Fujifilm X-T30 II

The Fujifilm X-T30 II is a small mirrorless camera released in 2021, measuring 118 x 83 x 47mm. At 383g, it is light enough to carry on trips and long walks without becoming a burden.

Its 26MP APS-C sensor and electronic viewfinder make it a natural fit for everyday photography, from street scenes to family pictures, and it can record 4K video when you want motion as well as stills.

Owning it involves a few compromises. There is no weather sealing, so it rewards careful handling in poor conditions.

The 26MP APS-C sensor works with the X-Processor 4 to produce files with plenty of detail for prints and room to crop. Because the body has no stabilisation, any smoothing of camera shake has to come from a stabilised lens or a support, so check lens options before buying glass.

Autofocus uses 425 points, and the camera can shoot at up to 30fps, which helps when timing fast action. Treat that as the fastest rate it can reach rather than a speed it will sustain through a long sequence.

The ISO range runs from 160 to 12800, covering bright daylight through dim interiors. The fastest shutter speed is 1/4000, which can feel restrictive when you want wide apertures in strong light; a neutral density filter is one workaround.

You frame shots through a 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder, sharp enough to judge focus and exposure before you press the shutter.

The X-T30 II records video up to 4K and saves it as MPEG-4 H.264.

Frame rates reach up to 120fps, enough for slow-motion footage. The maximum resolution and the fastest frame rate are separate headline figures here, so confirm which combinations the camera actually offers before planning a slow-motion shoot.

A built-in timelapse mode spares you from an external intervalometer or an app when you want to compress a sunset or a changing scene into a short clip.

Handheld video deserves care. With no in-body stabilisation, footage picks up camera shake quickly, so a tripod, gimbal or other support is a practical answer for smoother clips. The same support keeps timelapse framing steady across the sequence.

The 3-inch LCD is a touchscreen with just over a million dots, which makes reviewing images and adjusting settings quick. It also flips, helping when you compose from low or overhead angles, and live view shows the scene in real time as you frame.

Lighting options are flexible. A built-in flash covers occasional indoor fill, and an external flash can be fitted when you need more power or bounce control.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both built in. There is no GPS, so the camera cannot tag files with location data automatically.

Remember there is no weather sealing, so keep the camera out of rain and heavy dust.

Storage goes through a single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot with UHS-I support. With no second slot, your images exist on one card only, so spare cards are worth packing for shoots you cannot repeat.

The NP-W126S battery is rated at 380 shots. That specification figure is not an all-day promise, and real endurance varies with use, so a charged spare covers a heavy shooting day.

Charging over USB lets you top the battery up from a computer or a wall adapter. If you plan to use a travel power bank, check that its output suits the camera before depending on it.