to be the sensitivity and stickiness of the Z30’s eye detection, along with the camera’s handling, that determines how popular it is amongst vloggers. If Nikon has nailed that, the Z30 could be a great camera for vloggers looking to step-up from a smartphone or compact camera.

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